Second Spanish challenger announced for Extreme Sailing Series™ Barcelona line-up

by Extreme Sailing Series 18 Jul 2017 12:16 BST 20-23 July 2017

The Extreme Sailing Series heads to Barcelona © Extreme Sailing Series

Spanish-flagged wildcard Team Extreme has been confirmed as the eighth entry for the fourth stage of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™, as the regatta makes its debut in Barcelona from 20 – 23 July.

The second wildcard to be announced, following the entry of FNOB Impulse, will be headed up by Olympian and Extreme Sailing Series veteran Mitch Booth; co-creator of the Extreme 40, the original catamaran used in the Series.

"It will be a pleasure to come back to the Extreme Sailing Series in Barcelona, so close to my home," said Booth, who lives in Catalonia and has competed numerous times in the Stadium Racing Series, the last being in 2015 as co-skipper of Team Turx.

"Especially as it is the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Olympics, where I competed in the Tornado class and won a bronze medal," added Booth, who has dual nationality and has represented both Australia and the Netherlands in four Olympic campaigns, also taking silver in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in Savannah.

"I am really looking forward to racing in some of the finest conditions in the Mediterranean against some of the best-known faces of the Extreme Sailing Series, including some of the greatest sailors in the world."

The wildcard is funded by the Calafell Municipality, a coastal Catalan town in the province of Tarragona, that has a growing catamaran sailing academy focussed on developing high-performance sailors.

Booth will be accompanied by Spaniard Alberto Torné, the president of the Hobie Cat Company in Spain and an accomplished F18 sailor.

"We're very happy to be part of the Extreme Sailing Series in Barcelona and for the support and sponsorship of the Calafell Municipality, at a time when the town is becoming a reference for multihull sailing through its sailing school," said Torné, who makes his debut in the Extreme Sailing Series as tactician and trimmer.

"Our participation in this Act will give us visibility as we aim to get a full Extreme Sailing Series team lined up for the 2018 season."

Booth and Torné will be accompanied by a solid crew of experienced multihull sailors, including F18 ace Jordi Sánchez, and Jordi Booth, the son of Mitch Booth, an experienced Nacra and F18 sailor who has previously competed in the Series on the Extreme 40.

British sailor Tom Buggy, who has valuable experience in the Series having competed as part of many wildcard crews and as the only sailor to have raced since the introduction of the hydro-foiling GC32, rounds off the roster as trimmer.

Another of Mitch's sons, Rubén Booth, joins the team as a reserve, alongside Brit Freddie White and fellow Spaniard Joan Costa.

Act 4 commences this Thursday, 20 July, with the Flying Phantom Series opening the show from 10:00 UTC+2 onwards, followed by GC32 Stadium Racing from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+2.

Fans can follow the racing remotely via the live blog from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+2 on 20 and 21 July, and watch live on the official Facebook and YouTube channels from 15:00 – 18:00 UTC+2 on Saturday 22 and from 14:00 – 17:00 UTC+2 on Sunday 23 July.

The free entry public Race Village will be located in front of the impressive structure of the W Barcelona hotel on the Plaça Rosa dels Vents in the Barceloneta neighbourhood, open daily from 10:00 – 19:00 UTC+2, and offers front row seats for the action along with other on shore entertainment.

For those looking for a more unique experience, the Extreme Sailing Series offers a range of VIP packages, which include the opportunity to race on board a GC32 catamaran. More information can be found on the VIP tickets page.

Team Extreme (ESP) crew line-up for Act 4, Barcelona: