Swiss dominate as Alinghi and Realteam lead the charge ahead of the final Extreme Sailing Series™ Qingdao showdown

On a packed-eight race day at Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao, the battle lines were drawn between the 12 competing international Extreme 40 teams ahead of tomorrow’s final showdown on the compact stadium racecourse, which at times resulted in a few near misses, protest flags being pulled, a man overboard for SAP Extreme Sailing Team and a collision in the final race of the day between GAC Pindar and Team Extreme Qingdao, that will see the Aussie team with a night of repairs ahead. Alinghi – the team who have led the Act since race one – managed to cling onto a 10-point advantage at the close of play, but it was their fellow Swiss country men Realteam who had their strategy sorted, strengthening their hand with each race, including a win in the day’s opener, to head into tomorrow’s final showdown in China’s Olympic Sailing City in second place, to the delight of skipper Jérôme Clerc. “We started in fourth place today and we are now second so we are very happy. It shows that our strategy is working. We have stayed conservative all day and didn’t take too many risks, but at the same time have had good starts and our tactics were spot on. Tomorrow we will be happy if we manage to keep Alinghi behind us.” The defending Series champions The Wave, Muscat are just two points behind Realteam, and with up to 90 points for the taking tomorrow, and huge gusts up to 28 knots set to return, the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series Act 3, Qingdao is set to go down to the wire.

The first four races were played out in around eight knots of wind, and executing the starting procedure well was crucial, with decisions made in the pre-start often dictating the outcome of the race. On the short start line the fleet struggled to get away cleanly, with the on-water referees dishing out starting penalties including two general recalls, before the third attempt saw nine of the 12 boat fleet red flagged. After five races, there was a change in tempo, and a building southerly breeze outside the harbour brought with it big swell, that saw the teams punching through the waves in 12 knots of breeze. One team to relish the conditions was Emirates Team New Zealand, who finished the day strongly with two back-to back-wins, leaving them trailing the defending Series champions by just one point in fourth place. 22-year old Pete Burling, who has taken the tiller from Dean Barker this week said: “We started the day a little slow, but in the last three races of the day we really got off the start-line well which is the first time all week we have really managed to do that. I think the level is really high right now, we’re slowly getting better each day, and we’re happy with the boat speed and hopefully we’ll be able to give it a good crack tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll need to do the same as we did in those last races today – good starts off the line and consistency.”

Extreme Sailing Series / Full pressure day as the Extreme 40 fleet battle huge gusts on the Qingdao stadium racecourse

It was a full pressure day as the fleet moved into the stadium racing mode at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao, described by the skippers as ‘radical’, ‘full-on’, ‘unpredictable’ and gnarly’, with gusts up to 32 knots weaving their way through the surrounding skyscrapers like bullets screaming across the stadium racecourse. The racing was right on the edge, and the teams used all their strength to muscle their speed machines expertly around the track, tackling a huge wind range of over 20 knots. The experience of both Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat was evident, and the teams relished today’s big breeze as much as yesterday’s light winds, remaining first and second respectively, while one first and two second places for the Kiwis on Emirates Team New Zealand upgraded their overall position to third, ahead of tomorrow’s penultimate day’s racing.

There was plenty of hull flying, bows down and extremely close mark rounding’, with the fleet reaching top speeds of 25 knots as they tried to predict the huge wind shifts which saw the breeze go from 10 to 32 knots in a second. Before racing, Race Management made the call to split the fleet, first into groups of eight, and then groups of four, to minimize the chance of collisions on the tight race track. Leigh McMillan, skipper of The Wave, Muscat who is out to defend his title in Qingdao, commented: “We like it when the breeze is up, today was pretty radical. Gusts and big shifts is quite a handful. But we’re happy to have made it through the day with no big collisions which is great - it was pretty full on out there.”

