RussianFirst make it 12 teams for Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 4
by Extreme Sailing Series 10 Jun 2014 17:04 BST
26-29 June 2014
RussianFirst have been training on Pirogovo Lake near Moscow ahead of Act 4 © Andrey Razdobari
With just over two weeks to go before the Extreme Sailing Series™ makes its Russian debut (26-29 June), organiser's OC Sport, have announced a 12-strong fleet, with the addition of the first ever all-Russian Extreme 40 team, RussianFirst. The team – which is largely made up of sailors from Russia's Olympic team – will take on the 11 elite level teams of the Series on their home waters at Act 4 Saint Petersburg, presented by Land Rover. Extreme Sailing Series Technical Partner SAP has also been announced as Host Venue Partner to the Saint Petersburg Act, as part of SAP's ongoing journey to transform the world of sports and entertainment for fans around the world.
SAP became Technical Partner to the Series in 2012 and is also title sponsor of the Danish entry, SAP Extreme Sailing Team. Through their innovative technology, they are transforming the world of sailing; helping sailors optimize their performance, bringing fans closer to the action, enabling media to provide a more informed commentary and helping the Extreme Sailing Series to run more efficiently through their race management application. The event in Saint Petersburg provides the perfect platform for SAP to showcase its technology.
"SAP is proud to work with the Extreme Sailing Series and SAP Extreme Sailing Team to help deliver cloud based technology solutions to improve team performance and to simplify how fans and broadcasters stay engaged in the sport from the shoreline," said Chris Burton, Group Vice President, Global Sponsorships, SAP. "As Host Venue Partner at Act 4 in Saint Petersburg we are pleased to demonstrate the power of the SAP Cloud solutions in this exciting venue. Russia is integral to SAP's success and future growth, most importantly a base for innovation, where we work closely with our partners and customers to help them simplify the way they do business with world class cloud technology solutions for Russia and the world."
The team on RussianFirst – who have been fine-tuning their multihull skills on Pirogovo Lake near Moscow – will be supported by Barkli, an investment and construction corporation company based in Moscow. One of Russia's most successful Olympic sailors, Georgy Shayduko, will wear the captains' armband as skipper. Shayduko, who represented his country at four Olympic Games from 1988 – 2000, including picking up a silver medal in the Soling keelboat at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, described what spectators can expect from the racing: "Saint Petersburg is a unique place in Russia with long maritime traditions, that date back to the times of Peter the Great, the founder of the city. Taking place right in the heart of the city, on the waters of the Neva river, the Extreme 40 races will turn the embankments of the Neva into the stadium stands. My team and me have been dreaming of participating in such a professional series in Russia for a very long time. We will do our best to compete well and are looking forward to the competition."
Sergey Dzhienbaev – a diverse high-performance Olympic class sailor, who is currently campaigning for Rio 2016 in the mixed Nacra 17 – will be in the driving seat as helmsman. The teams' mainsheet trimmer will be Russia's 2008 Olympic Tornado representative Pavel Kalinchev, while 49er sailor Pavel Karachov will be the powerhouse at the front of the boat as bowman. Leonid Kazinets, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Barkli as well as world champion skydiver, will be the teams' headsail trimmer.
The teams will race in the heart of the city on the River Neva, on one of the tightest stadium racecourses the fleet will visit this year. Known for its tactically challenging, light-wind sailing conditions, the racing is expected to be like a game of chess, with the focus on reading your opponents, plotting your moves and executing expertly.
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