iShares abandons Extreme 40 circuit

[Source: OC Events] OC Events, owner and organiser of the award-winning Extreme Sailing Series, today announces its title sponsor, iShares, has decided to end its association with the European Circuit due to a change in company ownership. OC Events has confirmed this will not adversely affect the European Circuit for 2010 or the recently launched inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia 2009/10.

Mark Turner, CEO of OC Group that includes OC Events, commented: “Disappointing of course, but this is the world of commercial sponsorship - the Extreme Sailing Series concept will continue to be developed in Europe next year, along with all the stakeholders that have shared the success of 2009 – teams, sponsors and host venues. We have built up a benchmark sailing sports entertainment product, at the highest sporting level, providing excellent returns for all concerned. The European circuit has gathered fantastic momentum with ten top teams competing in close confines in Europe’s top venues and we plan to grow this a great deal further in 2010. Fortunately the event now has many stakeholders and many different revenue streams, so while we will obviously bring in a new title sponsor for 2010, things are very different to 2007 when the title sponsor represented nearly all the income. We have team sponsors, host venues and other event partners already contractually committed through as far as 2012. The Extreme Sailing Series will be back in 2010, and we plan for it to be even bigger and better."

iShares signed a two year renewal at the beginning of this year, with a 10 day window exit clause following the final event of the season. BlackRock Inc acquired iShares in August this year.

Rick Andrews, head of iShares marketing, Europe, commented: “With a change in Company ownership of iShares coming on 1st December, we are unable to commit to the sponsorship of this event in 2010, and we have had to use a break clause in our 2 year contract with OC Events. This break clause existed for a 10-day period only, following the final event of the year in Almeria.

“The iShares Cup has been a phenomenal success for iShares and it is with much sadness that we have been obliged to make this decision. However, we are confident that such an outstanding property will not be on the market for long - the value for money, the exceptional client experience and the return on investment from this property have really helped propel iShares forward, and I am sure that OC Events will be able to capitalise on our experience with a new partner shortly.”

The Extreme Sailing Series Europe 2010 promises again to pit the very best sailors on the planet up against each other, in top class venues, bringing sailing to a whole new audience both in person and through its global media platform. Three venues and five teams have already confirmed for 2010 and the Notice of Race will be released in the coming weeks.

Mark Turner concluded: “OC Events has invested hugely in this concept and we have ambitious plans for both the European and Asian circuits over the coming years. We are, of course, disappointed to see iShares go, they have been an excellent partner for us. They were onboard for pure commercial reasons, and they have pushed us hard on all fronts, helping us to create the solid product we have today. We created this event together from the beginning of the idea in 2006, but now that the circuit is more mature and the public element as witnessed most recently in Almeria last weekend is really starting to work, we can also see this as an opportunity to bring in a more consumer focused brand as title sponsor to help us take it to the next level again. We now have the scale and reach to deliver for consumer facing brands as well as those more focused on business to business.”

Video: Highlights from final day of iShares Cup Amsterdam

Highlights from the third and closing day of iShares Cup Amsterdam. Amsterdam, 27 September 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Gitana Win iShares Cup Amsterdam, Masirah Keep Overall Lead

[Source: iShares Cup] The best breeze of the day filled in for the final three races today producing some extreme racing - close calls, collisions, penalties and a nail-biting, final double-points race - entertaining the 10,000 strong crowd lining the IJ-Haven. There were seven different race winners in this penultimate event, that was more about tactics than boat handling. Gitana Extreme sailed brilliantly under pressure to win the penultimate iShares Cup Amsterdam event ahead of Oman Sail Renaissance, whilst Groupama fought back to win the final race and fill the last spot on the podium in third. Overall series leaders, Oman Sail Masirah, put their day 1 disaster behind them, finishing 5th in Amsterdam to retain their overall lead, ahead of Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild and Oman Sail Renaissance, going into the final iShares Cup event in Almeria only two weeks away…

The nine-boat Extreme 40 fleet saved the best till last at the iShares Cup Amsterdam event today to produce a thrilling three-lap finale that had the 10,000-strong crowd of spectators cheering the boats home all the way. The penultimate round of the six-stage European iShares Cup series, held on the confined IJ-Haven canal in Amsterdam, saw predominantly light airs but finally this afternoon, a good 8 knot breeze filled in to see the 40-foot catamarans lifting their hulls. It was perfect catamaran sailing - the excitement levels going into fifth gear for both sailors and spectators. As the breeze increased the size of the IJ-Haven racecourse seemed to decrease! The boats accelerating faster round the tiny racecourse and, not surprisingly, a number of collisions ensued.


For Oman Sail Masirah skipper, Pete Cumming, the team did the job they needed to do to keep the overall series lead, despite the unsettling experience of being seriously holed on the first day: "That was a good day for us, we won the first and the fourth race and had average results in the three others. We have been up and down during the all events but I have to say that it's hard to keep positive and motivated after the big crash we had on Friday. Our shore team did an amazing job to fix the boat. Tonight we are on equal points with Gitana in the overall series which keeps the pressure on for the last event in Almeria. The conditions will be very different to here, more like Cowes or Kiel and it's what we like. It's going to be a fantastic battle for the overall iShares Cup!"

The stage was set for the showdown between Gitana Extreme skipper, Yann Guichard, and Oman Sail Renaissance supremo, Loick Peyron, with Guichard coming out on top. "Since the first start today we were in the game and we sailed well despite the pressure of those last races. Once again, our teamwork was key to our success. That final race was under a lot of pressure, we knew that we could not let Loïck put more than two boats between us, and we finished right behind him! It was an ideal scenario, and we're really happy with that new victory. As we foresaw, everything will unfold in Almeria. We really wanted to win in Amsterdam not to regret anything, and to fight for victory, The top three boats are now one point apart, and the fight between Masirah, Renaissance and ourselves will be amazing. I also wanted to congratulate the Oman Sail Masirah team, who came back strong despite their incident."


It wasn't just a battle for the top spot, the Dutch team of Holmatro, skippered by Mitch Booth, were in with a chance of the third podium place. But for the home team it was a case of a pantomime-style ‘behind you’ as Franck Cammas’ Groupama pulled a final win out of the bag to snatch third place from them. But Cammas’ fight was not without incident and he got off lightly in a port/starboard collision with Shirley Robertson’s Team iShares in the penultimate race. Cammas immediately performed a voluntary penalty and post-race the race committee disqualified Robertson for not take evading action - that ultimately put her out of contention for 4th place and Team iShares finished 6th overall.

