EXTREME
SPORT, SAILING
SPECTACLE SERIES TM
L
aunched in 2007, the Extreme Sailing Series circuit was an immediate draw for the top names in competitive sailing and all manner of nationalities. Whether it’s a question of French multihull specialists, Anglo-Saxon Olympic champions or heavyweights from all walks of life associated with the America’s Cup, its highly innovative format and its one design craft (the same boat with the same class measurement for everyone) put all the teams on an equal footing and is constantly emulated as a result. With a good ten or so catamarans racing close to the public, some great sailors, speed and spectacle guaranteed… the format has proven so successful that dozens of cities around the world apply to play host to the Extreme Sailing Series. And nine have been selected to host for 2011 global tour. The era of sails that you can vaguely make out on the horizon has passed. The 40-foot, super-light carbon catamarans and their four crew race within the confines of genuine nautical ’stadiums’. Who could have imagined these high-powered racing machines doing battle in the canals of Amsterdam or Venice? Mark Turner*! With these short courses, the sailors have no other choice than to perform a series of very physical maneuvers as they hunt down their adversaries, sometimes putting in turns just metres from the shoreline. Practically sitting on the water, the spectators in the grandstands can track the Extreme 40s flying a hull the minute they hit 6-7 knots on the way to the windward mark. Nothing escapes the guests and the public, especially with the live race commentary. Another subtlety is that all the catamarans embark a new guest on every race, the famous “fifth man” (a journalist or VIP in general but, occasionally, a lucky member of the public), who isn’t allowed to participate but is nevertheless at the very thick of the action during the race. The icing on the cake is that the Haute Route will cross the wake of the Extreme Sailing Series in September in Nice, which will make a pleasant change.
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MOUNTAIN ADDICT #02
TEXT : Brice Lechevalier | Created and organised by OC ThirdPole, the Extreme Sailing Series™ is the only professional catamaran global circuit to crisscross Asia, Europe, America and the Middle East.
Anthony Jones / Lloyd images
Thierry Martinez
AND STARS
EXTREME SAILING SERIES 2011
22 p 24/02 Muscat (Oman) 15 p 17/04 Qingdao (China) 27 p 29/05 Istanbul (Turkey) 30/06 p 04/07 Boston (USA) 6 p 12/08 Cowes (United Kingdom) 16 p 18/09 Trapani (Italy) 30/09 p 02/10 Nice (France) 12 p 16/10 Almeria (Spain) 9 p 11/12 Singapore Team GAC Pindar (GBR) The Wave Muscat (OMA)
Alinghi (SUI) Artemis Racing (SWE) Emirates Team New Zealand (NZ) Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA) Luna Rossa (ITA) Niceforyou (ITA) Oman Air (OMA) Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) Team Extreme (GER)
* Founder of OC Group which merged in 2010 with ThirdPole.