Showing posts with label 2014 Extreme Sailing Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014 Extreme Sailing Series. Show all posts
Friday, 12 December 2014
Monday, 6 October 2014
Extreme Sailing Series, Alinghi team victorious in Nice
From the following press release on Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/morgan-larson-has-one-hand-on-the-2014-series-trophy-after-alinghi-snatch-v#.VDHxEq8cTrd
- Realteam narrowly denied their first Act win, after an edge of the seat final race shoot out.
- J.P. Morgan BAR take their second podium position of the year finishing third – the Brits are getting stronger and stronger.
- Only four days of racing left in 2014 with mathematically five teams – Alinghi, The Wave, Muscat, Emirates Team New Zealand, Realteam and J.P. Morgan BAR - capable of a podium position as the fleet head Down Under to Sydney, Australia, for the final Act of the year.
- Land Rover ‘Above & Beyond Award’ goes to Oman Sail boat builder Suleiman Al Manji who received the ultimate sporting call-up when he swapped his Omani kit for the Emirates Team New Zealand shirt to become an integral part of the pro race team on day two.
Morgan Larson and the Swiss team Alinghi snatched victory from the hands of their fellow countrymen Realteam in the final race at the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Nice, to take victory on French waters in front of thousands of spectators – and with that they now have one hand firmly placed on the 2014 Series trophy. With only one Act to go this year, Alinghi have extended their lead at the top of the Series leaderboard to eight points over The Wave, Muscat, but with 20 points up for the taking in Sydney, and five teams capable of a podium position, it’s not over until it’s over, and as Larson commented, it is just getting harder and harder to win races. “We were confident at the start of the year that we had a little bit of an edge, but now the rest of the field are showing some real force. I think now you are seeing the future. More than half the fleet have the ability to win an event, and that’s exactly what we’re going to see going into Sydney. That event is going to be worth double points, and if we go out with a bad performance and The Wave, Muscat or Emirates Team New Zealand come in with a strong one - we’re going to lose. So we’ve got to go out and try and get back on the podium.”
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/morgan-larson-has-one-hand-on-the-2014-series-trophy-after-alinghi-snatch-v#.VDHxEq8cTrd
- Realteam narrowly denied their first Act win, after an edge of the seat final race shoot out.
- J.P. Morgan BAR take their second podium position of the year finishing third – the Brits are getting stronger and stronger.
- Only four days of racing left in 2014 with mathematically five teams – Alinghi, The Wave, Muscat, Emirates Team New Zealand, Realteam and J.P. Morgan BAR - capable of a podium position as the fleet head Down Under to Sydney, Australia, for the final Act of the year.
- Land Rover ‘Above & Beyond Award’ goes to Oman Sail boat builder Suleiman Al Manji who received the ultimate sporting call-up when he swapped his Omani kit for the Emirates Team New Zealand shirt to become an integral part of the pro race team on day two.
Morgan Larson and the Swiss team Alinghi snatched victory from the hands of their fellow countrymen Realteam in the final race at the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Nice, to take victory on French waters in front of thousands of spectators – and with that they now have one hand firmly placed on the 2014 Series trophy. With only one Act to go this year, Alinghi have extended their lead at the top of the Series leaderboard to eight points over The Wave, Muscat, but with 20 points up for the taking in Sydney, and five teams capable of a podium position, it’s not over until it’s over, and as Larson commented, it is just getting harder and harder to win races. “We were confident at the start of the year that we had a little bit of an edge, but now the rest of the field are showing some real force. I think now you are seeing the future. More than half the fleet have the ability to win an event, and that’s exactly what we’re going to see going into Sydney. That event is going to be worth double points, and if we go out with a bad performance and The Wave, Muscat or Emirates Team New Zealand come in with a strong one - we’re going to lose. So we’ve got to go out and try and get back on the podium.”
read more here
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Extreme Sailing Series returns to Nice for Act 7 of the 2014 season
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/tensions-high-ahead-of-penultimate-showdown#.VC0wIK8cTrc
The 2014 Extreme Sailing Series™ is nearing its final stages with just one European Act left on the global tour, taking place this week in Nice, Cote d’Azur, before the final in Sydney, Australia. For the 11-strong fleet, it’s crunch time, and Freddie Carr gives his predictions on the leaderboard battles, at this pivotal point in the Series.
The whole event in Istanbul (Act 6) for me had a bit of needle about it, and to be honest, it really picked up from the double points final race in Cardiff, Wales at Act 5. We predicted Istanbul to step up a level in terms of aggression, and it really did. Going into the final race in Turkey where Morgan Larson’s Alinghi had third position pretty much locked in, the team turned it around and basically sailed The Wave, Muscat to the back of the fleet, doing all they could to make sure the Omani team didn’t win, and ensuring Emirates Team New Zealand did. Tensions were running high. I’ve known Leigh McMillan (The Wave, Muscat skipper) for 20 years and I haven’t seen him as emotional and as upset as he was after that double points final race in Turkey. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that we’re going to pick up from where we left off in Nice for the penultimate Act of the 2014 season.
