Extreme Sailing Series™ - SAP Extreme Sailing Team set to compete

by Gillian Clarke on 21 Jan 2015 With the Extreme Sailing Series™ ninth edition kicking off in just two weeks in Singapore, the SAP Extreme Sailing Team is set to compete in 2015 with eight full season pro teams in total on the starting grid. An impressive fleet that will face additional strong competition event by event from several wildcard entries during the year, including local ‘home’ teams, meaning the grid will be full with eight to nine boats at all the Acts.

Jes Gram-Hansen, Co-Skipper of the SAP Extreme Sailing Team, commented: 'Going into our fourth year, the level of competition will step up yet another gear, and we can expect the racing to once again be incredibly tight with Act winners only known in the closing minutes at each venue. As challengers for a podium place, we are coming back to the circuit more motivated than ever and with the objective of winning. This is not going to be easy considering the line-up and to be able to do it we must keep improving.' said Gram-Hansen.

As the Official Technical Partner of the Series and title sponsor of the SAP Extreme Sailing Team, SAP has continuously improved the experience for fans and enabled sailors to run simple. SAP continues to deliver enhanced analysis tools both pre and post-race, providing sailors, media and fans with greater insight into the on-water action than previously available. Both Jes Gram-Hansen and Rasmus Kostner, Co-skippers of the SAP Extreme Sailing Team, will continue to work closely with SAP to develop enhanced performance analysis features for this year’s Extreme Sailing Series. Features which support the decision-making process of sailors in order to increase the effectiveness of their racing strategy and execution.

This year, the SAP Extreme Sailing Team will see both Brad Farrand and Thierry Douillard continuing their tenure, they are packed with knowhow and adding to the line up with a Silver medalist youth 49er Worlds winner in Mads Emil Stephensen Lubeck. He might be new to multihulls but has demonstrated a true dedication for high performance racing. Onshore the team will be supported by the Sports Performance Director, 49er sailor Michael Hestbaek, a highly experienced competitor in Olympic Classes and World Championships. The team won’t take the challenge for podium lightly, and are expecting 2015 to be quite a different year and need to be ready off the starting block.

The confirmed circuit venues for the Extreme Sailing Series™ this year includes a German host venue, Hamburg. Rasmus Kostner commented: 'We’ve sailed in Germany a lot throughout our career and enjoy the challenges each venue brings. A big plus is the support for sailing in Germany, it’s huge, so winning over ever faithful fans and new fans can’t hurt. With our partnership with SAP we are proud of the origins and history associated with Germany and their sailing family. We have always experienced fantastic atmosphere at previous events.'