Transport for NSW takes water safety to the Extreme

by Neil Patchett on 30 Nov 2015 Today Transport for NSW announces that it will be the safety partner for the Extreme Sailing Series event taking place on stunning Sydney Harbour in December.

This is the second year that Sydney has hosted the Extreme Sailing Series grand finale and fans across the globe will be watching, as the best sailors in the world battle it out for the title of 2015 Series champion.

The Extreme Sailing Series was established in 2007, and has been held in iconic cities around the world including Amsterdam, Venice, Saint Petersburg, Boston and Singapore. The Sydney event is the final round of the global tour and will see nine international teams including an Australian flagged squad, go head-to-head in Sydney waters.

As the safety partner and with Sydney Harbour in the spotlight, Transport for NSW will be ensuring that everyone enjoying a day out on the Harbour is reminded of the importance of wearing a lifejacket.

“Over the past decade nine out of ten people who drowned while boating weren’t wearing a lifejacket, a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

“Even if you’re a strong swimmer, if you’re in a craft under 4.8m at night, offshore, on alpine waters, alone, or have children under the age of 12 years, you need to all be wearing a lifejacket.

“The new generation slimline lifejackets look great, are easy to wear and won’t get in the way of your favourite activity on the water, even if that activity is competitive racing.

“You can find a range of lifejackets to suit a range of activities at Lifejacket Wear It, website the spokesperson said.

Phil Lawrence, Race Director of the Extreme Sailing Series said, 'We take safety very seriously at the Extreme Sailing Series and welcome Transport for NSW as the safety partner for our Sydney event, presented by Land Rover. This recognises that wearing the right safety gear, which includes lifejackets, and having a sound safety plan on the water, is vital for all boaters.

The event is also supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The Extreme Sailing Series racecourse area will be set on Farm Cove, within touching distance of thousands of shoreside spectators, who will be able to watch the action and cheer on the local team from the free-to-enter public Race Village at Mrs Macquaries Point.

The Race Village will be open daily from 10.00am, from 11-13 December 2015. More information can be found here.