Extreme Sailing Series™ volunteers go the extra mile

At each Extreme Sailing Series™ Act across the globe a band of volunteers becomes part of the dynamic event team. Each and every one of them is a vital cog in the machine that ensures the delivery of a smooth and successful world-class sailing regatta.

Wednesday 4th October 2017

At each Extreme Sailing Series™ Act across the globe a band of volunteers becomes part of the dynamic event team. Each and every one of them is a vital cog in the machine that ensures the delivery of a smooth and successful world-class sailing regatta.

Among these people there are a special few that have enjoyed the Extreme Sailing Series volunteering experience so much that they have gone to great lengths to follow the ultimate Stadium Racing championship on its international journey.

Swiss fan Simon Meier started his Extreme Sailing Series adventure this year as a guest in Muscat, over 3,000 miles from home, and decided he wanted more. He returned for Act 3 in Madeira and has since volunteered at Act 4 in Hamburg. He is set to attend his fourth Act, as a volunteer, in Los Cabos for the Series finale from 30 November – 3 December.

“Sailing is a big part of my family’s life. We watched the America’s Cup and this is how we came to know about the Extreme Sailing Series. I followed the 2016 season on YouTube and Facebook but this year I decided I wanted to watch it live,” explained Meier.

“I flew to Muscat and Madeira to watch the racing first hand. I like the Extreme Sailing Series because it is something new and it brings the racing close to the people and the foiling is fast and exciting.

“Volunteering for the Series is a lot of work but it’s a cool experience. I have loved all the jobs; I’ve been on the water twice as a helper on the team support boats and also on the mark layer RIB.

“It’s really cool to get to see the boats out on the water and great to speak to the guests who are about to head out as Guest Sailors and get them excited for their experience. I would highly recommend it. The atmosphere is great, I’ve had a brilliant time,” added Meier, who also got the chance as a volunteer to head out on board one of the foiling GC32 catamarans during a race.

Having his home team as one of the season favourites gives Meier extra incentive to follow the fast-paced action: “Watching Swiss team Alinghi in the Series is great and I’m always pumped to see them. We had two Swiss teams at Act 1 in Muscat, with Team Tilt as well, which was great.”

Australian couple Kerry and Jenny Hall are also amongst this devoted group of volunteers who return time and time again, but the pair stand out due to their extraordinary commitment.

“We first volunteered in Sydney 2016 and it was fantastic,” said Kenny, who had previously followed the Extreme Sailing Series online. “We really enjoyed it, meeting all the people and seeing how the event was run, it was something different. On the plane on the way home I said to Jenny ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we could do this all over again some time?’”

The couple then flew from their home in Adelaide, South Australia, to attend Act 3 in Madeira – a mammoth trip of over 11,000 miles – combining it with a visit to friends in Holland.

Volunteering with the Extreme Sailing Series is a challenging and rewarding opportunity. It offers an exclusive insight into an exciting world-class sporting event and the chance to develop your skills as part of our friendly and experienced team.

There are a wide range of jobs that our volunteers are responsible for at events, including being the smiling face on reception that greets our VIP guests see as they enter the Extreme Club, assisting at shore control with the smooth running and accurate scoring of the races, and helping around the public Race Village.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering opportunities with the Extreme Sailing Series click on this link or contact volunteers@ocsport.com.