Basilica again

Rob Greenhalgh's team take their third iShares Cup victory

Sailing on home waters, the British Extreme 40 team Basilica won the three day iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week over 3-5 August with a race to spare, bringing their tally to three wins in the overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series. The heavy-hitting team skippered by Robert Greenhalgh and crewed by Peter Greenhalgh, James Grant and Justin Slattery finished ahead of BT , helmed by Tornado World Champion Darren Bundock and skippered by Nick Moloney, moving them into third place in the iShares Cup overall series.

"A great result for us today and we're thrilled to have won in our own backyard with a race to spare even with mixed results on the final day," Peter Greenhalgh, trimmer on Basilica commented. "The wind in the first two races was all over the place, with really light patches, so the last race was really nice for us. We had a shaky start and heard the individual recall, so decided that we would play safe and dip the line again. From there we were able to stretch our legs and things came together. The series is coming good for us. We came into the iShares Cup series hoping to do well so to have won three in a row is a real highlight."

While Basilica put in a stunning performance it was the battle between Nick Moloney's BT and Shirley Robertson's JPMorgan Asset Management that really showcased the highs and lows of Extreme 40 sailing. With only four points separating the two teams going into race 15 - the final, double points race - all could be lost or gained in the 25 minute race. Robertson's JPMorgan Asset Management finished ahead of BT but were unable to close the point gap, leaving BT to take second overall.

"We're stoked to have finished second overall," BT skipper Moloney spoke for his crew of Olympic Tornado specialists Darren Bundock, Glenn Ashby and Hugh Styles. " Basilica are a hard team to beat and have run away with this series so to finish second here is as good as a win in my book. We came into this iShares Cup penultimate event hoping for a podium finish but once you get a taste of success you get greedy and we weren't about to settle for third at this event. Shirley kept us under pressure, kept us moving forward and we went around the course in the final race going 'Have we got her? Will she beat us?' We're now in touching distance of being second in the overall iShares Cup series which is a great incentive for the final iShares Cup event in Amsterdam. Holmatro better buckle down because we'll be ready to give them a challenge. To finish second overall in the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series would be epic!"

Dor double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson, making her first appearance on the Extreme 40 circuit, it was an impressive and gutsy performance to take third overall at the end of play today.



Robertson came off the water singing the praises of her crew: "It's frustrating to finish two points off the silver medal but it was so close and I am so pleased to be able to show up here at this event and finish third overall. Our result is a credit to my crew. They have nursed me through this event and have taught me everything I know about cat sailing. I have loved this event, it has been the best sailing ever. It's been just great."

David Carr who was joined by Fraser Brown and Nick Hutton as crew on JPMorgan Asset Management came off the water mentally and physically exhausted. "I think today my brain worked harder than it has done since I did GCSE maths. Trying to calculate points on the water and where we needed to finish in relation to BT was a nightmare but we are over the moon with the final result. To finish third overall behind Darren Bundock, an Olympic Tornado silver medallist, is just great and we are incredibly happy. The whole team wanted to do well at this event. We couldn't let Shirley go home without a medal!"

Carolijn Brouwer's Holmatro had a brilliant final day on the water. After suffering from breakages on day one and mixed results on day two, the team pulled together for the final day of racing stamping out four second place finishes. Holmatro still sit second in the overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series but BT lurk only one point behind the Dutch team.

American team Tommy Hilfiger, skippered by Stan Schreyer had a bittersweet event finishing fifth overall but winning a race after much frustration on board. "We've had a tough event. In the Extreme 40 every inch is a mile and you can round in a high position only to lose it seconds later. One bad tack and you lose four boats, which is half the fleet."

For a team new to the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series, Volvo Ocean Race, crewed by a selection of New Zealand's finest sailors and skippered by Aaron McIntosh, sailed a solid regatta hampered on the last day by gear failure and then by a stroke of bad luck on the final double points race where they caught the start boat's anchor line costing them a top finish.

Team SLAM Denmark, the circuit's only amateur team finished the event in seventh overall just ahead of ABN AMRO skippered by Jonnie Hutchcroft.

The iShares Cup, Amsterdam is the next big date in the calendar. The final event of the iShares Cup will run from 14-16 September where the fleet will race on the expansive North Sea Canal only a five-minute walk from the city centre.

Before then there is more exhibition racing to come. Visitors to Skandia Cowes Week will get a second opportunity to see these boats up close and personal off The Green in West Cowes between 1730-1900 hours every evening from Tuesday, 7 August through to Thursday, 9 August. Then again before Amsterdam, some of the fleet will head to Lake Garda to compete in Italy's largest race, Centomiglia over the weekend of 8-9 September.

Overall iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week Standings
Team Name / Crew / Overall Points
1. Basilica Rob Greenhalgh, Pete Greenhalgh, James Grant, Justin Slattery 139 pts
2. BT Nick Moloney, Darren Bundock, Glen Ashby, Hugh Styles 119 pts
3. JPMorgan Asset Management Shirley Robertson, David Carr, Fraser Brown, Nick Hutton 117 pts
4. Holmatro Carolijn Brouwer, Sebbe Goddefroid, Greg Homann, Aren van Bergeijk 112 pts
5. Tommy Hilfiger Stan Schreyer, Jonathon Farrar, Mark van Gelderen, Richard Feeney 108 pts
6. Volvo Ocean Race Aaron McIntosh, Mark Kennedy, Ryan Houston, Andrew McLean 99 pts
7. Team SLAM Denmark Erik Pedersen, Michael Svensson, Lars Orun Nielsen, Peter Baeksted, Henrik Boje 76 pts
8. ABN AMRO Jonnie Hutchcroft, Sam Chaddar, Joffan Garcka, Adam Piggott 63 pts

Overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series Standings (3-4 Events)
Position/ Team Name / Munich/ Marseille/ Cowes/ Overall Points
1. Basilica/ 1/ 1/ 1/ 30 pts
2. Holmatro/ 3/ 3/ 4/ 23 pts
3. BT/ 5/ 4/ 2/ 22 pts
4. Tommy Hilfiger/ 4/ 5/ 5/ 19p ts
5. Volvo Ocean Race/ 2/ 7/ 6/ 18 pts
6. Team SLAM Denmark/ 6/ 6/ 7/ 14 pts
7. Groupama/ DNC/ 2/ DNC/ 9 pts
8. JPMorgan Asset Management/ DNC/ DNC/ 3/ 8 pts
9. ABN AMRO/ DNC/ DNC/ 8/ 3 pts