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/tensions-high-ahead-of-penultimate-showdown#.VC0wIK8cTrc
The 2014 Extreme Sailing Series™ is nearing its final stages with just one European Act left on the global tour, taking place this week in Nice, Cote d’Azur, before the final in Sydney, Australia. For the 11-strong fleet, it’s crunch time, and Freddie Carr gives his predictions on the leaderboard battles, at this pivotal point in the Series.
The whole event in Istanbul (Act 6) for me had a bit of needle about it, and to be honest, it really picked up from the double points final race in Cardiff, Wales at Act 5. We predicted Istanbul to step up a level in terms of aggression, and it really did. Going into the final race in Turkey where Morgan Larson’s Alinghi had third position pretty much locked in, the team turned it around and basically sailed The Wave, Muscat to the back of the fleet, doing all they could to make sure the Omani team didn’t win, and ensuring Emirates Team New Zealand did. Tensions were running high. I’ve known Leigh McMillan (The Wave, Muscat skipper) for 20 years and I haven’t seen him as emotional and as upset as he was after that double points final race in Turkey. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that we’re going to pick up from where we left off in Nice for the penultimate Act of the 2014 season.
read more here
Monday, 15 September 2014
Extreme Sailing Series, Emirates Team New Zealand wins Instanbul event
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/istanbul-delivers-four-days-of-spectacular-racing-for-act-6-of-the-land-rov#.VBaEmK8cTrc
- Four days of spectacular racing closes in Istanbul with Emirates Team New Zealand snatching victory in the final race on final day.
- The Land Rover ‘Above and Beyond’ Award presented to Groupama sailing team for their persistence, commitment and tactical performance on the water.
- Taking on the Bosphorus Strait: Traffic shut down on one of the world’s busiest shipping channels for an incredible Extreme 40 showdown.
The stunning city of Istanbul has delivered in spades for Act 6 of the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series™ with four days of spectacular action in the Land Rover backed Stadium Racing circuit. Near perfect conditions saw the 12 international teams compete in 31 action-packed races, as the stars of the international sailing world came together in the city where ‘east meets west’ for the sixth Act on the global Series calendar.
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/istanbul-delivers-four-days-of-spectacular-racing-for-act-6-of-the-land-rov#.VBaEmK8cTrc
- Four days of spectacular racing closes in Istanbul with Emirates Team New Zealand snatching victory in the final race on final day.
- The Land Rover ‘Above and Beyond’ Award presented to Groupama sailing team for their persistence, commitment and tactical performance on the water.
- Taking on the Bosphorus Strait: Traffic shut down on one of the world’s busiest shipping channels for an incredible Extreme 40 showdown.
The stunning city of Istanbul has delivered in spades for Act 6 of the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series™ with four days of spectacular action in the Land Rover backed Stadium Racing circuit. Near perfect conditions saw the 12 international teams compete in 31 action-packed races, as the stars of the international sailing world came together in the city where ‘east meets west’ for the sixth Act on the global Series calendar.
read more here
Monday, 30 June 2014
Extreme Sailing Series, Alinghi clinch victory in St Petersburg event
From the following press release by the Extreme Sailing Series:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/five-team-final-race-shoot-out-sees-alinghi-clinch-victory-in-a-game-of-rus#.U7Csma-KDrc
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/five-team-final-race-shoot-out-sees-alinghi-clinch-victory-in-a-game-of-rus#.U7Csma-KDrc
After four days and 22 races, Act 4 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Saint Petersburg presented by Land Rover came down to an edge-of-the-seat final race shoot out, with five teams gunning for the podium and no room for error.
The game of Russian roulette between The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi continued until the final double pointer, but the Omani team needed seven boats between them to overhaul the Swiss – which proved too tall an order for Leigh McMillan, and Alinghi comfortably took their third Act win of the season.
With the Series now at the halfway mark, helmsman Morgan Larson has already turned his attentions towards the bigger picture: 'It’s nice to put a little stamp on our win and to let the guys know that we’re here to try and win the whole Series this time. The team is working well together and we finally feel confident that we can do it. Saying that, the heat is on, some teams are working really hard and we know that we’ll have to step up if we want to stay head.'
Hoping the Omani team would trip up and waiting in the wings to pounce for second place was Emirates Team New Zealand – and they almost did – until a last minute roll of the dice by Leigh McMillan and the team paid off, and a fifth place in the final race was enough for the boat flying the colours of Oman to take second place. But more importantly, keeping them in touch with Alinghi on the overall season leaderboard.
read more here
And the highlights video is here:
The game of Russian roulette between The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi continued until the final double pointer, but the Omani team needed seven boats between them to overhaul the Swiss – which proved too tall an order for Leigh McMillan, and Alinghi comfortably took their third Act win of the season.
With the Series now at the halfway mark, helmsman Morgan Larson has already turned his attentions towards the bigger picture: 'It’s nice to put a little stamp on our win and to let the guys know that we’re here to try and win the whole Series this time. The team is working well together and we finally feel confident that we can do it. Saying that, the heat is on, some teams are working really hard and we know that we’ll have to step up if we want to stay head.'
