Extreme 2010 by OC Sport

Red hot competition

High adrenalin entertainment

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best sailors

61 world championship titles, 14 nationalities

CONTENTS 04

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R-Evolution

The Extreme Sailing Series, setting new standards in sports entertainment.

Signing up...

Pindar Plc Chairman Andrew Pindar unveils the reasons why he’s backing an Extreme 40 team.

In their own words

Skippers, celebrities and journalists give their raw impressions about the Extreme 40 circuit.

Close combat

All you need to know to understand what’s happening on the race course.

European Tour

The 2010 European venues detailed. See you there!

On the map...

Turn up and take off

Extreme 40s around the world.

All you need to know about the Extreme 40 catamaran.

Asia, a new dawn

Why and how the Extreme Sailing Series has ventured East.

The 2010 line-up

All the teams at a glance.

Onshore action

Nine teams, only one title

It’s also about onshore entertainment!

High speed duels

The Daily Sail Editor James Boyd takes a close look at the forces to be reckoned with this year.

Match racing in multihulls? Yes, the Extreme Sailing Series did it. And it worked great.

Running the show

Behind the scenes: the subtle art of event hospitality.

Hitting the red zone

Extreme 40 co-creator Mitch Booth discusses the “crash and burn” nature of the circuit.

About...

The Extreme Sailing Series organisers, OC Events.

Zoom

In Figures

The Extreme Sailing Series in pictures. No captions required.

The 2009 Extreme Sailng Series season’s vital statistics.

A snapshot says it all.

extremesailingseries.com Cover photo: Mark Lloyd - www.lloydimages.com Edited by: OC Events Editor: Jocelyn Blériot Contributors: James Boyd, Mark Turner and Helen Fretter Design: Wez Maynard / OC Vision Sub-editing: Helen Fretter / True Angle Editorial Copyright: OC Events All rights reserved. Published May 2010

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

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TO WARD S N E W H O RI ZO NS

Leading the way...

Towards new horizons

VIP guests of the commercial sponsors that make such a series possible – and the desire and need to maintain the highest calibre of racing, attracting the very best skippers in the world. In 2010 we have added an extra day’s racing, turning the opening Media day into a points scoring one – before the public village opens, allowing some slightly more ‘conventional’ racing out of sight of land. But our commitment to the concept of sailing entertainment

PH YSIC ALLY OVER 40 0, 0 0 0 PA IR S OF E Y E S, A ND MILLIONS MORE V I A T HE M EDIA , HAVE WATCH ED TH E 350 R ACES SINCE OUR OPE NING S A LVO OF T HE E X TREM E S AILING SERIES ON L A KE STA RN BE RG, GE RM A NY IN 20 07. EVEN THOUGH THE CREATORS OF THE EXTREME 40 YACHT WHICH WE USE TODAY FOR THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES HAD TESTED THE WATER DURING THE 2005/6 VOLVO OCEAN RACE, I do remember feeling rather nervous that first morning on a mirror like German lake. Seventy-five days, 15 great venues in 12 countries later, across 5 continents, in just about every condition possible from 3 knots of wind on a flat lake to 30 knots on rough open water, having never lost an entire day’s racing: sailing’s most riveting, most spectacular and exciting format has really come of age. We go into our fourth year just as excited as in our first, and with just as much as ambition to grow and develop the series, to take it to new and unprecedented levels. We tread an often difficult path between the entertainment objective – be it for public, media or

remains 100%, and as we expand in Asia and the Middle-East, we are reaching new audiences for a sport which has so much to offer – socially, economically and as an entertainment product. Uniquely the Extreme Sailing Series unites skippers from across all the disciplines, from Olympic dinghy medallists to solo round-the-world Vendée Globers, from America’s Cup to Volvo Ocean Race. Fifteen nationalities of sailors have now competed in the Extreme Sailing Series, and many a monohull expert has been converted to the multihull discipline. In itself the Extreme 40, the chosen tool for the series, highlights the great values that help the sport of sailing become an exceptional entertainment platform – you just had to be in Almeria at the closing Act of 2009’s European circuit and hear the (non-sailor) crowd gasp and cheer as boats lifted hulls and flew past, focused sailors looking down on the audience. Combine the speed and acceleration of the boats, with the ‘stadium’ environment we

race in, and you have a cocktail of fast and furious close combat that allows the audience to really get onboard. Just about every new sailing event launched in the last two years has proclaimed to be saving the planet. It’s natural that the professional sailing world does perhaps care more than most about looking after the planet – round the world sailors know all about surviving on the minimum resources – but shouting about how green we are because we are in a sport powered by the wind can be rather disingenuous. With the Extreme Sailing Series, we are running a global event, moving boats and people from place to place. We don’t believe ‘events’ should cease to exist on the basis of the footprint they create, but we do believe we must play our own part in reducing our consumption, our energy usage and our waste. We can’t change the nature of what we do, but we can do it much much better. We’re not going to claim any environmental prizes at all, but we are going to try and improve every area we can. We’re going to fully audit what we do, and work season on season to be better. We hope our audience will join us in that effort. Finally, a big thank you to the many stakeholders that are part of the Extreme Sailing Series family – sponsors and their guests, suppliers, sailors, host venues, media and the public that make this event so special. And not least the hard working OC Events team in the background that make this happen.

Mark Turner CEO of OC Group,

www.extremesailingseries.com

the parent company of event organisers OC Events

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PHOTO GR A PH E R M A R K LLOY D TAKES AN UNUSUAL LOOK AT T H E E X TR E M E S A ILING SERIES.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

www.extremesailingseries.com

R-EVOL U T I O N

ABOUT THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES™

R-EVOLUTION Now in their fourth season, the Extreme 40s and their adrenalinfuelled international Series has given sailing a healthy dust-off. Bringing the action to the public, putting guests at the heart of the battle and dramatically increasing the pace on the water, the creators of the Extreme Sailing Series have managed to set new standards, both in terms of show and competition. . . . IN T HE IR F LY ING M ACHIN E S

It’s a sport, helming state-of-the-art multihulls on very demanding courses and the most respected skippers are lining up to do just that, competing so fiercely that heart-stopping close encounters always feature on the menu. It’s a show and the public has full access to the action from the shore, in carefully chosen venues combining challenging sailing conditions and spectator-friendly configurations. It’s a VIP experience, and “hot seats” are available onboard, a fifth man being able to join the four-man crew in order to get a firsthand experience and feel the excitement. Not willing to compromise, Extreme Sailing Series organisers OC Events have created a formula where serious competition and spectacle go hand in hand, the rapid success of the Extreme 40 Series proving how well balanced the recipe is. In three seasons, the Extreme Sailing Series has become a benchmark in the sailing world, steadily growing and attracting the biggest names in the sport whilst proving to be an extremely efficient partnership opportunity in these uncertain economic times.

Capable of reaching speeds usually reserved for motorboats even in medium wind conditions, the Extreme 40 has been designed by Olympic champions Yves Loday and Mitch Booth, with the aim of providing the international sailing arena with a visually stunning and 100% performance-focused multihull. Flying a hull in as little as 8 knots of breeze (15 kph), the 40-foot (12m) long carbon speed machine requires coordination, finesse but also sheer muscular power from the crews who battle it out on short courses during races that do not exceed 20 minutes - and there can be up to 8 of them per day! Tricky wind conditions combined with the level of competition inevitably lead to some spectacular crashes, capsizes and other hair-raising near-misses as the previous seasons proved (see our “Zoom” photo section on page 28)! Logistically, everything is put in place so that teams can resume racing as soon as possible should an incident occur, and the professionalism of shore teams are clearly comparable to that of Formula 1 squads operating in the pit zone. During the Amsterdam event in 2009, Oman Sail Team boatbuilder Ian McCabe worked all night long to repair Masirah’s port hull, left with a gaping hole following a collision, and the boat was relaunched in time for racing the following day!

T HO SE M AGNIF IC E N T M E N . . .

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

A GLOBA L E XP E R IE NC E After three European seasons visiting international-grade venues, the creators of the Extreme Sailing Series decided to take their roadshow towards the East and to tackle the highly promising yet challenging Asian markets (read our “Focus on Asia” on page 20). “For OC Events,” said OC Group CEO Mark Turner, “venturing into new territories is a result of the same logic that makes us think outside the box and always try to redefine the sport of sailing.” That spirit of challenge does not only induce changes on the water, and the Extreme Sailing Series has set new standards in terms of B2B hospitality, offering a complete package, tailored to the teams’ and sponsors’ needs: “We carefully look at each request,” explains Louise Close, in charge of hospitality for OC Group, “and find the best way for our clients to go home with the feeling that they have experienced one of their most memorable days” (read our feature on page

48). Whether it’s on or off the water, there is no downtime and everybody involved in the circuit is committed to keeping the excitement at its maximum - which naturally includes the skippers, whose eagerness to come back to racing Extreme 40s is in itself an indicator of the event’s quality.

Cup, the ultimate trophy in our sport! Olympic medallists, legendary singlehanders, match racing champions, world record holders… I don’t think there is one sailing discipline that has not been represented on the water since the Extreme Sailing Series was created in 2007, and the best part is that new blood can always hope to achieve a good result. Of

A LONG LIN E OF GR E AT M E N

course consistency and experience pay, but

“We have some of the best sailors in the world,” says OC Events Director Gilles Chiorri, “and to see competitors such as Loïck Peyron or Franck Cammas, who just broke the outright round the world record, come back to the circuit is the best testimonial one could think of. In the build-up to the America’s Cup, both Alinghi and BMW ORACLE Racing campaigned Extreme 40s to sharpen their multihull skills: Ed Baird won the Series with the Swiss syndicate in 2008, while last year James Spithill and his all-star crew hit the ground running and went on to capture the

with hard work anything is achievable because the game is really open on the water… We’ve had a fantastic illustration of that reality with Oman Sail’s Masirah: the boys were newcomers in 2008, and won the Series the following year, despite a line-up that had stepped up in terms of competition. Nothing was sure until the last day in Almeria, and part of the attractiveness of the circuit, for competitors and for the public alike, is that there is no clear domination by one team, anything can happen and suspense is always on the menu.”