Testing light winds on day one, as the home team make best ever debutby an invitational entry » Extreme Sailing Series

Racing began in China’s Olympic sailing city today at the Land Rover, Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, where five different race winners emerged from the eight races sailed, in a day that saw the fleet struggle for consistency and the leaderboard reshuffle after every race. On the open water racecourse, the Swiss team Alinghi dominated in testing light winds and strong tide, to edge ahead on the leaderboard at the end of day. But it was the local boat, Team Extreme Qingdao, who will be grabbing the headlines tonight after an outstanding debut performance sees the team in third place at the end of day one - the best ever performance by a home nation invitational team.

 

Unfortunately for Oman Air, their day was over before it had a chance to begin, after a collision with GAC Pindar in the start line tussle of the first race left the team with severe damage to their port hull, forcing them back to the pit lane. Rob Greenhalgh, skipper of Oman Air - who has welcomed the talents of America’s Cup winner Kyle Langford to the team this week - explained what happened:“Just after the start of the first race, GAC Pindar tacked onto port and misjudged the dip on us and T-boned us pretty hard – we have a pretty big hole in the side of the boat. These things happen unfortunately. The shore guys will work hard tonight and get the boat ready for racing tomorrow. We will lick our wounds and be back. It’s a disappointment – we were pumped to race.”  The team will be given a redress and will likely be awarded average points from their races over the next two days by the international jury.

12 Extreme 40s head to China’s Olympic sailing city for Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 / Extreme Sailing Series

In one week the fleet of 12 Extreme 40s, including home nation entry ‘Team Extreme Qingdao’ will line up on one of the most notorious stadium racecourses on the global tour, at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, 1-4 May. Fans in China can follow all the action on the newly launched Chinese website and watch the racing live on leading sports portals PPTV.com and Letv.com, as well as on regional broadcaster Qingdao TV. International fans will be able to watch the Stadium Racing action on the official event website, www.extremesailingseries.com.

China’s host city for the 2008 Olympic sailing regatta’s holds plenty of proud memories for the fleet, with Brits Paul Goodison, Pippa Wilson, Sarah Ayton and Ben Ainslie, and American Anna Tunnicliffe, all taking gold in their respective classes. For Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, the Act in Qingdao will be the first time he has raced on the Olympic waters since winning the Finn gold in 2008. The J.P. Morgan BAR skipper commented: “We are all really looking forward to China. For Paul, Pippa and I who spent a lot of time there before and during Beijing 2008 it’s a special place for us. But we know that it is another difficult venue and there’s a lot of tide there so that could be challenging and tough but we certainly want to work on our performance as a team.”

Team Extreme Qingdao announced as home nation entry for Chinese Act of 2014 Extreme Sailing Series / Extreme Sailing Series

In just over one week, China’s 2008 ‘Olympic Sailing City’ of Qingdao will welcome the formidable fleet of Extreme 40s to Fushan Bay, with the home nation entry ‘Team Extreme Qingdao’ bolstering the elite level racing fleet to 12 boats, including two of China’s top sailing stars. The teams will race under the shadows of the Olympic rings on the short, sharp racecourse, designed for spectator-friendly Stadium Racing, with thousands of public expected over the Chinese national holiday. The Act, presented by Series Main Partner Land Rover will see teams vying for the ‘Double Star Mingren Cup’ from 1-4 May.

For the home-grown Chinese sailors, Liu Xue and Zhang Yiran, 2014 will be their second year competing on the circuit, following their Stadium Racing debut with China Team in Qingdao in 2013. Liu Xue, who also raced with China Team at the America’s Cup World Series in 2013, spoke of the importance of events such as the Extreme Sailing Series, for growing the sport of sailing within China. “I'm so excited and very proud to join the Extreme Sailing Series in my hometown. I think it's very important for China to host this international sailing event as we can gain more experience, and learn more from the competition. It's helpful to improve the overall level of sailing in our country.” Liu Xue and Zhang Yiran recently trialled for China’s Dongfeng Race Team for the next Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, growing the versatility of their sailing talents.

