iShares Cup

BT, skippered by Nick Moloney, and Oman Sail duelled at the front for most of Race 1, with BT keeping in front to take the first win, and followed up with another win in the second race. Flying downwind on the first leg of race TEAMORIGIN dove between Oman and Alinghi on the approach to the gate mark, but buried one bow and quickly capsized. With the Mistral sending gusts of over 30 knots through the Bay of Hyères the race committee opted to send the fleet ashore, with no more races held. Day two of the iShares Cup at Hyères (France) was the day of the comeback kids, racing on the edge of control which resulted in some 'extreme' moments including Tommy Hilfiger's vertical gymnastics America's Cup teams Alinghi and TEAMORIGIN both put their earlier capsizes behind them to storm up the leaderboard. Volvo Ocean Race have also turned around their form from Lugano, when they finished in last place overall, to take two race wins and climb to third overall in the penultimate day. The race committee warned the teams to expect a big day on the water, and they certainly delivered - with nine rapid-fire races - in testing and gusty conditions. America's Cup defenders Alinghi opened the day with a win, and went on to score two more firsts, taking them to the top of the overall points. After three days of spectacular racing held in some of the biggest breezes ever seen in the iShares Cup it was all to play for going into the final double-point race. On the last day of racing in Hyères, France, it was the two America's Cup contenders, Alinghi and TEAMORIGIN, who dominated the fleet, each winning three races - at one stage just three points separated the two. The British TEAMORIGIN started the day best with two wins in gusty 20-knot conditions that saw several boats narrowly avoiding a capsize. TEAMORIGIN, skippered by reigning iShares Cup champi! on Rob Greenhalgh, demonstrated their Extreme 40 experience to control the first two races - Alinghi constantly looking for a route through to regain the lead in race two, but Ed Baird and his crew just couldn't get past. But as the wind eased over the afternoon it was America's Cup winner Ed Baird on Alinghi who came to the fore, taking three wins in a row. In the fourth race of the day TEAMORIGIN fell to seventh overall, and it looked like their chance might be over, but they recovered well to score finish second behind Alinghi in the penultimate race of the series. The 18th and last race of the event set the scene for a spectacular finale - the finish line placed just yards in front of crowds of spectators gathered on the breakwater. With just a dozen points separating the two leaders and the final scores counting for double TEAMORIGIN were still in the hunt, and flew off the line to take the lead. Alinghi were buried in the pack - if they dropped to eighth, then the Brits would triumph.

iShares Cup

Nine Extreme 40s will line up on the stunning Lake Lugano, on the Swiss-Italian border, over May 30-June 1, and preparations are nearly complete. Expectations are that the action will be intense from the very first start gun as the competition steps up a gear for this season with some big-hitting teams joining the line-up.

The nine boats competing at the first event of the iShares Cup are: America's Cup winners Alinghi; the British and New Zealand crew onboard Team Aqua; BT, skippered by offshore solo star Nick Moloney; the Dutch Holmatro crew; title sponsors iShares and their promising team; JPMorgan Asset Management, skippered by double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Roberston; British America's Cup Challengers TEAMORIGIN; the Volvo Ocean Race crew from the Netherlands; and o! ne more new entry soon to be announced.

iShares Cup Training Regatta

Despite threats of thunderstorms, the final day of training in Valencia for the five Extreme 40s went off with a bang as the teams were put through their paces in preparation for the first iShares Cup in Lugano on 30 May. The day began with a Parade of Sail down the canal that links the Darsena to the open water, and then out to sea to move straight into the first of five start sequences planned for the afternoon. Four windward/leeward courses were set in addition to a triangular course to take the boats close in to shore. Initi! al winds of 5 knots steadily increased throughout the day into perfect hull-flying conditions for the final two races giving the spectators on the beach an impressive display. The racing was tight, particularly around the windward marks, with the boats jostling for space, resulting in a few missed mark roundings, close shaves and penalty turns.

Alinghi White proved their dominance over the fleet taking three firsts with Alinghi Black beating them to the top spot twice. Skipper Ed Baird was rightly pleased with his team's progress, "This weekend has been great and it has been really exciting to race against these other boats. Today was tricky because we started in very light conditions and right off the bat our team mate Murray Jones on Alinghi Black came after us, so it went from racing all five boats in the fleet to just racing one other. In the second race we got the point back on them and then again in the third, so we were starting to feel better on board! Later in the day the breeze came up and there was a bit more excitement on t he race course. Lugano is next in the series and it was good to get some light air practice in this morning because we don't expect a lot of wind in Lugano."

Training Regatta for iShares Teams

Five Extreme 40s are currently lined up on the dock in Valencia, ready for a special training regatta to be held this weekend - a great warm-up before the iShares Cup series kicks off at the end of the month.

