extreme 2017-loscabos

Extreme40 Los Cabos 22.11.2017

/in /von

22/11/17

Team Extreme México to make waves at Extreme Sailing Series™ in Los Cabos

With the final double-points Act of the 2017 season just around the corner, OC Sport, owner and organiser of the Extreme Sailing Series™, has today announced the entry of local wildcard squad Team Extreme México.

The Mexican entry will join the international fleet from 30 November – 3 December in Los Cabos, located at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, for Act 8, presented by SAP.

Team Extreme México’s crew roster includes three of the country’s best talents. Skipper Erik Brockmann, a national champion in the 49er, 420 and Optimist classes, will sail alongside Armando Noriega Negrete and Danel Belausteguigoitia Fierro.

The trio will be the first-ever Mexican sailors to compete in the Series as part of the first Mexican-flagged team.

Brockmann is thrilled to be representing his country on home waters in the ultimate Stadium Racing championship, in what he views as an ideal opportunity to grow the sport of sailing in Mexico.

„I have to thank OC Sport and the Mexican Sailing Federation for making this possible,“ said Brockmann. „It would be hard to think of a better platform to promote the sport in Mexico. We have to see this not only as a one-week event but as the beginning of something special for sailing in Mexico.

„It is a huge honour to represent my country and I couldn’t be prouder to have the Mexican flag on the boat. Hopefully we can deliver a good show for the crowd in Los Cabos.

„It will be my first time on a foiling catamaran,“ he added. „I have done Moth sailing and catamaran sailing but never anything like the GC32.

„Of course, it will be challenging to compete against very experienced crews that have been training for a long time, but this is just the start and we look forward to a great event and the possibility of having a team for a full campaign in 2018. We will take it one race at a time and enjoy every moment of it.“

Noriega, who hails from Mexico City and is a Hobie 16 class sailor with 15 national championship titles to his name, shares Brockmann’s enthusiasm.

„For me it is an exceptional opportunity to be part of an amazing regatta, a dream come true. I have been racing catamarans all my life and to be part of the best series on a high-performance boat like the GC32 is awesome. The scope of the Extreme Sailing Series to demonstrate the art of sailing a high-performance boat is second to none,“ said Noriega.

Noriega also commented on the venue for the season finale, the third of three new host cities visited by the Series in 2017: „Mexico is a great sailing venue, not just because of the warm weather and good wind but also because of the great places to visit, the people, the food and the culture that make it so unique.“

Belausteguigoitia, the third Mexican sailor on the roster, holds numerous Laser, J24 and J70 titles.

Héctor Flores, CEO for the Mexico Tourism Board, commented: „It is a great honour to host this year’s Extreme Sailing Series in Mexico and we are proud to be represented by our local team of talented Mexican sailors, Team Extreme México. This competition is one of the most important sailing events in the world and Los Cabos offers the perfect setting for it with its contrasting ocean and desert landscapes, diverse fauna and beautiful beaches.“

The crew line-up is complemented by several top-class British sailors. Chris Taylor, who has previously helmed for Land Rover BAR Academy, will helm for the home team for the final Act. Alex Higby, who sailed on board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in its victorious 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race campaign, will trim the mainsail while Tom Buggy, who has competed in the Extreme Sailing Series numerous times since 2011, will trim the headsail.

Racing begins in just over one week’s time, from 14:00 UTC-7 on Thursday 30 November. The fleet will go head-to-head in the stadium racecourse set off the shore of Médano Beach, where the public Race Village is located.

Fans can follow the racing via the live blog from 14:00 – 17:00 UTC-7 on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December and can watch the live stream on Facebook and YouTube at the same times on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December. For more information on timings, location and how to follow the event, visit the official webpage.

Team Extreme Mexico (MEX) crew line-up for Act 8, Los Cabos, presented by SAP
Skipper/foil trimmer: Erik Brockmann (MEX)
Helm: Chris Taylor (GBR)
Mainsail trimmer: Alex Higby (GBR)
Headsail trimmer: Tom Buggy (GBR)
Floater: Danel Belausteguigoitia Fierro (MEX)
Floater: Armando Noriega Negrete (MEX)
Reserve: Martin Evans (GBR)

extremesandiego009

Extreme40 San Diego 22.10.2017

/in /von

22/10/17

SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in San Diego

stand-off to extend overall Extreme Sailing Series™ lead

It was déjà vu for SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Alinghi as it went down to the final double-points race to decide the winner of the penultimate Act of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ in San Diego, but the Danes held their nerve to walk away the champions.

