Extreme Sailing Series heads to Nice for Act 7

by Extreme Sailing Series on 21 Sep 2012 The penultimate Act of the 2012 Extreme Sailing Series™ global tour is being held in the international City of Nice nestled on the French Riviera, from the 18th to 21st October – a stunning setting for Act 7.

Nice, a city seeped in history and culture, will welcome the eight Extreme 40 teams, including a local entry Extreme Ville de Nice (previously ZouLou), for a second year as they battle for supremacy on the Bay of Angels in France. In 2011 the French-flagged Groupe Edmond de Rothschild celebrated victory in Nice on home turf in the final race that played out in front of thousands of spectators who lined the famous Promenade des Anglais. But the 2012 pre-season favorites have struggled to live up to the name so far this Series heading to Nice to fourth place overall. Skipper Pierre Pennec will be looking to turn the teams fortunes around as attentions and strategies will surely be turning to the final event of the 2012 Series in Brazil, as the battle for the overall Series podium intensifies. Four teams are in the fray for the overall Series title including the two Omani teams The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air – currently first and second respectively with the Austrian Red Bull Sailing Team in third ahead of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild.

Nice is no stranger to hosting world-class international sporting events, an achievement which was recognised when the city was granted status as the European City of Sport 2011. The Extreme Sailing Series sits alongside numerous international events hosted in the city including the French Riviera Marathon (Nice-Cannes), the IronMan, the Nice Cote d’Azur ATP Tennis Open and upcoming events the Francophone Games and the Tour de France in 2013, the European Masters Games in 2015 and the Euro 2016 – all events, which Mayor Christian Estrosi says, are important to the development of sport in Nice and the recognition of the city on the international sporting stage. 'Sport has been a major focus of our policy since 2008 and is at the heart of the internataional aspect of Nice Côte d'Azur. The city boasts a unique location, at the crossroads between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea which is attractive, innovative, open to the world and ideally positioned to welcome international sporting events such as the Extreme Sailing Series'.

Rémi Duchemin, CEO of Extreme Sailing Series event organisers OC Sport, commented: 'By the end of the 2012 global tour, the Extreme Sailing Series will have visited 7 iconic venues, including Nice which we will return to for the second consecutive year. OC Sport works closely with the City of Nice in the organisation of several of our events not just the Extreme Sailing Series, including the Haute Route Geneva-Nice cyclosportive and our partnership with the French Riviera Marathon (Nice-Cannes) and we have always been impressed with their ability to host international events.' He continued, 'All of our venues are chosen because of their ability to showcase the sport and the stadium racing style and Nice lends itself perfectly to that - in 2011 the Extreme 40s raced just metres off the beach and thousands of spectators watched them for the first time. We are really looking forward to returning to Nice.'

The event opens to the public on the 19th October with a public Race Village on the Promenade des Anglais, in front of the Théâtre de Verdure, and a programme of non-stop entertainment on the water to keep the crowds entertained, including the Jaguar NeilPryde Racing Series, which will see some of France’s top windsurfing talent battle it out for their share of US$3000 prize money.

Extreme Sailing Series website