2010 EXTREME SAILING SERIES ASIA RESULTS 1. Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming) 2. The Wave, Muscat (Paul Campbell-James) 3. China Team (Thierry Barot)

2009 SEASON RESULTS 1. Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming) 2. Gitana Extreme Groupe LCF Rothschild (Yann Guichard) 3. Oman Sail Renaissance (Loïck Peyron)

2008 SEASON RESULTS 1. Alinghi (Ed Baird) 2. Team Origin (Rob Greenhalgh) 3. BT (Nick Moloney)

2007 SEASON RESULTS 1. Basilica (Rob Greenhalgh) 2. Holmatro (Carolijn Brouwer / Andreas Hagara)

www.extremesailingseries.com

3. BT (Nick Moloney)

SIGNIN G U P

A NE W A DDITION FOR T H E 2010 E X TR E M E S AILING S ERIE S IS ONE OF T H E MOST FAMILI AR NAMES IN YAC H TING. YOR K S HIR E- BA S E D PRIN T AN D MEDIA COM PA NY, P IN D AR IS ON E OF T H E LONGEST SUPP ORTE RS OF S AILING, H AVING FIRST BACK E D T H E NORT H S E A R AC E OU T OF THEIR NATI V E S C A R BOROU GH S OM E 3 0 Y E A R S AGO. THE Y A R E NOW E N T E RING T H E E X TR E M E S A ILING SE RIES - A MOVE T H AT C H AIR M AN A N DR E W PINDA R WISHES H E ’ D M ADE S O ON E R ! By James Boyd, Editor and publisher of The Daily Sail.

Pindar have been heavily involved in women’s sailing, and were best known as the long term backer of solo round the world sailor Emma Richards, but have since diversified into other areas of the sport, from Olympic contenders to budding Class 40 sailors to World Match Racing Tour campaigns (where they backed double world champion Ian Williams), to their most significant project of recent years - Brian Thompson’s entry in the last Vendée Globe singlehanded non-stop round the world race. Having sampled many other areas in sailing sponsorship, 2010 will see Team Pindar turn their focus to the Extreme Sailing Series, something Pindar plc Chairman, Andrew Pindar says he wishes he had done sooner. “I first watched the Extreme 40s during the last but one Volvo Ocean Race [in 2006]. Someone tried to persuade me to get involved with them – and I wish

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

A l a sta i r M ac d o n a l d, D i r e c t o r, Havas Sponsorship Insights commented,

a 40% increase in media coverage The official media figures for the 2009 Extreme Sailing Series show a 40% increase in the value of media coverage versus the previous year, as measured by independent evaluation agency Havas Sponsorship Insights. Highlights within Europe include • over 8h 35 minutes of evaluated TV news broadcasts • Over 535 hours of TV exposure, between news and programming, was evaluated alongside print exposure in publications with an 82 million cumulative circulation • 894 articles or features evaluated in printed media • 770 articles on the internet • 149 broadcast features evaluated on TV and radio • 228 accredited media

“Given the nature and value of the benefits delivered for the 2009 title partner, our view would be that, relative to the scale of investment involved from the sponsor, the sponsorship represents a highly cost-effective marketing investment, delivering an extremely favourable rate of return.

Independent View of the 2009 Media Overview from

Yac h t S p o n s o r s h i p.c o m

“OC Group are one of the few sailing properties to value Return On Objectives as highly as the pure Return On Investment numbers.

COMMERCIAL VIEW

©OC Events

SIGNING UP... I had done,” says Pindar. “It became clear to me by the time that OC Events got involved with the Extreme 40s that there was a potential game change taking place and it isn’t often that Mark Turner (CEO of OC Group) doesn’t get it right. When OC Group do something, I, over many years, have watched with particular interest because their comprehension of where different classes in sailing can appeal in the media is usually a great choice.” Pindar was spurred into action to join the Extreme 40 Sailing Series for several reasons. Last August he was invited to attend the event in Cowes and he took several of his guests from the Middle East and Bahrain, a nation his professional sailing company Team Pindar has strong interests in. They were able to get out on the Extreme 40s during racing in the fifth man slots. “I’ve seen people with great grins on their ears helming an Open 60 at 25 knots, but the thrills of the Extreme 40s could be delivered www.extremesailingseries.com

to guests in short bursts and that short burst adrenalin rush was deliverable at a more affordable per unit cost! It was interesting to watch the dynamics. “For bang for buck the Extreme 40 Series is a fabulous programme to be involved in. I think that if I were recommending a part of the sport – whether it is people long established in sponsoring sailing, or people new to it – one could hardly think of a better part of the sailing world to be involved in than Extreme 40s.” Pindar is a big fan of the grandstandnature of the Extreme 40 Sailing Series where the action can be viewed up close without the need for binoculars. “When I first saw the Extreme 40s in Baltimore, they were whistling past the dockside with people craning their necks watching them and being enthralled by them. People who didn’t know the first thing about sailing couldn’t help but be captivated by these boats and the way that they were flying

hulls. In Cowes it was the same - compelling viewing. It is great for sailing and it draws in people – both sailors and non-sailors.” Team Pindar is strongly associated with Bahrain, where they have similar objectives to those being carried out by long term Extreme 40 Sailing Series competitor, Oman Sail. Pindar feels that such boats are ideal for nations looking to rediscover their maritime links. “It is very clear that an island nation like Bahrain, where they are being reintroduced to what the sea can offer, don’t have to just go with keelboats. They enjoy exciting sport – from jetskis to drag racing to motor racing, so this is something the people in Bahrain would be interested in. Moths are a great thing, match racing is exciting, but Extreme 40s are going up to the pinnacle of where you can get – because of the short courses, in front of your eyes and the ability to take people out. It’s a spectacle the thrills, spills and high speed.”

10 IN THE I R O WN WO RD S

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

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THE Y ’VE TRIED IT, ENJOYED IT, AND GAVE US TH E IR IMPRE SSIONS UPON S TEPPING A S HORE!

THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES IS CHANGING THE WAY SAILING IS SEEN - BUT DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT, HEAR WHAT THE MAIN PLAYERS ARE SAYING!

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EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

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12 CL OSE C O MBAT

THE RACING EXPLAINED

CLOSE COMBAT

A N E S S E NTIAL GUIDE TO FOLLOW ING A LL TH E ACTION ON A N E X T RE M E 40 RAC ECOURSE: THE VER S ATILE N ATU RE OF EX TR E M E 40 BOAT S A LLOW S FOR M U LTIPLE RAC E FORMATS, W HI CH A DDS VA RIET Y TO T HE “ CORE E V E NT ” OF F ULL FLE E T RACING. LET ’S TA KE A CLOSER LOOK AT W HAT HA PPE NS ON T HE COURS E...

T H E STAR T ING P R O C E D U R E

THE S TA R T THE START IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PARTS OF ANY SAILING RACE, and with such short races a good start is a vital part of the winning tactics. Both the start and finish are imaginary lines drawn between

The races are started with a countdown involving starting guns and flag signals, which might seem rather complicated at first, but understanding the sequence makes the spectacle all the more exciting! Since 2009, the 5-minute starting procedure has been simplified, and a flag displaying the number of minutes remaining until the actual start will be hoisted in a 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 sequence.

If the race committee see any part of a boat over the line when the gun goes then there will be a loud sound signal and the X-flag is hoisted. In that case the boat or boats judged over the start line “The courses are very small, the crews play it have to go back and hard so obviously there are some contentious re-cross the start line situations! It’s aggressive, but sensible racing. again, keeping out of the way of the other B ILL O ’ H A R A , CHIEF UMPIRE OF THE 2009 EXTREME teams. Restarting is a SAILING SERIES substantial penalty, so the teams will be keeping a close check on this! orange flags on the race committee boat and an inflatable Extreme Sailing Series cylinder THE COURSE buoy. Generally, it will be more advantageous to start at one end of the line (either nearer the Depending on the number of boats, venue, committee boat or buoy), due to factors such and wind conditions, the race organisers can as the wind direction, the tide, and who has decide to run racing over different shaped right of way. The more aggressive crews may courses - oval or triangular - around two or be fighting to start at their chosen end of the three buoys which are large 1.8m white square line, while more conservative crews may start inflatable race marks . The sailors will know further away from the jostling boats — but which course to sail by the flags flown from the they are likely to have the benefit of ‘clean’ committee boat. undisturbed wind.

When the boats are sailing upwind they will be zig-zagging as they tack towards the first mark, then when they sail away from the wind the crew will hoist the huge gennaker sail at the front of the boat using just manpower alone; their heart-rates will be pumping.

D U R ING T HE RACING The sailors will be shouting at other boats to try and use the racing rules to outwit each other, especially at the mark roundings. If any skipper thinks another boat has infringed one of the racing rules they can wave a red flag and shout “protest!”. Umpires are on the water (look for the boats with big UMPIRE flags), and work like football referees — they decide if any boats have committed a foul and can give penalties (the boat has to complete a full 360degree turn). The umpire signifies a penalty by whistling and pointing a red flag at the boat that has committed the foul. If the umpire

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

VARIETY ON THE PLAYGROUND

©Vincent Cruchet / DPPI

In addition to classic fleet races, speed tests have been introduced during the Singapore event of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia. These take place on the same course as the fleet races, and are essentially timed runs, to the top buoy and back - depending on the venue, the average length of the whole run will be around 600 metres. Each crew gets one go, and can chose to start whenever they wish during the Speed Test session, which means that the course sees a lot of action, and the public enjoys a fast-paced display of raw power. Alternatively, “one against one” races can also be held: in that case, two boats take the start at the same time, each one being assigned a lane, for a straight line race. Match Racing has also been introduced during the Muscat event of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia and should become a fixture of the circuit. Read our feature on page 26.

thinks no foul has been committed they blow a whistle and raise a green flag. If there is a really bad foul the umpires can show a black flag resulting in instant disqualification!

