LAND ROVER ANNOUNCES ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARD WINNER

The Extreme Sailing Series™ and Series Main Partner, Land Rover, are delighted to announce Oman Sail as the winner of the 2014 Land Rover Above and Beyond award. Oman Sail either won or was cited in five of the six awards during the Series.

Monday 19th January 2015

Left to right: Hannah White, Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador, Sarah Ayton, The Wave, Muscat, Christian Bangemann, PR Director Jaguar Land Rover Europe © KaiSchaefer.de

• Oman Sail awarded the 2014 Land Rover Above and Beyond Award for skill, sportsmanship and strength of mind.
• The Extreme Sailing Series™ captures the spirit of adventure synonymous with Land Rover.
• 2015 venues announced including Hamburg, Germany named as new venue for 2015 Series.

20 January, 2015 – Düsseldorf Boat Show, Germany: The Extreme Sailing Series™ and Series Main Partner, Land Rover, are delighted to announce Oman Sail as the winner of the 2014 Land Rover Above and Beyond award. The award was presented to the team or individual who demonstrated the finest examples of skill, sportsmanship and strength of mind at each of the Series’ Acts. Hotly contested throughout the 2014 season, Oman Sail either won or was cited in five of the six awards during the Series.

The Award was presented by Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador and Chairman of the Above and Beyond Committee, Hannah White, who commented: “As a syndicate of two teams, Oman Sail’s commitment to the event, the sport of sailing and their performance throughout the entire season, both on and off the water, was unprecedented. They set a fine example to the world of sport for their professionalism, performance and camaraderie.”

As the only elite level global sailing series in the world, the Extreme Sailing Series™ captures the spirit of adventure synonymous with Land Rover. Speed, strength and capability in the face of powerful natural forces, together with skill, teamwork and composure make for a winning combination.

Mark Cameron, Jaguar Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director commented: “Oman Sail are worthy winners of the inaugural Land Rover Above and Beyond Award. They demonstrated throughout the series what it truly means to go Above and Beyond. Racing in the Extreme Sailing Series™ is incredibly fast and watching some of the best sailors in the world battling it out in such challenging environments make’s for a fantastic spectacle. The boats are powerful and tough, just like our vehicles and must perform whatever the conditions. We look forward to watching the inevitable high octane thrills and spills of the 2015 series with great anticipation.”

As the Extreme Sailing Series gears up for the 2015 circuit it will be returning to many familiar cities, Land Rover is very excited that the series will be returning to Germany, an important market commercially, but also a nation of sailing lovers. Hamburg will host Act 5 in July.

The venues and team line-up for the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series are as follows:

Extreme Sailing Series ™ 2015 Host Venues:

Act 1: Singapore, 5-8 February
Act 2: Muscat, Oman 11-14 March
Act 3: Qingdao, China 1-4 May
Act 4: Cardiff, UK 18-21 June
Act 5: Hamburg, Germany 23-26 July
Act 6: Saint Petersburg, Russia 20-23 August
Act 7: Istanbul, Turkey 1-4 October
Act 8: Australia 10-13 December

The commercial and competitive appeal of the original stadium sailing circuit shows no sign of abating: “The Series is now firmly established in the arena of world class professional sailing, and we have built that reputation by continually attracting some of the very best sailors in the world, supported by global brands, in iconic and attractive venues – competing annually and on a global scale,” commented Mark Turner, Executive Chairman of OC Sport, the organisation behind the Series. “And whilst the event has never changed its core DNA – racing in a stadium environment where exciting sailing is brought right to the audience – there remains a great deal to do. We must continue to innovate, to break new ground, change people’s perceptions of our sport, find new ways to share it and engage with new audiences around the world. That’s our ongoing challenge.”

Extreme Sailing Series™ 2015 Teams and skippers

Team / Skipper
GAC Pindar (AUS/GBR) – Seve Jarvin (AUS) / Ian Williams (GBR)
Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) - Igor Lisovenko (RUS)
Lino Sonego Team Italia (ITA)- Lorenzo Bressani (ITA)
Oman Air (OMA) – Stevie Morrison (GBR)
Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) – Roman Hagara (AUT)
SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) – Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) / Rasmus Kostner (DEN)
TeamTurx (TUR) - Edhem Dirvana (TUR)
The Wave, Muscat (OMA) – Leigh McMillan (GBR)