With tensions running high and teams pushing hard, there were two collisions within the final two races. As SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Alinghi fought for pole position, a simultaneous battle for third raged between Oman Air and Red Bull Sailing Team. But the Omani syndicate fell foul of a penalty and watched Red Bull Sailing Team sail its way onto the podium.

„We’re stoked. It was great to finish the double-points race with an impressive win and it sealed the week for us,“ said SAP Extreme Sailing Team helm Adam Minoprio, who sailed alongside Rasmus Køstner, Pierluigi de Felice, Mads Emil Stephensen and Richard Mason, with Jes Gram-Hansen as coach.

„The last three days we’ve sailed well. Today we had a few hiccups. We put a bit of pressure on ourselves but an eight-point lead going into the final race is a good lead and it all ended well,“ added Minoprio, whose team has a five-point lead overall heading into the final Act.

Although the chance of defending its 2016 Series title is now slimmer, Swiss-flagged Alinghi – currently in third in the overall standings – has made gains on Oman Air for second and is now only one point behind.

„Unfortunately, we couldn’t catch up with SAP Extreme Sailing Team but we had a great battle with them on the water, so congratulations to them. We are really looking forward to Los Cabos; it’s going to be even trickier there but we still have a hand on the trophy so it’s going to be a fun one,“ said co-skipper and helm of the Swiss syndicate Arnaud Psarofaghis.

Red Bull Sailing Team chipped away at Oman Air from the off, finishing ahead in the opening four races and going into the final double-points race tied on points. The Austrian squad took its chance as Oman Air was delivered a penalty and left Phil Robertson and his men for dust. Red Bull Sailing Team remains in fourth in the overall standings.

„We’re obviously a little bit disappointed to slip off the podium but it’s yacht racing,“ said Oman Air skipper Phil Robertson, whose team was awarded the Zhik Speed Machine Trophy for hitting the top speed of the Act at 29.3 knots, an insight provided by SAP.

„We didn’t sail very well, and probably haven’t throughout the Act to be honest, so we’ve got some big steps to make for Los Cabos. It’s a double-points event so anything can happen,“ he added.

NZ Extreme Sailing Team helm Josh Junior showed moments of brilliance, twice leading in a race before being overtaken within the final few legs. The Kiwi squad finished the Act in fifth and remains in fifth in the Series overall.

An unfortunate issue with the boat meant that Land Rover BAR Academy was unable to compete in the opening two races. Re-joining the fleet in race 22, the British syndicate – which was helmed by four-time Olympic gold-medallist Sir Ben Ainslie – failed to find its form of the opening day. It finished the Act in sixth and remains in sixth in the season standings.

The two US-flagged wildcards, Team Extreme San Diego and Lupe Tortilla Demetrio, took seventh and eighth on the Act leaderboard respectively. Texan entry Lupe Tortilla Demetrio will return to compete in the final stage of the season in less than six weeks‘ time.

„It was so much fun sailing with this group of people in this fantastic venue all week. We made some efforts and some small strides and we started to get better but I guess we reached our peak, or at least I did personally,“ said Morgan Larson, skipper of Team Extreme San Diego and a former Series champion.

„All in all, it’s always a fun experience sailing on the Extreme Sailing Series, it’s a great competition. Hats off to SAP Extreme Sailing Team, they were three steps ahead of everybody and I think it will be hard work for anyone to catch them for sure,“ he added.

French kiteboarder Axel Mazella stormed to victory in the inaugural Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational, with nine wins from 13 races. The first runner up was Britain’s Oliver Bridge. USA’s Johnny Heineken rounded off the podium.

The international fleet will reconvene in Los Cabos, from 30 November – 3 December, for the double-points final Act of the 2017 season, presented by SAP. Racing will take place in front of the Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort. Visit the official website for more information.

2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego, standings after day 4, 25 races (22.10.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 273 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 263 points.
3rd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 239 points.
4th Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 233 points.
5th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Andy Maloney, Josh Salthouse 212 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Ben Ainslie, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Will Alloway 201 points.
7th Team Extreme San Diego (USA) Morgan Larson, Andrew Campbell, Matt Cassidy, Mike Kuschner, Cooper Dressler 198 points.
8th Lupe Tortilla Demetrio (USA) John Tomko, Jonathan Atwood, Matthew Whitehead, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd 152 points.

2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ overall standings
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 78 points.
2nd Oman Air (OMA) 73 points.
3rd Alinghi (SUI) 72 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 66 points.
5th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) 56 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) 54 points.

Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational, standings after day 4, 13 races (21.10.17)
Position / Athlete / Points
1st Axel Mazella (FRA) 15 points.
2nd Oliver Bridge (GBR) 32 points.
3rd Johnny Heineken (USA) 42 points.
4th Joey Pasquali (USA) 49 points.
5th Riley Gibbs 49.3 points.
6th Nico Landaur (URU) 61 points.
7th Julien Kernuer (FRA) 67 points.
8th Toni Vodisek (SLO) 75 point.
9th Florian Gruber (GER) 77 points.
10th Will Cyr (USA) 100 points.
11th Kai Calder (USA) 104 points.
12th Daniela Moroz (USA) 109 points.
13th Bryan Lake (USA) 125 points.
14th Ty Reed (USA) 150 points.
15th Stefaans Viljoen (RSA) 176 points.

Fotos der Extreme40 Races

/in /von

https://www.extremesailingseries.com

Zusammenstellung der schönsten Segelfotos asus 10 Jahren Extreme40 Sailing Series weltweit (vormals ishares)

 

extremesandiego008

Extreme San Diego 23.10.2017

/in /von

SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in San Diego stand-off to extend overall Extreme Sailing Series™ lead

22/10/17

SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in San Diego stand-off to extend overall Extreme Sailing Series™ lead

It was déjà vu for SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Alinghi as it went down to the final double-points race to decide the winner of the penultimate Act of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ in San Diego, but the Danes held their nerve to walk away the champions.

With tensions running high and teams pushing hard, there were two collisions within the final two races. As SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Alinghi fought for pole position, a simultaneous battle for third raged between Oman Air and Red Bull Sailing Team. But the Omani syndicate fell foul of a penalty and watched Red Bull Sailing Team sail its way onto the podium.

„We’re stoked. It was great to finish the double-points race with an impressive win and it sealed the week for us,“ said SAP Extreme Sailing Team helm Adam Minoprio, who sailed alongside Rasmus Køstner, Pierluigi de Felice, Mads Emil Stephensen and Richard Mason, with Jes Gram-Hansen as coach.

„The last three days we’ve sailed well. Today we had a few hiccups. We put a bit of pressure on ourselves but an eight-point lead going into the final race is a good lead and it all ended well,“ added Minoprio, whose team has a five-point lead overall heading into the final Act.

Although the chance of defending its 2016 Series title is now slimmer, Swiss-flagged Alinghi – currently in third in the overall standings – has made gains on Oman Air for second and is now only one point behind.

„Unfortunately, we couldn’t catch up with SAP Extreme Sailing Team but we had a great battle with them on the water, so congratulations to them. We are really looking forward to Los Cabos; it’s going to be even trickier there but we still have a hand on the trophy so it’s going to be a fun one,“ said co-skipper and helm of the Swiss syndicate Arnaud Psarofaghis.

Red Bull Sailing Team chipped away at Oman Air from the off, finishing ahead in the opening four races and going into the final double-points race tied on points. The Austrian squad took its chance as Oman Air was delivered a penalty and left Phil Robertson and his men for dust. Red Bull Sailing Team remains in fourth in the overall standings.

„We’re obviously a little bit disappointed to slip off the podium but it’s yacht racing,“ said Oman Air skipper Phil Robertson, whose team was awarded the Zhik Speed Machine Trophy for hitting the top speed of the Act at 29.3 knots, an insight provided by SAP.

„We didn’t sail very well, and probably haven’t throughout the Act to be honest, so we’ve got some big steps to make for Los Cabos. It’s a double-points event so anything can happen,“ he added.

NZ Extreme Sailing Team helm Josh Junior showed moments of brilliance, twice leading in a race before being overtaken within the final few legs. The Kiwi squad finished the Act in fifth and remains in fifth in the Series overall.

An unfortunate issue with the boat meant that Land Rover BAR Academy was unable to compete in the opening two races. Re-joining the fleet in race 22, the British syndicate – which was helmed by four-time Olympic gold-medallist Sir Ben Ainslie – failed to find its form of the opening day. It finished the Act in sixth and remains in sixth in the season standings.

The two US-flagged wildcards, Team Extreme San Diego and Lupe Tortilla Demetrio, took seventh and eighth on the Act leaderboard respectively. Texan entry Lupe Tortilla Demetrio will return to compete in the final stage of the season in less than six weeks‘ time.