Erik Maris’ crew on LUNA showed flashes of brilliance during round 5 scoring a race win and a second place that left them in 7th place; whilst Nick Moloney’s BT team struggled with boat speed and had to settle for 8th. Britain’s Mike Golding, who is gaining confidence in this extremely aggressive class, thrilled his supporters with a second place in the final race – Fraser Brown leaping to his feet rousing the crowd to cheer more! It was a great finish for this team who had such a traumatic time in round 4 in Kiel suffering an aggressive capsize that left their regular crew Bruno Dubois with a serious head injury.

The final round of the 2009 iShares Cup is only two weeks away, taking place in the Andalucian city of Almeria over the 10th-12th October. The finale promises to be best yet.

Oman Sail Masirah and Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild are on equal points (43), Masirah in pole position based on winning three of the rounds so far compared to Gitana Extreme’s two victories, but Oman Sail Renaissance are just 1 point behind them and Groupama 10 points behind the leader. And there will be a big fight over the middle-ground with less than 3 points separating BT, Team iShares, Holmatro and LUNA. Don’t miss it!

Video: Highlights from day 2 of iShares Cup Amsterdam

Highlights from the second day of iShares Cup Amsterdam. Amsterdam, 26 September 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Gitana Extreme Excel in the Light Airs of Day 2 of iShares Cup Amsterdam

[Source: iShares Cup] Light conditions dominated day 2, at times a bit of a lottery with 4 different winners in as many races today - not a day for brawn but brains. Overall series leaders Oman Sail Masirah made it back in the water in time but they wallow in sixth place on the event leaderboard after their redress. It was Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild who excelled in the light airs, although Loick Peyron tried everything to keep Oman Sail Renaissance in control, but ultimately had to concede the event lead, setting the stage for a French head to head going into the final day tomorrow. Mitch Booth took the home team of Holmatro into third place: "Not spectacular racing but more a game of chess..." Although the 8,500-strong crowd didn't seem to mind as the boats passed within inches of the canal walls, cheering the Dutch team every time.

On day 2 of the iShares Cup Amsterdam the breeze barely exceeded 5 knots, occasionally rippling the surface of the IJ-Haven. It was downwind starts in a pre-dominantly easterly breeze but it was also incredibly shifty: “It's tricky here - the breeze is coming and going and it's a case of picking which building to gybe in front of! The positions can change right up until the finish - not spectacular racing but more a game of chess,” said Holmatro skipper Mitch Booth. “In these conditions we are generally looking around for new breeze, searching for little 'cat's paws' on the water, looking at the flags on the shore or barges which are always good indicators, then applying that to what we've got on board."


Overall iShares Cup series leaders were craned back into the water with 30 minutes to spare, following the overnight repairs, and were given redress but, frustratingly for the pre-race favourites, they find themselves in an unfamiliar sixth place on the event leaderboard: “It’s been unsettling for the guys and I’m pretty confident we would have had better results than a bunch of fifths that we’ve got from redress but that’s the way the rules are written – that’s gutting because it’s out of our control. But tomorrow is within our control as we’ll just sail the best we can.”

Yann Guichard and his crew on Gitana Extreme – Group LCF Rothschild profited the most in these conditions and won the last race to overtake Oman Sail Renaissance on the event leaderboard: “We had good tactics, it was very quiet on board, and Yann did a great job,” said trimmer, Hervé Cunningham: “Hopefully tomorrow we will have more breeze and also we will not just be Saturday’s champions but overall champions as well!”

The light conditions affected every team in one way or another today, many running out of time to finish a race within the time limit which was the case for Loick Peyron in the last race that ultimately cost him the lead. Nevertheless, the fight is far from over… It looks likely that Peyron and Guichard will be going head to head tomorrow, but any of the top six teams are within reach of the iShares Cup Amsterdam title as ‘local hero’ Mitch Booth pointed out: “It’s been a tough day – some passing lanes and a lot of losing lanes as well. We’re just happy that we could hang in there and gain one more place and still within striking distance of the leader but anything can happen here. It’s so tight on points and looking at the scoreboard, right now any of the top six boats are still capable of winning this event.”

Video: Highlights from the opening day of iShares Cup Amsterdam

Highlights from the opening day of iShares Cup Amsterdam. Amsterdam, 25 September 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Nail-biting finish to iShares Cup Kiel

[Source: iShares Cup] Oman Sail Masirah could not have produced a more nail-biting finish to round 4 of the iShares Cup at Kiel, Germany. Last off the start line, their Oman Sail stablemate Renaissance, the only ones who could snatch victory, got a strong start to be third at the first race mark with Masirah 9th. At the finish line Renaissance clinched first place, whilst Masirah came in 8th putting them on an equal 149 points! “It was way closer than we would have liked and we went across the line thinking we had blown it,” said Pete Cumming. But on count back Cumming's team on Masirah came out on top, scoring 6 wins here in Kiel compared to Loick Peyron’s 5 first places. Completing the overall podium at the iShares Cup Kiel was Franck Cammas' Groupama whilst Yann Guichard's crew on Gitana Extreme, although finishing 2nd in the final race, are 4th overall. The racing was highly aggressive and, at times, completely nerve-racking. 50,000 spectators fully appreciating the intense racing over the 3-day event - even in the pouring rain! Oman Sail Masirah also retain their top spot on the overall series leaderboard going into the penultimate round in Amsterdam…

Highlights from the third day of the iShares Kiel Cup. Kiel, 30 August 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Going into the final day of the iShares Cup Kiel event, the podium was wide open – Oman Sail Masirah, Oman Sail Renaissance, Groupama and Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild all had a shot at the podium. In the tricky conditions that dominated the first two days of racing, nothing was certain, and the 10-boat fleet were set more challenging downwind start races. Mike Golding’s Ecover got back in the water in time to compete, recruiting Nick Houchin in place of the injured Bruno Dubois.

In a building breeze, 10-12 knots, the racing soon became fast and furious - the boats accelerating quickly as the big gennakers were hoisted. The first race was full of action – Yann Guichard’s crew on Gitana Extreme were over the line at the start and forced to restart, Oman Sail Masirah incurred a penalty that relegated them from first to seventh. Groupama and Oman Sail Renaissance went on to share the spoils in first and second. The racing was intense, every team pushing to the maximum – ten Extreme 40s piling into the windward mark just seconds apart, hoisting their massive gennakers, on the edge of their limits… The crowd could hardly bear to watch, surely there would be a collision...it was nerve-racking racing.



By the penultimate race Oman Sail Masirah’s lead had been reduced to 14 points with 20 points up for grabs in the double-points final race. Gitana Extreme were back in the podium fray only 7 points behind Groupama. And Team iShares, BT and Holmatro had their own battle going on mid-leaderboard.