1 - Position on the startline is key in any regatta, but all the more in the Extreme Sailing Series where the races are very short. In the narrowest venues, overtaking opportunities are limited so an early lead is crucial. Taming the power of the Extreme 40 catamarans until the gun goes off is not always as easy as it seems!

www.extremesailingseries.com

First past the post wins - it’s as simple as that! The Extreme Sailing Series is scored using a ‘high point’ system, so if there are 10 boats in the fleet the winner scores 10 points, the second placed boat gets 9 points, the third 8 points and so on. A disqualified team gets zero! As does a boat that does not start or finish a race. The last race of each event scores double points, putting the pressure on for a great finale. The overall regatta points are calculated on the same high-scoring system i.e. first overall has 10 points (if 10 boats are competing). The team with the highest number of points across all the six regattas will win the overall 2010 Extreme Sailing Series.

FINI SH

2 - Mark roundings are always intense moments, with crews trying to force their way “inside” or attempting to zone in on the buoy with the right of way, forcing others to give them room. 3 - Right of way issues do not always end in a collision! But with “a lot of egos and not enough water”, as double Gold medallist Shirley Robertson once put it, near misses and resulting penalties are bound to happen. Pictured is Groupama skipper Franck Cammas raising his protest flag.

14 EXTREM E E U R O P E A N T O U R

ÂŠ Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

THE 2010 EUROPEAN CIRCUIT

EXTREME 40s ON TOUR FIVE EUROPE A N V E N U E S W ILL W E LCOM E T H E E X TR E M E S A ILING S E RIES EUROPE T HIS S E A S ON. W E TAK E A LO OK AT TH E ST UNNING LOC ATIONS W HI C H W ILL S E T T H E SCENE FOR T HIS Y E A R ’ S R ACING - A MIX OF N E W R AC E COUR SES A ND “ TRA DITION AL” HOST CITIE S ! THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES WILL ONCE MORE TAKE THE CREWS ON A EUROPEAN TOUR OF BUZZING COSMOPOLITAN CITIES AND SPECTACULAR SEASIDE RESORTS, each carefully chosen to provide not only the hottest racing but also the best vantage points for spectators to get up close to all the action. Each regatta takes place over a minimum of four days, with as many as 18 fast and furious races, each lasting just 20 minutes. Each day is a mix of corporate sailing races, giving VIP guests and media a chance to get out on the water and experience the Extreme 40, and then the real action of the Series racing itself — although there will still be ‘fifth man’ guests on board, expect the sailors to take no prisoners in the fiercely competitive races. Things will step up yet another gear for the final race of each event, which

www.extremesailingseries.com

counts for double points! Last season every regatta went to the wire including the overall 2009

cooperation by regular exchanges

Extreme 40 circuit winner.

Sète has a population of 45,000

with the port of Tangiers and other Mediterranean countries. with a large ethnic mix and a cultural identity stemming from

S È T E , FRANC E 27 - 3 0 M AY Sète, with its 300 days of sunshine a year, is a city of character with a strong identity. It is the perfect starting point for discovering the spectacular surrounding region. A fast-growing commercial and leisure port, Sète is close to the shipping routes between Suez and Gibraltar. A shipping hub for South Europe halfway between Barcelona and Marseille, it is also a major site for shellfish farming in France (oysters and mussels from the Thau lagoon). The only passenger sea link with Morocco before Barcelona, it upholds

diverse origins, especially the Mediterranean. Sète is a major site with a very broad outlook on the Latin Arch. The town has an outstanding geographical configuration, offering a unique circular panoramic view. Edged with long beaches of fine sand, it is surrounded partly by the Mediterranean Sea and partly by the Etang de Thau. It is also a town of the arts, where cultural icons such as author Paul Valéry, songwriter Georges Brassens, guitarist Manitas de Plata and theatre director Jean Vilar were born. It constantly alternates between tradition and the avantgarde. Sète’s participation in the Brussels Open Days is proof of its commitment to open-mindedness on European issues.

COWE S , I SLE OF WIGH T, UK 31 JULY - 5 AUGUST Home of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes is the birthplace of the America’s Cup and hosts the oldest annual regatta, Cowes Week, during which the UK round of the Series will take place once again this year. The building of an 80-ton vessel for Queen Elizabeth II in 1589 is believed to have initiated the town’s shipbuilding tradition, and its reputation in that field quickly grew to an international level. Recreational sailing became a trademark with King George IV, who arguably gave Cowes its “Yachting Capital of the World” status. In 1826, the first edition of what was to become Cowes Week was organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron, and the tricky emerald green waters of the Solent soon became a playground of choice for yachtsmen. The town’s preserved charm and welcoming facilities are a coveted haven for visiting crews, and numerous spots along the seafront close to Cowes Castle, home of the Squadron, offer spectators a good view of the action. In Cowes, everything is about sailing and no fewer than 9 yacht clubs are to be found despite the town’s modest size - the population usually doubles (from 16,000 to more than

16 EXTREM E E U R O P E A N T O U R

T R APANI, SIC ILY, I TALY 23 - 26 SE P T EM BER

SÈTE

www.sete.fr

K IEL , GERMANY 26 - 29 A UGUST Located on the Southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, Kiel is today Germany’s undisputed sailing capital. Founded by Adolf IV, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein, the city instantly recognised its favourable position by the sea. In Kiel Castle, the Russian Tsar Peter III, was born. The city was part of the Hanseatic League, a late Middle Ages alliance of trading cities in Northern Europe, and later emerged as an intellectual centre when its first university was founded in 1665. Two centuries later, Kiel was declared “Imperial War Harbour” by Emperor Wilhelm 1, the prestigious Kiel Yacht Club was created in 1887, and at the end of the 19th century the city grew quickly around its shipyards. It was also the epicentre of the sailor’s mutiny (refusing to fight a hopeless battle against the Royal Navy) which led in 1918 to the end of German monarchy and the installation of the Weimar Republic. Bombed during World War II, it has been rebuilt and became a prominent economic centre with high-tech boatbuilding facilities and ferries linking Germany to Sweden, Norway and Russia. Water is the main element in KIEL.SAILING CITY. The Land Capital is a

dockyard and Navy city rich in tradition, with a lively student scene, child-friendly people and urbane charm. Kiel’s sailing tradition is alive and kicking more than ever, notably with the annual Kiel Week attracting more than 1000 boats, and during the 2008 iShares Cup event more than 80,000 people watched the racing! In June 2002, 500,000 visitors prepared a grand welcome for the Volvo Ocean Racers on the

COWES

www.cowesweek.co.uk

30,000 people) during the sailing week in early August! World-class racing and great onshore entertainment definitely are on the menu, with more than 1000 boats on the various race courses.

Originally, Trapani had been established as a harbour for the city of Erice, which overlooked it. Founded by the Elymians, the ancient people who inhabited the western part of Sicily between the Bronze Age and Antiquity, the city owes its original name of “Depranon” to the Greek term for “sickle”, of which the shape of the harbour is reminiscent. Greek as well as Roman deities are found in the various myths about the city’s origins - did the sickle fall from goddess of harvest Demeter’s hand, or was it thrown in the sea by Saturn, after he had used it to eviscerate his father Cronus? The fact is that a statue of Saturn is on one of Trapani’s central piazzas. Captured by Carthage then claimed by Rome, the busy fishing port became an important naval base and later played a crucial role in the Crusades. After a brief period of decay, Trapani doubled in size during the 18th century and its traditional activity, fishing, remains at the heart of its economy today. The city has recently gained international exposure on the sailing scene by

final leg of their race. Kiel has also twice been a host city of the Olympic sailing games. And the Sailing Camp 24|sieben for young people is unique nationwide.

hosting two Acts of the Louis Vuitton Cup, in the build-up to the America’s Cup… and it’s also worth noting that Trapani is twinned with the French port of Les Sables d’Olonne, of Vendée Globe fame.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

KIEL

www.kiel-sailing-city.de | www.kiel.de

T R A PA N I

www.provincia.trapani.it

A LM E R I A , A N D A L U C I A , S PA IN 9 - 12 O C TOBE R Founded by Abd ar-Rahman III, Emir and Caliphe of Cordoba, in 955, Almeria was established to strengthen the region’s Mediterranean defences. Built and designed around its harbour, the city has always looked to the sea and rapidly became wealthy thanks to its silk industry - on top of having a “natural” high value due to its strategic location. Almeria grew in terms of regional

influence, and the most visible symbol of that golden era, the Alcazaba castle, is today the second largest Moorish fortress of Andalucia behind the legendary Alhambra. Unfortunately, a series of earthquakes devastated the city during the 16th century, and frequent attacks by Berber pirates put its defences to the test… but by the early 18th century Almeria found a new prosperity when iron mines of considerable size were discovered. The economic growth has been particularly spectacular during the 20th century with the development of extensive agriculture, Almeria becoming one of Europe’s biggest orchards, while tourism certainly played an important part in the city’s expansion. Hosting the Mediterranean Games in 2005 was an important step, and welcoming the Extreme Sailing Series is part of the regional government’s objective to position Almeria as an international reference on the world map of sailing. Last year, over 75,000 spectators watched the racing and the Andalucia stopover was definitely the pinnacle of the season - complete with free concerts, fireworks and displays for the public.