Hoping the Omani team would trip up and waiting in the wings to pounce for second place was Emirates Team New Zealand – and they almost did – until a last minute roll of the dice by Leigh McMillan and the team paid off, and a fifth place in the final race was enough for the boat flying the colours of Oman to take second place. But more importantly, keeping them in touch with Alinghi on the overall season leaderboard.
read more here
And the highlights video is here:
Saturday, 28 June 2014
Extreme Sailing Series, video of Day 2 of racing in St Petersburg
Soft conditions render Day 2 rather less than extreme and bring focus onto tactical maneuvers:
Friday, 27 June 2014
Extreme Sailing Series, underway in St Petersburg
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/david-freddie-carr-looks-ahead-to-act-4#.U6wEYK-KDrc
In 2014, David ‘Freddie’ Carr, a former winner of the Extreme Sailing Series™ provides an expert insight into the global tour, as part of the live commentary team. Freddie, who was recently announced as a crewmember with Ben Ainslie Racing for the British America’s Cup challenge, looks ahead to Act 4, Saint Petersburg, where he predicts the potential for a shake-up in the Series standings.
I think you can draw a line in the sand after the first three Acts, and now it’s time for the new teams on the block for 2014 to stop talking about being the new teams. We’ve had two stadium venues (Singapore and Qingdao) and one open water venue (Muscat) so far this year, and it’s been no surprise that at the stadium venues, in the really tricky Extreme 40 style conditions, that the old hands - The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi have come to the fore. Whereas in Muscat, a more open water venue, with what you could call more ‘classical sailing’ we saw a top six boat shoot-out. Going into Saint Petersburg we’re moving into what could be the trickiest sailing venue of the year and arguably of all time. One of the main reasons for that is the current.
Having spoken to the boys building the boats out in Russia today, they’ve taken a look at the racecourse already – it’s super light, and the current is ripping. This racing will always be about boat speed and boat handling, but in this new venue I really believe the pre-race strategy where the teams will talk about the way they’ll manoeuvre in these conditions will be so important. I think it’s going to be really tricky like Singapore, but magnified.
Looking at the results so far it’s been about The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi, but you can’t look too far beyond Emirates Team New Zealand, who are the newest team to have come in and effectively done the best. Dean Barker came in and did a great job at the first two Acts, and then the team changed to Pete Burling. There was a lot of pressure on Pete, and people were looking at the team thinking, this might be the time they have their wobble, but to be fair to him, he’s sailed superbly and got a third in China. The team have changed crew again, and in my opinion they’ve arguably got one of the best, if not the best tacticians in the world with Ray Davies, and this might be the perfect place for Ray to come and join the fleet. Having sailed a bit with Ray, what he’s awesome at is the bits in-between the races (obviously he’s amazing at the racing!). Ray’s one of those guys that can look up the course, read the water superbly well and then really communicate his plan to the crew, so that everybody’s reading off the same hymn sheet. We’ve seen from our SAP Analytics that Emirates Team New Zealand do well in the light winds – but I wonder if this is the event where they go and lift the cup.
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/david-freddie-carr-looks-ahead-to-act-4#.U6wEYK-KDrc
In 2014, David ‘Freddie’ Carr, a former winner of the Extreme Sailing Series™ provides an expert insight into the global tour, as part of the live commentary team. Freddie, who was recently announced as a crewmember with Ben Ainslie Racing for the British America’s Cup challenge, looks ahead to Act 4, Saint Petersburg, where he predicts the potential for a shake-up in the Series standings.
I think you can draw a line in the sand after the first three Acts, and now it’s time for the new teams on the block for 2014 to stop talking about being the new teams. We’ve had two stadium venues (Singapore and Qingdao) and one open water venue (Muscat) so far this year, and it’s been no surprise that at the stadium venues, in the really tricky Extreme 40 style conditions, that the old hands - The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi have come to the fore. Whereas in Muscat, a more open water venue, with what you could call more ‘classical sailing’ we saw a top six boat shoot-out. Going into Saint Petersburg we’re moving into what could be the trickiest sailing venue of the year and arguably of all time. One of the main reasons for that is the current.
Having spoken to the boys building the boats out in Russia today, they’ve taken a look at the racecourse already – it’s super light, and the current is ripping. This racing will always be about boat speed and boat handling, but in this new venue I really believe the pre-race strategy where the teams will talk about the way they’ll manoeuvre in these conditions will be so important. I think it’s going to be really tricky like Singapore, but magnified.
Looking at the results so far it’s been about The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi, but you can’t look too far beyond Emirates Team New Zealand, who are the newest team to have come in and effectively done the best. Dean Barker came in and did a great job at the first two Acts, and then the team changed to Pete Burling. There was a lot of pressure on Pete, and people were looking at the team thinking, this might be the time they have their wobble, but to be fair to him, he’s sailed superbly and got a third in China. The team have changed crew again, and in my opinion they’ve arguably got one of the best, if not the best tacticians in the world with Ray Davies, and this might be the perfect place for Ray to come and join the fleet. Having sailed a bit with Ray, what he’s awesome at is the bits in-between the races (obviously he’s amazing at the racing!). Ray’s one of those guys that can look up the course, read the water superbly well and then really communicate his plan to the crew, so that everybody’s reading off the same hymn sheet. We’ve seen from our SAP Analytics that Emirates Team New Zealand do well in the light winds – but I wonder if this is the event where they go and lift the cup.
read more here
Friday, 20 June 2014
Extreme Sailing Series update, St Petersburg event 26-29th of June
From the following press release by the Extreme Sailing Series:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/fresh-faces-join-the-line-up-for-act-4-saint-petersburg-presented-by-land-r#.U6Ne06-KDrc
- Olympic gold medallist Nathan Wilmot takes the tiller of GAC Pindar.
