Schlagwortarchiv für: Extreme40

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Extreme40 San Diego 20.10.2017

19/10/17

Land Rover BAR Academy shows its form but Alinghi sneaks ahead on San Diego opener

Alinghi and Land Rover BAR Academy were the teams to beat on the opening day of the penultimate Act of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ in San Diego, USA. But it was the Swiss who demonstrated their prowess in the light winds and took the overnight lead as they left the Brits floundering in the final race.

For Alinghi’s helm Arnaud Psarofaghis it was a good day at the office. The defending champion currently sits in third on the overall leader board and the pressure is on as it nears the end of the season.

„We’ve had a great day. The boat was going fast and we had consistent results. We had some really lucky moves when we read the racecourse quite nicely, even coming back from an OCS start [over the line early], but it’s only the first day so we’ll have to sail better tomorrow as well,“ said Psarofaghis, whose team now holds a five-point lead.

Land Rover BAR Academy – helmed by four-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie – also put in a strong performance which almost matched Alinghi’s. Going into the final race the two were tied on points but, as Alinghi crossed the line in first, the wind died and the Brits were unable to complete the course in the allotted time and did not finish.

„The conditions today were quite light but it was a good day for our team. It’s the first day of racing in a GC32 in the Extreme Sailing Series for me and it’s great to be with the Land Rover BAR Academy team,“ commented Ainslie.

„I think the guys are sailing the boat pretty well. Probably myself steering and certainly getting off the start line always helps in this fleet. I thought we gelled together well as a team and for sure we can make some improvements for tomorrow and have some more good racing – I’m looking forward to it,“ he added.

For Adam Minoprio, helm of current Series leader SAP Extreme Sailing Team, things did not quite go to plan. Their moment of glory came in the final windless race of the day where they found a breath of wind to carry them past Oman Air and over the line in second, to rapturous applause from the crowd.

„It was a pretty bad start for us, it didn’t feel like we were sailing well at all and then we got a bit more breeze and had the best race of the day for us. In the last race we managed to spring our way back with a bit of luck at the end,“ said Minoprio, whose team took third.

Oman Air, who currently sits in second overall, missed out on the podium by two points while Team Extreme San Diego, the Californian wildcard squad skippered by former Series champion Morgan Larson, finished fifth.

Despite a win in race four, Red Bull Sailing Team took sixth and NZ Extreme Sailing Team seventh. The second US wildcard Lupe Tortilla Demetrio, a brand-new team to compete on the boat and in the Series, took eighth.

17-year-old Toni Vodisek was the champion of the day in the inaugural Extreme San Diego Kiteboarding Invitational. The 15 international kiteboarders took to San Diego Bay and put on a foiling spectacle for the crowds in the Race Village. They will resume racing tomorrow at 12:00 UTC-7.

The GC32 Stadium Racing kicks off tomorrow at 14:00 UTC-7. The free-to-enter public Race Village is open from 10:00 local time with plenty of entertainment scheduled throughout the day. Fans can stay up to date remotely via the live blog.

Racing will be streamed live on Saturday 21 October and Sunday 22 October on the official Facebook and YouTube. For more information about the event and how you can follow, visit the official event page.

2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 7, San Diego, standings after Day 1, 6 races (19.10.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 64 points.
2nd Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Ben Ainslie, Adam Kay, Elliot Hanson, Will Alloway 59 points.
3rd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 56 points.
4th Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 54 points.
5th Team Extreme San Diego (USA) Morgan Larson, Andrew Campbell, Matt Cassidy, Mike Kuschner, Cooper Dressler 49 points.
6th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 48 points.
7th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Andy Maloney, Josh Salthouse 45 points.
8th Lupe Tortilla Demetrio (USA) John Tomko, Jonathan Atwood, Matthew Whitehead, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd 36 points.

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Extreme40 Cardiff 27.08.2017

27/08/17

Flat calms on Cardiff Bay hinder sailing on penultimate day

Although the day was blessed with glorious sunshine, much to the delight of the thousands of spectators lining Cardiff Bay, unfortunately there was no wind to go with it. The scoreboard remains unchanged after the penultimate day of Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, as no scoring racing is completed.

For leader SAP Extreme Sailing Team, it means it maintains its four-point lead going into the final day, while the rest of the international fleet has everything riding on tomorrow to close the gap.