The five boats taking part in the training event are Alinghi White, Holmatro, iShares and Volvo Ocean Race - which will all be competing in the iShares Cup - as well as the America's Cup winners' second boat, Alinghi Black.

From tomorrow (Friday 16 May) to Sunday (18 May) the teams will be put through their paces with three informal races a day. These races will be around 30 minutes in duration - slightly longer than the normal iShares Cup events to give the chance for the Extreme 40s to stretch their legs and the teams an opportunity to really work on their boatspeed. The windward-leeward courses will also test their crew work and boat-handling, racing to an upwind leg, then hoisting the huge gennaker for a downwind blast to a leeward gate, then back up the finish.

Valencia is the perfect venue for training. Home to the America's Cup regatta last year, the purpose-built marina basin has a huge amount of room for teams to work on their Ex treme 40s, as well as ample pontoons and space for support boats. Meanwhile out on the water there is a fantastic sailing area on the open sea just a few minutes away from the team bases, although this weekend's weather forecast is for light, shifty winds of no more than 10 knots, which will keep the crews on their toes. There might even be a spot of rain coming through on Saturday, but the Extreme 40 teams won't mind that - these boats are a wet ride even on the sunniest day!

iShares Cup 2008

The final pieces of the jigsaw are now in place for the 2008 iShares Cup Sailing Series. The venue for the German leg of the European tour has been confirmed as Kiel, on the Baltic Sea, and Tommy Hilfiger has been announced as the ninth entry in the series.

Kiel, in northern Germany, is the third new venue for the 2008 iShares Cup and home to the fourth event on the circuit - the Extreme 40 fleet will race there from 29-31 August, offering guests and spectators a chance to get a great close-up view of the fast-paced iShares Cup racing.

The bustling city has a strong maritime history, and lies on the busiest artificial waterway in the world, the Kiel Canal. Every June the city holds Kiel Week, the largest sailing event in Europe, which combines dinghy and yacht racing with a festival of ships, music and fireworks. The event welcomes about three million visitors annually, who perch on the sea walls and rocky coastal defences to watch around ! 2,000 boats ranging from massive tall ships to racing yachts and Olympic dinghy classes. The iShares Cup racecourses will be held in the same fantastic sailing amphitheatre.

Extreme 40

With the Extreme 40 catamaran fleet now numbering 14 boats, there is potential that even more will make the start line of the five iShares Cup events, which begin in Lugano, Switzerland, on May 30. The entry list reads like a Who's Who of sailing, bursting with the very best skippers and crews in the sport. America's Cup sailors will be lining up against Olympic medallists, ocean racers, and world champions, all coming together on the unique iShares Cup sailing circuit. With the next America's Cup looking set to take place in multi-hulls, the Swiss ! Defender Alinghi will be putting their cat-sailing skills to the test in this year's iShares Cup. America's Cup-winning helmsman Ed Baird has been putting in plenty of training in the Extreme 40 with the Alinghi crew in Valencia. Even this multiple world champion admitted that the powerful catamarans can be pretty challenging. The 2008 iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series takes in five European venues, each chosen for their fantastic sailing and viewing opportunities - from the spectacular Swiss lake of Lugano, to the bustling centre of UK sailing at Skandia Cowes Week, before bringing high speed sailing action right into the heart of the city at the event finale in Amsterdam.

iShares Cup Extreme 40

The 2008 circuit for the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series has been unveiled with the events continuing to focus on high-octane, competitive close-quarter racing, accessible to the viewing public whilst providing an unforgettable VIP experience. If 2007 got pulses racing in the inaugural iShares Cup, 2008 looks set to create even more of a buzz both on and off the water.

The investments made by the sponsors, organisers, boat owners and sailors in 2007 have paid off - five new boats have been constructed bringing the total fleet size to 14 - and three America's Cup teams now own Extreme 40s. The deadline for entries is midnight on 31st March but it is anticipated that 10 or more of the teams will be signing up for the 2008 iShares Cup. The sailors from the world of the America's Cup, Olympics and offshore racing will certainly raise the bar this season as the iShares Cup tours across five European countries.

iShares Cup

The iShares Cup final in Amsterdam has culminated in a fantastic demonstration of what Extreme 40 racing is all about - 40ft catamarans racing within inches of the spectators, who cheered and whooped as the crews raced past; pure on water drama - near capsizes, collisions, triumphs and disasters.