ALMERIA

www.andalucia.org

www.extremesailingseries.com

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20 ASIA, A N E W D AW N

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

ASIA, A NEW DAWN

IN THE MEDIA...

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

ÂŠ Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

The Extreme Sailing Series Asia circuit received widespread media attention, not only in the countries it visited, but internationally as the media were entertained by the personalities as well as the action on the water. World Sport (formerly Gillette World of Sport), the internationally distributed sports programming, included Muscat in its weekly show broadcasted across Europe. There has been regular coverage from the series on TV channels including a daily live feed on Oman TV, ITV Meridian and Sky Sports (UK), Eurosport and Euronews (FRA), ATV, ORF 1 & 2 (AUT), Media Corp (SNG) and Mediaset (ITA).

“This first Extreme Sailing Series Asia exceeded all our expectations. The spectacular sailing conditions in all three locations brought us tight racing by some of the very best sailors and demonstrated the potential to venue partners, key opinion formers, government officials and the media of what a full-scale series could bring to their region in future years,” says Mark Turner, CEO OC Group, owners of the organising company OC Events. “We developed the European circuit in exactly the same way, starting small with a focus on the VIP and media side and four years later here we are with a multi-stop European tour

The Extreme Sailing Series ventured East in 2009 - 2010, visiting Hong Kong, Singapore and Oman and completing the first “oriental” season of the circuit. That first immersion proved to be both promising and challenging, opening new perspectives for a Series always striving to reach out to the public as well as reinventing its own rules. The Extreme Sailing Series is not only about changing the way sailing is seen - it’s also about where it happens!

Extreme Sailing Series Asia 2009 - 2010 Results 1. Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming) 2. The Wave, Muscat (Paul Campbell-James) 3. China Team (Thierry Barot)

www.extremesailingseries.com

that saw over 200,000 people watch the action in person in 2009. We made the call to go for this first opening series in pretty tough economic times, but we believe our investment will be successful and are already in discussion with potential new venue and series partners for the 2010/2011 tour.” Looking ahead, the organisers know that there is a big effort to be made publicity-wise to attract local teams, and getting potential stakeholders to fully grasp the potential of the circuit is not an easy task, given the low level of exposure sailing has in Asia - but the Extreme Sailing Series has a very strong argument in its favour. “In this context again,” notes OC Events

Director Gilles Chiorri, “the 5th man spot is our key added value. There is no need for long speeches or tedious presentations, since our formula allows us to make our point in the most concrete way one can think of! Once people have joined a crew for a real race, they fully understand what it’s all about!” Chiorri adds: “Venturing East has been fascinating for everyone involved in the circuit. Culturally, it’s fabulous to reach audiences that have never come close to our sport, so the freshness and the curiosity of the spectators is very motivating. When it comes to our set up, I don’t think we could come closer to being at the heart of a city than in Hong Kong or Singapore. Even if those two cities are so amazingly huge that they probably have more than one heart! The cultural shock went both ways, and as organisers we also had to challenge our views, dust off our habits and adopt a totally flexible approach, which is very positive because we ended up questioning the way we do things.” “In Singapore, we raced in a basin surrounded by a brand new development comprising an international business centre, an amphitheatre, a touristic zone and a casino. The place was ideal and we certainly saw the potential of a circuit like ours in such an environment: there are opportunities to bring the public and offer spectators a fabulous vantage point on the action, whilst boosting the onshore side of the entertainment! In terms of line-up and participating teams, there are examples of interesting crossovers, and at the same time the Asia circuit opens up the game for sponsors who are keen to get involved but for whom the European market isn’t key. Both the Red Bull team and the Oman Sail structure have interests in both circuits, and we’re talking with Asian companies which are seriously considering boosting their European exposure thanks to the Extreme Sailing Series. The Asian circuit is definitely a big part of the Extreme Sailing Series’ future,” concludes Chiorri. © Mark Lloyd

22 ONSHO RE AC T I O N

Entertainment

Onshore action THE 2008 KIEL EVENT HAD BEEN A FANTASTIC ONE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC ATTENDANCE, WITH OVER 80,000 SPECTATORS AND GREAT MEMORIES FOR THE SKIPPERS, who were finally offered the chance to share their passion of sailing with the crowd. As Alinghi skipper Ed Baird noted at the time, “I think we’ve probably sailed in front of this many people in a television situation, but not in person. This is fantastic - you can hear the crowd cheer.” Bringing the action to the heart of cities or finding the best nautical stadiums obviously is a key element, yet as event

With an estimated 200,000 spectators in 2009, the Extreme Sailing Series has become a real crowdpleaser. Organisers OC Events have stepped up their game in terms of onshore entertainments, which culminated with the impressive setup - complete with fireworks and free concerts - deployed for the last European season’s grand finale in Almeria. On the Asia front, Muscat’s Al Hail beach was the hotspot where the inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia came to a close, in action-packed style.

Director Gilles Chiorri points out, “If we only considered that aspect of things, we’d more or less only appeal to the captive audience of regatta enthusiasts, and that is not what our circuit © Mark Lloyd is about. It’s crucial to create a public-friendly race village, and to make the sport accessible to novices, thanks for example to the presence of commentators who really make an effort to explain what’s going on Muscat was the last event in understandable terms. of the Extreme Sailing We have also boosted our Series Asia. Both the racing and the onshore efforts in terms of local entertainments of the communications, working Extreme Beach Party with host venues to publicise attracted large crowds. our events and attract the largest crowds possible. But of course, it has been a learning process, and we’re constantly trying to improve our concept: onshore entertainment is a huge part of it, and we’re keeping up the hard work on that front.”

F IR E U P T HE “P UER TO” 57,000 spectators in 2007, 150,000 in 2008 and 200,000 in 2009 - with 75,000 for the Almeria event alone! - the figures speak for themselves

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

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and show that the organisers’ efforts have been rewarded. “Almeria was our pinnacle last year,” says Gilles Chiorri, “we had conceived it as a benchmark for the season to come. The event fell on the National Day of Spain, a public holiday. So we were not just hosting a sporting event during the day, but also a social programme on land with the full support of the city of Almeria. We took the Extreme Sailing Series to the next level as a complete sporting and entertainments package, showcasing what could be done with vision, local support and hard work.” A proper “rock festival-size” stage was installed, and the crews were introduced to the public in a welcome ceremony, followed by fireworks and a free live concert by the famous Almerian band, El Lunatico. The following days saw more live music, with a special performance by renowned musician, Kiko Veneno. Local bands also played every night at the famous Jo’s “Pirate” Bar, which was packed every night until the small hours! Finally, to celebrate the Port of Almería’s centenary, the city’s Symphonic Orchestra gave a breathtaking concert attended by around 5,000 people.

A LL A BO A R D IN M U S C AT Bringing the Extreme Sailing Series Asia to a close, the Muscat event has benefited from the same public focused approach, with the emphasis put on shorebased

24 ONSHO RE AC T I O N

Spanish national star Kiko Veneno attracted crowds of around 4,000 when he performed on the main stage of the Extreme Sailing Series race village in Almeria.

sporting activities for the public to take part in. Muscat Municipality and Oman Sail hosted a two-day Extreme Beach Party at Al Hail beach during © Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events the weekend, billed locally as “Oman vs Celebrating the centenary of the Port of Almeria, the city’s Symphonic Orchestra gave a free concert in the race village. The World”. While the Extreme 40s and the onshore events shows the were busy fighting power of sport to inspire the next it out on the water, sixty teams generation and we hope we can competed in a five-a-side football now grow the event and bring the competition, while elsewhere on competition back to our shores the beach there were volleyball next year.” matches, Red Bull hosted the Muscat round of their “Street Style” competition and the Oman Sailing School gave over 200 kids the opportunity to try sailing. Free of charge and with live entertainment and music from the local radio station, over 2,500 locals and residents came to watch the action unfold on the water. “The public came en masse to cheer for our two crews flying the Sultanate’s colours,” said David Graham, CEO Oman Sail, “and we were also really pleased to see the youth being so enthusiastic about the Extreme Beach Party, joining in and having fun. The synergy between the show on the water

POSITIVE IMPACT The report produced by the Council of Tourism, Commerce and Sport for Andalucia confirmed that the Almeria event had generated 2.7m Euros of return on their investment. An additional total of 15,000 tourists visited the city, 92% because of the event and 80% of visitors expressed their intention to return. Hotel occupancy was up by 19.2 per cent compared to the same time in 2008.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

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26 HIGH S P E E D D U E L S

MATCH RACING

HIGH speed

DUELS

The Muscat event of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia has seen the circuit innovate this winter, with the introduction of match racing, a form of competition that many people believed would never be successfully performed in multihulls! Six crews proved that opinion wrong - not only is it viable, it’s also extremely spectacular! We talk to Paul Campbell-James, skipper of The Wave, Muscat and match racing expert. IN AVIATION TERMS, IT’S BLUNTLY REFERRED TO AS A DOGFIGHT. IT’S A FAST AND MERCILESS GAME, WITH ITS OWN EXTENSIVE AND SUBTLE SET OF RULES. On the water, it’s a one on one battle, during which crews try to push each other towards the edges of the race course, and force each other to commit mistakes resulting in penalties. Aggressive by nature, that tricky game becomes all the more exhilarating when played on board high-performance catamarans like the Extreme 40s. Introducing that discipline during the Oman stopover of the Extreme Sailing Series

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

THE DIAL-UP: a crucial phase in match racing. Basically the 2 boats come into the starting area going at full speed straight towards each other and at the last moment turn up into the wind and stop side by side. If you turn too early you stop too far apart, which is normally good for the boat coming in from the right. But if you leave it too late you collide going at full speed, which in Extreme 40s is ridiculously fast!

