Vestas
Fantastic year ahead
for i-Shares Cup
Banque Populaire V
SailRocket
on standby for first
on their
record attempt
way back
to Namibia
The 2009 iShares Cup is gearing up to be another sensational
Paul Larsen and his team are about to head back to Namibia to
season of racing and entertainment. A new concept in multihull
make another attempt on the water speed record. Whilst they have
sailing, providing grandstand viewing in the heart of Europe’s
been back in the UK Macquarie Innovation have been out on their
leading venues, the iShares Cup is fast and furious racing on
track and after 15 odd years of concerted effort that they waited a
Extreme 40 multihulls that push the sailors to the limit – and
mere 16 days after we finally topped them... to finally beat their old
beyond. The iShares Cup has over the last two years become
time .
sailing’s hottest property.
With the Hydroptere team out of action until April the track is now
In 2008 five first-class regattas were held just metres from the shore
clear for Paul to set a record and have Hydroptere chase them
– millions watched on TV and thousands watched at the events
again. As Paul commented recently:
including an unprecedented 80,000 spectators in Kiel alone: “It’s
really the only circuit that is really high-level, international, multihull
‘The whole challenge has been one of control and I still believe we
circuit that goes round to different places,” James Spithill, America’s
have the most stable craft. Sure, that flip might indicate otherwise
Cup Challenger, BMW ORACLE.
but we believe we can approach that problem from a point of

understanding and safety. A new main foil is currently being built at
Last November the iShares Cup won the ESA European
DESIGNCRAFT and will be fitted for future runs. It has a few detail
Sponsorship Business to Business Award against some strong
changes but is slightly curved as well. PI RESEARCH are servicing
competition, sealing what had already been an outstanding 2008
all the electronics as we work together to make the perfect system
season - now the 2009 iShares Cup looks set to extend its appeal.
which is ruggedised for the harsh environment it experiences. The
TRIMBLE GPS system is back in Sth Africa at OPTRON also getting
Teams... 
a service. It's amazingly tough stuff and we are grateful for this as
Twenty-two pro teams have registered their desire to enter with
it was submerged in salt water for almost an hour after the flip and
the iShares Cup organisers, OC Events: “The enthusiasm for the
survived unscathed. If it hadn't... we would have lost the run. ‘
iShares Cup is just growing and growing across Europe and around
the world,” said Gilles Chiorri, OC Events Director. “The sailors love
Follow the story on our website: www.multihullreview.co.uk
it because the racing is high-level and intense, the public love it
and on the teams site: www.sailrocket.com
because they can get really close to the action and for sponsors it
offers a sensible value-for-money budget. It’s perfect for the current
‘difficult’ economic environment with a high return in both B2B and
B2C terms, with the costs spread across multiple markets.”
There will be at least two new French teams – Groupama skipper
Franck Cammas has already announced his team’s participation
and skipper Erik Maris, who competed at the iShares Cup Hyères
event in 2008 racing TWINS, is planning to step-up to a full season
of racing in 2009 under a new boat name ‘Luna’.
Plus two other potential French teams are lining up – one headed
up by Yvan Bourgnon and another from a leading existing French
sailing campaign.
2008 teams set to return are iShares (International), BT
(International), Holmatro (NED) and the Oman Sail Team are
expected to enter not one but two Extreme 40s for 2009.
BMW ORACLE RACING is also considering entry in a full iShares
Cup season following their participation at the Cowes event last
year.
»
  FEBRUARY 2009 : MULTIHULL REVIEW  45
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