Five-time Olympian and Extreme 40 veteran Mitch Booth will share skippers duties with Zhang Yiran, leading the home team into the stadium in front of the local crowds, alongside Nick Moloney and British multihull dinghy sailor Freddie White. Despite his Extreme 40 pedigree, Booth is realistic about the challenge ahead. “It is really great to be back in Qingdao and racing together with Chinese crew members. The Extreme Sailing Series has jumped to a very high level this year and it will be tough to compete in what is probably the premier sailing circuit in the World today. It has been exactly one year since I raced in the Series and I'm keen to do battle with the best of the best.”

The full crew lists for Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup will be confirmed on Thursday 24th April.

How important is the final double points race? / Extreme Sailing Series

The final race of each Extreme Sailing Series™ Act is worth double points, and more often than not the outcome of the event is riding on it. Using the SAP sailing analytics, we took a look at all of the final races from the last 16 months, and found that keeping a cool head and performing under pressure can make all the difference.

Over the last nine Acts (seven in 2013, and two in 2014), the reigning champions The Wave, Muscat have won an incredibly impressive 67% of the events. Of the events they won, they also sailed to victory in 50% of the final races, often winning the Act in that moment. For the Omani team, the double points race seems to be of the upmost importance to their Act winning tactics.

Kiteboarder takes on high-speed Land Rover Extreme 40 catamaran in the gulf of Oman » Extreme Sailing Series

From 19-22 March, the blue waters of Muscat, Oman hosted the international Extreme Sailing Series™ - the second Act of the 2014 global tour that attracts the world’s best sailors to race on the short, sharp Stadium-style racecourses. Fans of the Series are more accustomed to seeing 11 high-performance carbon-fibre catamarans go head to head at speeds of up to an incredible 56kph - but spectators in Muscat were treated to a different kind of show, when Gaastra Team Rider Tom Buggy (GBR) challenged the high-speed Land Rover Extreme 40 to a drag race, to find out who would have the edge.

British rider Buggy, who is normally part of the Land Rover sailing team, lined up against his teammates in a ‘boat versus board’ head to head, in 7-9 knots of breeze and flat water – just enough for his 17 meter Jet and race board to take on the punishing three mile round course.

Buggy explained: "I kited out 500metres or so to meet the boat which was circling waiting for me to dial up and start and before I knew it, we were off at full speed. I pulled up from leeward so I was just in front of the boat and all I could hear was the full carbon 40-foot catamaran carving the water behind me and the winches groaning as the boat loaded up in the breeze. Suddenly I felt pretty small and the realisation of me falling off and getting run over was becoming a real worry."

Gaastra Team Rider Tom Buggy (GBR) challenged the high-speed Land Rover Extreme 40 to a drag race in Muscat, Oman © Lloyd Images

 

"After around a mile and half, I gybed off ready for our blast back to the event site but as soon as the boat turned behind me the 63-foot high mainsail created a huge wind shadow and stopped me dead. In a blink, the boat was already 100metres ahead and I had to work super hard in the wind shadow and light breeze to get the drive from my fins and catch up. With half a mile to our finish, I just managed to draw the boat back in - although the guys on board made it look effortless to blast fully powered, whilst I had to work every metre of the track, with my legs burning just to keep the drive from by board. We will settle for a draw – this time!"

Buggy lined up in a ‘boat versus board’ head to head, in Muscat, Oman © Lloyd Images

 

The next stop for the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series, is Qingdao, China 1-4 May, where Buggy will be taking on the Land Rover Extreme 40 challenge again – and this time, there will be no second place. Both board and boat will be linked with GPS tracking, bring the next battle closer to the fans. Watch this space.

Big breeze final race shoot out in Muscat sees The Wave, Muscat snatch victory » Extreme Sailing Series

- Four teams – The Wave, Muscat, Emirates Team New Zealand, Alinghi and SAP Extreme Sailing Team  in the running heading into the final race, with no room for error and just four points between them and 20 points on the table for the taking.

