The world famous Extreme Sailing Series returns to Cardiff this summer for the sixth year in a row. The series, which holds races all over the world, from China to North America, comes to Cardiff for the sixth race of the year, before moving on to San Diego.
The competition features six teams from Austria, Denmark, Oman, Switzerland, New Zealand and the UK, as well as the wildcard Team Extreme, who joined the series for one race in Madeira. The Extreme Sailing Series is celebrating its 10th year of racing, following the formation of the event in 2007. The all-British team Land Rover BAR Academy will be hoping to claim their first win of the series in Cardiff.
The Cardiff race will be held over the Bank Holiday weekend, and fans will flock to Cardiff Bay to see the high-octane event as the six teams fight to win. A free to enter Race Village will be available to fans located next to the Norwegian Church overlooking the bay. VIP packages are also available, where dedicated fans of sailing can get up close to the catamarans and even get the chance to be a guest sailor on the boats as they race. These packages are rather pricey though, ranging from £300 to £850.
The races themselves are relatively short and even if you’ve never watched a sailing race before, it’s easy to understand: first past the finish line wins. A team gets 12 points for a win, 11 for second place and so on. There’s plenty of rounds of racing over the weekend, so there’s loads of chances for teams to take a win home.
The 2016 Cardiff race was won by the Oman Air team, who went on to finish as runners up of the overall series, and attracted huge crowds of sailing fans and intrigued audiences alike. The 2017 race promises to be just as exciting, with all six teams vying to take control of the series.
Extreme Sailing Series, Cardiff Bay, Fri 25-Mon 28 Aug. Admission: free. Info: www.extremesailingseries.com
words THOMAS HADFIELD