- Two home teams for Extreme Sailing Series™ Russian debut.
- Series Technical Partner and Saint Petersburg Host Venue Partner SAP launch the ‘SAP Speed King Challenge’. Watch the teaser video here.
- Watch the promo video here including an insight to the Saint Petersburg racecourse from Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador Hannah White.
The 34 Extreme Sailing Series™ containers, housing the Extreme 40 racing multihulls, support vehicles and the huge amount of event paraphernalia needed to stage one of the world’s largest spectator-friendly sailing grand prix, will arrive this weekend in Saint Petersburg courtesy of logistics partner, GAC Pindar. Over the next seven days the riverbanks and waters of the Neva will be transformed into the temporary residence for the assembly of the fleet of Extreme 40s ahead of the four days of Stadium Racing, 26-29 June. The Race Village is located right in the heart of Saint Petersburg on Zayachii Island, against a historical backdrop that includes the world-famous Palace Embankment and the Peter and Paul Fortress, between the famous Troitskiy and Drovtsovyy Bridges. At the halfway stage of the globe-trotting 2014 season, Act 4 is expected to throw up a mix of challenging conditions for the sailors, with strong tidal currents and a compact racecourse demanding maximum concentration, in what will be one of the biggest scale professional sailing events ever held in Russia. Watch the promo video here to find out what the sailors think about it.
Needless to say, the Russian public will undoubtedly get fully behind the two home nation teams – Gazprom Team Russia and RussianFirst. Gazprom Team Russia skipper Igor Lisovenko – who represented Russia at two Olympic Games and is currently fifth on the overall Series leaderboard - shared his local knowledge to explain what the fleet can expect. “We have a week to go and the weather promises to be very tricky. Add the current to the mix and you’ll have a formula for one of the most dramatic Acts so far.” Lisovenko continued to talk about the significance of the Act for his team. “As we’re approaching the season’s halfway stage we aim to move up the leaderboard and defend our position from our competitors. Also, it is important to us to perform well in home waters as our fans expect us to. So this puts an additional pressure to us. Nevertheless, I’m confident in our team as we continue to improve and we are ready to deliver the best result in Act 4.”
Russia’s top multihull and Olympic sailors will compete with the invitational team RussianFirst, led by Olympic silver medallist Georgy Shayduko. Shayduko commented: “To have two home boats competing in the Russian debut of the Series shows that sailing in our country is gaining popularity. Racing in front of our fans gives us lots of motivation and we will use that motivation to fight for a good result. I am sure not only the sailors, but also the fans on the shore, will enjoy the racing in Russia.”
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/fresh-faces-join-the-line-up-for-act-4-saint-petersburg-presented-by-land-r#.U6Ne06-KDrc
- Olympic gold medallist Nathan Wilmot takes the tiller of GAC Pindar.
- Two home teams for Extreme Sailing Series™ Russian debut.
- Series Technical Partner and Saint Petersburg Host Venue Partner SAP launch the ‘SAP Speed King Challenge’. Watch the teaser video here.
- Watch the promo video here including an insight to the Saint Petersburg racecourse from Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador Hannah White.
The 34 Extreme Sailing Series™ containers, housing the Extreme 40 racing multihulls, support vehicles and the huge amount of event paraphernalia needed to stage one of the world’s largest spectator-friendly sailing grand prix, will arrive this weekend in Saint Petersburg courtesy of logistics partner, GAC Pindar. Over the next seven days the riverbanks and waters of the Neva will be transformed into the temporary residence for the assembly of the fleet of Extreme 40s ahead of the four days of Stadium Racing, 26-29 June. The Race Village is located right in the heart of Saint Petersburg on Zayachii Island, against a historical backdrop that includes the world-famous Palace Embankment and the Peter and Paul Fortress, between the famous Troitskiy and Drovtsovyy Bridges. At the halfway stage of the globe-trotting 2014 season, Act 4 is expected to throw up a mix of challenging conditions for the sailors, with strong tidal currents and a compact racecourse demanding maximum concentration, in what will be one of the biggest scale professional sailing events ever held in Russia. Watch the promo video here to find out what the sailors think about it.