Oman Air skipper Phil Robertson remains unfazed: „On a racecourse like this, nine points isn’t much of a lead. I think SAP Extreme Sailing Team has more to lose than to gain out there tomorrow. We are where we are so there’s not much we can do about it for now, we just have one day to make it happen.“

Race Director John Craig explained the conditions faced by the fleet: „Today we were waiting for the sea breeze to come in and it looked like it would. We ended up with about five knots at one point but it wasn’t stable enough to race, and then it just disappeared.

„We’re hoping that tomorrow we will get seven to eight knots of more stable breeze and that we’ll get some more racing in. Unfortunately, today we just got skunked,“ added Craig.

The Flying Phantoms had slightly more luck, getting in three races before the wind completely dropped, to the fortune of Red Bull Sailing Team. The Austrian-flagged team of Thomas Zajac and Will Ryan seized the opportunity to further its attack on ZEPHYR by Idreva, who led into the day. The Olympic duo took two race wins to the French team’s one, meaning they finish ahead by one point. Culture Foil remains third. See the full results on the official website.

„We got three race wins yesterday and two today and now we’re on top so we’re happy with that. It’s great that the sun is out but it’s a shame that there’s no wind,“ said helm Zajac, who won bronze in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The fleet will try again tomorrow for the final day of the Act, which includes the final double-points scoring race. The Flying Phantoms will race from 10:00 – 14:00 UTC+1, with the GC32s scheduled to start at 14:00 UTC+1.

Fans can watch the live stream of the racing on the official Facebook and YouTube pages from 14:00 – 17:00 UTC+1. Fans can also watch live on TV across the globe, including on BT Sport 1 for British fans, from 15:30 – 17:00 UTC+1.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00 UTC+1, with plenty of on shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 3, 8 races (27.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 84 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 80 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 75 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 73 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 68 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 66 points.
7th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 58 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 3, 13 races (27.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 233 points.
2nd ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 232 points.
3rd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 223 points.
4th Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 215 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 202 points.
6th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 188 points.
7th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 183 points.
8th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 182 points.
9th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 170 points.
10th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 167 points.
11th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 125 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 122 points.
13th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 104 points.

 

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Extreme40 Cardiff 26.08.2017

26/08/17

SAP Extreme Sailing Team steals the lead on day two in Cardiff

Four podium finishes, including two bullets, were enough for SAP Extreme Sailing Team to take the overnight lead on day two of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Cardiff, but Alinghi is in hot pursuit.

The crowds packing the shores of Cardiff Bay were treated to sun and a spectacular foiling display from the international fleet of GC32s, as an unexpected breeze filled in just in time for the Stadium Racing in the Welsh capital.

„We’re happy with the day. It’s very difficult not to have a couple of races that are challenging but we only had one or two, so we’re pretty happy with that,“ said co-skipper and mainsail trimmer Rasmus Køstner.

„We have worked a lot on our starts and we came off the line really well today, and that makes a big difference,“ added Køstner, whose Danish-flagged squad is tied on points with leader Oman Air on the season scoreboard.

Defending Series champion Alinghi lost its day one lead but remains in strong contention, just four points behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team and with two full days of racing still to come. Co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis remains positive.

„Today was great for us,“ said Psarofaghis, who helmed his team to two wins but also suffered one last place blot on his scorecard. „We made a few mistakes that cost us a lot of points, but overall the day was really good for us and we’re really happy with the way we sailed.

„Nothing has changed since the last Act in Hamburg, it just wasn’t our regatta,“ added Psarofaghis, whose team has had two bad results in the past two Acts, leaving it under pressure to perform in Cardiff.

Oman Air had a mixed bag, with only three podium finishes from the six races, including one win and one sixth place.

„Today was a bit of a horrid day for us, we didn’t really gel and we didn’t get the boat going in the right places,“ said skipper Phil Robertson, whose team enters the second half of Act 6 in third, but with a troubling nine-point deficit on the leader.

„We snuck a few good results in but when we weren’t on the podium we were doing a lot of damage and that’s not what you want to do, you want to keep it consistent,“ he added.

Kiwi squad NZ Extreme Sailing Team follows the Omani crew in fourth, with Red Bull Sailing Team climbing two spots to fifth.

Land Rover BAR Academy, who sits in sixth, celebrated its first win of the Act in race six, as it crossed the line to the sound of cheers from the crowds and with a mammoth lead on the rest of the pack.

„It came together nicely for us. To look back as you come across the finish line with that much of a lead is pretty epic,“ said a delighted skipper, Rob Bunce, whose team welcomed Welsh rugby star and Land Rover UK Ambassador Leigh Halfpenny on board as a Guest Sailor in the opening race.

