The tranquil waters of Cardiff Bay will soon be transformed into a racing arena, playing host to the Extreme Sailing Series this month. Returning to Cardiff for the fifth consecutive year, Act 3 will see some of the world’s elite sailors take to the waters for the thrilling competition.
For those of you that are not familiar with the adrenaline fuelled sport, the series consists of eight of the world’s top sailing teams who will compete to be crowned winners of Act 3 during the four-day event. The fast paced races last around 10 minutes and with weather conditions playing a big part in proceedings the teams, including Oman Air, Alinghi and the Red Bull Sailing Team, will be hoping for favourable conditions to land them a top spot on the leaderboard.
Now in its tenth year, organisers have unveiled the GC32 hydro-foiling catamaran, a smaller and faster vessel that can reach speeds of 32 knots and replaces the previous Extreme 40 catamaran. To give you an idea of the size of the vessel, it takes four hours to dismantle and pack each catamaran after an event and 21 40 foot containers will travel around the world to each location. Having already staged acts in Muscat and Qingdao as part of the 2016 series, the teams will be able to enjoy the urban cities of Hamburg, St Petersburg, Istanbul and Lisbon before the series finale in Australia.
The free event provides a unique experience, a little different to the usual boats spotted on the freshwater lake. You can catch a glimpse of the races from various viewpoints around the bay, with the barrage providing a particularly good vantage point to watch the exciting drama as it unfolds on the course. There’s also the option for a wildcard entry from the location’s national team so even if you’re new to following the sport you’ll get the chance to cheer on Team Wales.
Extreme Sailing Series, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 23-Sun 26 Jun. Admission: Free. Info: www.extremesailingseries.com
words RHIANON HOLLEY