News
Round 1: Alicante triumphs
Fri Oct 10 13:13:00 +0100 2008
Alicante got the 2008 eXtreme 40 Grand Prix off to a great beginning, as the fleet entertained thousands of visitors to the Volvo Ocean Race start — and the home boat, Alicante 2008-09, lifted the trophy for round one of the four-event series.After four days of fantastically close battles on the water, in the end the eXtreme 40 Series | Alicante Grand Prix was decided on shore. As the six extreme 40s docked after racing yesterday, both Alicante 2008-09 and Delta Lloyd/Tommy Hilfiger were tied on equal points. But following a protest hearing yesterday evening Randy Smyth and crew on Delta Lloyd/ Tommy Hilfiger were disqualified from the final race, dropping them two points back into second overall.
Today, after a tense wait for an ease in the 30-knot breezes battering the Spanish port, race organisers had no choice but to abandon racing as conditions failed to abate this afternoon – handing victory to Alicante 2008-09. The new team of skipper JC Mourniac, Johnny Hutchcroft, Peter Greenhalgh and John Casey had topped the leaderboard for much of the week, despite only sailing together for the first time just before Race 1. “What a brilliant result!” said Johnny Hutchcroft, who trims headsail on Alicante 2008-09. “We’ve been on tenterhooks all day — are we going to go sailing, do we have to keep the game going? But now they’ve just abandoned it and so we’ve won!
“I’m really pleased because it really gelled between the team this week. None of us have ever sailed together before and we all come from different classes, so just to jump onto one of the oldest boats in the fleet and get it together with a new crew, and beat some of the very best sailors is just out of this world for me, and I’m sure for the rest of the crew too.”
Celebrities and spectators
American skipper Randy Smyth and crew of Mischa Heemskerk, Pim Nieuwenhuis and bowman Pieter Jan Postma on Delta Lloyd/Tommy Hilfiger had to settle for second in round one of the 2008 eXtreme 40 Grand Prix. But there was some consolation for the team on the final day, as they were joined by Spanish cycling hero and Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre for a quick high adrenalin blast around the bay.
In third was another new team, Orange B, skippered by Aaron Mcintosh, with Greg Homann, Sander Speet and Mark Kennedy. Every team took a turn at the front of the fleet, with six different winners of the eight races on day one alone! In total 25 races were held, as the extreme 40s put on a fantastic show every afternoon this week in the Darsena basin.
“So round one is over, and it was a great success, especially to see so many people watching the sailing here in Alicante — by the end of the week 750,000 people are expected to have been in the race village,” commented Herb Dercksen, Chief Executive Officer of TornadoSport. “That’s a huge success for sailing in general, and the number of people who got to see the eXtreme 40 Series was fantastic.
“It’s a pity we got a blowout of racing today, although Delta Lloyd/ Tommy Hilfiger went out and put on a little show. But we’re pretty happy with six boats and a great start to the extreme 40 Grand Prix. Everything will now be shipped to Singapore for the next stopover in the New Year.”
Round 2 takes place at the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Singapore from January 12 – 16, 2009, visit www.extreme40series.org to find out more.
OVERALL RESULTS:
1st Alicante 2008-09 72 points
2nd Delta Lloyd/Tommy Hilfiger 75 points
3rd OrangeB 86 points
4th Holmatro 88 points
5th Twins 100 points
6th Volvo Ocean Race 102 points.
Volvo Ocean Race Grand Prix starts this Monday in Alicante!
Sat Oct 04 09:07:00 +0100 2008
On Monday the 6th of October the first races start on the Extreme 40's during the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Prix in Alicante.With 6 Extreme 40s at the start we are looking forward to an exiting week of racing! It all takes place from Monday till Friday and are clearly visible from the harbour of Alicante.
Teams that have entered:
Holmatro
Twins
Tommy Hilfiger
The city of Alicante
Volvo Ocean Race
Spinfox
Carolijn Brouwer (NED) will be helming on Holmatro, Andreas Hagara main and tactics, Gerd Habermuller trim and bow, Mark van Gelderen bow.
