Basilica Extreme 40 Team in Loch Ness Monster Race

by Becky Hayes on 22 Aug 2007 The Basilica Extreme 40 Team has announced it will take part in the 2007 Loch Ness Monster race which takes place on Saturday 25th August on Loch Ness. The race, a fifty mile endurance event, will see over forty catamarans from across the UK sailing twice the length of Loch Ness. Basilica, one of the fastest sailing boats in existence, will be sailed by the UK’s top sailors and will be the fastest boat on the water. At speeds in excess of thirty knots, Basilica will be the boat to beat, demonstrating why it currently sits at the top of the iShares Cup Championship.

Since its impressive performance at the penultimate round of the iShares Cup at Cowes earlier this month, Basilica will be favourites to win the event and is set to be one of the star attractions of the day. The forty foot catamaran, crewed by a combination of iShares Cup sailor James Grant and guest crew members Olympic Gold medallist Mike Mcintyre, Americas Cup sailor David Carr and James George, will be an impressive sight as it sails on one hull against the dramatic backdrop of Loch Ness. The Team is currently leading the iShares Cup Pan-European sailing series following a hat-trick of wins at the first three legs in Marseille, Munich and Cowes.

Following the success of races in previous years, the 2007 Loch Ness Monster Race is set to be the biggest and best yet. Over one hundred individual competitors will race past the stunning Urquhart Castle to the turning mark at Fort Augustus. Competitors will then battle their way back to the quiet village of Dores to complete the non-stop, fifty mile ordeal. The high-performance fleet promises to be the largest turnout for a UK long distance race this year, with higher numbers than the well established East Coast Piers Race and the Weston Fast Boat Race.

Team Basilica’s boat captain, James Grant commented: 'We are really looking forward to the Loch Ness Monster Race. It’s a fantastic event and we will be competing against some of the UK’s top sailors in a fantastic location. Basilica is sure to wow the crowds and it goes without saying that we want to continue our winning form and cross the finish line first!'

The Loch Ness Monster Race takes place on the 25th August.

The final leg of the iShares Cup will be held in Amsterdam from 14th – 16th September. Team Basilica is on firmly on course to be the inaugural winners of the iShares Cup.