Pete Cumming takes up the story: “In the final race we treated it as any other race regardless of who was attacking us in second… We knew we wanted to be on the right at the start so we set up near the committee boat and we had worked a nice gap to leeward that we were just going to accelerate through when the German team squeezed into the gap and we were luffed up really hard. We lost all momentum on the start, the fleet accelerated and we had almost engaged reverse gear at that point! But the message back to the team was just stay confident, do your job and don’t get flustered. It was way closer than we would have liked obviously and we went across the line thinking we had blown it. We were getting different messages coming from different RIBS and didn’t know what to do until we had it confirmed by the race officer. Before the season started, it was all about going up against the French multihull stars but, in my mind now, I’ve got the multihull experts on our boat. I can’t speak highly enough of the guys and we are as strong as anyone on the race course. We’re over the moon!”


Oman Sail Renaissance skipper, Loick Peyron, said after racing: “For the last race we were near the leaders and it was interesting to count all the boats behind us… We had a lot of problems with mathematics in our heads! In fact, everybody had a problem, even the committee who took a while to confirm who were the winners. We saw the ‘red boys’ had some troubles but not enough so we are really happy to have these sort of moments within our team.”

Groupama skipper, Franck Cammas: “We were really on it today but, unfortunately, we had a penalty which I thought unfair. The direct consequence was a 9th place in the third race today. We began to realise that second place overall that we wanted to reach was flying away. We had to concentrate and be careful because Gitana Extreme was becoming a real threat. Finally, we did it and we are on the podium this evening.”

Round 5 of the iShares Cup in Amsterdam over the 25-27 September. With their third event win in a row, Oman Sail Masirah can go into the penultimate event of the 2009 iShares Cup with confidence: “We know Amsterdam is a bit of a lottery so we knew we had to push hard at this regatta to put that buffer in place. But you never know – everyone thought we had it in the bag here but your lead can shrink to zero in a moment but that is the great thing about this series.”

Day 2 in Kiel: 6 races, 6 different winners - classic iShares Cup racing!

[Source: iShares Cup] Day 2 of the iShares Cup Kiel event – 6 races were staged, each delivering a different winner – BT, Groupama, Oman Sail Masirah, LUNA, Oman Sail Renaissance and Holmatro. No one team dominated in the tricky conditions, although Pete Cumming's crew on Oman Sail Masirah did enough to stay at the top of the leaderboard with a 17-point lead going into the final day of racing, but they are certainly not invincible and round 4 of the iShares Cup is still wide open. A grand battle developed for second place today between three of the French skippers - Yann Guichard's team Gitana Extreme raced a great final race which put them in second place overall, whereas Groupama's 7th place relegated the team to 3rd place overall, and Loick Peyron on Oman Sail Renaissance is waiting in the wings in 4th – only 1 point separates each of these 3 teams.

The 9-boat Extreme 40 fleet, minus Mike Golding’s Ecover that was dismasted in a capsize yesterday, went out on the Kiel Fjord today expecting 30 knots and instead had to deal with light, shifty conditions and torrential downpours with occasional gusts, thunder and lightning that turned today’s racing into a game of snakes and ladders for many.

Highlights from the second day of the iShares Kiel Cup. Kiel, 29 August 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Oman Sail Renaissance skipper, Loick Peyron: “It was a mixed day – some good, some really bad! Not easy at all today – it was supposed to be really windy but when its not windy, the wind is moving from one side to the other so you have to play –anything can happen. We did a really bad one today, a really bad one yesterday so it could be good to finish the last day with no really bad races! Tomorrow’s going to be the day!”

The battle for the podium looks set to be between Oman Sail Masirah (104 points), Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild (87 points), Groupama Extreme (86 points) and Oman Sail Renaissance (85 points). Pete Cumming’s Masirah crew who were so dominate in the UK round, did enough today finishing in the top 5 bar one race, but they will go into the final day feeling under threat as round 4 is really still wide open. Further down the leaderboard there is a tussle for dominance between LUNA (5th place on 75 points), Team iShares (6th on 65 points), BT (7th with 64 points) and Holmatro (8th on 62 points).

Team iShares skipper, Shirley Robertson: “We have our moments, if we have a good start, we can get ahead but I still feel like a bit of a novice multihull sailor against the likes of Loick Peyron and Franck Cammas! Everyone was good and bad, and going up and down. It was tricky racing the wind was coming and going with the rain clouds and very shifty. We all went out dressed for 30 knots and torrential rain so I think everyone is pretty happy.”


The Dutch team of Holmatro who have a new man at the helm for the rest of the season, were delighted to score a win in the final race today. Although just before the race started, they struck a rock performing a fly-by for the crowds. Skipper Mitch Booth explains: “We were just killing time between the races and thought we’d just do a little sail by the dock and, sure enough, there was a rock right in our way and we hit our daggerboard and crashed it pretty bad. We had to get a guy under the boat to get it out that way and we just got a replacement board out in time for the final race. It was good though in the end because we had a good last race [they won!]. We’re a brand new team here and it takes time to sort out all the team work but we’re pretty happy, we’ve had a couple of bad ones and some good ones too! It was that sort of condition today and that sort of course – the winner got away and then it was very difficult for anyone to pass. But it was a scramble in the middle, I can tell you, but good fun and looking forward to tomorrow.”

The local German team, WIRSOL TEAM KEIL.SAILING CITY our enjoying the racing and the support of the thousands of home supporters. A third-place in the penultimate race of today was there best result so far in the event, but in the final race skipper Roland Gäbler, fell overboard. He managed to scramble back on by himself to finish the race to the obvious appreciation of the crowd.

The forecast for the final day of the iShares Cup Kiel is similar to today’s forecast – SW 10-15 knots with strong gusts. In reality, the Extreme 40 fleet might end up with the same tricky conditions they had today. The Ecover team still has work to do preparing the spare mast and repair the mainsail damage, as well as find replacement crew following the injury to Bruno Dubois.

Oman Sail Masirah leads iShares Cup Kiel after tough first day

[Source: iShaares Cup] Capsize & collisions in gusty conditions on day 1 of the iShares Cup Kiel: “It was carnage out there…” said Oman Sail crew David Carr. Ecover's capsized between races 3 and 4, resulted in a broken mast. The mast was cut away from the overturned boat, and both boat and mast were towed back to the iShares Cup pitlane. Ecover crewman Bruno Dubois received a nasty cut to the head requiring stitches. And then after a full on day of racing, in the final race, Loick Peyron's Renaissance hit the new Wirsol Team Germany Kiel Sailing City resulting in major work overnight for both boats. It didn’t all go Oman Sail Masirah’s way today in the difficult and gusty conditions on Kiel Fjord but after 7 races on day of 1 round 4, Pete Cumming’s team are, once again, at the top of the leaderboard.