„It was so much fun sailing with this group of people in this fantastic venue all week. We made some efforts and some small strides and we started to get better but I guess we reached our peak, or at least I did personally,“ said Morgan Larson, skipper of Team Extreme San Diego and a former Series champion.

„All in all, it’s always a fun experience sailing on the Extreme Sailing Series, it’s a great competition. Hats off to SAP Extreme Sailing Team, they were three steps ahead of everybody and I think it will be hard work for anyone to catch them for sure,“ he added.

French kiteboarder Axel Mazella stormed to victory in the inaugural Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational, with nine wins from 13 races. The first runner up was Britain’s Oliver Bridge. USA’s Johnny Heineken rounded off the podium.

The international fleet will reconvene in Los Cabos, from 30 November – 3 December, for the double-points final Act of the 2017 season, presented by SAP. Racing will take place in front of the Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort. Visit the official website for more information.

2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego, standings after day 4, 25 races (22.10.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 273 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 263 points.
3rd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 239 points.
4th Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 233 points.
5th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Andy Maloney, Josh Salthouse 212 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Ben Ainslie, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Will Alloway 201 points.
7th Team Extreme San Diego (USA) Morgan Larson, Andrew Campbell, Matt Cassidy, Mike Kuschner, Cooper Dressler 198 points.
8th Lupe Tortilla Demetrio (USA) John Tomko, Jonathan Atwood, Matthew Whitehead, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd 152 points.

2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ overall standings
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 78 points.
2nd Oman Air (OMA) 73 points.
3rd Alinghi (SUI) 72 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 66 points.
5th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) 56 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) 54 points.

Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational, standings after day 4, 13 races (21.10.17)
Position / Athlete / Points
1st Axel Mazella (FRA) 15 points.
2nd Oliver Bridge (GBR) 32 points.
3rd Johnny Heineken (USA) 42 points.
4th Joey Pasquali (USA) 49 points.
5th Riley Gibbs 49.3 points.
6th Nico Landaur (URU) 61 points.
7th Julien Kernuer (FRA) 67 points.
8th Toni Vodisek (SLO) 75 point.
9th Florian Gruber (GER) 77 points.
10th Will Cyr (USA) 100 points.
11th Kai Calder (USA) 104 points.
12th Daniela Moroz (USA) 109 points.
13th Bryan Lake (USA) 125 points.
14th Ty Reed (USA) 150 points.
15th Stefaans Viljoen (RSA) 176 points.

extremesandiego007

Extreme San Diego 21.10.2017

/in /von

 

21/10/17

Day three thriller sees SAP Extreme Sailing Team go top in San Diego

SAP Extreme Sailing Team dominated and unseated Alinghi from the top spot on another crowd-pleasing day in San Diego at Act 7 of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™.

With seven races in big breeze, helm Adam Minoprio and the rest of the crew on board the Danish-flagged syndicate delivered a masterclass, taking home four wins and two seconds.

„As a team, we excel in the heavy air. We showed everyone up today with how these boats should be sailed, we had clean manoeuvres and were faster on the track. When you do a foiling gybe with the code zero sail up downwind it’s a ten boat-length gain, and we managed to nail a few of them today,“ said Minoprio.

„It’s huge for us to be gaining points on Alinghi and Oman Air in this event. We’ve got five days of the Extreme Sailing Series left, one more here in San Diego, and we must make sure that we push hard tomorrow to extend the overall championship lead,“ added the Kiwi, whose team currently tops the season leader board.

A mixed bag for the Swiss, which included only one win and two more podiums, left them with their work cut out for the final day tomorrow.

„It was an interesting day. It wasn’t our best and we have quite a lot to work on for tomorrow, but the win is still on the table and we are looking forward to going out there and catching up on some points,“ said co-skipper and helm Arnaud Psarofaghis.

With SAP Extreme Sailing Team comfortably leading, the real battle in the final race was between Oman Air and Red Bull Sailing Team for third, with the two separated by only three points. A fifth for Oman Air and a sixth for Red Bull Sailing Team handed the last spot on the podium to Phil Robertson and the Omani squad – who hit the top speed of the Act so far with 29.25 knots, an insight provided by SAP Sailing Analytics.

Land Rover BAR Academy – helmed by Sir Ben Ainslie – finished in fifth, followed by NZ Extreme Sailing Team in sixth. Although chances of a podium finish look slim for the Kiwi squad, helm Josh Junior celebrated a personal victory today with his first win since taking over the helm in Act 6, Cardiff.