- Emirates Team New Zealand snatch second from the grasp of Alinghi with just one point in it after 29 races this week.

- SAP Extreme Sailing Team narrowly denied the podium but rise up the overall Series
rankings with an impressive fourth place.

- Replay today’s Stadium Racing, here.

- Watch the highlights from a spectacular second Act of the 2014 global tour, here.

It was a sweltering hot day in Muscat, Oman, for the final showdown at the Extreme Sailing Series™, where the Arabian peninsula saved the best for last, with winds that blasted across the course at a steady 20 knots, with gusts of 26, before a final race shoot out. Four teams were gunning for the top spot and there was no room for error, with just four points between them – and 20 points on the table for the taking. The defending champions and home team on The Wave, Muscat made a real statement of intent from the gun, with an aggressive start that saw them lead the fleet of the line, and Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Kinley Fowler and Nasser Al Mashari didn’t look back, snatching the win from the hands of the Kiwi, Swiss and Danish teams, to claim not only the Act win, but putting them top of the overall Series leaderboard after two Acts. “It was too close for comfort, that’s for sure,“ commented an elated McMillan after racing. “Today we had a fight on our hands, we knew we had to be exceptional and raise our game. I was just enjoying the sailing, the challenge of it, the situations that were tight and it all worked out for us. The wind came in and it was absolutely amazing sailing out there, absolutely perfect for the Extreme 40s.”

Alinghi rise through the ranks on the Muscat stadium race course /Extreme Sailing Series

- Alinghi take the lead ahead of the penultimate days racing at the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Muscat, Oman. - Replay today’s Stadium Racing, including expert commentary and graphics from Technology Partners SAP, here. - Red Bull Sailing Team’s double Olympic champion skipper Roman Hagara, speaks about the level of competition on the water, describing it as the “toughest racing you can do”. Watch the video here. - Quadriplegic sailor Hilary Lister and Oman’s Nashwa Al Kindi complete an extraordinary journey from Mumbai, India, to Oman, Muscat. Read more from Host Venue Partners, Oman Sail, here.   It may not have been high-speed racing on the second day of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Muscat, Oman, but it was as close as it gets, with the leaderboard reshuffling after every race. The fleet of 11 elite level teams used all of their tactical prowess to manoeuvre their Extreme 40s around the course, and after a short one lap shoot-out for the final race, the Swiss Alinghi took the lead, setting the scene for the business end of the event and the penultimate days racing tomorrow. The Swiss team’s tactician and Olympic champion Anna Tunnicliffe summed up the day. “Today the starts were quite important, occasionally you could come back from a bad start, but coming off the start line in the top three was huge. Our game plan is to keep it simple and not get involved in any awkward situations. The conditions are so tricky out there, you just have to take each race as it comes, analysing it and generally just stick to our plan.”

Multiple winners on opening day in Muscat as SAP Extreme Sailing Team take early lead

- Five winners from seven races in an unpredictable and close fought opening day in Muscat, Oman.
- Series Main Partner Land Rover and Red Bull Sailing Team announce ‘Official Team and Vehicle’ partnership.
- Teams prepare for the racecourse to become narrower, and the racing more intense, as the fleet moves into Stadium mode tomorrow. Watch it live from 1530GST/1130GMT/1230CET www.extremesailingseries.com.

 

The fleet of 11 elite level Extreme 40 catamarans headed onto the Muscat racecourse for the opening day of Act 2 of the global Extreme Sailing Series™, in what it’s shaping up to be an unpredictable and close fought event, with five different winners over seven races. The Danish SAP Extreme Sailing Team had the edge over the less consistent teams, but with only 16 points separating the top eight, there will be some tough competition tomorrow as the front runners try to establish a firm lead. “It’s going to be a long regatta and it’s only day one but we’re happy with our performance today and hopefully it can continue”, commentedSAP Extreme Sailing Team’s co-skipper Jes Gram Hansen, who went on to talk about the key to success on this racecourse. “When you get ahead of the fleet it becomes easier, you have clean breeze and you’re actually just gaining and gaining. Tomorrow we just need to stay focused.”