More news on these teams and teammembers will follow shortly directly from Alicante.
De Extreme 40 is de toekomst van de catamaransport
Tue Sep 23 14:21:00 +0100 2008
De Amsterdamse zeilcondities waren grillig op de finale dag van de iShares Cup 2008. Het draaide allemaal om concentratie, omzeilen van probleemsituaties, oppikken van winddruk en soms een beetje om geluk. Tien X40 multihulls streden op de wedstrijdbaan van het IJ met aan weerszijden hoge gebouwen. De wind werd daardoor behoorlijk onvoorspelbaar, waarmee het Nederlandse Team Holmatro moeite had. Het viel daardoor terug naar de vijfde plaats overall. Andreas Hagara (AUT) geeft nu het roer terug aan Carolijn Brouwer (BEL), die zijn taak overneemt tijdens de Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series tijdens de Volvo Ocean Race. Beide schippers deelden hun gedachten over de toekomst van de catamaransport.“Dit was het eerste jaar dat het niveau zoveel hoger was vanwege de America’s Cup syndicaten die meedoen”, zei Hagara zondagmorgen in het wedstrijddorp langs het IJ. “In 2007 was Basilica (tegenwoordig Team ORIGIN) een klasse apart, maar Alinghi heeft de volgende stap laten zien. De andere teams hebben het gat met Origin gedicht, maar Alinghi was onverslaanbaar. Zij gaan in alle omstandigheden hard, varen constant en raken niet in problemen verzeild. Dat kun je alleen maar doen als je veel vertrouwen in elkaar en de manoeuvres hebt. Zij besteden uren, weken en maanden samen op de boot.” Ondanks de terugval van de vierde naar de vijfde positie overall, is Hagara tevreden met dit eindresultaat: “Het zat dicht op elkaar.”
‘Eigenlijk zouden de Spelen meer zoals dit moeten zijn’
Zeilen als 'publieksport'Het komt niet vaak voor dat Carolijn Brouwer vanaf de wal naar wedstrijden van collega’s kijkt, maar in Amsterdam deed ze dat wel. Brouwer: “Toekijken was frustrerend, maar ik moet eerlijk toegeven dat ik vandaag soms blij was dat ik niet zelf meedeed. Het was echt moeilijk en zo’n zenuwslopend spelletje.” Na haar teleurstellende twaalfde plaats op de Spelen van 2008, bracht Brouwer twee weken door op een eiland. Zonder telefoon en laptop.
“Het was een goede verwerkingstherapie om even weg te zijn. Mijn hoofd is nog niet helemaal leeg, want ik denk er wel elke dag aan. Maar als ik hier dan de Extreme’s terugzie, ben ik gewoon weer fit. Dit is een heel ander wereldje. Eigenlijk zouden de Olympische Spelen meer moeten zijn zoals dit. Het hele idee achter de iShares Cup is dat als je het publiek niet naar het zeilen kunt krijgen, moet je het zeilen naar het publiek brengen.”
Volgens de Tornado-stuurvrouw probeert de ISAF dit bij de Spelen met de Medal Race: “Alleen hier zit er spektakel en show bij. Je kunt de boten zo ongeveer aanraken. Sommige mensen zeggen dat het niveau wat minder is, maar je ziet toch AC-teams die meedoen. Ik loop hier nu drie dagen rond en de crème de la crème van het zeilen is aanwezig. Of het nou om olympische niveau gaat, de America’s Cup of Volvo Ocean Race. Ze zijn er allemaal. Om daar dan onderdeel van te zijn, is natuurlijk leuk. Gezien de groei van de vloot werkt het concept goed. In 2005 waren er vijf Extreme 40’s. Nu ligt de achttiende in de mal.”
