Cardiff City Football Club players get a taste of the Extreme Sailing Series™

Cardiff City Football Club players, Lee Camp and Callum Paterson, got a taste of the Extreme Sailing Series™ today as they got up close and personal with the high-performance foiling GC32 catamarans during training on Cardiff Bay ahead of the Act 6 opener tomorrow.

Thursday 24th August 2017

Cardiff City Football Club players, Lee Camp and Callum Paterson, got a taste of the Extreme Sailing Series™ today as they got up close and personal with the high-performance foiling GC32 catamarans during training on Cardiff Bay ahead of the Act 6 opener tomorrow.

The athletes swapped football boots for wet weather gear as they headed out on Land Rover BAR Academy’s high-speed chase boat for a front row view of the action.

“The GC32s are a lot bigger and a lot more hectic on board than I expected. It was great to get up close and have a look,” said goalkeeper Lee Camp, who has played for a whole host of football clubs including Queens Park Rangers and AFC Bournemouth.

“I was very impressed by the GC32. It’s quite scary at times when they come flying towards you and you think they’re not going to stop, then you see how quickly they change direction, it’s pretty amazing,” said Paterson, who is a defender for the Welsh football team.

“You don’t really appreciate how quick the boats are going until you’re near them. When they rise up out of the water and are essentially flying, it’s very impressive,” added the former Hearts player.

The Series made the switch to the GC32 at the start of the 2016 season. The hydro-foiling catamaran is capable of much higher speeds than its predecessor, the Extreme 40, and is far more physical for the crew.

“I was surprised at the athleticism required of the sailors and how important technique is when adjusting the foils,” said Camp.

“There was a massive shift on the boat when they finished racing, the crew looked physically exhausted and you can see why, the amount of ducking and diving they do underneath the sail and pulling the ropes,” explained Paterson. “I think just holding on would be quite tiring. They have to be in shape.”

“I won’t be taking up sailing now but I will certainly be watching it, and I’ve got a new-found respect for it,” he added.

The Series is famed for its pioneering Stadium Racing concept, which brings sailing up close to the spectators with racecourses set just metres from the shore. In a sport that normally takes place miles off shore, this gives the sailors the unusual experience of being within hearing distance of the fans, something that Camp and Paterson are used to as footballers.

“During a football match the crowd affects you a lot, both ways. If the cheers give them an extra boost of energy it might be the difference between winning and losing,” said Paterson.

“I think the idea of Stadium Racing is great,” added Camp. “I would definitely recommend for people to come down and watch the event here in Cardiff this weekend.”

The Extreme Sailing Series headlines the Cardiff Harbour Festival this Bank Holiday weekend. Racing starts tomorrow, with Flying Phantoms from 10:00 – 14:00 and GC32 Stadium Racing from 14:00 – 17:00. Fans can follow via the live blog.

The free to enter Fan Zone, which provides a whole host of on shore entertainment, will be open to public from Saturday 26 – Monday 28 August. Take a look at the official event page for more information, including a full schedule.