| Calm after the storm
produces new leader final day. |
| By Extreme Sailing
Series 2011 Media. |
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Photos by Lloyd Images,
edited By Peter Andrews. |
| April 16, 2011. |
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| The penultimate day of the Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 2 in Qingdao was dedicated to the Wei Chen, a local charity passionate in helping various disadvantaged groups since the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. The day proved to be the calm after the storm, although another storm is forecast again for tomorrow! |
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Spectators watching the racing in front of Qingdao skyline, during the
Extreme Sailing Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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Light conditions saw the 11-boat Extreme 40 fleet race right inside Fushan Bay, the Saturday sunshine bringing out the public in their thousands. Max Sirena’s Luna Rossa won the final race to take the overall lead from Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand, now tied with Alinghi but only by the smallest margin of just 3 points.
"It’s been the first bad day of racing we’ve had and we’ve paid for it," said Barker. Barker’s team will be doing some soul searching tonight as after such great consistency, a couple of really bad races has cost them dearly. |
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The fleet racing just meters away from the crowds in Fushan Bay, during
the Extreme Sailing Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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| Following yesterday’s action-packed day that saw 4 capsizes, 1 big collision and a broken mast, the pitlane teams worked hard through the night to get their boats ready for another day of action, and their mission was accomplished. For the professional sailors, it was business as usual today and it was particularly good to see Oman Air’s injured crew David ‘Freddie’ Carr joining the spectators after being discharged from hospital this morning, sore, but otherwise in good shape. |
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Team Extreme crew celebrate with Pol Roger champagne on the podium, during
the Extreme Sailing Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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| Today’s racing saw a multiple of formats, starting with a flight of match racing that was followed by straight-line duels and four fleet races. The Qingdao city skyline with the iconic red flame sculpture in the centre of the 4th of May Square, made a stunning backdrop for the slower, but no less intense tactical game on the water. |
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Fleet racing in front of Qingdao city skyline, during the Extreme Sailing
Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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Luna Rossa’s performance was masterful and the team was clearly delighted with their results. "It’s the first time this season that we’re in the
lead, we can’t be much happier," said helmsman Paul Campbell-James, who helmed the 2010 series winning boat.
"We’ve been around the front for the last couple of days but we were still making some mistakes onboard. Not today! The team has done an awesome job. It might be hard to understand but it is as intense to race in these conditions as yesterday." |
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Max Sirena and the Luna Rossa crew on the podium, during the Extreme Sailing
Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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It’s all to play for going into the final day for the Double Star Cup, with a gigantic battle for the Act 2 podium and close fights all the way down the leaderboard. Luna Rossa go in to the final day with 165 points, chased by Emirates Team New Zealand and Alinghi both with 162 points. For the last day, 11 points are up-for-grabs for each win, 22 on final race and there could be up to 8 races if all proceeds smoothly.
"It’s great to be in the leading seat tonight, but it is still really tight at the top," said Campbell-James. "Tomorrow will be a big day and anything can still happen, especially with the weather front expected to hit Qingdao tomorrow." |
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Fleet flying spinnakers racing downwind, during the Extreme Sailing Series
2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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Racing starts earlier tomorrow at 11:00 local time, with race management concerned about a storm front expected to cross Qingdao during the early afternoon, packing potentially up to 35 knots of wind when it arrives.
Swiss team Alinghi also had a strong day with three wins and a second place out of six races, which puts them on the same points as Emirates Team New Zealand.
"We are really happy tonight, the objective was to stick to the leading boat so it’s perfect," said helmsman Yann Guichard. "I’m really confident for tomorrow, we are in constant progress since day one and the spirit is very good onboard." |
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Team Extreme, Red Bull Extreme
Sailing, Alinghi and Oman
Air, during the
Extreme Sailing Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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Very much in touch with the top three is French team Group Edmond de Rothschild with 146 points and Red Bull Extreme Sailing right with 144. All of these top five boats can all still win Act 2, especially with the double points available in the final race.
Even Artemis Racing with 114 points can mathematically still make the podium, but they are also under pressure from The Wave-Muscat on 111; and Team Extreme who scored another victory with Chinese sailor William Wu onboard as a highlight of a good day on 101 points. The all-Italian team Niceforyou are close to them with 94 points, Oman Air with 91 and Team GAC Pindar with 37. |
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NiceForYou, Alinghi, Team
GAC Pindar and Oman Air, during the Extreme Sailing
Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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| The sailors’ nerves remain strained tonight, with the strong wind forecast for the final day. Yann Guichard concluded: "The game is still completely open for tomorrow. The forecast for tomorrow is really similar to yesterday with strong winds. But at the end of the day, it’s always the same thing, you do your best to control the boat and cross the finish line first." |
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Luna Rossa, Groupe Edmond Rothschild, The
Wave-Muscat and NiceForYou, during
the Extreme Sailing Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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Act 2 charity: WEI CHEN
At each Act of the Extreme Sailing Series, a link is made to a local charity of the host venue. For Act 2 in Qingdao, the local charity Wei Chen has been selected as charity for this event. Today, a group of 30 mentally disabled and Down syndrome children visited the Race Village at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, together with their parents and teachers.
One of the most well-known charity organisations in Qingdao, Wei Chen was founded immediately after the Indian tsunami in 2004 after Wei Chen began a campaign to call for the people of Qingdao to donate funds to the tsunami-damaged countries. The charity logo symbolises the action by the ordinary people to do good. Over the last seven years, Wei Chen has supported and organised a number of charity programmes and campaigns, helping people at a grass roots level that are disadvantaged. Some of those include children that suffer from the cleft lip, AIDS sufferers and the aged that live alone. |
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Local children race remote controlled boats in the race village, during
the Extreme Sailing Series 2011, Qingdao, China.
Photo © Lloyd Images.
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Extreme Sailing Series Act 2 Qingdao
Current overall standings after Day 4 (16.4.11)
Position / Team / Skipper & crew / Points
| 1st |
Luna Rossa (ITA), Max Sirena, Paul Campbell-James, Alister Richardson and Manuel Modena on 165
points. |
| 2nd |
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker, Glenn Ashby, Jeremy Lomas and Richard Meacham on 162 points. |
| 3rd |
Alinghi (SUI), Tanguy Cariou, Yann Guichard, Nils Frei and Yves Detrey on 162 points. |
| 4th |
Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec, Christophe Espagnon, Thierry Fouchier and Hervé Cunningham on 146 points. |
| 5th |
Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT), Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Will Howden and Craig Monk on 144 points. |
| 6th |
Artemis Racing (SWE), Santiago Lange, Rodney Ardern, Morgan Trubovich, Andy Fethers on 114 points. |
| 7th |
The Wave-Muscat (OMA), Torvar Mirsky, Kyle Langford, Nick Hutton and Khamis Al Anbouri on 111 points. |
| 8th |
Team Extreme (EUR), Roland Gaebler, Bruno Dubois, Sebbe Godefroid and William Wu on 101 points. |
| 9th |
Niceforyou (ITA), Alberto Barovier, Mark Bulkeley, Daniele de Luca and Simone de Mari on 94 points. |
| 10th |
Oman Air (OMA), Sidney Gavignet, Kinley Fowler, David Carr and Nasser Al Mashari on 90 points. |
| 11th |
Team GAC Pindar (GBR), Ian Williams, Brad Webb, Gilberto Nobili and Jono Macbeth on 37 points. |
For more information: www.extremesailingseries.com. |
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| Outimage and the
Extreme Sailing Series™ © 2011 |
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