Mike Golding back on shore told the press: “Bruno’s had a scan and is being kept in overnight but otherwise he’s fine. It was a very quick capsize, the conditions had been very gusty and none of us were expecting to have a problem like that outside of the racecourse. We were between races and we had just boarded our guest and were heading back to the start area when a big gust came in, fully downwind, both bows went in and we just pitch-poled very, very quickly. All of us were in the water – even the experienced Extreme 40 guys were amazed at how fast the boat rotated. When we came up from under the net we saw Bruno had a head injury and were pretty shocked”

Highlights from the opening day of the iShares Kiel Cup. Kiel, 27 August 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

And about racing again: “We will right the boat next and we have a spare mast here so we will make an assessment of what’s here and try and get the boat back out on the racecourse. We’re here to be racing so we want to get the programme back on track.”
The conditions for racing on the short and tight courses on the Kiel Fjord were demanding and pretty nerve-wracking for the Extreme 40 crews as the wind gusted over 30 knots (56 km/h) – this is sailing at the sharp end of the sport. It required slick boat handling and 100% focus.

Oman Sail Renaissance skipper, Loick Peyron, collided with Wirsol Team German Kiel Sailing City in the final race of the day as they tried to bear away behind the local team resulting in a black flag disqualification: “A little puff of wind, then boom – no more rudder, we were flying with no tiller – so after that you have a few seconds to pray. It can be dangerous but that is part of the game. I think it’s the first time I hit another boat and I don’t like that.” After two race wins, the disqualification cost them second place on the leaderboard which has been occupied by Franck Cammas’ Groupama Extreme who sailed well, scoring one victory and no worse than 6th place.

iShares Cup Race Director, Gilles Chiorri explained the damage to the German team: “There is serious damage to the port hull of the aft beam –it is where the aft beam is moulded to the hull so they will have a long night of repair work. I am pretty confident they will be racing tomorrow”

Overall iShares Cup series leaders, Oman Sail Masirah skippered by Pete Cummings, and now also occupying the top of the leaderboard at the end of day 1 in Kiel, had this to say: “The wind strength went from 5 knots up to 25 knots – it would just hit like that. So, yeah, it was all on! It’s really brilliant racing though and you can hear the crowds cheering you down the racetrack. Really unfortunate for Ecover – it’s just really tight racing and everyone is pushing hard, and when you’re at this level that’s how it is. You’ve got to be on top of your game that’s for sure.”

iShares Cup Kiel Day 1 - Leaderboard:
Oman Sail Masirah 61 points
Groupama Extreme 51 points
Oman Sail Renaissance 47 points
Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild 46 points
BT 38 points
Team iShares 37 points
LUNA 36 points
Holmatro 32 points
Wirsol Team German Kiel Sailing City 22 points

Big day of action at iShares Cup Kiel

Capsize & collisions in gusty conditions: Ecover's capsize between races 3 and 4, resulted in a broken mast. The mast was cut away from the overturned boat, and both boat and mast were towed back to the iShares Cup pitlane. Ecover crewman Bruno Dubois received a nasty cut to the head requiring stitches. In the final race today, Loick Peyron's Renaissance hit the new German team Wirsol Kiel resulting in major work overnight for both boats. Oman Sail Masirah are at the top of the leaderboard after 7 races...

Extreme 40 skippers ready for Kiel regata

[Source: iShares Cup] The 10 teams competing in the fourth event of the 2009 iShares Cup are ready for three days of fiercely contested Extreme 40 racing, which kicks off tomorrow, August 28th. With just one point separating the top two boats on the overall leaderboard, and some changeable conditions forecast, Kiel looks set for another exciting showdown between these legendary sailors.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend,” commented Ecover skipper Mike Golding. “Kiel is a great location, the racing will be fast and furious, and the conditions are expected to build over the weekend. We’ve had some good training this week, the mark roundings need to be clean and quick and we’ve focused a lot on this. I hope that we will see some improvements over this weekend and that we can close the gap on the teams ahead of us. It has the potential to be one of the best race courses so far!"

Highlights from the iShares Cup practice day. Kiel, 27 August 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

At the front of the fleet all eyes will be on Oman Sail Masirah and Gitana Extreme-Groupe LCF Rothschild, with just one point separating the two teams overall at the halfway point in the 2009 iShares Cup. "We are just one point off the lead but we have no particular strategy for Kiel,” said Gitana skipper Yann Guichard. “This event should be really windy and gusty, we will do our best to sail well but there's nine other good teams, all really full on and nobody will let the victory go!"

Pete Cumming, skipper of Masirah, added: “When we look at the skipper and crew line up, we could think that our team is a lot less experienced. But we keep the same team since last year, we trained a lot and I think it's the key to our success for now.”

A familiar face returns to the helm of Holmatro, where Extreme 40 class founder Mitch Booth takes over the reins. He got off to a great start by taking today's first practice race win. "It's good to be back full-time in the circuit and specially with Holmatro as it's my original team,” he said. “It's like coming back to the family. We are all good friends, we used to sail together and it's always good fun.” Darren Bundock also returns to the helm of BT, having recovered from injury which saw him step aside earlier this season.

Oman Sail Masirah Clinch UK Round at Sensational iShares Cup

An ecstatic Oman Sail Masirah have won the UK round of the iShares Cup at Cowes Week and now take the overall lead in the iShares Cup 2009 series at the halfway stage of the six-round European circuit. It was a battle to the end for Yann Guichard and Loick Peyron with Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild clinching the final double points race to take 2nd place on the UK podium.

Celebrities from the world of music, Formula 1 and TV joined the iShares Cup to ride shotgun on an Extreme 40. TV presenter and extreme adventurer, Ben Fogle, captured the mood perfectly: "This is the Formula 1 of sailing - I can't remember the last time I saw so many people along the shoreline watching - I loved it!" Thousands of spectators have watched this ‘grandstand’ event over the last 3 days that has without doubt been the opening headline act of Cowes Week. Duran Duran lead singer, Simon Le Bon, said: “I'm really not used to sailing in front of a grandstand but it's been great."

Highlights from the 3rd and final day. Cowes, 3 August 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Oman Sail Masirah had done enough by race 17 to secure the UK round – it was an emphatic performance by skipper Pete Cumming, helmsman Chris Draper, Mark Bulkley and Freddie Carr winning 10 of the 20 races over three days. Going into the final double points race Oman Sail’s stablemate, Renaissance helmed by French multihull legend Loick Peyron was fighting for 2nd on the podium - just 1 point ahead of Yann Guichard’s Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild. Guichard led off the start line of the final race, Peyron hunted him down and got close, then too close – contact resulting in a penalty for Peyron giving Guichard and his crew the coveted 2nd place at the UK round of the iShares Cup.