“FLY ING OV E R ” Y O U R R I VA L??? Paul continues: “The main difference between match racing and fleet racing is that it doesn’t really matter how fast you go round the course as long as you beat your opposition. Often on the start you purposely slow the boat down after the starting signal to further hinder your competitor, not really something you’d do when there are lots of boats in the race as everyone else would sail past you. Another difference is if you infringe a rule, you can choose where on the course you can be penalised. For example if one

boat hits the starting mark, they could choose to do their penalty on the finish line. This produces some interesting tactical scenarios where the “guilty boat” might sail the other guy miles out to the side in an attempt to turn in the opposite direction and do their penalty without losing too much.” “The Extreme 40s are capable of high speeds, but are also slow to tack or gybe which affects the tactics as much, if not more. Ducking upwind boats is also very important in match racing, obviously in monohulls all you have to worry about is your bow and their stern but if you can do it in a cat you can fly your windward hull over the back of the port boat’s leeward hull gaining you a heap when you come to the next cross, it’s real dodgy and high risk though, and you don’t want to be messing it up!” “Match racing is great to watch and easy to understand, which is what the Extreme Sailing Series is all about. I think it will have a bigger part of the circuit, as it’s a fantastic complement to fleet racing, which offers the awesome the sight of 10 or more of these machines coming off the start all lined up next to each other flying a hull.” © Mark Lloyd

Asia, organisers OC Events have yet again pushed the boundaries of the circuit, keeping true to their mission of “changing the way sailing is seen”. And done, for that matter. Paul Campbell-James, skipper of The Wave, Muscat, has been British National Match Race Champion three times, Student Match Race World Champion and finished 2nd in the Youth Match Race Worlds. He says: “Match racing in the Extreme 40s was awesome. The closing speed on the dial-ups is a little scary but good fun. Holding the boats head to wind afterwards, not to jump the gun, is pretty tricky. In the end, as is generally the case in match racing and Extreme 40 sailing, it came down to the last 30 seconds of the pre-start and good boat handling.”

www.extremesailingseries.com © Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

28 HITTIN G T H E R E D Z O N E

CRASH AND BURN

EXTREME 40 CO-CREATOR AND 10 TIMES WORLD CHAMPION MITCH BOOTH TALKS US THROUGH ALL THE TRICKY SITUATIONS THAT ARE LIKELY TO ARISE ON THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES RACE COURSE.

HITTING THE RED ZONE Was the spectacle factor high on the agenda when you first started to work on the initial concept? “The priority was to bring the sport to the public and of course the boats had to be spectacular. We wanted a class that could both be challenging for the sailors and really entertaining for the spectators.” The Extreme 40 proved tricky and great fun right out of the box: did you then think that it would take a bit of time for the sailors to get used to its raw power? “The power to weight ratio makes these boats a handful in stronger breezes, but I believe they should be difficult and the top sailors in the world have to be pushed to the limits, otherwise we are

not demonstrating the sport to its full capacity.” How often do crews feel they’re reaching a limit in terms of control? “Not that often in under 10 knots, but after that the limits are stretched, and sometimes too far. But that is the challenge - who will push the boat the hardest?”

3 lap races, sometimes in less than 15 minutes, so you get to the first buoy very quickly and mostly at the same time as the other boats. Really tricky!” Once at the top of the course, crews bear away and set the gennaker - when the breeze kicks in, the risk of being overpowered is important at that stage, no? Definitely, and the sea state plays a big part as well. As has been the case often in Cowes, breeze and chop make the bear away difficult since the bows can dig into the waves while the rush of power generated by the big downwind sail is very sudden. A lot of teams push so hard to set the gennaker they don’t even round the mark before setting!”

Now in some cities like Amsterdam, and to a lesser extent Almeria, the race course is surrounded by walls… “Yes, but UNLESS the wind is very Startlines are crowded and often very gusty and the only escape is a big narrow, how are they best dealt with? “bear away” “The important thing then the is to be careful not to “Crash and Burn is the danger is get locked outside the essence of Extreme 40 the leeward lay lines and watch for racing. The Series has boat has any port tackers (note: crews which do not to push the World’s best right of way and have the right of way). sailors to the limits. can cause In that class once you’re out you’re out, a capsize every mistake is paid of the at full price. It’s full on!” windward boat… Not to mention the quays, that are not exactly inclined to Once the race is underway, crews rush move out of your way!” to the first buoy, and boat crossings are often very intense, hence risky. “The race for the first mark is always a huge risk. Keep in mind we are doing

Events a&Co / OC tinez / Se

MITCH BOOTH’S AMAZING CV

Having captured two Olympic medals - bronze in Barcelona, 1992, and silver in Atlanta, 1996 - Mitch Booth has been Sailor of the Year twice in his native Australia. The man has taken part in a staggering 64 World Championships, winning a total of 10 of them in Tornado, Hobie and Formula 18. Offshore, he’s captured two world records (aboard the maxi multihulls Club Med and PlayStation), and also took part in the 1995 America’s Cup.

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30 ZOOM

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STR A IGHT FROM THE RACE COU R S E

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

www.extremesailingseries.com

ÂŠ Mark Lloyd

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EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

ÂŠ Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

www.extremesailingseries.com

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EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

www.extremesailingseries.com ÂŠ Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

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EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

www.extremesailingseries.com ÂŠ Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

38 TURN U P A N D TA K E O F F

It’s SIMPLE, BIG and POWERFUL. It requires great handling skills, and nerves of steel are a definite plus. And no, brakes do not come as standard… Meet the EXTREME 40 CATAMARAN, the speed machine that gave birth to the most exciting international inshore racing circuit.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

ÂŠ OnEdition

www.extremesailingseries.com

40 TURN U P A N D TA K E O F F

2 5

3 1

THE CREW 1. HELMSMAN: Steers the boat using extended tiller arm 2. MAINSHEET TRIMMER: Controls the biggest

Created with the public in mind, the Extreme 40 class had to be spectacular, and able to race in tight venues in order to really bring the action to the public. Herbert Dercksen, CEO of TornadoSport, which developed the 40ft catamaran in 2005 and build the boats, elaborates on the initial idea: “The origins of the Extreme 40 are the Olympic Class Catamaran, the Tornado. Yves Loday, the designer, is an Olympic Tornado medallist and both I and Mitch Booth, who were involved from the start, have a lot of experience in the Tornado. Basically, the Extreme 40 is a scaled-up version of the Tornado, all of the dimensions are relative to the Tornado, it is just twice as big and incredibly fast.”

sail on the boat and how much horsepower the boat can handle

balance and build speed 4. Bow crew: Super agile crew at front of boat, deploying and retrieving sails 5. FIFTH MAN: A place set aside for a VIP guest

U NDE R P R E S S U R E

FA ST E N YO U R SE ATBELTS

Both light - for better speed and acceleration potential - and very stiff - to withstand the huge efforts put on the structure - the Extreme 40s are made of a honeycomb core trapped between two carbon fibre skins. These skins are pre-impregnated with resin, and the various elements of the boat (hulls, crossbeams etc) are cured under pressure in an autoclave. The resin hardens while the pressure ensures that the honeycomb / carbon fibre sandwich is as compact as possible. The whole boat — including sails — weighs about the same as a Mini Cooper. The finished catamaran fits inside a standard 40ft shipping container, and the crew can assemble it in just a few hours – then just add water for instant fun!

The magic of multihulls lies in their absence of counterweight, which makes them extremely light and responsive. The stability is provided by the shape of the structure, the Extreme 40 being a “rectangle” sitting on the water, but things change very quickly when the wind kicks in and one hull starts to fly: it’s a treat for spectators, and a real challenge for the crew who have to maintain the balance whilst making the most of the boat’s potential! As Dercksen explains, “The Extreme 40 is capable of reaching speeds of 40 knots - if you want an idea of what that feels like, it is like putting your head out of the window in a car when it is raining at 45mph (73kph)! Also, the Extreme 40 often flies a hull, sometimes over three metres above the water, giving the sensation of gliding like a bird.”

triangular sail (jib) which is used to find

The generous sail area allows the Extreme 40s to sail faster than the wind, which might seem puzzling at first - in just 15 knots of wind, an Extreme 40 is capable of traveling at over 25 knots - but as Herbert explains: “If you get on a push-bike on a still day and start pedaling, the faster you go the more wind you feel on your face. This wind is created by your speed; sailors call it the apparent wind. The sails are designed and are adjusted by the crew to harness this wind and use it to increase the boat’s speed.”

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

3. HEADSAIL TRIMMER: Controls the small

l participating teams.

s Europe and al rie Se ng ili Sa e em tr Ex to e m A warm welco

Kiel. visit and enjoy.

Fotos © Oliver Franke, Michael Dietrich, Seehafen Kiel, Insa Korth

KIEL.SAILING CITY – the maritime Capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Baltic Sea The Heart of the Economic and Cultural Region Schleswig-Holstein | Seat of the Government | The Hub of Education and Services | Expanding Ports | State-of-the-Art Cruiseliner Terminals | A Place of Internationally Renowned Research on the Climate and the Oceans | A Centre of Higher Learning and Science | Naval Base and Home to Highly Specialised Shipyards | WorldClass Water Sports | A Port in the City Centre | Main Holiday Destination within Northern Germany | 235,000 People Live in and Love Kiel

Welcome to KIEL.SAILING CITY!

www.kiel-sailing-city.de �• www.kurskiel.de

42 THE 20 1 0 L I N E - U P

EXTREME SAILING SERIES TEAMS

THE 2010 LINE-UP

Team & Nationality

ECOVER S A ILING T E A M

GROUPA MA 40

SK IPPER

About the skipper

About the crew 2009 position Nominated charity

OM AN S AIL , M A S IR AH

SK IP P ER

SK IP P E R

(GBR )

(FRA )

(FRA)

Mike Golding Helm

Crew

Groupe Edmond de Rothschild

(FRA)

(EUR)

Skipper

9 TEAMS, bringing together 36 of the most talented sailors on the planet from 14 different countries, are competing in the 2010 Extreme Sailing Series. ROUND-THE-WORLD RACERS, WORLD CHAMPIONS, OLYMPIANS and AMERICA’S CUP COMPETITORS battle it out for your viewing pleasure - here’s who to watch out for on the race course! Read our detailed form guide on page 44.

