Extreme Sailing Series 2014 Act 8 - Superb podium finish for Realteam

by Realteam Sailing on 16 Dec 2014 Extreme Sailing Series 2014 Act Eight - The Realteam Swiss sailing squad wrapped up a magnificent 2014 season last weekend with a third place at Act Eight of the Extreme Sailing Series in Sydney which was enough to put them on the third step of the season championship podium; another excellent result to add to their second place at the Vulcain Trophy on Lake Geneva. The team, led by Jerome Clerc, will not compete on the 2015 Extreme circuit but intends instead to focus entirely on the Decision 35 Vulcain Trophy season in Switzerland.

Sydney, The professional sailing squad onboard Realteam capped a superb 2014 season with a third place in Sydney last weekend that put them on the third step of the overall Extreme Sailing Series Championship podium. With a second place on Lake Geneva at the Decision 35 Vulcain Trophy Championship Series already in the bag – just two points adrift of first place won by Alinghi – the team was on form going into Sydney and they stood out against the world’s elite sailors racing the circuit.

With only Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat – two of the strongest teams on the circuit – ahead of them on the podium, third place was an excellent reward for a job well done: 'It’s a fantastic result for the whole team and a great reward for all the hard work,' said skipper Jerome Clerc. 'We were determined to sail at our absolute best in Sydney and to make it on to the podium. We had two excellent days and managed to strengthen our performance on the final day.'

Conditions throughout the event were tough – day one was blown out altogether and the following days proved tricky with collisions and capsizes upping the drama on the water, but Realteam remained consistent throughout and it paid off. 'We really enjoyed sailing on Sydney harbour and were very happy to finish the season on such a high note. This result is the product of several years of hard work and of a devoted and very tight crew!' added Clerc.

For 2015, Realteam, led by Jerome Clerc and Bruno Barbarin, have decided to focus on the Swiss Vulcain Trophy so will not participate in the next round of Extreme Sailing. 'I am very proud of all that we have achieved this year, we have exceeded all our objectives. I’d like to thank all of those that supported us throughout the season, particularly the crew, and our partners Realstone and TeamWork,' said the skipper. 'We have really enjoyed the Extreme Sailing Series circuit and have learned a lot. The quality of the organisation and high media interest have been valuable assets to our partners and have meant that they could benefit from high end hospitality programmes the world over.'

2014 Extreme Sailing Series – general ranking
1. Alinghi (SUI) 85 points
2. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 75 points
3. Realteam by Realstone (SUI) 61 points
4. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 49 points
5. J.P. Morgan BAR (GBR) 49 points
6. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 40 points
7. Oman Air (OMA) 38 points
8. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 36 points
9. Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) 30 points
10. Groupama sailing team (FRA) 26 points
11. GAC Pindar (AUS) 13 points

Extreme Sailing Series Act Eight Sydney – results
1. Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre-Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 189 points
2. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 177 points
3. Realteam by Realstone (SUI) Jerome Clerc, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Bruno Barbarin, Bryan Mettraux, Thierry Wasem 168 points
4. Oman Air (OMA) Tom Slingsby, Ted Hackney, Kyle Langford, Joey Newton, Ali Al Balushi 157 points
5. J.P. Morgan BAR (GBR) Ben Ainslie, Nick Hutton, Paul Campbell-James, Bleddyn Mon, Matt Cornwell 156 points
6. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Mark Bulkeley, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson 151 points
7. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Køstner, Thierry Douillard, Christian Kamp, Brad Farrand 145 points
8. Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) Igor Lisovenko, Phil Robertson, Matt Adams, Pete Cumming, Aleksey Kulakov 143 points
9. Groupama sailing team (FRA) Franck Cammas, Tanguy Cariou, Romain Motteau, Thierry Fouchier, Hervé Cunningham 124 points
10. GAC Pindar (AUS) Nathan Wilmot, Seve Jarvin, Matt Mitchell, Tyson Lamond, James Wierzbowski 90 Event website