Hilfiger wins Baltimore Extreme 40 GP

by Chris Leigh on 4 May 2006 The all British Volvo Extreme 40 entry Team Basilica had a storming day’s racing on the final day of the Baltimore Grand Prix on Wednesday.

Having snatched third place on the line in race one, the Hayling Island based team went from strength to strength, taking second place in race two and winning the final race.

Despite the top performance, Basilica was unable to make up the eleven points it needed to claim second place from Holmatro, who finished runners-up to leg winners Tommy Hilfiger. The final results from Baltimore mean that Basilica remains in second place overall in the Grand Prix series standings on 20 points, six behind Hilfiger in first and one ahead of Holmatro in third.

Basilica got off to a terrible start in race one trailing the fleet in last position. However, a fantastic run to the finish line saw the British boat snatch third place from Motorola and Volvo Ocean Race. In the second race, Hilfiger led from start to finish as Basilica tried in vain to find a way past, eventually settling for second place. The crew’s persistence, however, paid off in the last race of the Baltimore leg as they exchanged the lead several times with Hilfiger before piping them to the line to snatch their third win of the leg.

Basilica skipper James Grant was very happy with his crew’s performance on the final day:

'We sailed extremely well today and although it was disappointing not to snatch second place from Holmatro, we can be very pleased with our performance overall in Baltimore. This third leg of the series has been a fantastic experience for all of us – an estimated 350,000 people were here over the weekend, making this the highest sailing spectator event ever in the U.S.! Whilst the conditions have been tricky, this has been a unique event – stadium sailing in the heart of the city – and given the competition we are delighted to have finished on the podium.'

Robin Gray, Team Director for Basilica, was pleased with the team’s third place and is looking forward to challenging Hilfiger in the next Grand Prix in Portsmouth:

'Sailing here has been a learning experience for all of us and with each day we have got better and better. Randy Smythe and Hilfiger had an unbelievable week and all credit goes to them and Holmatro for their terrific performances. A podium finish represents a good result for us and we will now set our sites on the next leg in Portsmouth. Sailing in front of our home crowd and on waters that we all know will be a great experience and we can’t wait to resume battle with all of the crews in the UK and look to overhaul Hilfiger at the top of the leader-board.'

The next Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix will take place in Portsmouth on 27 May – 3 June.

Final Baltimore Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Points Standings:
1. Hilfiger – 149 points
2. Holmatro –130 points
3. Basilica – 123 points
4. Motorola –98 points
5. Volvo Ocean Race – 91 points

Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series Overall Points Standings after Baltimore Grand Prix:
1. Tommy Hilfiger – 26 points
2. Basilica – 20 points
3. Holmatro – 19 points
4. Motorola CHR – 18 points
5. Volvo Ocean Race – 16 points

Remaining Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series Dates:

Portsmouth, UK 27 May – 3 June, 2006
Rotterdam, Netherlands 9-14 June, 2006