Extreme Sailing Series heads for Nice

Teams and crew lists announced

The Mediterranean, once again, provides the backdrop to the Extreme Sailing Series 2011 as the circuit rolls into Nice, France, starting on Wednesday, 28 September and running until Sunday, 2 October.

It was The Wave, Muscat, skippered by Leigh McMillan, which claimed victory at in Trapani, Sicily last weekend, making it two wins in a row for the Omani team, after an intense and close final day. The team on board Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, skippered by Pierre Pennec, restored their confidence after a grueling event in Cowes, UK, to finish where they finished second place overall: “We’ve come a long way since the Cowes Grand Prix,” commented Pennec. “That’s especially true of my own mindset because our counter performance there was something I found very hard to digest. It was a bit of a battle with myself to make a comeback here and put the disappointment and bitterness to one side.”

The French spectators will be spoilt for choice on who to cheer loudest for with the all-French teams on board Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and double Barcelona World Race winner Jean-Pierre Dick, skippering Team Extreme Nice Côte d’Azur, in what is believed to be a prelude to an announcement from Dick about his team joining the MOD70 one design trimaran circuit. Perhaps their allegiance will be more inclined towards Dick who was born in Nice and is revered for his offshore successes in the IMOCA class. Dick will be taking on the role of skipper/tactician with 2011 Solitaire du Figaro winner Jérémie Beyou on the helm, supported by trimmer Billy Besson and bowman Arnaud Jarlegant.

If The Wave, Muscat became the first team in 2011 to score two event wins, there is little doubt the other ten Extreme 40 teams will be desperate to secure a second victory themselves as the Overall Series stakes increase in the latter part of the series. Although the Italian team of Luna Rossa only finished in fourth place in Trapani, that result elevated them to top of the overall series leaderboard, albeit just one point ahead of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild with The Wave, Muscat in third, on equal points with Emirates Team New Zealand. Dean Barker will be back at the helm of the Kiwi team in Nice, and Terry Hutchinson will be driving Artemis Racing. Almeria, Spain will be the penultimate round of the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series, which concludes in December in Singapore. With only three events remaining, the teams focus is on the overall prize now.

A diverse international city rooted in history but looking towards the future, Nice is the capital city of the Côte d’Azur nestled between Cannes and Monaco in the heart of the French Rivera: “It will reinforce the already internationally well-known nautical tradition of Nice Côte d’Azur," commented Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and President of Nice Côte d’Azur. "It will offer a top quality race course in this natural frame that is our superb Baie des Anges. It will offer to both the locals and the numerous visitors a beautiful and great show only a few metres off the Promenade des Anglais. It is truly a rare show to watch these Extreme 40s race at high speed very close to shore. The very high level of this regatta is a guarantee to the great competition that our waters will witness over the course of five days. This is why I would like to thank once again the organisers for choosing Nice for one of the Acts in the circuit.”

The Extreme Race Village will be located on the Promenade des Anglais, right in the heart of Nice with the race course set on the Bay of Angels, in front the shore, an unmissable location for the French public and English tourists.

In addition to the 11 Extreme 40s battling it out on the sparkling Mediterranean waters, the on-water action will be complemented by Optimist dinghies raced by local children, a multinational fleet of 49ers and for the first time the Neil Pryde Racing Series which will see twenty or more of the best professional and amateur windsurfers competing for the Nice title, including Olympic medalists Faustine Merret and Julien Bontemps.

The media partners of newspaper Nice Matin, who is printing an exclusive Extreme Sailing Series supplement, and France Bleu radio will ensure the public are kept informed of all the activities going on at the Race Village along with the commentary team of Pierre-Louis Castelli and Jimmy Pahun and Britain’s Hannah White keeping the English-speaking guests, tourists and online audience informed.

Extreme Sailing Series Nice, schedule of events:

Wednesday, 28th September
14.00 ‘open water’ Extreme 40 racing

Thursday, 29th September
12.00 Press conference
14.00 ‘open water’ Extreme 40 racing

Friday, 30th September
10.00 Extreme Race Village opens to the public
10.00-12.00 Optimist fleet racing
11.30-13.30 49er fleet racing
14.00 Stadium Racing
17.30 Public presentation with Extreme 40 sailors

Saturday, 1st October
10.00 Extreme Race Village opens to the public
10.00-12.00 Optimist fleet racing
11.30-13.00 49er fleet racing
12.00-14.00 Neil Pryde Racing Series
14.00 Stadium Racing
17.30 Public presentation with Extreme 40, 49er sailors and windsurfers

Sunday, 2nd October
10.00 Extreme Race Village opens to the public
10.00-12.00 Optimist fleet racing
11.30-13.00 49er fleet racing
12.00-14.00 Neil Pryde Racing Series
14.00 Stadium Racing
17.30 Prizegiving Extreme 40, Optimist, 49er sailors and Neil Pryde Racing Series winners

Nice crew lists:

Alinghi
Skipper/Tactician: Tanguy Cariou (FRA) / Helm: Yann Guichard (FRA) / Trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) / Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI)

Artemis Racing
Skipper/Helm: Terry Hutchinson (USA) / Tactician: Sean Clarkson (NZL) / Trimmer: Rodney Ardern (NZL) / Bowman: Julien Cressant (FRA)

Emirates Team New Zealand
Skipper/Helm: Dean Barker (NZL) / Tactician: Adam Beashel (AUS) / Trimmer: Jeremy Lomas (NZL) / Bowman: Chris McAsey (NZL)

Groupe Edmond de Rothschild
Skipper/Helm: Pierre Pennec (FRA) / Traveler: Christophe Espagnon (FRA) / Trimmer: Thierry Fouchier (FRA) / Bowman: Hervé Cunningham (FRA)

Luna Rossa
Skipper/Tactician: Max Sirena (ITA) / Helm: Paul Campbell-James (GBR) / Trimmer: Alister Richardson (GBR) / Bowman: Manuel Modena (ITA)

Niceforyou
Skipper/Helm: Alberto Barovier (ITA) / Tactician: Stefano Rizzi (ITA) / Trimmer: Daniele De Luca (ITA) / Bowman: Simone De Mari (ITA)

Oman Air
Skipper/Helm: Ben Ainslie (GBR) / Tactician: Kinley Fowler (NZL) / Trimmer: David Carr (GBR) / Bowman: Nasser Al Mashari (OMA)

Red Bull Extreme Sailing
Skipper/Helm: Roman Hagara (AUT) / Tactician: Hans Peter Steinacher (AUT) / Trimmer: Will Howden (GBR) / Bowman: Craig Monk (NZL)

Team Extreme Nice Côte d’Azur
Skipper/Helm: Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) / Tactician: Jérémie Beyou (FRA) / Trimmer: Billy Besson (FRA) / Bowman: Arnaud Jarlegant (FRA)

Team GAC Pindar
Skipper/Helm: Ian Williams (GBR) / Tactician: Mischa Heemrskerk (NED) / Trimmer: Andrew Walsh (GBR) / Bowman: Brian MacInnes (CAN)

The Wave, Muscat
Skipper/Helm: Leigh McMillan (GBR) / Tactician: Kyle Langford (AUS) / Trimmer: Nick Hutton (GBR) / Bowman: Khamis Al Anbouri (OMA)