Local wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, whose crew includes British Olympians Stevie Morrison and Alain Sign, dropped two spots to seventh but managed to bag one third place finish.

After 10 races in the Flying Phantom Series ZEPHYR by Idreva, crewed by Charles Hainneville and Antoine Rucard, still tops the standings but Red Bull Sailing Team is fighting back. Olympians Thomas Zajac and Will Ryan sailed the Austrian-flagged boat to three consecutive wins, moving from sixth to second out of the fleet of 13. Culture Foil drops from second to third.

The Flying Phantoms will race from 10:00 – 15:00 UTC+1 tomorrow, with the GC32s scheduled to start at 15:00 UTC+1. Fans can watch the live stream of the racing on the official Facebook and YouTube pages from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+1.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00 UTC+1, with plenty of on shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 2, 8 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 84 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 80 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 75 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 73 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 68 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 66 points.
7th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 58 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 2, 10 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 182 points.
2nd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 178 points.
3rd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 169 points.
4th Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 165 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 157 points.
6th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 147 points.
7th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 137 points.
8th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 135 points.
9th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 132 points.
10th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 129 points.
11th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 95 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 94 points.
13th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 83 points.

 

Extreme40 Cardiff 26.08.2017

 

 

26.08.2017

SAP Extreme Sailing Team steals the lead on day two in Cardiff

Four podium finishes, including two bullets, were enough for SAP Extreme Sailing Team to take the overnight lead on day two of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Cardiff, but Alinghi is in hot pursuit.

The crowds packing the shores of Cardiff Bay were treated to sun and a spectacular foiling display from the international fleet of GC32s, as an unexpected breeze filled in just in time for the Stadium Racing in the Welsh capital.

„We’re happy with the day. It’s very difficult not to have a couple of races that are challenging but we only had one or two, so we’re pretty happy with that,“ said co-skipper and mainsail trimmer Rasmus Køstner.

„We have worked a lot on our starts and we came off the line really well today, and that makes a big difference,“ added Køstner, whose Danish-flagged squad is tied on points with leader Oman Air on the season scoreboard.

Defending Series champion Alinghi lost its day one lead but remains in strong contention, just four points behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team and with two full days of racing still to come. Co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis remains positive.

„Today was great for us,“ said Psarofaghis, who helmed his team to two wins but also suffered one last place blot on his scorecard. „We made a few mistakes that cost us a lot of points, but overall the day was really good for us and we’re really happy with the way we sailed.

„Nothing has changed since the last Act in Hamburg, it just wasn’t our regatta,“ added Psarofaghis, whose team has had two bad results in the past two Acts, leaving it under pressure to perform in Cardiff.

Oman Air had a mixed bag, with only three podium finishes from the six races, including one win and one sixth place.

„Today was a bit of a horrid day for us, we didn’t really gel and we didn’t get the boat going in the right places,“ said skipper Phil Robertson, whose team enters the second half of Act 6 in third, but with a troubling nine-point deficit on the leader.

„We snuck a few good results in but when we weren’t on the podium we were doing a lot of damage and that’s not what you want to do, you want to keep it consistent,“ he added.

Kiwi squad NZ Extreme Sailing Team follows the Omani crew in fourth, with Red Bull Sailing Team climbing two spots to fifth.

Land Rover BAR Academy, who sits in sixth, celebrated its first win of the Act in race six, as it crossed the line to the sound of cheers from the crowds and with a mammoth lead on the rest of the pack.

„It came together nicely for us. To look back as you come across the finish line with that much of a lead is pretty epic,“ said a delighted skipper, Rob Bunce, whose team welcomed Welsh rugby star and Land Rover UK Ambassador Leigh Halfpenny on board as a Guest Sailor in the opening race.

Local wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, whose crew includes British Olympians Stevie Morrison and Alain Sign, dropped two spots to seventh but managed to bag one third place finish.

After 10 races in the Flying Phantom Series ZEPHYR by Idreva, crewed by Charles Hainneville and Antoine Rucard, still tops the standings but Red Bull Sailing Team is fighting back. Olympians Thomas Zajac and Will Ryan sailed the Austrian-flagged boat to three consecutive wins, moving from sixth to second out of the fleet of 13. Culture Foil drops from second to third.