Robert Greenhalgh and Team Basilica swept the board winning the overall 2007 iShares Cup and taking the Amsterdam event as well holding off the challenge of the Dutch 'home team' Holmatro who were leading the event until race 16 out of 18 when Basillica wrenched back control.

iShares Cup

For the first time in its class history eight Extreme 40s, the biggest fleet to date, gathered to compete in the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week from 3-5 August on the Solent waters just off the Isle of Wight, UK. British powerhouse team Basilica, skippered by Rob Greenhalgh, was leading the four event series, winning 10 of 15 races at each of the previous two events and is fast becoming the favourite for the overall iShares Cup title. Day One of the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week brought glamorous sailing conditions to the Solent with the drama and action of Extreme 40 racing unfolding in a series of soaring hulls, damaged boats and heartbroken sailors. The eight-boat fleet kept the crowds basking in the British sunshine along the shore fully entertained throughout the five high-octane races. British team Basilica maintained their domination of the fleet in the 10-15 knots of wind. Following six races in 8-12 knots of wind and a punching tide, Basilica remained in pole position at the iShares Cup, Skandia Cowes Week, boasting a healthy lead over the eight boat Extreme 40 fleet at the close of day two of racing. Day two saw several boats shine with Shirley Robertson's JPMorgan Asset Management slipping into the top three and Nick Moloney's BT getting comfortable in second overall. On home waters, British team Basilica won the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week (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 Darren Bundock and skippered by Nick Moloney who not only took second at this penultimate event but moved into third place in the iShares Cup overall series.

iShares Cup

In 15-18 knots of wind Basilica, skippered by Robert Greenhalgh dazzled her competitors winning five out of the six races held today and firmly winning the iShares Cup, Marseille, taking her tally to two events out of the four event Extreme 40 Sailing Series. While the entire fleet chose to reef their mains for the first race, Basilica struck out on her own, hoisted a full sail and carved a trail to victory stepping onto the podium ahead of Groupama and Holmatro. BT had an adventure of her own executing a glamorous nose-dive resulting in a near capsize. The British boat crewed by Peter Greenhalgh, Justin Slattery and James Grant started nearly every race in front and never looked back, leading around the windward mark and extending until the finish, racking up 153 points. "We were looking forward to a bit of breeze and knew that with some strong winds we could lay on the smack down," comments Peter Greenhalgh one of two trimmers on Basilica. After leading on day one, Franck Cammas' Groupama, who put in a one-off appearance in Marseille, were suppressed into second overall and finished the event with 131 points and pleased with their performance. Cammas is enthused by the Extreme 40 class. Shuffling up a place on the final day was Dutch team Holmatro. BT, the former Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, may have finished in fourth but had memorable day sailing. Tommy Hilfiger, heavy-hitters at the iShares Cup, Munich, suffered from a disappointing series in Marseille finishing the event in fifth overall. The iShares Cup circuit continues in three weeks time stopping in Cowes from the 3-5 August at the start of Skandia Cowes Week with the added attraction of exhibition sailing from 7-9 August.

iShares Cup, Marseille

Circuit rookie Franck Cammas and his team Groupama took an early lead after the first day of racing in home waters at the iShares Cup, Marseille. With four races completed on the first day of the three-day series, in a variable and shifty 5-10 knots, the French team topped the leaderboard with only a few hours practice in the high-performance Extreme 40. Romping to pole position the team filed a near perfect scorecard with a 1,3,1,1, proving that their seamless teamwork, usually practiced on the larger 105-foot Groupama 3, can lead them to success in the smaller catamaran class.

Cammas was excited after his team's positive result following their first full day in the Extreme 40. Nearest rival Basilica trail the French leaders by three points and remain close contenders in this regatta, scoring top three finishes all day. Third on the podium is BT, the former Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, skippered by Nick Moloney and with guest sailor Seb Josse, hailing from the south of France, calling tactics.

iShares Cup

Cowes, Isle of Wight, will mark the next stop on the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series when four boats take part in the infamous 55-mile JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Starting early morning on 23 June, Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, Basilica, ABN AMRO and JPMorgan Asset Management will be putting in a challenge at this iShares Endurance Race not only for line honours but also for a course record.

The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race is the second of three iShares Endurance Races in the 2007 Extreme 40 sailing calendar, the core of which are four premier European-based iShares Cup events where the Extreme 40 fleet is pitted against each other in three days of competitive racing.

iShares Cup

Extreme 40 Basilica took the lead after day one of racing at the iShares Cup, Munich. Ending the day with a perfect score with four wins, the British team, helmed by Robert Greenhalgh, became the team to beat on Lake Starnberg. The six-boat Extreme 40 fleet got four races out of five away on the first racing day, in only 2-3 knots with a maximum of five. Built super-light, these 40ft catamarans can get up speed in light airs. If luck was indeed the key to success, then Basilica had buckets of it. The team was met with applause from spectators as they completed their final race of the day, securing their Mumm Champagne moment at the prizegiving. Scoring four straight wins gave them 40-points and a seven point lead ahead of second-place Tommy Hilfiger who also found the benefit of being consistent and continually chased down Basilica out on the racetrack. A great start for the team who only took delivery of their new boat last week.