There was a similar head to head for 4th place between Nick Moloney’s BT and Shirley Robertson on Team iShares. Robertson had been awarded average points for the races Team iShares had to sit out on Day 2 due to a collision and this redress lifted her rapidly up the leaderboard on the final day. Mitch Booth, co-creator of the Extreme 40 class and helming BT in place of Darren Bundock, made the BT crew sweat it out – last place at the start and Robertson a few places ahead, Booth did a great job to ahead of Robertson to secure 4th overall.

From the skippers:

Winner, Oman Sail Masirah, skipper Pete Cumming: “We’ve had some fantastic training in Oman for 6 months and the Oman Sail set up has given us a platform and ability to train over the winter. All credit to the guys – Chris, Mark, Freddie and Khamis. Last year Cowes was a lot of fun but this year the set up now with iShares and OC Events putting on a grandstand event and all these people here is amazing. There isn’t really another event like that offers so much reward to the sailors.”

2nd placed, Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild, Yann Guichard: “Yes, it was the perfect event for us and a big fight with Renaissance in the last race, a big match race and I know Loick wanted to beat us but we beat him so it was perfect!”

3rd placed, Oman Sail Renaissance, Loick Peyron: “I made a little mistake – never hit another boat! It was so great to sail in front of everybody here and bravo to Oman ‘red’.”

4th placed, BT skipper, Nick Moloney: “We did pretty well and getting ourselves into a few spots of bother but for me with 22 years as a professional sailor – this is the greatest event I have sailed in. The iShares Cup is on a huge lift and all the crowds coming down here and cheering for us, we really feed off it and the atmosphere has been fantastic.”

5th placed, Shirley Robertson, Team iShares: “I don’t often sail in this tiny little square – it was challenging and pretty hard work, and feel like it’s been more than a weekend!”

Groupama helmsman, Gildas Philippe: “We need, for sure, more training and not to make too many mistakes but we have a good team .”


Overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series 2009:

With the absence of BMW ORACLE Racing at the UK round, Oman Sail Masirah with two consecutive event wins now top the overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series for 2009. Next round of the iShares Cup takes place in Kiel, Germany over the 28th-30th August.

1st Oman Sail Masirah (27 points)
2nd Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild (26 points)
3rd Oman Sail Renaissance (24 points)
4th BMW ORACLE Racing (18 points)
5th BT (17 points)
6th Groupama (17 points)
7th Team iShares (12 points)
8th LUNA (10 points)
9th Holmatro (9 points)
10th Ecover (4 points)

Oman Sail Masirah wins iShares Cup Hyères

[Source: iShares Cup] Typically for the iShares Cup, Round 2 went to the wire, with double points up for grabs in the final race. Oman Sail’s Masirah needed to finish higher than seventh place to secure overall victory with both James Spithill’s BMW ORACLE Racing and Loick Peyron’s Oman Sail Renaissance both in contention. In the final race, James Spithill covered Loick Peyron at the start leaving them at the back of the fleet. Incredibly Spithill went on to helm an amazing final race to cross the finish line in first place. As for Loick Peyron on Oman Sail Renaissance, well they got back in the race but problems furling their gennaker ruined their chances. With those two teams covering each other, this allowed Oman Sail’s Masirah to escape – Pete Cumming and his crew kept their cool to cross the finish line in third place taking Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM in emphatic form. The nail-biting finish didn’t disappoint the hundreds of spectators who were enthralled right to the end. Next step for the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series 2009 is the UK round to be held in Cowes over the 1-3 August at the start of Cowes Week.

Highlights from the final day of iShares Cup Hyères. Hyères, 5 July 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

Before start of play on the final day of Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM, there was some expectation that the breeze had settled in direction early and would deliver more wind strength. Overnight leaders Oman Sail’s Masirah sent helm Chris Draper up the mast to adjust the rig tension. The atmosphere on the dock was intense – the five front-runners knew they could all be in contention for the Round 2 iShares Cup title. James Spithill and his crew onboard BMW ORACLE Racing were subdued and tense, the Oman Sail boats of Masirah and Renaissance seemed visibly more relaxed, and Franck Cammas (Groupama) wanted desperately to get back in the game. With only six races on the table and a double points final race – the teams knew they would need to be good right from the start.

The first two races saw the breeze change direction (south-west) and soften (6-8 knots) and it was Shirley Robertson, Team iShares, who led off the start line to score their first morale-boosting win of the regatta. BMW ORACLE Racing and Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild (Yann Guichard) took 2nd and 3rd but the Oman Sail teams only managed 5th (Renaissance) and 8th for (Masirah). Were the tables about to be turned?

Not yet: the next race saw order restored… Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild, 1st; Loick Peyron (Oman Sail Renaissance), who had to sit out yesterday’s racing due to a damaged rudder, 2nd; and Oman Sail Masirah 3rd. Briton Mike Golding scored his best result of the event so far with a fourth place for Ecover: “We know we are new and we don’t want to put ourselves deliberately into a difficult situation,” said Golding. “But on the other hand if you want to make any impression on this high calibre fleet eventually you have to make some tough decisions and go in some places that are inherently dangerous to be!”

Oman Sail's Masirah, winner of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. Hyères, 5 July 2009. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez

By race 4, there had been a change on the leaderboard – a victory from Spithill’s crew put them ahead of Peyron by 2 points. Pete Cumming’s crew were not making things easy for themselves with a 7th place but still maintained the top slot overall. Heading into the penultimate race and, with a double-points finale, it was still an open game. Oman Sail Masirah won the penultimate race ahead of Groupama and LUNA. Guichard will have been furious with his last place in this penultimate race, which put him out of contention for the overall Round 2 win.

Going into the final ‘double points’ race Oman Sail Masirah needed to finish higher than 7th place to secure victory in Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. No one was surprised to see James Spithill covering Loick Peyron at the start leaving them at the back of the fleet, but Spithill went on to helm a blinding final race to cross the finish line in first. For Loick Peyron on Oman Sail Renaissance – they got back in the race but problems furling their gennaker ruined their chances. With those two teams covering each other early, this allowed Oman Sail’s Masirah to escape, and Pete Cumming and his crew crossed the finish line in 3rd place taking Round 2 in emphatic form.

Loick Peyron, skipper of Oman Sail's Renaissance, 3rd place overall in the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. Hyères, 5 July 2009. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez

"Brilliant result – all last year we hoped we could do it but fell short. In the final race, we just kept our heads down, stayed focused and stayed out of trouble. We've got it right here and great to get this result," said Pete Cumming, skipper Oman Sail Masirh. "Chris and Mark did a great job at the back of the boat, and Freddie and I just backed them up best we could. It really felt that for the first time it has come together after our winter training in Oman. Last year we suffered from not keeping out of trouble – we've grown up a bit and know when to keep out of trouble and when to push."