The Flying Phantoms will race from 10:00 – 15:00 UTC+1 tomorrow, with the GC32s scheduled to start at 15:00 UTC+1. Fans can watch the live stream of the racing on the official Facebook and YouTube pages from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+1.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00 UTC+1, with plenty of on shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 2, 8 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 84 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 80 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 75 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 73 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 68 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 66 points.
7th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 58 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 2, 10 races (26.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 182 points.
2nd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 178 points.
3rd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 169 points.
4th Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 165 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 157 points.
6th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 147 points.
7th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 137 points.
8th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 135 points.
9th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 132 points.
10th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 129 points.
11th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 95 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 94 points.
13th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 83 points.

 

 

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Extreme40 Hamburg Fotogalerie

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Extreme40 Cardiff 25.08.2017

25/08/17

Alinghi sneaks ahead on light winds opener in Cardiff

Consistency paid off for Alinghi on the opening day of Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, as light winds prevented a full day of scoring racing. SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Oman Air took a bullet each but paired it with a finish off the podium, allowing the Swiss crew to edge ahead.

Despite the forecast earlier this week showing plenty of breeze, the wind did not materialise and only two races were completed. Alinghi demonstrated its prowess in these conditions as it bagged a brace of seconds, ending the day in the lead by one point.

„It was a really good day for us,“ said co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis. „We had a really tricky first race, we struggled to start well but then we had a nice first downwind and came back to take second.

„There is still a lot of work to do before the end of the Act. We will just take it easy every race and see how it goes. The boat sailed really well and the guys did a fantastic job, it was really calm and a nice day to sail,“ added Psarofaghis.

SAP Extreme Sailing Team follows the Swiss in second, with current season leader Oman Air making up the podium in third.

„We expected these conditions today and we were quite pleasantly surprised that we managed to get two races in,“ said Oman Air skipper Phil Robertson. „We’re happy, we won the last race, it’s always nice to finish on a high.“

NZ Extreme Sailing Team missed out on the podium by two points, with Kiwi America’s Cup sailor Josh Junior having made his debut as helm.

Local wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, who sits a further two points back, took third in the second race of the day to the delight of the home crowds.

„It’s always quite nice to beat the Kiwis, and there’s not a lot of sports that you can beat them in at the moment, so we’ll take that,“ joked skipper Stevie Morrison, a two-time British Olympian.

„It was very light winds and tricky, but the guys are really quick learners. Everyone is having a good time and is open-minded to learn,“ he added.

Land Rover BAR Academy lies tied on points with its fellow British squad, while Red Bull Sailing Team sits bottom of the table.

The season finale of the Flying Phantom Series kicked off the morning’s racing on Cardiff Bay. ZEPHYR by Idreva, sailed by Charles Hainneville and Antoine Rucard, took the early lead of the Act.

„I feel pretty good,“ said helm Hainneville. „Winning two of the three races was a very good way for us to start the final Act of the 2017 Flying Phantom Series but there are still three days of racing to go so we will see what happens.“

Culture Foil, sailed by Eric Peron and Théo Constance, finish the day in second with Solidaires en Peloton, sailed by Thibaut Vauchel-Camus and David Fanouillere, in third. Current season leader Red Bull Sailing Team had a slower start to the regatta, managing only one podium finish, and sit sixth overall.

Racing resumes for the Flying Phantoms tomorrow at 10:00 UTC+1 with the GC32s scheduled to start at 14:00 UTC+1. Fans can follow the action via the live blog.

The free-to-enter Fan Zone will be open to public from 11:00, with plenty of on-shore entertainment for the whole family. Get more information on the official event page.

Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 1, 2 races (25.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 22 points.
2nd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 21 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 20 points.
4th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse 18 points.
5th Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French 16 points.
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman 16 points.
7th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 13 points.

Flying Phantom Series Cardiff standings after Day 1, 3 races (25.08.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA): Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA) 58 points.
2nd Culture Foil (FRA): Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA) 54 points.
3rd Solidaires en Peloton (FRA): Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/David Fanouillere (FRA) 53 points.
4th Oman Sail (OMA): Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA) 48 points.
5th UON (POR): Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR) 48 points.
6th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS) 46 points.
7th Flying Frogs (FRA): Pierre Le Clainche (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA) 40 points.
8th Masterlan (CZE): David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE) 37 points.
9th Lupe Tortilla (USA): John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA) 37 points.
10th Team Razzle Dazzle (SUI): Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL) 37 points.
11th EVO Visian ICL (GER): Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER) 34 points.
12th Red Bill II (FRA): Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA) 26 points.
13th Back to Basics (FRA): Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA) 26 points.