Toekomst catamaransport
Close racing op het IJZowel Andreas Hagara als Carolijn Brouwer geloven dat de Extreme 40-klasse de toekomst van het wedstrijdzeilen met catamarans is. Brouwer: “De jeugd van nu wil actie, sensatie en snelheid. Dat heeft de Extreme 40 te bieden. We moeten dus niet bij de langzame, open boten blijven steken die maar 4/5 knopen doen. Dit is de toekomst. Ik denk alleen niet dat de Extreme 40 olympisch kan worden, want er zijn zeker vier personen nodig om zo’n cat te varen. Terwijl we terug moeten van 400 naar 380 atleten tijdens de Spelen. Maar het zou een perfect circuit zijn voor voormalige en huidige olympiërs.”
Als de geruchten over het behoud van de elfde medaille waar zijn en de multihull een tweede kans voor de Spelen van 2012 krijgt, gaat Hagara’s voorkeur uit naar de Tornado: “Dat is mijn persoonlijke favoriet, maar dan wel met gewijzigde regels. Het moet meer een eenheidsklasse worden zoals de Extreme 40, zodat de kosten voor de teams omlaag gaan. Dus één zeilmaker en één bootbouwer voor iedereen. De ontwikkeling van de Code Zero voor Qingdao kostte bijvoorbeeld veel geld. Uiteindelijk voor niets.” Strikte regels besparen niet alleen budget, maar ook tijd. Hagara: “Ze moeten het water op en trainen. Bovendien wordt het voor jongeren makkelijker om in te stappen. De drempel wordt immers verlaagd.”
OR Grand Prix in aantocht
Op 6 oktober verschijnt de Holmatro Extreme 40 in Alicante (ESP) aan de start van de eerste serie van de VOR Grand Prix 2008-09. Daarmee keert Brouwer terug van haar olympische avontuur in de Tornado: “Ik heb enorm veel zin om weer aan de slag te gaan. Ik heb deze week met de gasten gezeild, zodat ik er een beetje kon inkomen. Het is toch een iets grotere boot dan ik gewend ben, dus je hebt even de tijd nodig. Gelukkig mag ik bij een bemanning opstappen, die heel erg ervaren is.” Andreas Hagara wordt de tacticus en grootzeiltrimmer, Mark van Gelderen (NED) trimt de genua en gennaker en Gerd Habermüller (AUT) staat op zijn vertrouwde positie als voordekker.
Door Diana Bogaards
Holmatro ING RE Dutch Champion IRC
Tue Sep 23 13:26:00 +0100 2008
This weekend Holmatro ING RE won the Dutch Championship IRC in IJmuiden. After three days of racing in light conditions, the team managed to keep Connect Lesonal behind them.
1 NED 7842 HOLMATRO ING RE
2 ESP 6110 CONNECT LESONAL
3 NED 7877 FRD-XPERIENCE
4 NED 7709 SLAINTE
5 NED 1106 DAIKIN AIRCO
iShares Cup goes Dutch for nail-biting final in the 2008 Series
Thu Sep 18 09:06:00 +0100 2008
In brief- Grand finale of the iShares Cup kicks off tomorrow in Amsterdam
- Dutch Olympic medalists join the fleet for today's practice racing
- Joint leaders TEAMORIGIN and Alinghi currently tied on equal points
- Two Dutch boats and 10 Dutch crew members race on home waters in the IJ-Haven canal, just inches off Java Island
In detail
The iShares Cup fleet had their final shakedown before the final of the 2008 series today, with three practice races before the serious business of deciding the overall champions begins tomorrow.
The 10 Extreme 40s took to the IJ-Haven canal, a narrow strip of water just a few minutes away from Amsterdam city centre, off Java Island. Cheered on by scores of school children who lined the dockside to marvel at the Extreme 40s whizzing past just inches away, the iShares Cup skippers all put on a show by flying a hull and waving to the cheering spectators.
Some of the Dutch crew taking part in the iShares Cup at Amsterdam (l-r): Mark van Gelderen, Gerhard van Geest, Mischa Heemskerk, Sander Speet, Pieter Van Neiuwenhuyzen and Ed van Lierde.
© Sander van der Borch/iShares
The home crowd had plenty of local sailing stars to cheer for - with ten Dutch sailors on board the Extreme 40s, a quarter of the top quality fleet are from the host nation. Herbert Dercksen skippers the all-Dutch Volvo Ocean Race crew, and helped develop the Extreme 40 class specifically for this kind of sailing in the city. "It's great that you can fly a hull in such a small space, it's really good, just what the boats are designed for. It's all excitement, we had an entire school on the side of the canal cheering for you and they even know the team names - what more you could you want!"
"We hope to do really well here, and put in a good performance. It's going to be a great venue, a lot can happen. If you're last then you could still be first, and if you're first then you could suddenly be last, so a lot could happen!" he added.
The iShares Cup fleet were joined today by four Dutch Olympic medalists for the informal afternoon of racing. Marcelien de Koning, silver medalist in the 470 class crewed onboard iShares, whilst Herbert Dercksen stepped aside from his usual position on the helm of the Volvo Ocean Race Extreme 40, as the team were joined by Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Merel Witteveen, who have just returned from winning silver in the Yngling sailing class at Beijing.
"I had to do the hard job!" joked Herb, as he moved from the tiller onto the mainsheet winch. "I had two of the Yngling girls who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games, they steered the whole day and did a fantastic job. Mandy's ready for helming one of the 40s that's for sure."
"It was really, really cool! We weren't the fastest, we have to practice a little, but we need a girls' boat next time!" said Merel after racing. "It was wonderful sailing," added Mandy, who helmed for the day - including a tricky spinnaker start. "The downwind start was a bit difficult to begin with - there were boats everywhere and Herbert was saying 'Go between them!' and we were saying 'No, we can't!'."
Dutch Olympic silver medallist Marcelien de Koning joined the iShares Extreme 40 (helmed by Hugh Styles) at Amsterdam
© Sander van der Borch/iShares
There was plenty more Dutch interest in the fleet as Olympic sailor Marcelien de Koning joined the iShares catamaran for the day's racing, having won a silver medal at Beijing in the 470 class. "What an awesome experience. I've heard a lot about these boats, but have never been on one, so to have the chance to sail today with iShares in Amsterdam was too good an opportunity to miss. I've had such a great time, I hope to come back over the weekend and cheer the team on."
The bright orange Holmatro catamaran is also flying the flag for the home country. Skipper Andreas Hagara was looking forward to having plenty of supporters at the iShares Cup final: "We are going to be really busy with a lot of guests because Holmatro is a Dutch company and half our crew is Dutch.
"Amsterdam is a fantastic place to have the final. Racing this close to the harbour walls will be exhilarating for both the teams and the spectators. I can't wait for the first start tomorrow."
Tommy Hilfiger racing at Amsterdam prior to the 2008 iShares Cup final
© Sander van der Borch/iShares
Tommy Hilfiger have also got strong connections with the Netherlands, "Tommy Hilfiger is a Dutch-owned company and the American image of Tommy Hilfiger fits perfectly with the US team, it's a really good match," said skipper Randy Smyth. Randy and his team got things off to a good start today by winning the final practice race, while Shirley Robertson on JPMorgan Asset Management again showed her skill in light and shifty winds to take the first of today's races.
The Amsterdam venue could well be one of the trickiest so far, with light winds, sudden puffs and shifts, and an ultra-small racecourse to contend with, but it didn't phase Randy Smyth. "Actually we kind of like this stuff, it's like we have a really short attention span!" he joked about the continually changing places.
"It's funny, last year we had eight boats and it was kind of crowded, but this year there's 10 boats on the same sized body of water but what you can really see is that we're all sailing the boats better. All the teams are experienced and they can predict each others' moves, so it's not as hair-raising."
Racing takes place tomorrow from 1.00pm, with a parade of sail along Java Island before races in the IJ-Haven, Amsterdam.
This is the future! — Holmatro
Mon Sep 15 15:36:00 +0100 2008
Next weekend (19-21 september) all eyes might be on the duel for victory in the citycenter of Amsterdam between TEAMORIGIN and Alinghi — tied on equal points — but the fight for third is shaping up to be equally tough.Holmatro go into the finale of the iShares Cup in fourth place, but are determined to finish in the chocolates! “We are only two points behind BT, so we go for a podium finish in Amsterdam,” said Holmatro tactician Mischa Heemskerk.