There was some compensation for BMW ORACLE Racing though, after their result here in Round 2 they have now taken overall lead in the iShares Cup 2009 circuit. Oman Sail Masirah move into second place and Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild are in third overall after two rounds. Next stop Cowes in the UK from 1-3 August…

Redress for Peyron reshuffles the leaderboard on 2nd day of iShares Cup Hyères

[Source: iShares Cup] Oman Sail's Renaissance were forced to sit out racing today after damage to their rudder in race 1 sustained in a collision with Ecover - they have now been awarded average points based on the 7 races they completed so far at Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. This has now put them back on the leaderboard in second place going into the final day. As a result, BMW ORACLE Racing and Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild who were both on top form, finishing in 2nd and 3rd behind Oman Sail's Masirah before the redress was announced, have now dropped a place on the leaderboard. Mind you, James Spithill and his crew onboard BMW ORACLE Racing will be much happier with their performance today - taking victory in the penultimate and final race of day 2 at the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. It was a spectacular finish to the second day - racing downwind under the massive gennaker in a big breeze is a precarious proposition - the bows dig in putting the 40-ft catamaran as risk of a pitch-pole. Today all the teams kept their Extreme 40s upright - if the breeze had been any stronger that might not have been the case…

Highlights from the 2nd day of iShares Cup Hyères. Hyères, 4 July 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

In detail:
The weather scenario was a repeat of yesterday: starting weak, shifting right, then building to up to first 10 knots then 15 for the last two races. In these conditions, the Race Committee managed to stage seven races in total, setting the short, sharp race courses well within the view of the hundreds of spectators – the finish line itself was set almost within touching distance of the crowds who cheered on as the Extreme 40s fought closely for the finish line.

Day 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM has been a day of mixed fortunes… BMW ORACLE Racing and Gitana Extreme – Group LCF Rothschild piled on the pressure with two race wins for Spithill and three race wins for Guichard – moving both teams up the leaderboard that is still dominated by Oman Sail’s Masirah who had another convincing day.

James Spithill: "It was a bit like survival at times at the top mark, it's very aggressive on the water. Masirah sailed very well again, Gitana is always good and I think it's still very open for tomorrow. I think we have to look for consistency and try to always be in the top 5."

James Spithill and BMW ORACLE Racing make the best improvement of the day by gaining 60 points. Hyères, 4 July 2009. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez

For Loick Peyron it was a day of frustration as Oman Sail’s Renaissance remained on the dock after the collision with Ecover in the first race – Mike Golding was on port so was at fault. With the port tiller arm almost detached from the rudder, Peyron had to ‘hand-steer’ the port rudder whilst moving the starboard rudder using the long tiller arm – of course, the super cool Peyron did it ‘standing up’! The Race Committee have yet to publish the results of this protest. Franck Cammas was mixing it up with the front-runners, scoring three third places, leaving Groupama in 5th place on today’s leaderboard after the redress ahead of BT.

The stage is now set for the final day of Round 2 of the iShares Cup – Oman Sail Masirah has a 110 points, a 10-point lead on Oman Sail’s Renaissance (100 points). BMW ORACLE Racing in 3rd place are on 97 points, a 10-point lead on Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild (87 points). Pete Cumming’s crew on Oman Sail Masirah is looking sharp and the front-runners will have a real fight on their hands tomorrow. But in the iShares Cup game anything is possible.

Oman Sail team nail Day 1 at the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM

[Source: iShares Cup] Coming into Round 2 of the iShares Cup, one could be forgiven for expecting the French teams to excel on their 'home' waters but the pre-event form hasn't gone quite as planned. It was Oman Sail's Masirah that stole the thunder today on the open waters of Hyères, posting four bullets out of six races leaving them at the top of the Day 1 leaderboard with 55 points. It was Frenchman Loick Peyron who had the best day out of the French contingent, helming Oman Sail's Renaissance into third overall, and Franck Cammas, back at the helm of Groupama, climbed into 4th place. The sea breeze built to a steady 13-14 knots by race 3, the action ratcheted up a notch or two and BT skipper, Nick Moloney, summed it up - “it was very aggressive out on the race course today”. BT filled the 2nd place on the leaderboard by consistently posting 3rd or 4th places, and a final win put a big smile on the face of Mitch Booth, co-creator of the Extreme 40 Class, who had to replace an injured Darren Bundock at the 11th hour.

Highlights from the opening day of iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. Hyères, 3 July 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

In Detail:

The sailors knew that the Hyères event would present a different scenario to the light winds of Venice. For starters, there is open water, although the short courses were kept well within visibility of the public, then there is the ‘sea breeze’ that builds throughout the afternoon as the land mass heats up. So with the conditions very different from Round 1 in Venice, the game has taken on a different complexion. iShares Cup Event Director, Gilles Chiorri: “By race 3 we saw a big wind shift and a lot more pressure so lots of speed and action on the course with the hulls flying all the time. The game is quite open – Round 1 winners Gitana won some and lost some but it was the two Oman Sail boats that were the strongest today. The courses are short so half of the game is 1 minute before the start and 1 minute after, then you just rely on the difficulties of the others to get back in the game. There were quite a few penalties today – 6 or 7 – the racing is quite aggressive.”

Oman Sail Masirah, skippered by Pete Cumming (centre) and helmed by Olympic medallist Chris Draper (right) lead Round 2 of the iShares Cup after Day 1. Hyères, 3 July 2009. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez

After six races, Oman Sail’s Masirah had monopolised the finish line and now lead with 55 points, only 1 point ahead of BT (46 points) and Oman Sail Renaissance (45 points). Chris Draper helm of Oman Sail’s Masirah: “It was a good day – we had a nice rhythm going and we just kept it going. We made sure we had a back-up plan if we didn’t get a good start – that happened a couple of times and that served us well. Great effort from the team, really good teamwork and we had our Oman compatriot Khamis [Al-Anbouri] onboard – he seems to be our lucky charm!”

Loick Peyron: "It was a glorious day, with ideal conditions on the water... and the boys (editor's note: the Masirah crew) have really played it well. They were very clever on the starts, and generally they sailed better than everyone else, no doubt about that, hats off! As far as we're concerned, I was looking for consistency and put my brains to work quite intensely. There was plenty going on to keep us entertained, and I'm very pleased with our team spirit."

Groupama raced more consistently and claimed 4th place (38 points) but only one point separates them from BMW ORACLE (37 points) as James Spithill and his crew - despite winning the first race - then posted an 8th and 10th which proved their undoing.

