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Press release No.1
Thursday 13th January – 1730 hours GMT
Extreme Sailing Series 2011
2011 version of the Extreme 40 Edmond de Rothschild Group
For the third consecutive year, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild and the
Financial Group he presides over, are continuing their involvement with the
Extreme Sailing Series by entering a one design in the colours of the Edmond
de Rothschild Group. Ranking among the major protagonists in this now global
circuit, the men of Gitana Team will this year be the only competitors to
race under a French flag in this most promising of international line-ups.
Indeed the list of candidates for the event perfectly reflects the series’
new ambitions with no fewer than nine stages across the world, with the
Grands Prix now spanning five days rather than the usual four days of racing
last year. For Pierre Pennec, the new helmsman and skipper of the Gitana one
design, and his three crew, the 2011 season promises to be intense.
The 2011 crew: nomination of a new helmsman but a virtually identical crew
configuration
Pierre Pennec has been designated the new skipper-helmsman of the Gitana
craft. This is a logical and well-deserved progression for this fine racer,
who has played a role in the project since its creation. Selected as the
French candidate in the Tornado class for the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000)
alongside Yann Guichard, as well as being a talented helmsman and a
sought-after tactician on craft as varied as they are demanding (60 foot
Orma, D35, etc.), Pierre has taken up the post of tactician-indexsail trimmer
aboard Edmond de Rothschild Group over the past two seasons. A native of La
Rochelle on France’s Atlantic coast, this 33 year old knows this boat like
the back of his hand. He is also familiar with the particularity of the
Extreme 40 races and will naturally be able to rely on a solid crew in his
bid to win a title which has eluded them at the very last hurdle in the past
two years.
Hervé Cunningham has been on the sailing team since the early days and is
back on the blue one design for another season. Bowman on the boat, Hervé
will bring to bear all his expertise and experience gained from his numerous
competitions (Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup, RC 44…). He will also bring
along his Match Racing expertise in the team’s battle against their
adversaries, some of whom are particularly well-versed in this type of
sailing. This talent is something he shares with Thierry Fouchier. The
latter 43 year old from Marseille is none other than the reigning America’s
Cup champion (he was a member of the crew aboard the American trimaran BMW
Oracle) and today he is the only Frenchman to boast these prestigious
accolades on his CV. Methodical and strict, Fouch, as he is known by his
crew, will once again be taking care of the headsail trimming this year, a
position he’ll share with Hervé.
This trio, which has already shown great potential by notably finishing
second in the 2010 championship, will be completed by Christophe Espagnon. A
newcomer aboard Edmond de Rothschild Group, Christophe is far from being a
novice in the series and even less so in the universe of competitive
sailing. A member of the crew aboard Franck Cammas’ one design last season,
this native of La Rochelle comes from an Olympic background like Pierre
Pennec. Selected to sail for France in the Tornado class of the Olympic
Games in Beijing, this 35 year old sailor also honed his weapons in the very
tough Figaro class during the Solitaire 2009. His versatility will be a
precious asset in his position as indexsail trimmer aboard.
“The composition of our crew is an original one in the sense that the four
of us have never all raced together in competition. However, we’re not
starting out from nothing either, far from it. Thierry, Hervé and I were
aboard Edmond de Rothschild Group last year. We created some automatic
reflexes there, as well as a certain complicity. Christophe knows the
circuit very well. These three sailors are great professionals who all have
experience of top level competition. They’re physical, which is essential in
the Extreme 40 class if you’re to keep up with the pace of one race after
another, as well as being very calm with quick reactions. This is just as
vital for me given the intensity of the races and the repeated contact
phases with our rivals. Personally I’m extremely proud and happy that the
Gitana Team offered me the chance to helm its catamaran. It’s an incredible
opportunity whose range is extensive, and I’m very lucky to be able to
gather together a crew of this calibre to work alongside me. The fact that I
fulfilled the role of trimmer-tactician in 2009 and 2010 will I hope be a
real asset as this experience has given me a good perception of what happens
during manœuvres. I also have a very precise idea of the info my crew expect
during the races” explained Pierre Pennec.
For the four men from Gitana Team, together with a shore crew still made up
of Cyril Ducrot and Marie Dixneuf, the time for resuming their mission is
fast approaching. Indeed they’ll be ready to get down to work in Oman at the
end of January, where they’ll be involved in a joint training session with a
few of their future rivals. In fact it’s in the Middle East that the first
event of the season will kick off on 20th February.
The crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group
Pierre Pennec - Helmsman, skipper
Christophe Espagnon – indexsail trimmer, tactics
Thierry Fouchier – headsail trimmer
Hervé Cunningham - Bowman
The 2011 schedule: opening up internationally
Launched in 2007, on the initiative of OCThirdPole (formerly OC Events), the
Extreme 40 circuit has since enjoyed a compelling rise in popularity and is
this year shouldering a considerably more expansive international status, as
much through its schedule as its list of competitors.
22 days of racing in 2010 compared with 47 scheduled in 2011, which equates
to 130 races being contested in 2010 compared with 282 scheduled this year…
The figures speak for themselves! For its 5th edition, the Extreme Sailing
Series is increasing in scale and now boasts a global programme of nine
stages. The ten crews who have registered to date will begin the 2011 season
in Oman at the end of February and it isn’t until mid-December in Singapore,
at the end of the 9th and final Grand Prix of the year, that the new victor
to succeed Paul Campbell-James on the championship’s winners’ list will be
revealed. During that time, the 40 foot one designs will have raced in
China, Turkey and the United States, not to mention all the European
elements of the championship with the more traditional destinations such as
Cowes, Trapani and Almeria, as well as Nice, which will be playing host to
the event for the very first time.
“The programme this year is synonymous with the great recognition for the
value of the circuit and the organisation put in place over the past four
years. The reality is that the events promise to be even more physical. The
Extreme 40s are demanding boats and this characteristic is further
strengthened by the race format. To switch from four to five days of races
per Grand Prix will have consequences and we’ll unquestionably have to take
care of our physical fitness to ensure we arrive at the race sites in good
shape. As regards the line-up, the arrival of teams like Team New Zealand or
Artemis, who will be bringing their Cup culture with them, is bound to be
very interesting. The general level is likely to go up a notch from the
outset of racing so consistency is going to be more important than ever”
explained Thierry Fouchier.
Act 1: from 20-24 February, Muscat, OMAN
Act 2: 13-17 April, CHINA
Act 3: 25-29 May, Istanbul, TURKEY
Act 4: 30 June – 4 July, Boston, USA
Act 5: 6-12 August, Cowes, UK
Act 6: 14-18 September, Trapani, ITALY
Act 7: 28 September – 2 October, Nice, FRANCE
Act 8: 12-16 October, Almeria, SPAIN
Act 9: 7-11 December Singapore
Discover all the latest news from the Gitana Team at www.gitana-team.com
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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