ROUND 2 OF THE EXTEME SAILING SERIES ASIA GETS "IN GEAR" IN SINGAPORE
Written by Administrator
News Update
10 December 2009
Round 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia gets "In Gear" in Singapore
The
Formula 1 pit Lane in Singapore is in action again, but this time not
to the drone of engines... A new type of sport is in town for five days
- the Extreme Sailing Series Asia.
Marina Reservoir will play host to the second round of the inaugural
Extreme Sailing Series Asia starting this Friday 11th December. Six
state of the art 40-foot catamarans, each crewed by a team of four top
professional sailors, and racing at up to 40 miles per hour, will be
battling it out for supremacy on the tight races courses just metres
off the shoreline by the Singapore Flyer. Twenty-four sailors from 8
nations and between them, three double Olympic Gold medallists, 24
World Championship titles, nine America's Cup events, 8 Round the World
navigations and 114 National Championship titles!
All six skippers competing in the Extreme Sailing Series Asia in Hong Kong Guy Nowell/OC Events
Mark Turner, CEO of OC Group, the parent company to organisers OC
Events, commented, "In the first event in Hong Kong of this 'demo'
series, we really met our objectives and took over 60 potential
sponsors, key opinion formers and the media out on the water to watch
the sailing and race onboard in the fifth man spots. There aren't many
other sports where corporate guests can actually take part in the
scoring action - it's a unique experience.
"We are keen to return in 2010/2011 with a full scale series with
public entertainment package, similar to Europe with shoreside
activities, entertainment, concerts and a bespoke VIP set-up, and will
be looking to come with the support of, and to work closely with, the
host venues."
Extreme 40 fleet on the final day of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia in Hong Kong. Marco Hong/OC Events
David
Voth, Senior Director, Sports Marketing Group, the Singapore Sports
Council (SSC) said: "The SSC is excited about showcasing such a key
sailing race for the first time in the Marina Bay area. We hope that
this will set the stage for future watersports events to be potentially
held in the area, which will bring exciting life, colour and activities
into Singapore's exciting annual events calendar."
Local Singaporean sailor Tan Wearn Haw, helming CHINA TEAM is hoping
his knowledge of the sometimes fickle Singapore winds will put the team
to good stead. CHINA TEAM finished third in the first round of the
Asian series in Hong Kong, surprising both themselves and their
competitors. Helmsman Tan Wearn Haw, who challenged for the last
America's Cup for China started his sailing career in Singapore. "The
next five days of racing will bring a real mixed bag of conditions and
really close racing. The winds will be tricky and testing, but
definitely hoping for great winds, even if it is from rain squalls so
the Extreme 40s can show off some exhilarating racing and capture the
imagination of Singapore!"
China Team racing during the Around the Island Race in Hong Kong as part of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia. Gilles Chiorri/OC Events
CHINA TEAM has a specific goal to build on its 2007 America's Cup
experience, as Tan explains: "We have a long-term vision of not just
excelling in the World's biggest sailing events like the Extreme
Sailing Series, but using our experience along the way to establish a
pipeline programme to develop the next generation of world class
professional sailors in Asia. The upcoming years will be really
important as we look to put our plans in action and chalk up some
impressive results. The podium finish in Hong Kong was a fantastic
start, but we really want to consolidate that here in Singapore."
CHINA TEAM will be on the start line under the Singapore Flyer in
Marina Reservoir on Friday up against some of the World's very best
sailors. Another newcomer to the circuit is Red Bull Extreme Sailing
Team, skippered by double Olympic Gold Medallist Roman Hagara and his
Olympic crew, Hans-Peter Steinacher as tactician. The team experienced
equipment failure in Hong Kong and are hunting down a podium position
in Singapore. Asked what it is about the circuit that attracts top
international sailors like themselves, Hagara commented, "The
excitement of the boat. I think it's one of the fastest boats that can
race around the track. No other class that has done this before so
that's what we are looking for. We have 25 years in Olympic Sailing;
this is the way to go for the future of the sport."
Two teams are entered from the
Sultanate of Oman, Masirah and The Wave, Muscat. Masirah were crowned
Champions of the European Series, in the final race of the final day,
after 118 races across Europe, as well as winning the first Asian
Series event in Hong Kong. Skipper Pete Cumming was building his
Extreme 40 today in the pit lane of the Singapore F1 track.
"The racetrack here is like every race area in Europe you took us to:
small! We have been really surprised by the amount of wind as we were
expecting to come here with it being hot, little wind and very humid,
but it's been great. The race area isn't as surrounded by buildings as
we thought so it looks like one of the more open venues we've had.
Certainly a lot more open than Hong Kong so I think if the wind stays
up, there should be some fast, exciting racing."
Racing onboard both the Sultanate of Oman boats are two Omani
nationals, drawn from the Oman Sail project. British Double World
Champion, Paul Campbell-James will be joined by Khamis Al Bourrai
onboard The Wave, Muscat: "Hong Kong was my first event as a
professional sailor sailing with a professional team and this is only
my second event. I hope to achieve and get more improvement on my
sailing skills and my professional skills. This time I will be sailing
on The Wave, Muscat so I'll be sailing with different sailors so,
hopefully, I will learn new skills from them and build my sailing
career." His Oman Sail colleague Nasser Almasari will race with Pete
Cumming onboard Masirah.
Rumbo Almeria racing during the Around the Island Race in Hong Kong as part of the Extreme Sailing Series Asia. Gilles Chiorri/OC Events
Double
Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson will skipper Rumbo Almería
with a strong European team including Nick Hutton, one of the most
experienced Extreme sailors on the circuit. Australian Nick Moloney,
who came second in Hong Kong, will skipper BT.
Six to eight races are planned from Friday 11-Tuesday 15 December.
Although this year it is not planned as a public event, for Extreme
sailing fans, the best place to watch will be from the F1 Pit Lane at
the foot of the Singapore Flyer.
Notes to Editors
The Extreme Sailing Series Asia
The
inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia was launched in October 2009 by
OC Events, organisers of the award-winning European Extreme Sailing
Series, the iShares Cup that saw over 200,000 spectators watch this
dynamic series.
The 2009/10 Series will visit:
Hong Kong (20 – 24 November)
Singapore (11 – 15 December)
Muscat, Oman (1 – 5 February 2010)
The highly successful European Series is the blueprint for this
inaugural Asian Series that couples a sailing event with high sporting
integrity coupled with a corporate and public entertainment package.
The aim being to build the series each year on the same foundations on
which the European iShares Cup has been built - a comprehensive sailing
entertainment event that packages the sport to appeal to the public,
media and provide experiential VIP client hospitality. For this
inaugural series in Asia the focus won’t be on the public side
directly, but on the VIP and media aspects as was the case in the early
iShares Cup years. OC Group’s aspiration is to build this circuit up
over the coming years to match the award-winning iShares Cup format
including a strong public element.