Extreme Sailing Series heads to the Middle East for Act 2, Muscat

With just one week to go on the EDOX countdown clock before the action continues on the Extreme 40 stadium racecourse, the 11 international teams and their crews of elite level sailors, are preparing to return to the Sultanate of Oman for a fourth consecutive year. The fleet will race at a stunning new venue, the Almouj Golf Course at The Wave, Muscat, from 19th March, for four days of intense competition, under the warmth of the Arabian sun on the home turf of the two Oman Sail entries, Oman Air and The Wave, Muscat.

Red Bull King of the Air 2014: Watch it live | Red Bull

Watch live as the world’s best kiteboarders compete to see who can go biggest and most extreme.

Aaron Hadlow performs during a pre-event training session for Red Bull King Of The Air

at Big Bay Beach in Cape Town, South Africa on the 30th January, 2014

The fastest, highest and wildest kiteboarding competition of them all is nearly upon us and you can watch all of the action as it happens live on this page.

With a strong field of international-standard kiteboarders - including all of the top 12 from last year's event - and the stunning scenery of Table Mountain behind it, it's set to be an action-packed day to blast away those winter blues.

The weather window runs from January 25 to February 9, with the event currently slated to take place on Sunday, February 2. However, winds can be unpredictable things, so keep an eye on the official website for the latest information.

Ice Cross Downhill champs train for Finland with huskies / Red Bull

Ok, Ok, I know it is not news on a water sport, but still pretty cool and it is on frozen water!  Ice Cross Downhill World Champions Derek Wedge of Switzerland, Kyle Croxall of Canada and Martin Niefnecker of Germany warmed up for Saturday's Red Bull Crashed Ice race in Finland with a pack of huskies for a fun-filled training session on a lake near Helsinki – the northern-most race in the 14-year-history of Ice Cross Downhill on a track that is only 800 kilometers south of the arctic circle.

HELSINKI (Finland) Wedge, the defending champion, along with Kyle Croxall, the 2012 title winner and 2010 world champion Niefnecker put their ice skating skills to the unorthodox test as they got up to speeds of 40 kilometers per hour behind a pack of huskies, who were also clearly happy to get in a workout on a sunny but frigid afternoon in Finland.

"That was a fantastic experience to ride behind dogs,” said Wedge, who visibly enjoyed the high-speed experience with the dogs. “It’s really interesting to be with the animals on the ice. It’s a special sensation.”  Kyle Croxall also came alive on the ice behind the well-trained huskies. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be pulled around by a dogsled team of huskies,” Croxall said. “I really enjoyed it and I’m really happy to have had the opportunity.”

Grant 'Twiggy' Baker wins Mavericks Invitational big-wave surfing contest | GrindTV.com

Grant “Twiggy” Baker in action during Mavericks Invitational; photo by Grant Ellis/Surfer magazine

 

For 24 of the world’s premier big-wave surfers, Friday was tumultuous and at times harrowing, but a day they would not have traded for anything.

The waves were massive, the drops almost sheer, the wipeouts brutal, and in the end Grant “Twiggy” Baker stood alone as champion of the Body Glove Mavericks Invitational at notorious Mavericks outside of Half Moon Bay, California.

More; Grant 'Twiggy' Baker wins Mavericks Invitational big-wave surfing contest | GrindTV.com

Surfing photos hailed at the 2013 Red Bull Illume

Surfing photos hailed at the 2013 Red Bull Illume: Zakary Noyle, Morgan Massen and Chris Burkard won the Sequence, Lifestyle and Spirit categories, between 28,257 shots submitted by 6,417 photographers.