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Extreme40 Cardiff 21.08.2017

21/08/17

Bigger racecourse and spectacular racing in prospect as the Extreme Sailing Series™ returns to Cardiff

The Extreme Sailing Series™ will bring its unique high-octane stadium-style sailing to Cardiff Bay for the sixth consecutive year from 25 – 28 August, for the sixth Act of the 2017 season.

The international fleet of seven GC32s will include British-flagged wildcard entry Team Extreme Wales, skippered by two-time British Olympian Stevie Morrison.

The ultimate Stadium Racing championship will headline the Cardiff Harbour Festival over the August Bank Holiday, with the free-entry Fan Zone, located next to the Norwegian Church, offering the perfect place to catch a glimpse of the thrilling racing.

The racecourse will be set metres from the shore and Race Director John Craig predicts plenty of foiling action from the world-class crews, with a forecast offering good winds through the weekend.

„We have increased the size of the race area to allow us to give the boats more room to stretch their legs. Cardiff is known for its sea breeze so we’re expecting some great sailing and foiling,“ explained Craig.

Current season leader Oman Air, who won at the UK venue last season, will return to the Welsh capital spurred on by its recent victories in the two previous Acts in Barcelona and Hamburg. But skipper Phil Robertson, whose team includes Series veteran Brit Pete Greenhalgh, is taking nothing for granted.

„We’ve got to turn up and work hard again. Cardiff is a very unique venue, probably with a lot of reaching and potentially a lot of breeze, so you have to set the boat up for that,“ Robertson said.

Hot on the heels of the Omani syndicate, and tied on points, is SAP Extreme Sailing Team, helmed by former World Match Racing Tour champion and America’s Cup sailor Adam Minoprio.

„It’s another day, another puff, another wind shift and Cardiff will deliver what it delivers. We’ve just got to go there and sail well as a team. If we can do that, then none of the other teams can beat us,“ said Minoprio, who has helmed the Danish squad to two Act victories to match Robertson’s.

For Swiss team Alinghi, that lost its early grip on the leaderboard after a fourth in Act 4 and a disappointing sixth in Act 5, Cardiff offers an opportunity for redemption.

„I think Cardiff will bring some really good racing and we will try to improve on our mistakes in Hamburg. We need to go out and take every race as a single race, see how it goes and try to improve,“ said the co-skipper of the 2016 winning team, Arnaud Psarofaghis.

Two podium finishes in the previous two Acts has kept Red Bull Sailing Team strongly in contention for a podium finish to the season, while NZ Extreme Sailing Team and Land Rover BAR Academy have their work cut out if they are to close the gap on the rest of the pack.

British-flagged Land Rover BAR Academy, who currently sit at the bottom of the leaderboard, will be hoping for home-field advantage.

„It will be great to have the support of our home crowd, with the racing so close to the shore that we can hear them cheer. This really drives us on to work even harder to put on a good performance,“ said skipper and bowman Rob Bunce.

Fifth place NZ Extreme Sailing Team will try out a new crew line-up for the Act, with America’s Cup winning Emirates Team New Zealand sailor Josh Junior promoted to helm.

Stevie Morrison’s British wildcard squad, Team Extreme Wales, will include fellow Olympian Alain Sign, who placed sixth in the 49er in Rio, and James French, who is also a talented downhill skier. The 22-year-old Welshman Michael Beckett, a member of the British Sailing Team, and Martin Evans, 2015 national Laser champion, complete the roster.

Act 6, Cardiff, marks the fourth and final stage for the 2017 Flying Phantom Series, where the champion will be crowned. The international fleet of 13 will race from 10:00 to 14:00 daily, providing a festival of foiling for fans throughout the day. The first three Acts have seen a whitewash by Red Bull Sailing Team.

„It feels good going into Cardiff because I know I just have to continue what I’ve been doing up until now to finish on top. I’ve never been to Cardiff but everyone who has sailed there has told me I will love it so I’m really looking forward to it,“ said helm Thomas Zajac, bronze-medallist in the Rio Olympics, who sails alongside fellow Rio Olympic sailor Australian Will Ryan.

The free-entry public Fan Zone will be open from 10:00 – 21:00 on Saturday 26 and from 10:00 – 19:00 on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 August, offering plenty of on-shore entertainment for the whole family, with live music and a dedicated children’s entertainment zone. Get more information about the full entertainment schedule on the official event page.

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 can be found on the VIP tickets page.

Fans can follow the racing remotely via the live blog from 14:00 – 17:00 UTC+1 on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 August, and watch live on the official Facebook and YouTube channels from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+1 on Sunday 27 and 14:00 – 17:00 UTC+1 on Monday 28 August.