“Kiel was one of the best iShares Cup series so far,” said Holmatro skipper Andreas Hagara. “The location was perfect and we had great sailing conditions. The first day was a bit of a lottery with the light and shifty breeze, but [on the final day] we had 12 to 15 knots.
“I think about 80,000 people in total came to watch the series in Kiel. It was a fantastic show. They all cheered for us. Sailing has many different disciplines and I think the Extreme 40 class is the best one. It brings racing close to the cities and the spectators. The concept works for everyone. The sponsor gets a good return in terms of coverage, the sailors can do what they like to do and the crowd seems to like it.”
Heemskerk agreed: “This is the future of our sport. For us it is a pleasure to compete in a series like the iShares Cup. At the bottom mark close to the shore, I pull twice as hard on the sheet if I hear the crowd cheering for us. It was a fantastic event with three days of spectacle.”
BT, skippered by Nick Moloney, are currently in third place overall on 25 points, ahead of Holmatro on 23. Behind them in fifth place Oman Sail, skippered by Pete Cumming, are on 21 points, with Round 1 winner Shirley Robertson and JPMorgan Asset Management on 20. There are 10 points available at the finale, which takes place from 19-21st September in Amsterdam.
For a full interview with Andreas Hagara and Mischa Heemskerk after Round 4 of the iShares Cup at Kiel seehttp://www.bymnews.com
Unfortunate final day for Team Holmatro at iShares Cup Kiel
Mon Sep 01 11:58:00 +0100 2008
“We were a bit unlucky today”, said helmsman Andreas Hagara (AUT) on Sunday evening. “We could have had a really good come back, but the jury on the water made a wrong call. They were not in the right position to see what was going on. After having watched the video, they admitted their fault. It was obvious we had overlap all the time, but a judgment on the water is final.” According to tactician Mischa Heemskerk (NED) they approached the bottom mark on starboard tack with rights, but Alinghi did not give enough room. Heemskerk: “Therefore we could not avoid a collision anymore. We had a choice between crashing into Alinghi or Team Origin. Since we had about the same speed as the British, we thought the impact would be less. We hit their stern, after which they made water.” Team Holmatro did not agree with the black flag and asked for redress. Heemskerk: “Going into the double scoring last race, the jury came by to tell us that we would not get it.” A disqualification remained their score. Hagara: “This cost us our third position overall. It would have been better to extend the gap, to make it easier for Amsterdam.”Collision with umpire boat
On Sunday morning, Team Holmatro was determined to make up for some poor results in the first two days. Heemskerk: “We did not do so well. Although the starts were much better. We worked on getting off the line with good speed, in which we succeeded. But sometimes we had bad luck. Other competitors would just get a puff or shift and we would not.” However, the final day commenced unexpected. Heemskerk: “At the first mark, an umpire boat was too close and we had not seen them. We hit them and found the jury underneath our cat, but fortunately nobody was injured.” After all the issues with umpires, Team Holmatro came back strongly with two bullets and a third in row. The Dutchmen finished ninth in the final race. Heemskerk: “We are only two points behind BT, so we go for a podium finish in Amsterdam.”
'One of the best events'
“Kiel was one of the best iShares Cup series so far. The location was perfect and we had great sailing conditions. The first day was a bit of a lottery with the light and shifty breeze, but today we had twelve to fifteen knots”, said Hagara enthusiastically. “I think about 80.000 people in total came to watch the series in Kiel. It was a fantastic show. They all cheered for us. Sailing has many different disciplines and I think the Extreme 40 class is the best one. It brings racing close to the cities and the spectators. The concept works for everyone. The sponsor gets a good return in terms of coverage, the sailors can do what they like to do and the crowd seems to like it.” Heemskerk totally agrees with his helm: “This is the future of our sport. For us it is a pleasure to compete in a series like the iShares Cup. At the bottom mark close to the shore, I pull twice as hard on the sheet if I hear the crowd cheering for us. It was a fantastic event with three days of spectacle.”