„It was awesome to win our first race of the Act. I think as a team we’ve been getting better every day and it feels like we’ve been a little bit unlucky not getting a win until now, but we finally got one and everyone is happy. It’s a great way to finish the day,“ commented Junior, a former cyclor for Emirates Team New Zealand in the 35th America’s Cup.

Team Extreme San Diego showed moments of promise throughout the day but only managed two podiums and finished seventh, leaving Lupe Tortilla Demetrio to round off the table in eighth. For both US-flagged wildcards this week is their first sailing together as a crew, and for many of the sailors their first time on the GC32 boat.

French kiteboarder Axel Mazella continued his commanding performance in the Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational, bringing his tally of race wins to eight from 11 races. Brit Oliver Bridge climbed to second and Riley Gibbs dropped to third. Three-time world-champion Johnny Heineken currently sits in fourth.

Racing resumes tomorrow with the Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational from 12:00 UTC-7 followed at 14:00 by GC32 Stadium Racing, which includes the final double-points race. Fans can follow the action via the live stream on the official Facebook and YouTube and racing will be broadcast live on TV channels across the globe from 15:30 – 17:00 UTC-7.

The free-to-enter public Race Village – which features a variety of activities and refreshment stalls – is located at Harbor Island Park and is open from 10:00 local time. Find out more on the official website.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego, standings after day 3, 19 races (21.10.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 204 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 190 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 173 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 169 points.
5th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Ben Ainslie, Oli Greber, Elliot Hanson, Will Alloway 158 points.
6th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Andy Maloney, Josh Salthouse 148 points.
7th Team Extreme San Diego (USA) Morgan Larson, Andrew Campbell, Matt Cassidy, Mike Kuschner, Cooper Dressler 145 points.
8th Lupe Tortilla Demetrio (USA) John Tomko, Jonathan Atwood, Matthew Whitehead, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd 108 points.

Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational, standings after day 3, 11 races (21.10.17)
Position / Athlete / Points
1st Axel Mazella (FRA) 10 points.
2nd Oliver Bridge (GBR) 24 points.
3rd Riley Gibbs 33.3 points.
4th Johnny Heineken (USA) 39 points.
5th Joey Pasquali (USA) 41 points.
6th Julien Kernuer (FRA) 53 points.
7th Nico Landaur (URU) 55 points.
8th Florian Gruber (GER) 59 points.
9th Toni Vodisek (SLO) 63 point.
10th Will Cyr (USA) 81 points.
11th Kai Calder (USA) 86 points.
12th Bryan Lake (USA) 97 points.
13th Daniela Moroz (USA) 101 points.
14th Ty Reed (USA) 122 points.
15th Stefaans Viljoen (RSA) 144 points.

 

extremesandiego006

Extreme San Diego 16.10.2017

/in /von

16/10/17

Californian Morgan Larson to make Extreme Sailing Series™ return in San Diego

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego will see the return of former Series champion Morgan Larson.

The Californian will skipper Team Extreme San Diego, the second US wildcard to be announced following the entry of Lupe Tortilla Demetrio, in the penultimate stage of the season from 19 – 22 October.

Larson, who narrowly missed out on 2016 victory as skipper and helm of Oman Air, has a history of success in the ultimate Stadium Racing championship. The Santa Cruz born sailor helmed Alinghi to victory in 2014, and he is looking forward to giving it another shot.

„After a year away from the Extreme Sailing Series I am excited to cut my teeth again on the flying GC32. The format of the racing, the competition and the speed of the foiling cats is infectious and I’m confident San Diego will deliver as a great venue for the Series,“ said Larson, who comes fresh from competing on board Argo in the GC32 Racing Tour in Calvi.

„I’m looking forward to representing my state and country; competing on your home court is always great,“ he added.

Larson’s stellar all-American crew line-up includes three of Oracle Team USA’s America’s Cup sailors: Andrew Campbell, Cooper Dressler and Matt Cassidy who will take the positions of mainsail trimmer, floater and headsail trimmer respectively.

Trimming the foils is Mike Kuschner, who was part of Argo’s winning crew in the GC32 Racing Tour’s Villasimius Cup in Sardinia earlier this year.

„We have a complete Californian squad from our shore team to our sailing team; three of us are San Diego natives. We may be a late entry this season but the calibre of guys on our team is second to none,“ commented Larson.

Team Extreme San Diego, which is supported by the Port of San Diego, the San Diego Tourism Authority and its Marketing District, will go up against fellow US wildcard squad Lupe Tortilla Demetrio. With two fully American crews, US sailors will make up the majority of the line-up when the fleet hits the waters of San Diego Bay in three days‘ time. Find out more about Lupe Tortilla Demetrio here.