Needless to say, the Russian public will undoubtedly get fully behind the two home nation teams – Gazprom Team Russia and RussianFirst. Gazprom Team Russia skipper Igor Lisovenko – who represented Russia at two Olympic Games and is currently fifth on the overall Series leaderboard - shared his local knowledge to explain what the fleet can expect. “We have a week to go and the weather promises to be very tricky. Add the current to the mix and you’ll have a formula for one of the most dramatic Acts so far.” Lisovenko continued to talk about the significance of the Act for his team. “As we’re approaching the season’s halfway stage we aim to move up the leaderboard and defend our position from our competitors. Also, it is important to us to perform well in home waters as our fans expect us to. So this puts an additional pressure to us. Nevertheless, I’m confident in our team as we continue to improve and we are ready to deliver the best result in Act 4.”
Russia’s top multihull and Olympic sailors will compete with the invitational team RussianFirst, led by Olympic silver medallist Georgy Shayduko. Shayduko commented: “To have two home boats competing in the Russian debut of the Series shows that sailing in our country is gaining popularity. Racing in front of our fans gives us lots of motivation and we will use that motivation to fight for a good result. I am sure not only the sailors, but also the fans on the shore, will enjoy the racing in Russia.”
read more here
Monday, 5 May 2014
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Extreme Sailing Series, strong and gusty conditions challenge Extreme 40 crews on second day of competition in Qingdao
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/full-pressure-day-as-the-extreme-40-fleet-battle-huge-gusts-on-the-qingdao#.U2QjeK-KDrc
It was a full pressure day as the fleet moved into the stadium racing mode at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao, described by the skippers as ‘radical’, ‘full-on’, ‘unpredictable’ and gnarly’, with gusts up to 32 knots weaving their way through the surrounding skyscrapers like bullets screaming across the stadium racecourse. The racing was right on the edge, and the teams used all their strength to muscle their speed machines expertly around the track, tackling a huge wind range of over 20 knots. The experience of both Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat was evident, and the teams relished today’s big breeze as much as yesterday’s light winds, remaining first and second respectively, while one first and two second places for the Kiwis on Emirates Team New Zealand upgraded their overall position to third, ahead of tomorrow’s penultimate day’s racing.
There was plenty of hull flying, bows down and extremely close mark rounding’, with the fleet reaching top speeds of 25 knots as they tried to predict the huge wind shifts which saw the breeze go from 10 to 32 knots in a second. Before racing, Race Management made the call to split the fleet, first into groups of eight, and then groups of four, to minimize the chance of collisions on the tight race track. Leigh McMillan, skipper of The Wave, Muscat who is out to defend his title in Qingdao, commented: “We like it when the breeze is up, today was pretty radical. Gusts and big shifts is quite a handful. But we’re happy to have made it through the day with no big collisions which is great - it was pretty full on out there.”
read more here
A short highlights video from day 2 in Qingdao:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/full-pressure-day-as-the-extreme-40-fleet-battle-huge-gusts-on-the-qingdao#.U2QjeK-KDrc
It was a full pressure day as the fleet moved into the stadium racing mode at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao, described by the skippers as ‘radical’, ‘full-on’, ‘unpredictable’ and gnarly’, with gusts up to 32 knots weaving their way through the surrounding skyscrapers like bullets screaming across the stadium racecourse. The racing was right on the edge, and the teams used all their strength to muscle their speed machines expertly around the track, tackling a huge wind range of over 20 knots. The experience of both Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat was evident, and the teams relished today’s big breeze as much as yesterday’s light winds, remaining first and second respectively, while one first and two second places for the Kiwis on Emirates Team New Zealand upgraded their overall position to third, ahead of tomorrow’s penultimate day’s racing.
There was plenty of hull flying, bows down and extremely close mark rounding’, with the fleet reaching top speeds of 25 knots as they tried to predict the huge wind shifts which saw the breeze go from 10 to 32 knots in a second. Before racing, Race Management made the call to split the fleet, first into groups of eight, and then groups of four, to minimize the chance of collisions on the tight race track. Leigh McMillan, skipper of The Wave, Muscat who is out to defend his title in Qingdao, commented: “We like it when the breeze is up, today was pretty radical. Gusts and big shifts is quite a handful. But we’re happy to have made it through the day with no big collisions which is great - it was pretty full on out there.”
read more here
A short highlights video from day 2 in Qingdao:
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Friday, 25 April 2014
Extreme Sailing Series heads to Qingdao for Act 3 in the racing series
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series Website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/12-extreme-40s-head-to-chinas-olympic-sailing-city-for-extreme-sailing-seri#.U1mKFjiKDrc
- Significant crew changes on GAC Pindar and Emirates Team New Zealand, as David Gilmour and Peter Burling take the reigns.
- China’s sailing capital gears up to welcome the 60 elite level sailors – watch the promo video here.
- Visa, a global payments technology company, returns as Official Payment Service Partner to the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup.
- What are the physical demands on an elite-level Extreme 40 bowman? Find out with SAP Extreme Sailing Team’s bowman Peter Wibroe, here.
In one week the fleet of 12 Extreme 40s, including home nation entry ‘Team Extreme Qingdao’ will line up on one of the most notorious stadium racecourses on the global tour, at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, 1-4 May. Fans in China can follow all the action on the newly launched Chinese website and watch the racing live on leading sports portals PPTV.com and Letv.com, as well as on regional broadcaster Qingdao TV. International fans will be able to watch the Stadium Racing action on the official event website, www.extremesailingseries.com.