Top five iShares Cup Kiel (10 entries):
1. SUI – Alinghi, 139 points
2. GBR – Team Origin, 137 points
3. GBR – Team Aqua, 119 points
4. GBR – BT, 113 points
5. USA – Tommy Hilfiger, 105 points
7. NED – Team Holmatro, 98 points
Top five overall after four series:
1. SUI – Alinghi, 36 points
1. GBR – Team Origin, 36 points
3. GBR – BT, 25 points
4. NED – Team Holmatro, 23 points
5. Oman – Oman Sail, 21 points
About Holmatro
As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of hydraulic tools for rescue and industry, Holmatro also produces high-quality marine equipment for sailing yachts, with resounding success. The product line of Holmatro Marine Equipment BV comprises hydraulic rigging equipment, (classic) winches and rigging cutters for emergency situations.
By Diana Bogaards
Alinghi victory and Holmatro third at iShares Cup Cowes Week!
Mon Aug 04 10:33:00 +0100 2008
- Alinghi victorious at the UK round of the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week, with TEAMORIGIN finishing 2nd, Holmatro 3rd- TEAMORIGIN hold on to the overall lead in the 2008 iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series, with Alinghi 2nd and Holmatro 3rd
The final day produced continued drama that saw both Franck Cammas' BMW ORACLE Racing and JPMorgan Asset Management capsize in the first race of the day. A quick righting by Cammas' team enabled them to keep on racing, but JPMorgan Asset Management's rig was broken.
Alinghi win Round 3 of the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week © Matt Dickens/onEdition/OC Events
Holmatro finish 3rd overall in Round 3 of the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week © Matt Dickens/onEdition/OC Events
Day 3, iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week : BMW Oracle Racing Cammas capsize © Dan Towers/onEdition/OC Events
Wet and wild conditions on day 2 of iShares Cup Cowes
Sun Aug 03 10:12:00 +0100 2008
There were some exhausted looking crews at the end of Day 2 of the iShares Cup, after six grueling races were completed on another wet and wild day at Skandia Cowes Week. It was a day of close calls as Holmatro recovered from a near-capsize and Oman Sail crew had a lucky escape. Alinghi dominated with three race wins to extend their overall lead.
Day 2, iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week : Alinghi Extreme 40 © Matt Dickens/onEdition/OC Events
Day 2, iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week : Holmatro Extreme 40 © Matt Dickens/onEdition/OC Events
Day 2, iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week : BMW ORACLE Racing Spithill Extreme 40 © Matt Dickens/onEdition/OC Events
Day 2 Podium : (L-R) Andreas Hagara/Holmatro, Ed Baird/Alinghi, Franck Cammas/BMW ORACLE Racing © Matt Dickens/onEdition/OC Events
EXTREME 40s TO FEATURE AT STOPOVERS VOR
Tue Jul 15 14:29:00 +0100 2008
The Extreme 40 Series will be part of the on-the-water entertainment package at selected stopovers during the 2008-09 race.The Extreme 40s will feature in Alicante, Singapore, Qingdao, Boston and Stockholm with fleets of up to 10 boats.
The Extreme 40 is a new generation of mid-sized sports catamaran. The brainchild of Tornado Sport founder, Herbert Dercksen, it is a strict one-design catamaran that has been purposely designed and built to race inshore and short offshore regattas.
The concept is simple, it is easy to sail, lightweight, easily transportable and like the Volvo Open 70’s that will compete in the race, it is at the forefront of sailing technology.
In each port, the racing will take place between the in-port race weekend and the leg start weekend.
In the previous Volvo, the Extreme 40 series included over 80 races, in five countries, during seven months. Knut Frostad, Chief Executive Officer of the Volvo Ocean Race, said: “The inclusion of the Extreme 40s is based on the excitement the series generated in 2005-06.
“At stopovers during the previous Volvo, the Extreme 40s provided some fantastic racing and they are sure to catch the eye of visitors to the race village again this time round.”
http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2008/july/x40atstopovers/index.aspx?bhcp=1