Oman Sail Masirah, skippered by Pete Cumming (centre) and helmed by Olympic medallist Chris Draper (right) lead Round 2 of the iShares Cup after Day 1. Hyères, 3 July 2009. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez

There have been a few crew changes for Round 2 due to the other commitments of some of the 'regulars' within four teams. Aboard Gitana Extreme, Dutch offshore specialist Simeon Tienpont has been momentarily ‘lent’ by BMW Oracle to replace Hervé Cunnigham. Extreme 40 class co-creator Mitch Booth stands in for an injured Darren Bundock as BT skipper Nick Moloney explained: “Darren has been very difficult to replace but we have managed to replace an 11-times World Champion with a 10-times World Champion – a stroke of luck on our part!” On Holmatro, Australian Anthony Nossiter steps in to replace Gerd Habermüller on the bow - Anthony lists 'rounding Cape Horn nude' as one of his three major achievements! Finally, Gilberto Nobili steps aboard iShares in replacement of trimmer Jonathan MacBeth.

Practice Day Delivers at iShares Cup Hyères-TPM

[Source: iShares Cup] Today’s practice races certainly delivered the goods ahead of the official start of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM event tomorrow. The sea breeze built up to a steady 10-12 knots - more than enough to get the Extreme 40s hulls flying. The iShares Cup Raid – a 10-mile sprint to the island of Porquerolles – saw a French victory as Erik Maris skipper of LUNA snatched victory from James Spithill’s BMW ORACLE Racing after just 36 minutes of racing. Maris suffered a broken wrist playing football but his arm encased in a plaster cast does not seem to be an impediment! It was a tight finish to the line for the remainder of the 8 teams and iShares Cup inside reporter, Jocelyn Blériot, rode shotgun on BMW ORACLE Racing – see his report below. And English rugby stars, Tom May and Joe El-Abd, who now both play for Toulon, also came along for a ride…

The Extreme 40's practice for tomorrow's start of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. Hyères, 2 July 2009. Video copyright iShares Cup

In detail:
Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM is all set to go – official racing starts tomorrow (Friday, 3rd July) at 14h00 local time through to Sunday, 5th July. Today saw a series of practice races for the ten Extreme 40s including the iShares Cup Raid – a 10-mile sprint to the island of Porquerolles and back. The beauty of the iShares Cup is the adaptability of the Extreme 40 fleet to race on open sea or on inland waters; racing short courses close to shore, trying speed runs or stretching their legs in a ‘raid’ format as they did today.

Following the official opening iShares Cup press conference at which Jacques Politi, Mayor of Hyères and Vice-President of TPM (Toulon Provence Mediterranée) welcomed the skippers to the region, the skippers were keen to get going. Franck Cammas, skipper Groupama: “I am impatient to race! The Extreme 40s are great to sail and Hyères should be more windy than Venice hopefully. I hope we're not going to race too close to shore if it's really windy as it might be a bit more 'extreme' than we like!”

The Extreme 40's practice for tomorrow's start of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. Hyères, 2 July 2009. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez

Although the weather forecast predicted light conditions for the next few days, the temperatures in Hyères results in the land heating up through the morning to create a good and consistent sea breeze for the afternoon. Shirley Robertson, skipper Team iShares, remembers the conditions last year: “Last year we had some big wind - I ended up on a stretcher with stitches! Going downwind with the big gennaker up and both rudders out the water - there's not much you can do at the back except hang on - this is Hyères! I think this weekend we could have a few surprises...”

Well, perhaps the first surprise of Round 2 has been the victory of Erik Maris and his crew onboard LUNA, in the iShares Cup Raid and the second practice race.

As Loick Peyron, skipper Oman Sail Renaissance commented: “This iShares Cup is a very exciting game... Sailing in open water can change many things.”

iShares Cup Raid results (non-scoring race):
1 LUNA (Erik Maris)
2 BMW ORACLE Racing (James Spithill)
3 Gitana (Yann Guichard)
4 Groupama (Franck Cammas)
5 Oman Sail Renaissance (Loick Peyron)
6 BT (Nick Moloney)
7 Holmatro (Carolijn Brouwer)
8 Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming)
9 iShares (Shirley Robertson)
10 Ecover (Mike Golding)

Video: Extreme40's for dummies

Here's a nice video the iShares people shot in Valencia, explaining the basics of the Extreme 40 catamarans. It would be very interesting to have Alinghi show us such a video in a couple of weeks when they unveil their monster multihull. According to an article that appeared in today's Le Matin, the yacht is a catamaran and not a trimaran, 115 feet long with two masts, the second small one located at the stern of the yacht. In addition, the author claims that it's a yacht for light winds, giving thus credibility to the rumor that Alinghi has chosen Dubai as the venue of the 33rd America's Cup match. We will have to wait until early July to finally have a look at the yacht, according to the author.

Andalucía to host the sixth and final round of the 2009 iShares Cup

[Source: iShares Cup] The award-winning iShares Cup continues to grow and the organiser OC Events is delighted to confirm a sixth and final event to the 2009 iShares Cup Sailing Series. The southern Spanish city of Almería in the region of Andalucia will play host to the final round of the 2009 Extreme 40 Sailing Series between 10 and 12 October.

The iShares Cup Almería official announcement took place in the Port of Almería on Friday, 6th March where OC Events CEO Mark Turner, together with Luciano Alonso, Minister of Tourism, Trade and Sports of the Andalusian government, spoke in front of an audience of 200 people, representing media and VIP guests. According to Luciano Alonso, this event is "very attractive" since it will be the first time an iShares Cup Extreme 40 event will take place in the Andalucia region, but also in Spain, and "will position Almeria as an international reference on the world map of sailing".

The port of Almeria

The iShares Cup finale will take place right in the heart of the port in Almería, the most Eastern city in Andalucía, and will be a key focus in the sporting calendar for the Government of Andalucía who have agreed a five-year deal with OC Events to host a round of the iShares Cup. This is part of the Andalucian government’s long-term strategy to host major sporting events in their region. Large crowds are expected to descend on the port of Almeria as 12 October is a national holiday in Spain. OC Events is working closely with the City to finalise details not only for the spectacular racing, but also creating an inclusive public entertainment package for the general public.

The iShares Cup races are all between 12 and 20 minutes long on tight race courses that are designed to give the best possible viewing opportunities to the general public as well as providing challenging and testing conditions for the top skippers and crews taking part.