Franck Cammas

(OMA)

Yann Guichard

Loïck Peyron

Leigh McMillan (GBR)

H elm

Franck Cammas (FRA)

H elm

Yann Guichard (FRA)

Helm

Loïck Peyron (FRA)

Tactician

Will Howden (GBR)

Tactician

Tanguy Cariou (FRA)

Tactician

Pierre Pennec (FRA)

Tactician

Mark Bulkeley (GBR)

Trimmer

Mike Golding (GBR)

T rimmer

Benoit Briand (FRA)

T rimmer

Hervé Cunningham (FRA)

T rimmer

Pete Cumming (GBR)

Bowman

Jonathan Taylor (GBR)

Bowman

Christophe Espagnon (FRA)

Bowman

Nicolas Heintz (FRA)

Bowman

David Carr

(GBR)

Mike Golding is one of Great Britain’s most accomplished singlehanded sailors ever, with two IMOCA world champion titles, a 3rd place in the Vendée Globe and a westabout solo circumnavigation record to his name. After a first Extreme 40 experience last year, Mike is back with higher ambitions and intact enthusiasm.

Fresh from his Jules Verne triumph around the world, having become the first skipper to sail around the globe in less than 50 days, Franck Cammas is a busy man, preparing for the solo Route du Rhum and the next edition of the round the world fully crewed Volvo Ocean Race. A force to be reckoned with for his second Extreme Sailing Series season.

A very experienced offshore multihull sailor - having notably broken the Atlantic Ocean record with the Orange team in 2006 - Yann Guichard has also represented France in the Tornado class at the Sydney Olympics. On the water, Yann shows nerves of steel and consistency, and the results obtained last year place him among the favourites.

Loïck is arguably France’s most experienced multihull sailor. A legend in his own right, he has bettered Eric Tabarly’s score by winning the OSTAR / Artemis Transat three times! He also has been a driving force behind the evolution of modern racing multis, and stepped on the podium last year for his first Extreme Sailing Series season.

Ecover’s cat sailing skill will receive a shot in the arm this year as taking the helm is Leigh McMillan, Team GBR’s catamaran helmsman at both the Athens and Beijing Olympics. Experienced Extreme 40 trimmer Will Howden and bowman Jonathan Taylor complete the crew. Ecover is now in its second Extreme Sailing Series season.

Former America’s Cup sailor Tanguy Cariou is Cammas’s faithful tactician and occasionally helmed the Extreme 40 last season. Groupama will be picking their crew from a squad of around six this year, including four time America’s Cup sailor Benoit Briand and France’s Tornado representative in Beijing, Christophe Espagnon.

Guichard is sailing once again with his 2000 Olympic helmsman Pierre Pennec, the multitalented Hervé Cunningham, and new recruit Nicolas Heintz. Having won the opening event of the 2009 season in Venice and secured second place overall, Guichard’s men have proved extremely competitive right “out of the box”.

Peyron this year joins the 2009 winning team which includes Pete Cumming - who has been appointed team manager - British Olympic Tornado sailor Mark Bulkeley and America’s Cup sailor David Carr. Masirah’s strength is obvious on the water: the men have worked hard over the past two seasons and know each other perfectly.

9th Europe

4th Europe

2nd Europe

1st Europe 1st Asia

Water Aid

Prader-Willi France

Peace Foundation

Dar Al Atta’a

www.ecoversailingteam.com

www.cammas-groupama.com

www.gitana-team.com

www.omansail.com

€5,000 will be donated to the winning team’s charity

Team URL

14 Nationalities

61 World Championship titles

39 Records held/broken

37 European Championship titles

32 Olympians

RE D BU LL

E X T R E ME S A ILING (AUT)

20 America’s Cups sailed

4 Olympic Gold Medals

1 Olympic Silver Medal

20 Round the World navigations

1 Olympic Bronze Medal

TEAM PINDA R

THE OCEAN RA C ING CLUB

T H E WAV E , MUS C AT

X IN Y I D AI

SK IPPER

SK IP P ER

SK IP P E R

(GBR)

S K IP P E R

Roman Hagara

(SLV)

Nick Moloney

( AU T)

Mitch Booth

(AU S)

(HKG)

(OMA)

Paul

Hugh Styles

Campbell-James (GBR)

(A US)

( GBR )

H elm

Roman Hagara (AUT)

Helm

Andrew Walsh (GBR)

H elm

Mitch Booth (AUS)

H elm

Paul Campbell-James (GBR)

Helm

Hugh Styles (GBR)

Tactician

Hans Peter Steinacher (AUT)

Tactician

Nick Moloney (GBR)

Tactician

Pim Nieuwenhuis (NED)

Tactician

Alister Richardson (GBR)

Tactician

Tan Wearn Haw (SNG)

T rimmer

Gabriele Olivo (ITA)

Trimmer

Fraser Brown (NZL)

T rimmer

Tomaz Copi (SLV)

T rimmer

Nick Hutton (GBR)

T rimmer

Adam Piggott (GBR)

Bowman

David Vera (E SP)

Bowman

Olly Smith (GBR)

Bowman

Sander Speet (NED)

Bowman

Kamis Al Anbouri (OMA)

Bowman

Wang Jue (CHN)

Hagara has taken part in the Olympic Games six times and on two occasions – in Sydney and Athens – brought the Gold medal back to his native Austria. Hagara and Red Bull Extreme Sailing joined the class for the first Extreme Sailing Series Asia and are continuing on to the European series this year.

From the America’s Cup to the Route du Rhum, the Vendée Globe and the Jules Verne Trophy, Nick Moloney has seen it all! Now in his fourth season on the circuit, skippering the Team Pindar entry, the Australian sailor is clearly one of the most experienced entrants to line-up this season, and as such is one to watch closely.

Dutch - Australian Mitch Booth, co-creator of the Extreme 40 boat, has an amazing 10 World Champion titles to his name. He also secured two Olympic medals (bronze in Barcelona, 1992, and silver in Atlanta, 1996) and has been Sailor of the Year twice in his native Australia. He comes back to the circuit in 2010 with a Slovenian-backed crew.

Former 49er Olympic campaigner Paul Campbell-James has been a participant on the circuit since his first campaign with Conrad Humphreys in 2007. He has proved incisive on the race course and clearly enjoys pushing the Extreme 40, often flying a hull in spectacular fashion! “CJ” is also an experienced match racer, which makes him aggressive on the starts.

Hugh Styles, now in his fourth Extreme Sailing Series season, is this year helming the new Chinese entry Xin Yi Dai, which like Red Bull Extreme Sailing cut their teeth in the Extreme Sailing Series Asia, where they finished third, and are now continued on into Europe. Styles is a former GBR Olympic team member in the Tornado class.

Racing alongside Hagara will be his long term Olympic crew Hans Peter Steinacher, Gabriele Olivo and David Vera who both participated in the last Volvo Ocean Race with the Spanish Telefonica team. Red Bull Extreme Sailing boasts a good balance between offshore and inshore racing experience and talent.

Helming for Nick Moloney is British Tornado sailor Andrew Walsh. Joining them will be exShirley Robertson and Mike Golding crewman and round the world sailor Fraser Brown (from New Zealand), a very experienced “Extreme 40er” and Team Pindar’s Olly Smith. This combination of talent and experienced is rather promising.

Mitch Booth will be sailing with his regular dinghy cat crew Pim Nieuwenhuis, Extreme 40 regular Sander Speet – both ex-Holmatro crew – and Tomaz Copi who has represented Slovenia three times at the Olympics in the 470 doublehander class. The Ocean Racing Club can rely on a solid Extreme 40 background to shine on the course.

The Wave, Muscat has confirmed that Omani crew, Khamis Al Anbouri, who has been training hard, will race this year. In addition to ex-Shirley Robertson crew, Nick Hutton, The Wave, Muscat will see the return to the class of talented Alister Richardson, originally with Extreme 40 Series winner Basilica and then Team Aqua.

In addition to young British cat sailor Adam Piggott, Xin Yi Dai is joined by two accomplished sailors, Tan Wearn Haw from Singapore and China’s Wang Jue, both of whom competed in the America’s Cup in 2007 with China Team. Like Oman Sail’s programme, Xin Yi Dai aims to encourage local sailors into fast, high adrenalin sailing.

5th Asia

Not Applicable

3rd Europe (Oman Sail Renaissance) 2nd Asia

3rd Asia (China Team)

Wings For Life.com

Earth Watch Institute

MS Australia

Dar Al Atta’a

One Drop

www.redbull.com

www.teampindar.com

www.oceanracingclub.com

www.thewavemuscat.com www.omansail.com

www.sailingevents-asia.com

www.extremesailingseries.com

44 NINE T E AMS F O R A T I T LE

NINE TEAMS FOR A TITLE Hotshots from the America’s Cup, the Olympics as well as the skipper of the fastest boat to sail non-stop around the planet are among the impressive line-up for the 2010 Extreme Sailing Series Europe.