Photo; Zakary Noyle

Video - Inside the America's Cup: No Second Place - Ep 6

In episode 6, Defending the Cup, the main event looms and we check in with the two combatants - Emirates Team New Zealand and ORACLE TEAM USA - to see how they are coming together. One team has a massive desire to bring the cup back to New Zealand. The other wants nothing more than to defend the cup and keep it in San Francisco Bay.

Bragging rights are at stake, but the racers will need to keep emotions in check. At the starting line, these boats are going to circle each other and fight for the best jump before screaming in at 40 knots. But, the fastest boat doesn't always win. There has to be controlled aggression, skill, and even a little luck. We wrap it up with analysis from both sides on the biggest threats to a successful defense by ORACLE TEAM USA and what it will take for New Zealand to win - because there is no love lost, and there is No Second Place.

NO SECOND PLACE, a Red Bull Media House six-episode production in conjunction with the America's Cup, offers a fascinating and dramatic perspective at the world of sailing with a behind-the-scenes look at the teams competing at the 34th America´s Cup, September 7-21, 2013 in San Francisco. This documentary-style production goes inside the teams, boat designs, training regimens, rules, the speed of the sport, strategy and teamwork, among other elements.

San Francisco Shootout: Kiwi and American Young Guns Tied for Lead / America’s Cup

The eyes of the sailing world were on the future stars today, as the NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand and American Youth Sailing Force came away tied for the overall lead at the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. This 10-team, 8-country fleet race is delivering tight and competitive racing on San Francisco Bay at the halfway point of the regatta. In fact, four different countries have taken the checkered flag in the four fleet races so far – USA, New Zealand, Portugal and Sweden.
The top seven teams are separated by just 3 points with four races remaining over the next two days, with double points on the line in the final race.

“We’re surprised to be in the lead, but happy to be there and looking forward to getting back out tomorrow,” said NZL Sailing Team skipper Peter Burling, a silver medalist in the 49er class at the 2012 Olympics. “We didn’t have a great start to the day but got an alright finish on the board in the second race to bring us back into it. I think it’ll come down to the last day anyway, so we’re trying to build as a group and looking forward to each day as it comes.”

Top seven within 3 points of each other after Race 4 / America’s Cup

UPDATE: 1225 hours
The Swedish Youth Challenge won Race 4 of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Skipper Charlie Ekberg and crew were in a great battle with Lucien Cujean’s Team Tilt crew from Switzerland, but the Swedes eked out a 5-second victory on the 7.21-nautical mile course.

The standings are quite tight, with the top seven crews all within 3 points of each other. The NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand and the American Youth Sailing Force are tied for the lead with 28 points. Team Tilt holds third with 27 points, followed by the Swedish Youth Challenge, Full Metal Jacket and ROFF Cascais Sailing Team, all with 26 points. France’s Next World Energy crew is seventh with 25 points.

Races 5 and 6 are scheduled tomorrow, at 1110 and 1150 PT.

American Youth Sailing Force win race one / America’s Cup

Race one report
American Youth Sailing Force helm Michael Menninger led his team off the starting line with pace and around the first mark with a lead it wouldn’t relinquish to win the first race of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.

The American team had a great start and accelerated well as the starting gun fired to lead the charge of 10 AC45s into mark one.

The German, Swedish and Portuguese teams were in close pursuit. While the Germans and Swedes slipped back, Portugal kept battling for the podium places with New Zealand’s Peter Burling, who worked his way up from a long way back.

German, Australian and US teams flash some speed ahead of Red Bull Youth America’s Cup / America’s Cup

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team from Germany, All in Racing, flashed some brilliant speed on Saturday, posting the fastest time at the Speed Trials, ahead of the start of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.

Each team had two runs down the course, with Objective Australian posting the time to beat in an early first run in near-perfect conditions. It appeared as if that time, 40.70 seconds, would stand. But the German All in Racing, in its second run, with two men ‘riding the bull’ in the back stern scoop to lift the bows out of the water, streaked across the finish line just .06 seconds ahead, to take the win in a photo finish.