The eight-strong fleet of GC32s, representing seven nations, will race just metres from the shore of San Diego’s Harbor Island from 19 – 22 October. The free-to-enter public Race Village, which offers a prime viewing spot for the sailing, along with plenty of free on-shore entertainment, will be open from 10:00 local time (UTC-7) daily and is located at Harbor Island Park.

For those looking for a more unique experience, the Extreme Sailing Series offers a range of VIP packages, which include the opportunity to race on board a GC32 catamaran. More information on this, and about the event, can be found on the official website.

Find out about the rest of the teams competing in Act 7 here.

Team Extreme San Diego (USA) crew line-up for Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego
Skipper/helmsman: Morgan Larson (USA)
Mainsail trimmer: Andrew Campbell (USA)
Headsail trimmer: Matt Cassidy (USA)
Foil trimmer: Mike Kuschner (USA)
Floater: Cooper Dressler (USA)
Reserve: Riley Gibbs (USA)
Shore crew: Brian Janney (USA)

extremesandiego005

Extreme San Diego 17.10.2017

/in /von

17/10/17

Sir Ben Ainslie to bolster Land Rover BAR Academy in Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego

Sir Ben Ainslie, the four-time Olympic gold-medallist and America’s Cup sailor, is to return to the Extreme Sailing Series™ as helm of Land Rover BAR Academy for the penultimate Act of the season in San Diego, from 19 – 22 October.

The British sailing star, who recently finished a campaign in the 35th America’s Cup as Team Principal and Skipper of the British challenger, Land Rover BAR, has previously competed in the Series in 2011 and in 2014.

„I’m looking forward to joining the team in San Diego and getting back amongst the Extreme Sailing Series fleet,“ commented Ainslie on his return to the ultimate Stadium Racing championship as it makes its debut in the Californian city.

This time Ainslie joins the UK-flagged youth team, which was set up in his name to train the next generation of British America’s Cup athletes, as helm and mentor. The syndicate, the average age of whose trialists is just 21, currently sits bottom of the scoreboard. But the team has shown moments of brilliance competing against a seasoned fleet of some of the world’s most accomplished sailors, including a second-place finish at Act 2 in Qingdao, China.

„I am so proud of everything the Land Rover BAR Academy team have achieved since we launched the programme back in January 2014. All their hard work, commitment and dedication really came together in Bermuda and the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup success; it was a real achievement,“ said Ainslie.

Ainslie will sail alongside a talented squad of some of the UK’s best up-and-coming talent, including 23-year-old skipper and bowman Rob Bunce. The crew all underwent rigorous testing in a recruitment process before being selected for one of the precious spots on the team. The recent recruitment day saw over 20 more young hopefuls attend the base in Portsmouth to fight for a place.

Mainsail trimmer Will Alloway, who is currently campaigning in the 49er for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is looking forward to learning from Britain’s most decorated sailor: „One of the great, key aspects of the programme has been the opportunity we have had to seek advice and mentoring from the senior team. It is going to be a real honour to race with Ben, he is someone we have all looked up to, and we can’t wait to hit the water in San Diego.“

Jono Macbeth, Land Rover BAR Sailing Manager, commented: „The opportunity to sail with Ben in San Diego will be hugely valuable for the current squad and it really shows what the programme is all about, the senior team coming together with the junior, on and off the water. We hope to see more of this over the next few years.“

Find out about the rest of the world-class teams who will compete in San Diego here.

The eight-strong fleet of GC32s will race in San Diego Bay from 13:30 – 17:00 UTC-7 on Thursday 19 October and from 14:00 – 17:00 UTC-7 from Friday 20 – Sunday 22 October. Fans can follow the action via the official social media accounts and the live blog on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October. Racing will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October.

The on-water action will be accompanied by a packed on-shore entertainment schedule for the free-to-enter Race Village, located at Harbor Island Park. With a range of activities, from a dedicated kids‘ zone to a virtual reality GC32 experience, as well as a variety of food and drink stalls, there is something for everyone. Visit the official website for more information about timings and location.

Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) crew line-up for 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego
Skipper/bowman: Rob Bunce (GBR)
Helm: Ben Ainslie (GBR)
Support helm: Owen Bowerman (GBR)
Mainsail trimmer: Elliot Hanson (GBR) / Will Alloway (GBR)
Headsail trimmer: Oli Greber (GBR)
Headsail trimmer/floater: Adam Kay (GBR)