Singapore hosted the opening round of the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series over the weekend of 20-23 February at the Promontory@Marina Bay. The winds and weather were perfect for racing, and coupled with a few heart-stopping moments, it was a rather exciting event to watch and a great way to spend the weekend.
The Promontory@Marina Bay was turned into a Race Village with a huge clubhouse. Look at the crowd!
A total of 12 teams took part
“Live” commentary made watching the races more exhilarating, and helped the bimbo in me to understand what was happening. I jumped out of my skin more than once when the start gun was fired.
One of the most exciting moments was when the Extreme 40 catamarans rode the wind and lifted out of the water, sometimes as much as over three metres. The Extreme 40 is capable of reaching speeds of 30 knots, akin to traveling in an open-air convertible at 35mph (56kph).
Spectators rooting for their team. If you would like to be a 6th sailor on board a race boat, you can do so by buying a hospitality package.
Red Bull made its first foray in the Extreme 40 circuit at the inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia. They have double Olympic gold medal winning Austrian duo Roman Hagara and Hans Peter-Steinacher on the team.
Gliding over the water like a bird!
Led by Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi is the first European team ever to win the America’s Cup and to successfully defend it. They are also the eventual winners of the 2013 and 2014 races in Singapore.
How interesting – I spotted a videographer on board one of the boats. I think I would get seasick in no time, much less to film the race.
The Wave, Muscat
The Wave, Muscat is supported by a leading lifestyle development of the same name, just north of the Sultanate of Oman’s capital city. The Wave, Muscat is also Host Venue for Act 2 of the 2014 Series starting on the 19th March. Reigning champion Leigh McMillan will be back at the helm of The Wave, Muscat and he will not be giving up his crown without a serious fight, in what could be a hat-trick year in 2014 for the British Olympian. They also have Sarah Ayton from UK who is a 2 time British Olympic Gold Medalist.
Groupama, France
Winner of the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, Franck Cammas, returns to the Series with heavyweights from his past Extreme 40 campaign Tanguy Cariou and Devan Le Bihan, plus America’s Cup and former Extreme 40 sailor Thierry Fouchier.
Gazprom Team Russia
Led by Russia’s top laser sailor, the team have drafted some of the Extreme Sailing Series’ most successful sailors, including Britain’s Paul Campbell-James, who steered The Wave, Muscat and then Luna Rossa to victories in the 2010 and 2011 Series respectively, as their helm.
What a pose!
GAC Pindar are one of the longest standing teams in the Series
The Muscat team at work
J.P. Morgan BAR
Sir Ben Ainslie leads a full British team, in J.P. Morgan BAR’s first time competing as team in the Series.
Emirates Team New Zealand
The legendary America’s Cup team has some of the hottest talent on the international sailing scene, including skipper Dean Barker, a world-renowned America’s Cup sailing legend and is most recently known for his participation in the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco.
Hi there! :) *waves*
I realised, the higher you can ‘fly’, the faster you go and the more likely you can win a race…and also…
more dangerous and likely to end up in a collison. The crash between Singapore’s Team Aberdeen and France’s Groupama happened near the end of Day 2, with the commentator saying that it was the most dramatic crashes ever seen in the race’s eight-year history. Luckily, there were no casualties and both teams were able to race again the next day following overnight repairs.
See how the collision happened
Best way to watch the races – chill out at the bar with a cold beer in hand. While is exactly what I did to beat the scorching heat.
Here’s a round-up of the Singapore races!