Singapore locked in

Three year Extreme Sailing Series deal with with Singapore as Aberdeen Asset Management back a local team

The Extreme Sailing Series is set to be become a new international fixture on the Singapore sports calendar until 2015, in a three year deal announced today between Series organisers OC Sport, the Singapore Sports Council and Aberdeen Asset Management. And for the first time ever, a team representing Singapore, skippered by a Singaporean sailor and supported by Aberdeen Asset Management, will be on the start line of the second Extreme Sailing Series event to be hosted in Singapore over 11-14 April.

For Aberdeen Asset Management, the sponsorship of Team Aberdeen Singapore and their status as the main Local Partner for the Singapore event, adds to the global asset manager’s growing sailing sponsorship portfolio, which includes Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week’; an event where they had their first foray into Extreme 40 sailing in 2011, entering a British team into the UK leg of the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series.

“We are delighted to bring the Extreme Sailing Series to Singapore as it promises lots of entertainment and we have developed a successful association with sailing elsewhere in the world” said Hugh Young, Managing Director at Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd. “We are happy to be able to support Singapore’s sailing ambitions and the inclusion of two young Singapore sailing stars will generate great local interest."

An aspiring Olympic Laser sailor, Scott Glen Sydney, 22, will be skipper, making him the first ever Singaporean to skipper an Extreme 40.

Together with fellow Singaporean and Asian Games keelboat match racing gold medallist Justin Wong, 27, the duo will line up against some of the world’s best sailors as the invitational team in Singapore. The ‘invitational team’ concept was introduced to the Series to provide a platform for host nations to compete on their home waters, yet be part of the full season leaderboard.

Thrilled to be part of the inaugural team representing Singapore, Scott said, “I’m very excited at the prospect of representing Team Aberdeen Singapore in the Extreme Sailing Series in Singapore. This is an immense opportunity and I hope to use this experience to become a more well-rounded sailor.”

Wong, who is looking forward to race on home waters said, “The credentials of the competitors are very strong, racing against the world’s best sailors on home waters is a very rare opportunity. It’s a great privilege to be part of Team Aberdeen Singapore and I’m looking forward to exciting racing at the Extreme Sailing Series.” The three remaining crew members will be announced at a later date.