This year nine teams are expected to be regulars on the Extreme Sailing Series, joined at each regatta by an additional local team and other occasional one-off participations. “There is good momentum,” says Race Director, Gilles Chiorri. “I am pleased to have nine teams. If you look at the level of the guys – it is consistently high.” Oman Sail’s Masirah remain the hot favourites, however without their 2009 series-winning helmsman, Chris Draper, who is now concentrating on his Olympic 49er campaign for London 2012. As a result there have been some musical chairs within the two boat Oman Sail team. Loïck Peyron, recently Ernesto Bertarelli’s shotgun helmsman aboard the Alinghi 5 maxi-catamaran in the America’s Cup, has jumped from the helm of Oman Sail’s ‘blue boat’, Renaissance in 2009, onto the Omani team’s red 2009 winner, Masirah. Here he joins Draper’s 2009 crew of Pete Cumming - who has been appointed team manager, British Olympic Tornado sailor Mark Bulkeley and America’s Cup sailor David Carr.

By James Boyd, Editor and publisher of The Daily Sail.

Two of the strongest teams to the circuit will once again be from the world’s most pro-multihull country, France, in the form of Baron Benjamin de Rothschild’s team, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, skippered by France’s Tornado representative at the Sydney Olympics, Yann Guichard. Guichard is sailing once again with his 2000 Olympic helmsman Pierre Pennec, the multi-talented Hervé Cunningham, and new recruit Nicolas Heintz. Having won the opening event of the 2009 season in Venice and captured another victory in Amsterdam, Guichard’s men have proved extremely competitive right “out of the box”. They gave a hard time to last year’s winners, Oman Sail Masirah, and eventually captured a second place overall - the final outcome was not decided before the last race! A busy Yann Guichard - who is also concentrating on his Route du Rhum solo effort - commented: “2009 was the year we discovered the Extreme Sailing Series and the style of Extreme 40 regattas: the notion of sport as a spectacle! We soon learnt that consistency pays and to perform well

in this series and to post good results, you need to navigate really well and not have any on-the-water contact with your competitors. The Extreme Sailing Series is a good school to learn self-control. I really like the intensity of the regattas and the shot of adrenalin you get. In an Extreme 40, racing is never clear cut and it isn’t over until you cross the finish line.” Much has happened to Franck Cammas and his Groupama team since last year. Over the winter they successfully, on their third attempt, claimed the Jules Verne Trophy, sailing their 105ft maxi-trimaran Groupama 3 around the world non-stop in a record time of 48 days, 7 hours and 44 minutes, breaking the previous record by more than two days. The Groupama team are now building up for Cammas’ participation in the Route du Rhum this autumn followed by the 2011-2 Volvo Ocean Race, and to maintain the momentum are returning to the Extreme 40 Sailing Series. “It is great - a new format to have short races close to the shore,” says Groupama tactician Tanguy Cariou. “In the beginning you get

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

www.extremesailingseries.com

Loïck Peyron takes the tiller of Oman Sail’s Masirah for 2010, while Pete Cumming becomes team manager.

Two other venerable names from Olympic Tornado sailing will be skippering boats in the Extreme Sailing Series this year. Mitch Booth has sailed the Olympic cat at five Games over the years and is no stranger to the 40 – it was he who originally conceived it back in 2004 with his then crew Herbert Dercksen. Last year Booth started the season standing in for an injured Darren Bundock on BT before taking the helm of his original boat, Holmatro, for the latter half. “I think the principles of what the class and the event was intended for have really been maintained,” says Booth of how he feels the class has progressed since he started it. “Those same values of taking the sport to the people and keeping the race format really short and right in front of the spectators all those values have been maintained. It is really pleasing to me that the formula that we all thought would work, has stuck.” This year Booth has set up an entirely new team with backing from Slovenia, his campaign run by The Ocean Racing Club. He will be sailing with his regular dinghy cat crew Pim Nieuwenhuis, Extreme 40 regular Sander Speet both ex-Holmatro crew - and Tomaz Copi who has represented Slovenia three times at the Olympics in the 470 doublehander. Booth will be lining up against his old Tornado foe, Roman Hagara. The veteran has been to the Olympics six times and on two occasions – in Sydney and Athens – brought the Gold medal back to his native Austria. Hagara and Red Bull Extreme Sailing joined the class for the first Extreme Sailing

upset because it is not usual for most of the sailors but after a few days you enjoy it a lot, because it is a new kind of racing and it is very interesting.” Cariou reckons that the teams will be much improved this year, not so much through training, which he admits is important – they carried out two four-day sessions prior to the opening regatta of the season - but just through the increased level of experience gained by the teams in past seasons. As a former America’s Cup sailor Cariou is also relishing the prospect of some match racing being added to the event schedule this year. Groupama will be picking their Extreme 40 crew from a squad of around six this year including four time America’s Cup sailor and match racing expert Benoit Briand and France’s Tornado representative in Beijing, Christophe Espagnon.

Winning the first event they took part in (Venice, 2009), Yann Guichard and his men are among the hottest favourites for 2010.

“It is really, really good fun, it has got all the best parts of sailing, like the 49er does, but even closer..

46 NINE T E AMS F O R A T I T LE

The Wave, Muscat has an all-new line-up including full-time Omani crew Khamis Al Anbouri.

Series Asia and are continuing on to the European series this year. Racing alongside Hagara will be his long term Olympic crew Hans Peter Steinacher, and Gabriele Olivo and David Vera who both participated in the last Volvo Ocean Race with the Spanish Telefonica team.

Cammas and his Groupama 40 crew have warmed-up in 2009 - expect to see them at the front of the fleet this year. © Th.Martinez / Sea&Co / OC Events

Since the Extreme 40 Sailing Series Asia, Oman Sail’s other boat, Renaissance, has been rechristened The Wave, Muscat, and manned by an entirely new team led by Paul Campbell-James. Another 49er Olympic sailor like Draper, CampbellJames has been a participant on the circuit since his first campaign with Conrad Humphreys in 2007. “It is really, really good fun,” says Paul C-J of the racing. “It has got all the best parts of sailing, like the 49er does, but even closer. It is more full-on which is the bit I really love.” For this season he has been able to pull together his own team. Significantly following Oman Sail’s participation in the last two Extreme Sailing Series seasons, so The Wave, Muscat has confirmed that Omani crew, Khamis Al Anbouri, who was part of the team who secured The Wave, Muscat’s second place behind their Omani stable mate Masirah in the Asian series, will now continue as a full time member of the sailing team in Europe. Having spent

Mitch Booth has taken his faithful wingman Pim Nieuwenhuis onboard again this year.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

Having made a debut on the Asia circuit, Roman Hagara and his crew are now taking on Europe...

Hugh Styles now skippers the Hong Kong Xin Yi Dai entry.

Australian Nick Moloney will race his 4th season skippering Team Pindar.

www.extremesailingseries.com

the last two years being taught by the team between races and learning the ropes in the non-participation, fifth man slot, it shows that the Oman Sail programme of developing local talent is now starting to show through. In addition to Shirley Robertson’s former crew, Nick Hutton, The Wave, Muscat will see the return to the class of talented Alister Richardson, originally with Extreme 40 Series winner Basilica and then Team Aqua. The Wave, Muscat went into action over the northern hemisphere winter, competing on the Extreme Sailing Series Asia where they finished second to Masirah. “Training time is going to be huge,” says Campbell-James. “I don’t think the French have put in as much time as we have. I think we’re good for hours on the water.” British Tornado hotshots are the driving force in three other teams participating this year. Ecover will once again be skippered by singlehanded round the world sailing legend Mike Golding, but their cat sailing skill will receive a shot in the arm this year as taking the helm is Leigh McMillan, Team GBR’s catamaran helmsman at both the Athens and Beijing Olympics. Coming back for a second season, Golding clearly enjoyed the “culture shock” (from wide open oceans to in-harbour race courses, can the contrast be starker?) and has had great fun despite a steep learning curve. McMillan’s Team GBR predecessor, Hugh Styles is this year helming the new Chinese entry Xin Yi Dai, which like Red Bull cut their teeth in the Extreme Sailing Series Asia, where they finished third, and are now

continuing on into Europe. “The team is a new concept, based out of Asia, with the guys organising it trying to enthuse and encourage everyone who is in that part of the world into fast, extreme and exciting racing,” says Styles. This is Styles’ fourth season in the Extreme 40 having been on the BT boat with Nick Moloney and Darren Bundock in 2007, skippering iShares two years ago and crewing on mainsheet and tactics for double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson last year. “It is a little bit different, getting looked down at by people who are sitting in tower blocks or taking people out and giving them the full ‘wow’ factor when they realise the windward hull is flying and they aren’t connected to anything other than mesh netting. You see their faces light up – it is quite rewarding,” says Styles. Like Oman Sail’s program, Xin Yi Dai aims to encourage local sailors into fast, high adrenalin sailing, as well as to let the rest of the world know that China is interested in this avenue of the sport. To this end in addition to young British cat sailor Adam Piggott, they are joined by two accomplished sailors, Tan Wearn Haw from Singapore and China’s Wang Jue, both of whom competed in the America’s Cup in 2007 with China Team. Tan Wearn Haw is a former Olympic 470 sailor who has since turned his hand to match racing, while Jue was a Laser sailor before he signed on with China Team. Another new recruit to the Extreme Sailing Series this year is Team Pindar. No stranger to sailing following their lengthy experience backing IMOCA 60s, match racing teams, Olympians and female sailors, the new campaign is to be skippered by Vendée Globe, Volvo Ocean Race and America’s Cup Australian all-rounder Nick Moloney, while British Tornado sailor Andrew Walsh will steer. Joining them will be exShirley Robertson and Mike Golding crewman round the world sailor Fraser Brown from New Zealand and Team Pindar’s Olly Smith.