The 2009 iShares Cup will visit:

Event 1 – Venice, Italy, 15th to 17th May
Event 2 – France, 3rd to 5th July
Event 3 – United Kingdom, 1st to 3rd August
Event 4 – Kiel, Germany, 28th to 30th August
Event 5 – The Netherlands, 25th to 27th September
Event 6 – Almería, Andalucía, 10th to 12th October

Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge in Dubai started today

[Source: Oman Sail] The guests on the beach at the Mina Seyahi in Dubai were given a fantastic show today as four Extreme 40s raced within metres of the shoreline on Day 1 of the Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge - Act 1 Dubai. The conditions were perfect for these spectacular 40-foot catamarans: flat waters and a 12-15 knot wind that saw the boats flying hulls and giving an exhilarating ride for the the VIPs and journalists onboard in the sixth-man position.

"What a brilliant day," said Pete Cumming, Skipper of day 1 leaders Oman Sail. "We definitely have the advantage as we have been training as a squad for the past few months, but the other teams still pushed us hard today. It was a big learning curve for everyone, if you didn't gybe in time, you'd end up on the beach!"

The Arabian Extreme 40 challenge has been brought to the GCC region by Ellen MacArthur's company OC Events to showcase these awesome catamarans and look at the possibility of bringing the professional circuit to Dubai in the future.

Oman Air Extreme 40 Skippered by Shirley Robertson racing on day 1 of the Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge. Dubai, 27 November 2008. Photo copyright Mark Lloyd / Oman Sail

Two members from the Oman Sail core crew raced on each boat including Khamis al Anbouri on the second Oman Sail Extreme 40, Oman Air, newly sponsored by the airline. "What a brilliant day!", he said through a beaming smile. "To race alongside the world's top sailors as part of their team is an awesome experience.

"It was really hard work today; constantly thinking, listening and reacting to the wind shifts or the calls from the skipper. It was also hard learning new accents. We've got used to Pete and Chris's English and now to hear a New Zealand accent from Fraser Brown or the soft voice of Shirley Robertson, it's really hard to adjust! I've never raced in Arabian waters, nor in such fantastic wind conditions, so it is really exciting. I can't wait for tomorrow."

"I'm really proud of the Omanis who raced today," Pete continued. "All the other skippers have told me what a fantastic job they've done today, gelled well with their teams and have worked extremely hard."

Fleet racing on day 1 of the Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge. Dubai, 27 November 2008. Photo copyright Mark Lloyd / Oman Sail

Shirley Robertson agreed, "The Oman Sail core crew have been trained really well. They are physically fit, keen to learn and their dedication to sailing is evident. It was a a great fun day on the water. Dubai is one of the most perfect locations to go sailing, a fantastic amphitheatre, good wind and I'm really happy with the way our team performed. The whole team gave as much at the beginning as at the end and worked really hard. We'll be looking to step up a gear tomorrow to put pressure on Oman Sail for the top spot."

It was a first for French multi-hull legend Karine Fauconnier as she raced an Extreme 40 for the first time. "Wow! Well that was a great first day. It is so much fun to race a brand new type of boat, but high pressure too. My crew and I had sailed together for the first time just yesterday and so we were having to learn not only about the boat, but each other. I'm not happy with our results today as I am very competitive and here to win, but I knew that these were top class sailors and I wouldn't be able to just turn up and walk away with first prize. I'm determined that we are going to fight our way up the leaderboard tomorrow.

Oman Sail took five first places in the six-race day, with iShares, skippered by Hugh Styles in second place, followed by Shirley Robertson and Oman Air on 13 points and TEAM AQUA on 9. Each race lasted approximately 15 minutes in the short, sharp races that have epitomised the professional Extreme 40 European circuit this summer, the iShares Cup.

Racing on day 2, Friday 28 November, will take place from 2.30pm local time with up to six races and the final day of racing will be on Saturday 29 November. The boats will then be packed up and trailered to Muscat for Act 2 of the Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge for the Oman Air trophy.

Highlights from the 1st day of the Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge. Dubai, 27 November 2008. Video copyright Oman Sail

Alinghi wins the 2008 iShares Cup

[Source: Alinghi] With five European venues and 79 races behind them, Alinghi celebrates the iShares Cup season win in Amsterdam! “It’s fantastic to end up winning like this, it’s been a big year of learning…” says helmsman Ed Baird…

Ed Baird, Rodney Ardern, Lorenzo Mazza and Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen won the iShares Cup season trophy today as well as the Amsterdam event trophy, making this their fourth consecutive event win. The team sailed their first race on an eXtreme 40 in May in Lugano, Switzerland, with mixed results and a capsize, but with these early learning curve hiccoughs out of the way, the crew settled in to a steady winning streak that saw victory in Hyères, France; Cowes, UK; Kiel, Germany and today in Amsterdam.

Ed Baird, Alinghi helmsman, comments on the win today: “It’s fantastic to end up winning like this. It’s been a big year of learning for us and each day on the water is spent trying to figure out what works best and what makes the boat go fast. I give huge credit to my team, who has really supported me all year; the guys have got the boat around the course safely and fast over and over again.”

Alinghi, winners of the 2008 iShares Cup. From left, Peter Evans, Lorenzo Mazza, Rodney Ardern, Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen, Ed Baird, David Nichols (shore crew) and Cécile Duboeuf (PA). Amsterdam, 21 September 2008. Photo copyright Vincent Curutchet/DPPI/OC Events

This iShares Cup season is part of a much wider picture for the America’s Cup Defender, Alinghi, and is just one of several multihull learning platforms that the sailing team has been focusing on this summer. The Defender faces the possibility of a Deed of Gift (DoG) match, something currently being pursued by the American challenger BMW Oracle Racing in the New York Court of Appeals, and so the team is preparing for all eventualities. “Over the last six months, we have certainly gained a level of understanding about how boats like this work; however we have also learnt that we are not polished at sailing them and that there is still a lot more to learn and a huge amount more to learn about the great big multihull which is what the America’s Cup could potentially be sailed on if there is a Deed of Gift match,” says Baird. He adds: “We’re still thinking and asking a lot of questions, some are a bit elementary to people who have been in the sport for a long time on these kinds of boats, but we just want to make sure we cover all the bases and cut as many corners as we can towards learning how to do it!”

Alinghi is continuing to build the DoG boat in Switzerland and will continue to hone its multihull sailing skills with the Décision 35s on Lake Geneva (where the team is currently leading the Challenge Julius Baer with one event to go) and the 41footer ‘Alinghi Black’ in Valencia. In parallel the team cannot neglect its monohull training and continues to race on the Vrolijk IRC66 Numbers and the maxi yacht Alfa Romeo and with an eye on the team’s vision of a multi-challenge America’s Cup, Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper, is organising challenger meetings this autumn to plan for the future.

Alinghi and Team Origin race in the iShares Cup final. Amsterdam, 21 September 2008. Photo copyright Vincent Curutchet/DPPI/OC Events