Chris Draper returns as Skipper as GAC Pindar head for Istanbul
by Neil Brotherston 28 Sep 2015 19:04 BST
1-4 October 2015
The GAC Pindar Extreme 40 © Mark Lloyd / Lloyd Images
GAC Pindar have today announced the return of Great Britain's Olympic Bronze medallist Chris Draper as skipper going into the penultimate Extreme Sailing Series event of the 2015 season, Istanbul. Draper, who has won multiple World and European titles and was victorious in the 2009 Extreme Sailing Series on board Oman Sail, previously co-skippered GAC Pindar in Leg 4 in Cardiff earlier this year.
GAC Pindar go into Istanbul off the back of their most successful regatta ever in St Petersburg, where a remarkable final day of racing saw them claim five podium finishes, with three first place finishes in a row. The team looked to have found a winning combination with Adam Minoprio (Tactician) and Seve Jarvin (Mainsail Trimmer) on board and the addition of Draper will only serve to strengthen the team further.
Draper commented, "I had such a great experience in Cardiff with the GAC Pindar team. We competed brilliantly and only narrowly missed out on a podium spot, so to get the chance to come back in and compete in Istanbul is fantastic. We've got such a great crew for this regatta, so I'm fully expecting us to be competing for top honours come the end of the week."
GAC Pindar regulars James Wierzbowski and Tyson Lamond complete the crew line-up, in what is the team's most experienced roster yet. Team Principal, Andrew Pindar hopes that he's found the perfect blend to go one better than St Petersburg and claim their first podium finish of the year, "We were absolutely fantastic in St Petersburg – rarely has such a dominant day's sailing been seen before, so I was incredibly proud of the guys. To be able to add a sailor of Chris Draper's calibre to an already successful mix will stand us in good stead for Istanbul. We've seen real progress this season and we're looking to finish the year with a flourish in Istanbul and Sydney."
Racing begins in Istanbul at 14:30 (GMT+3) on Thursday 1st 2015 October.