Crew line-up for 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6, Cardiff, UK
Alinghi (SUI)
Co-skipper/helm: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)
Tactician/mainsail trimmer: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA)
Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI)
Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI)
Floater/foil trimmer: Timothé Lapauw (FRA)

Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR)
Skipper/bowman: Rob Bunce (GBR)
Helm: Owen Bowerman (GBR)
Mainsail trimmer: Oli Greber (GBR)
Headsail trimmer: Adam Kay (GBR)
Floater: Matt Brushwood (GBR)
Reserve: Mark Spearman (GBR)

NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL)
Skipper/mainsail trimmer: Graeme Sutherland (NZL)
Helm: Josh Junior (NZL)
Headsail trimmer: Harry Hull (NZL)
Foil trimmer: Josh Salthouse (NZL)
Bowman: Shane Diviney (IRL)
Reserve: Ned Dalbeth-Hudson (NZL)

Oman Air (OMA)
Skipper/helm: Phil Robertson (NZL)
Mainsail trimmer: Pete Greenhalgh (GBR)
Headsail trimmer: Ed Smyth (NZL/AUS)
Bowman: James Wierzbowski (AUS)
Bowman: Nasser Al Mashari (OMA)

Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT)
Skipper/helm: Roman Hagara (AUT)
Tactician: Hans Peter Steinacher (AUT)
Mainsail trimmer: Stewart Dodson (NZL)
Headsail trimmer: Adam Piggott (GBR)
Bowman: Will Tiller (NZL)

SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN)
Co-skipper/coach: Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN)
Co-skipper/tactician/mainsail trimmer: Rasmus Køstner (DEN)
Helm: Adam Minoprio (NZL)
Headsail trimmer: Pierluigi de Felice (ITA)
Bowman: Richard Mason (GBR)
Trim assist/grinder: Mads Emil Stephensen (DEN)

Team Extreme Wales (GBR)
Skipper/helm: Stevie Morrison (GBR)
Crew: Alain Sign (GBR)
Crew: James French (GBR)
Crew: Mickey Beckett (GBR)
Crew: Martin Evans (GBR)

2017 Extreme Sailing Series™ overall standings
Position / Team / Points
1st Oman Air (OMA) 54 points
2nd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 54 pts
3rd Alinghi (SUI) 50 pts
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 47 pts
5th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) 40 pts
6th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) 40 pts

Crew line-up for 2017 Flying Phantom Series Cardiff
Back to Basics (FRA)
Bruno Marais (FRA)/Eric Le Bouedec (FRA)
Culture Foil (FRA)
Eric Peron (FRA)/Théo Constance (FRA)
EVO Visian ICL (GER)
Raphael Neuhann (GER)/Elias Neuhann (GER)
Flying Frogs (FRA)
Gwénolé Gahinet (FRA)/Arnaud Vasseur (FRA)
Lupe Tortilla (USA)
John Tomko (USA)/Jonathan Atwood (USA)
Masterlan (CZE)
David Krizek (CZE)/Milan Harmacek (CZE)
Oman Sail (OMA)
Thomas Normand (FRA)/Antoine Joubert (FRA)/Ahmed Al Hasani (OMA)
Red Bill II (FRA)
Dominique Pichon (FRA)/David Mirabel (FRA)
Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT)
Thomas Zajac (AUT)/Will Ryan (AUS)
Solidaires en Peloton (FRA)
Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (FRA)/Benjamin Lamotte (FRA)
Team Razzle-Dazzle (SUI)
Florian Trüb (SUI)/Ian Andrewes (USA/NZL)
UON (POR)
Helder Basilio (POR)/João Sousa (POR)
ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA)
Charles Hainneville (FRA)/Antoine Rucard (FRA)

Flying Phantom Series 2017 overall standings
Position / Team / Points
1st Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 60 points
2nd Culture Foil (FRA) 55 pts
3rd Solidaires en Peloton (FRA) 48 pts
4th Lupe Tortilla (USA) 47 pts
5th Oman Sail (OMA) 46 pts
6th UON (POR) 41 pts
7th EVO Visian ICL (GER) 38 pts
8th ZEPHYR by Idreva (FRA) 36 pts
9th Cup Legend (FRA) 36 pts
10th Back to Basics (FRA) 34 pts
11th Masterlan (CZE) 32 pts
12th Red Bill II (FRA) 27 pts
13th Black Flag (FRA) 11 pts
14th Flying Frogs (FRA) 11 pts