China’s host city for the 2008 Olympic sailing regatta’s holds plenty of proud memories for the fleet, with Brits Paul Goodison, Pippa Wilson, Sarah Ayton and Ben Ainslie, and American Anna Tunnicliffe, all taking gold in their respective classes. For Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, the Act in Qingdao will be the first time he has raced on the Olympic waters since winning the Finn gold in 2008. The J.P. Morgan BAR skipper commented: “We are all really looking forward to China. For Paul, Pippa and I who spent a lot of time there before and during Beijing 2008 it’s a special place for us. But we know that it is another difficult venue and there’s a lot of tide there so that could be challenging and tough but we certainly want to work on our performance as a team.”
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/12-extreme-40s-head-to-chinas-olympic-sailing-city-for-extreme-sailing-seri#.U1mKFjiKDrc
- Significant crew changes on GAC Pindar and Emirates Team New Zealand, as David Gilmour and Peter Burling take the reigns.
- China’s sailing capital gears up to welcome the 60 elite level sailors – watch the promo video here.
- Visa, a global payments technology company, returns as Official Payment Service Partner to the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup.
- What are the physical demands on an elite-level Extreme 40 bowman? Find out with SAP Extreme Sailing Team’s bowman Peter Wibroe, here.
In one week the fleet of 12 Extreme 40s, including home nation entry ‘Team Extreme Qingdao’ will line up on one of the most notorious stadium racecourses on the global tour, at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, 1-4 May. Fans in China can follow all the action on the newly launched Chinese website and watch the racing live on leading sports portals PPTV.com and Letv.com, as well as on regional broadcaster Qingdao TV. International fans will be able to watch the Stadium Racing action on the official event website, www.extremesailingseries.com.
China’s host city for the 2008 Olympic sailing regatta’s holds plenty of proud memories for the fleet, with Brits Paul Goodison, Pippa Wilson, Sarah Ayton and Ben Ainslie, and American Anna Tunnicliffe, all taking gold in their respective classes. For Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, the Act in Qingdao will be the first time he has raced on the Olympic waters since winning the Finn gold in 2008. The J.P. Morgan BAR skipper commented: “We are all really looking forward to China. For Paul, Pippa and I who spent a lot of time there before and during Beijing 2008 it’s a special place for us. But we know that it is another difficult venue and there’s a lot of tide there so that could be challenging and tough but we certainly want to work on our performance as a team.”
read more here
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Sunday, 23 March 2014
Extreme Sailing Series update, Leigh McMillan and the Wave/Muscat snatch victory in the second event of the series in Muscat Oman
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/big-breeze-final-race-shoot-out-in-muscat-sees-the-wave-muscat-snatch-victo#.Uy4dsa-KDrc
- Four teams - The, Wave, Muscat, Emirates Team New Zealand, Alinghi and SAP Extreme Sailing Team - in the running heading into the final race, with no room for error and just four points between them – and 20 points on the table for the taking.
- Emirates Team New Zealand snatch second from the grasp of Alinghi with just one point in it after 29 races this week.
- SAP Extreme Sailing Team narrowly denied the podium but rise up the overall Series rankings with an impressive fourth place.
- Replay today’s Stadium Racing, here.
It was a sweltering hot day in Muscat, Oman, for the final showdown at the Extreme Sailing Series™, where the Arabian peninsula saved the best for last, with winds that blasted across the course at a steady 20 knots, with gusts of 26, before a final race shoot out. Four teams were gunning for the top spot and there was no room for error, with just four points between them – and 20 points on the table for the taking. The defending champions and home team on The Wave, Muscat made a real statement of intent from the gun, with an aggressive start that saw them lead the fleet of the line, and Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Kinley Fowler and Nasser Al Mashari didn’t look back, snatching the win from the hands of the Kiwi, Swiss and Danish teams, to claim not only the Act win, but putting them top of the overall Series leaderboard after two Acts. “It was too close for comfort, that’s for sure,“ commented an elated McMillan after racing. “Today we had a fight on our hands, we knew we had to be exceptional and raise our game. I was just enjoying the sailing, the challenge of it, the situations that were tight and it all worked out for us. The wind came in and it was absolutely amazing sailing out there, absolutely perfect for the Extreme 40s.”
Today’s racing was all about brute power and strength, requiring a huge shift in mindset for the teams, who have raced in light breeze all week. The fleet of 11 Extreme 40s and their 55 elite level crew members powered off the start line, blasting to the windward mark and wrestling their boats around the course, before unfurling their gennakers and flying downwind, trying to maximize power and speed. One team who had the formula nailed were Emirates Team New Zealand, with two race wins and a third place in the final race enough for them to claim second overall, bettering their fourth place finish from Act 1, Singapore, which for skipper Dean Barker, was the objective this week. “We wanted to improve after Singapore, we wanted to sail well and get on the podium here, and we’ve achieved it. There’s still a lot we can improve on but in saying that everyone struggles with the conditions and the guys remained very positive throughout even when things didn’t feel like they were going our way. We had a good chance to get onto the podium, and to get a second place we’re really happy.”
