R-evolution

Now in their fourth season, the Extreme 40s and their adrenaline-fuelled international Series have 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.

Those magnificent men…
It’s a sport, helming state-of-the-art multihulls on very demanding courses and the most respected skippers are lining up to 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, iShares Cup 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.

… In their flying machines
Capable of reaching speeds usually reserved to motorboats even in medium wind conditions, the Extreme 40 has been designed by Olympic champions Yves Loday and Mitch Booth, with the aim to provide 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 miss as the previous seasons proved ! 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 even 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!

A global experience
After three European seasons visiting international-grade venues, the creators of the Extreme Sailing Series have decided to take their roadshow towards the East and to tackle the highly promising yet challenging Asian markets and spectator crowds (read our “Focus on Asia” on page 18). “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 matters for OC Group, “and find the best way for our clients to go home with the feeling that they have just spent one of their most memorable days”. 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.

A long line of great men
“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 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-start crew hit the ground running and went on to capture the 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 course consistency and experience pay, but 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.”

It’s a sport. It’s a show. It’s a VIP experience!!

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)
3. BT Nick Moloney

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