50 RUNNI N G T H E S H O W

Behind the scenes

Running the show

During a typical Extreme Sailing Series event... • 700 apples are consumed • 3000 cups of coffee are brewed • 450 sandwiches are made • 600 canapés are created • 1880 pints of beer are poured • 500 potatoes are peeled • The kitchen is buzzing between around 05:00 and midnight every day

Louise Close, in charge of hospitality for OC Group, has been ruling the VIP lounges of the Extreme Sailing Series for the past three seasons and knows every little detail it involves… and you can believe her when she says that there are a lot of vital details! “Logistically, it’s like running a boutique restaurant, our chef Sarah Churcher and her team make sure everything is to a very highstandard - they always source local produce and never let routine settle in their kitchen. On the equipment front we always have to be prepared, it’s important to be able to react if suddenly 100 guests turn up when we were expecting only 50. But naturally, it’s not only a matter of counting glasses and dealing with logistics issues, it’s also about the intangible factors, making sure whatever the situation, no stress is ever apparent.” © OC Events

The Extreme Sailing Series traveling circus is a self-sufficient organisation, that carries all it needs and can set up its race village virtually anywhere! This includes a fully fitted out kitchen, run by Chef Sarah Churcher, whose team only offers freshly made meals using local produce - you won’t find a frozen or industrially processed dish anywhere on the village.

“The commentary starts around midday when the guests are back in for lunch, again building the atmosphere in the VIP Lounge and anticipation of the racing. It’s when all the guests rush to the terrace to watch the boats circle round each other for the pre-start sequence and they are fully captivated, that you get that buzz that they are having a fantastic day and the objective has been achieved.”

AT MO SP HE R E AT T HE HE AR T OF I T ALL “The proximity between the guests, the crews and the celebrities is a key element: there are so many sporting events with a VIP label where you can’t actually get to have a chat with the players themselves, we want everyone to mix because that’s what makes a real difference. The feedback we get proves that this aspect is extremely important, and our guests leave not only having sailed with Olympic medallists or world champions, they also had a relaxed talk with them whilst sipping a coffee or a glass of champagne… We always have to bear in mind that a lot of our guests go to very important events throughout the year, and as a consequence are not easily impressed - but I think one of the key elements of the Extreme Sailing Series is our ability to really place them at the heart of the action, and that’s why we get such a fantastic feedback.” Louise Close reigns in the VIP lounge, and as a perfect hostess, has developed a sixth sense allowing her to precisely gauge the atmosphere or know when she needs to step in.

A sensible approach Not willing to compromise on quality, OC Events nevertheless considers the impact of its hospitality operations and works towards making the event more sustainable. Energy consumption, waste management and improving practices in terms of transportation are under scrutiny. The use of “disposable” items, for example, is gradually being eliminated, and when it comes to food supplies - which play a pivotal role - the catering team work with local producers, hence reducing foodmiles and making a positive economic impact in ther regions visited. Other solutions, notably in terms of energy micro-generation, are currently being investigated, and a full audit is to be carried out, to try and improve evey aspect of the setup.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

W E L C O M I N G thousands of V I P G U E S T S , T H E T E A M IN C H A R GE OF T H E HO S P I TA L I T Y ON T H E E X T R E M E S A IL ING S E RIE S CIR C UI T R U N S A T IGH T, P E R F EC T LY M A IN TA IN E D A N D V E R Y C OM F OR TA BL E S HIP ! L E T ’ S V E N T U R E B A CK S TA GE , A N D M E E T T H E P EOP L E W HO M A K E T H E D AY S O E N J OYA BL E .

52 HENRI L L OY D

Official Clothing

Henri Lloyd - Official Technical Clothing Partner Henri Lloyd is widely regarded as one of the market leaders in technical sailing and lifestyle apparel, and has pioneered the development of fabrics, garment design and product development for over 45 years. www.henrilloyd.com

Founded in Manchester, England in 1963, Henri Lloyd began as a manufacturer of foul weather clothing for sailing and outdoor activities and quickly became a world leader in specialist marine clothing. Henri Lloyd’s focus on developing new technology allows innovative thinking to be a part of the design process and as a result every product in the 2010 marine range has been meticulously crafted and rigorously tested from concept stage to final design. This results in a range of technical clothing that contains some of the most important breakthroughs in marine product development and shall be worn by the Extreme 40 teams as well as the Extreme Sailing Series race officials and shore team on the 2010 Circuit.

TP2 Shadow 2G Hood Smock

As a result of working alongside the Extreme Sailing Series in 2009, Henri Lloyd have further developed their Sports Keelboat range, to ensure both sailors and the race officials have the ultimate in sailing apparel for the high octane environment that is the Extreme Sailing Series Circuit.

“We are thrilled to announce the continuation of our official partnership with the Extreme Sailing Series, and we look forward to seeing some exciting racing throughout the 2010 circuit P A U L STR Z E L E C K I ,

Octane WINDSTOPPER® Jacket

H E N R I L LOY D J O I N T C H I E F

This range of clothing will include the DAME award winning TP2 Shadow 2G range, Octane WINDSTOPPER® EXECUTIVE range; the lightest windproof garment on the market and Octogrip Stealth trainer, developed to offer extreme grip with maximum flexibility.

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

OFFICIAL TECHNICAL CLOTHING PARTNER

www.henrilloyd.com

From the

to the

CITY

OC Group - a global sports marketing company specialising in sailing. UÊ i>` }Ê Ûi Ìs & Rights Owner UÊ,>ViÊ7 }Ê/i> Ã UÊ À> `Ê ÃÕ Ì> VÞ www.ocgroup.com

Athlete and campaign management Passion and commitment to get results for our projects and partners

Award Winning Team

Isle of Wight surprising discovery No 46

23 beautiful beaches within 23 miles. Nestled amongst the Isle of Wight’s stunning coastline you’ll find some of Britain’s finest beaches, including 13 award-winners, all within close proximity of wherever you stay. Visit our easy-to-use website where you can book everything you need for the perfect Isle of Wight holiday, from fantastic ferry fares to a wide range of award-winning accommodation.

For more surprising discoveries visit

www.redfunnel.co.uk

Official Partner

0844 844 9988

Official Print Supplier to

Extreme Sailing Series

Pindar has been a wide supporter of sailing campaigns for 30 years and helps companies improve their online and offline publishing strategies through provision of print and electronic media, seamlessly integrated using leading product management software AgiltyCMS®.

www.pindar.com • catalogues and brochures from the experts •

56 ABOUT T H E C I R C U I T

ABOUT THE CIRCUIT E X TREME ONLINE Follow all the action, learn more about your favourite teams, get upto-the minute news and results, and watch fantastic footage from the racing at the event website. You can also sign up for email updates and view the website via your mobile phone. To find out more go to www.extremesailingseries.com Become a fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ extremesailingseries Follow the action on Twitter http://twitter.com/extremesailing

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A BOUT. . . THE ORGA NI SER S OC Events is responsible for organising the Extreme 40 sailing series, which is now in its fourth season and has expanded beyond Europe. OC Events began with The Transat in 2004, the oldest transatlantic solo race in history, first won by Sir Francis Chichester in 1960 — and raced for again in 2008. In 2005 OC Events launched a new concept in offshore racing — the Barcelona World Race.

This double-handed, non-stop, round the world race will see its second edition leave Barcelona in December 2010, with OC Events supporting new oraganisers FNOB. It has become a reference among round-the-world sailing events. OC Events also established a circuit encompassing the Far East, when Ellen MacArthur completed the inaugural Asian Record Circuit, and through the development of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race. With the Extreme Sailing Series taking place both in Europe and Asia, OC Events continues to push the boundaries, both conceptually and geographically. www.ocevents.org

A BO U T... THE EX TREME 40 CLASS TornadoSport originated the concept of the Extreme 40 and build new boats. Since the class launched in 2005 the fleet has expanded, and TornadoSport have now built 18 Extreme 40 catamarans. info@tornadosport.com

CONTACT US OC Events t: +44 (0)1983 282797 e: info@ocevents .org PR - Emily Caroe e: emily@ocevents .org Events Manager - Stuart Whitman e: stuart@ocevents .org

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

Marine equipment

All the Extreme 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are

equipped

with

Holmatro winches and HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS

Holmatro hydraulic systems. Our

products

top-level

help

the

sailors

Extreme 40 Sailing Series to control the huge loads involved when sailing these racing

machines.

They

are developed to improve performance,

convenience

and safety... A few of our key values.

CONTROL PANELS

HANDLES

WINCHES

58 VITAL S TAT S

IN FIGURES 2009-2010

EXTREME SAILING SERIES

VITAL STATS 178 R A CE S H ELD Venice 17 - Hyères 19 - Cowes 20 Kiel 19 - Amsterdam 17 - Almeria 16 - Hong Kong 20 - Singapore 26 Muscat 24.

ez / Sea&Co

/ OC Events

E VE N T WINS • Oman Sail Masirah: 7 (Hyères, Cowes, Kiel, Almeria, Hong Kong, Singapore, Muscat) • Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild: 2 (Venice, Amsterdam)

.Mart

/ Sea

&Co / O

C Eve

nts

3 C AP SI ZE S

inez

Holmatro (Cowes practice day) Ecover (Kiel) - Red Bull (Muscat)

6 COLLI SIONS Oman Sail Renaissance > Ecover (Hyéres) - Oman Sail Renaissance > WIRSOL Team Germany (Kiel) - Gitana Extreme > WIRSOL Team Germany (Kiel) - Oman Sail Renaissance > Ecover (Amsterdam, practice day) - BT > Oman Sail Masirah (Amsterdam) - The Wave, Mucat >z Rumbo Almeria (Hong Kong).

9 disqualifications Groupama 40 (Venice); Oman Sail Renaissance (Kiel); Holmatro, Team iShares and BT (Amsterdam); LUNA and Team iShares (Almeria); The Wave, Muscat (Hong Kong); Oman Sail Masirah (Singapore). © Th.Martinez

/ Sea&Co / OC

Events

EXTREME // The Official Extreme Sailing Series magazine for 2010

www . e x t r emesa i l i ngse r i es . com