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/big-breeze-final-race-shoot-out-in-muscat-sees-the-wave-muscat-snatch-victo#.Uy4dsa-KDrc
- Four teams - The, Wave, Muscat, Emirates Team New Zealand, Alinghi and SAP Extreme Sailing Team - in the running heading into the final race, with no room for error and just four points between them – and 20 points on the table for the taking.
- Emirates Team New Zealand snatch second from the grasp of Alinghi with just one point in it after 29 races this week.
- SAP Extreme Sailing Team narrowly denied the podium but rise up the overall Series rankings with an impressive fourth place.
- Replay today’s Stadium Racing, here.
It was a sweltering hot day in Muscat, Oman, for the final showdown at the Extreme Sailing Series™, where the Arabian peninsula saved the best for last, with winds that blasted across the course at a steady 20 knots, with gusts of 26, before a final race shoot out. Four teams were gunning for the top spot and there was no room for error, with just four points between them – and 20 points on the table for the taking. The defending champions and home team on The Wave, Muscat made a real statement of intent from the gun, with an aggressive start that saw them lead the fleet of the line, and Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Kinley Fowler and Nasser Al Mashari didn’t look back, snatching the win from the hands of the Kiwi, Swiss and Danish teams, to claim not only the Act win, but putting them top of the overall Series leaderboard after two Acts. “It was too close for comfort, that’s for sure,“ commented an elated McMillan after racing. “Today we had a fight on our hands, we knew we had to be exceptional and raise our game. I was just enjoying the sailing, the challenge of it, the situations that were tight and it all worked out for us. The wind came in and it was absolutely amazing sailing out there, absolutely perfect for the Extreme 40s.”
Today’s racing was all about brute power and strength, requiring a huge shift in mindset for the teams, who have raced in light breeze all week. The fleet of 11 Extreme 40s and their 55 elite level crew members powered off the start line, blasting to the windward mark and wrestling their boats around the course, before unfurling their gennakers and flying downwind, trying to maximize power and speed. One team who had the formula nailed were Emirates Team New Zealand, with two race wins and a third place in the final race enough for them to claim second overall, bettering their fourth place finish from Act 1, Singapore, which for skipper Dean Barker, was the objective this week. “We wanted to improve after Singapore, we wanted to sail well and get on the podium here, and we’ve achieved it. There’s still a lot we can improve on but in saying that everyone struggles with the conditions and the guys remained very positive throughout even when things didn’t feel like they were going our way. We had a good chance to get onto the podium, and to get a second place we’re really happy.”
read more here
Saturday, 22 March 2014
Extreme Sailing Series update, Podium remains wide open at event in Muscat, Oman
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/podium-wide-open-ahead-of-extreme-sailing-series-muscat-final-showdown#.UyyDLq-KDrc
- J.P. Morgan BAR are the comeback kings of the day, with three race wins and the British team threatening the podium hard.
- Swiss Alinghi hold onto pole position and withstand the onslaught of the rest of the 11 boat pack – but with no room for error on tomorrow’s final showdown, with five teams waiting to pounce.
- Replay today’s Stadium Racing here. Change to tomorrow’s live racing times – watch the final battle unfold from 1500 local time/1100GMT/1200CET.
The punishing light winds and beating Arabian sun called for nerves of steel on the penultimate day’s racing of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Muscat, which saw a reshuffle of the pack and a shift in power on the leaderboard. Overnight leaders Alinghi managed to hold onto pole position and withstand the onslaught of pressure from the rest of the pack, but it couldn’t be closer at the top, with just 14 points between the top five boats – less than the difference of tomorrow’s final double points race. SAP Extreme Sailing Team did well to put themselves back in the game, heading into tomorrow’s final showdown in second place, but the team of the day was Ben Ainslie’s J.P. Morgan BAR, with three race wins for the Brits, who are now threatening the podium hard. Tomorrow’s final will come down to which team can withstand the pressure, and fans around the world can watch it live at a new time of 1500 local time/1100GMT/1200CET.
Alinghi marked their intent from the first start gun with a race win, but even the light wind specialists struggled for consistency in breeze of around five knots, and it looked like the tricky course may have finally got the better of the Swiss America’s Cup winners with a last place in race 16. Race 19 and the team turned it around, hitting the reset button and clawing back some valuable points, as helm Morgan Larson explained: “Things can come and go out there, you try and stick to the same objective and sometimes the wind doesn’t go your way or you get stuck in a tough spot. I think a lot of the other competitors that came out today had already figured it out, so we got caught up a little bit. You have to have the best day tomorrow, you can’t hold back.”
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/podium-wide-open-ahead-of-extreme-sailing-series-muscat-final-showdown#.UyyDLq-KDrc
- J.P. Morgan BAR are the comeback kings of the day, with three race wins and the British team threatening the podium hard.
- Swiss Alinghi hold onto pole position and withstand the onslaught of the rest of the 11 boat pack – but with no room for error on tomorrow’s final showdown, with five teams waiting to pounce.
- Replay today’s Stadium Racing here. Change to tomorrow’s live racing times – watch the final battle unfold from 1500 local time/1100GMT/1200CET.