Great Britain's Robert Greenhalgh helmed his Extreme 40 Basilica, crewed by Peter Greenhalgh, Justin Slattery and James Grant, to victory on the second racing day on Lake Starnberg in the first event of the iShares Cup Extreme 40 season. It went to the wire with the final race proving the decider. Greenhalgh kept his cool even after scoring a last place in the penultimate race and kept Jean-Christophe Mourniac's Volvo Ocean Race Extreme 40 at bay. The Brits topped the scoreboard of the three-day competition, that saw the maximum number of 15 races sailed and 25,000 spectators viewing the action. The race committee rescheduled racing on the final day to attempt to fit in nine races to reach the maximum 15 races allowed for each iShares Cup event. The six-boat fleet started at 09:00 local time in a moderate breeze although the wind varied in speed and direction throughout the day from 2 knots to the occasional hull-flying 8 knots. The next iShares Cup Extreme 40 event will be held in Marseille from 7-9 July but before then some of the fleet will head to Lake Geneva to compete in one of Europe's largest endurance races, the 82-mile Bol d'Or Mirabaud.

VOR Remains Active with iShares Cup

The opening round of the inaugural iShares Cup, formerly the Volvo Extreme 40 series, started on Lake Starnberg, near Munich, this weekend with some notable names on the entry list. A total of six boats faced the starter for the first race. Jean-Christophe Mourniac, the 37-year-old French skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race Extreme 40, will be among a field of sailors from Volvo, America’s Cup, Olympic Games and solo offshore fame. Robert Greenhalgh and Justin Slattery, winners aboard ABN AMRO ONE in the 2005-06 Volvo, will join forces on Team Basilica along with Robert’s brother Peter. This is Team Basilica’s second year of Extreme 40 competition, having finished second overall in the 2005-06 Volvo Extreme 40 series. Dutch-born Carolijn Brouwer, 34, who completed two legs of the 2001-02 Volvo on the all-woman crew of Amer Sports Too, is skipper of Holmatro. She is joined by Dirk de Ridder, who was part of the Pirates of the Caribbean crew which finished second overall in the 2005-06 race. De Ridder is also Operations Director for the 2008-09 race entry Mean Machine. Fellow Whitbread/Volvo yatchsman Nick Moloney it taking a break from his regular sailing schedule to skipper the Offshore Challenges team. Moloney has circumnavigated the globe three times, the first during the Whitbread Round the World Race 1997-1998, the Jules Verne Record in 2002 and the 2004-2005 Vendée Globe. German Olympian Gunnar Struckman completes the lineup. Conrad Humphreys’ team BLUE will fly the flag for environmental causes throughout the series. Former Vendee sailor Humphreys has pulled together an impressive squad including Beijing 2008 Olympic 49er campaigner Paul Campbell-James who at only 24, is the youngest helmsman on the circuit. Campbell-James, will be accompanied by 49er crew Mark Asquith, Boat Captain Hugh Fletcher, bowman Nick Hutton and double International 14 World Champion Duncan McDonald, brother of Neal who skippered the Ericsson Racing Team in the last Volvo Ocean Race. Skipper and owner Erik Filso Pedersen has purchased the ex-Tommy Hilfiger (winning boat in 2005-06) and will compete as Team SLAM Denmark.

iShares Cup Extreme 40

Starting tomorrow, Friday, 25 May, the first event of the iShares Cup Extreme 40 sailing season will kick-off in Munich on Lake Starnberg for three days of high-octane racing. With just over 24 hours to go until the starting gun of the first of 15 planned races, there are six boats assembled and out on the water tuning and putting in some last minute training sessions. This event will be the only one where teams will start with a clean slate; where there is no leader, there is no follower only the hope of finishing ahead and taking an early lead in the series. Some of the teams will be competing for the first time, whilst other teams are back to prove they are still on the pace and have what it takes to finish at the top. Each team's objective is to win the iShares Cup - the overall prize of the 2007 season - over the four scoring events.

The Extreme 40s excel in all weather conditions and can reach speeds in excess of 35 knots. Lights winds have been predicted for the event, yet this news has done little to dampen the spirits. Six teams will be competing at the iShares Cup, Munich, including three brand new boats. Four teams will be making their return to the Extreme 40 sailing circuit with two additional teams joining the foray for the first time.

iShares Cup Extreme 40

The iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series for 2007 was officially confirmed today when Ellen MacArthur sailed up the River Thames onboard an Extreme 40 catamaran. The iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series will comprise of four premier regattas and will showcase some of the world’s most exciting racing, at Europe’s leading sailing venues. Up to seven high-performance Extreme 40s will do battle on race courses set close to the shore, providing awesome views and thrilling racing for spectators. The Extreme 40 crews are studded with past, present and future Olympians – including six sailors who are aiming to compete at Beijing 2008. They will be joined by sailors from the ocean racing world and the America’s Cup.