The punishing light winds and beating Arabian sun called for nerves of steel on the penultimate day’s racing of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Muscat, which saw a reshuffle of the pack and a shift in power on the leaderboard. Overnight leaders Alinghi managed to hold onto pole position and withstand the onslaught of pressure from the rest of the pack, but it couldn’t be closer at the top, with just 14 points between the top five boats – less than the difference of tomorrow’s final double points race. SAP Extreme Sailing Team did well to put themselves back in the game, heading into tomorrow’s final showdown in second place, but the team of the day was Ben Ainslie’s J.P. Morgan BAR, with three race wins for the Brits, who are now threatening the podium hard. Tomorrow’s final will come down to which team can withstand the pressure, and fans around the world can watch it live at a new time of 1500 local time/1100GMT/1200CET.
Alinghi marked their intent from the first start gun with a race win, but even the light wind specialists struggled for consistency in breeze of around five knots, and it looked like the tricky course may have finally got the better of the Swiss America’s Cup winners with a last place in race 16. Race 19 and the team turned it around, hitting the reset button and clawing back some valuable points, as helm Morgan Larson explained: “Things can come and go out there, you try and stick to the same objective and sometimes the wind doesn’t go your way or you get stuck in a tough spot. I think a lot of the other competitors that came out today had already figured it out, so we got caught up a little bit. You have to have the best day tomorrow, you can’t hold back.”
read more here
Friday, 21 March 2014
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Extreme Sailing Series update, SAP Racing team take early lead in Muscat, Oman
From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/multiple-winners-on-opening-day-in-muscat-as-sap-extreme-sailing-team-take#.UypA-K-KDrc
- Five winners from seven races in an unpredictable and close fought opening day in Muscat, Oman.
- Series Main Partner Land Rover and Red Bull Sailing Team announce ‘Official Team and Vehicle’ partnership.
- Teams prepare for the racecourse to become narrower, and the racing more intense, as the fleet moves into Stadium mode tomorrow. Watch it live from 1530 GST/1130GMT/1230CET www.extremesailingseries.com.
The fleet of 11 elite level Extreme 40 catamarans headed onto the Muscat racecourse for the opening day of Act 2 of the global Extreme Sailing Series™, in what it’s shaping up to be an unpredictable and close fought event, with five different winners over seven races. The Danish SAP Extreme Sailing Team had the edge over the less consistent teams, but with only 16 points separating the top eight, there will be some tough competition tomorrow as the front runners try to establish a firm lead. “It’s going to be a long regatta and it’s only day one but we’re happy with our performance today and hopefully it can continue”, commented SAP Extreme Sailing Team’s co-skipper Jes Gram Hansen, who went on to talk about the key to success on this racecourse. “When you get ahead of the fleet it becomes easier, you have clean breeze and you’re actually just gaining and gaining. Tomorrow we just need to stay focused.”
SAP Extreme Sailing Team, Emirates Team New Zealand and The Wave, Muscat all came away with a win apiece, with Alinghi and Groupama sailing team taking two, keeping everyone guessing right up to the last race as to which team would finish the day on top. The fleet raced in open water, giving them the chance to stretch their sails under a brilliant Arabian sun, in a light breeze between 5-7 knots that played across the course, with each windward-leeward two-lap race lasting just over 15 minutes.
read more here
http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/multiple-winners-on-opening-day-in-muscat-as-sap-extreme-sailing-team-take#.UypA-K-KDrc
- Five winners from seven races in an unpredictable and close fought opening day in Muscat, Oman.
- Series Main Partner Land Rover and Red Bull Sailing Team announce ‘Official Team and Vehicle’ partnership.
- Teams prepare for the racecourse to become narrower, and the racing more intense, as the fleet moves into Stadium mode tomorrow. Watch it live from 1530 GST/1130GMT/1230CET www.extremesailingseries.com.
The fleet of 11 elite level Extreme 40 catamarans headed onto the Muscat racecourse for the opening day of Act 2 of the global Extreme Sailing Series™, in what it’s shaping up to be an unpredictable and close fought event, with five different winners over seven races. The Danish SAP Extreme Sailing Team had the edge over the less consistent teams, but with only 16 points separating the top eight, there will be some tough competition tomorrow as the front runners try to establish a firm lead. “It’s going to be a long regatta and it’s only day one but we’re happy with our performance today and hopefully it can continue”, commented SAP Extreme Sailing Team’s co-skipper Jes Gram Hansen, who went on to talk about the key to success on this racecourse. “When you get ahead of the fleet it becomes easier, you have clean breeze and you’re actually just gaining and gaining. Tomorrow we just need to stay focused.”
SAP Extreme Sailing Team, Emirates Team New Zealand and The Wave, Muscat all came away with a win apiece, with Alinghi and Groupama sailing team taking two, keeping everyone guessing right up to the last race as to which team would finish the day on top. The fleet raced in open water, giving them the chance to stretch their sails under a brilliant Arabian sun, in a light breeze between 5-7 knots that played across the course, with each windward-leeward two-lap race lasting just over 15 minutes.
read more here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)