Extreme 40 / Two weeks to go until Act 3, Istanbul of the Extreme Sailing Series™!

The third Act of the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series™ is quickly approaching with only two weeks until the start in Istanbul, Turkey from 25th to 29th May – the event opens to the public from the 27th May. Istanbul is another new venue for the 2011 Series, providing a unique setting in this iconic city where East meets West. Turkey’s national terrestrial broadcaster, TRT, will be providing live race coverage on both Saturday and Sunday making Act 3 the third event in a row this year to attract live race coverage from the venue’s terrestrial broadcaster reflecting the growing appeal of the Extreme Sailing Series to a mainstream audience.

The 11 international teams dispersed after the action packed Act 2 in Qingdao to race onboard both mono and multihulls across the world. Some went to race the new AC45’s in New Zealand, the Nespresso Cup in Portofino, Italy and to the World Match Racing Tour in Marseille, France. The 44 elite sailors will reconvene in Istanbul for the first day of racing on the 25th May on the Golden Horn stretch of water south of the central business district.

Going into Act 3 Groupe Edmond de Rothschild will be leading on 20 points overall, followed by Luna Rossa in second and Emirates Team New Zealand in third, but both on a tie of 18 points. Who’s going to come out on top after Act 3? It’s up for grabs with Red Bull Extreme Sailing and Artemis Racing hot on the heels of the current top three boats with 17 and 16 points retrospectively.


Act 2 saw previous America’s Cup’s teams Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand fight it out in a tight battle down to the last race. With the top 5 teams going into Act 3 on such close points the racing is going to be electric with all teams racing for a podium finish to propel them up the overall leaderboard.

The 5th largest city in the world with a population over 12.8 million people who are keen sports spectators. Since 2005 Istanbul has established itself as a firm favourite with the racing fraternity, providing them with a challenging race course at the Istanbul Park site since 2005. Formula 1 have been visiting the racetrack annually, most recently at the beginning of May providing the global audience with a unique venue. The nation’s favourite sport however is football, with many international events being held in the city.

Dating back to the 7th millennium BC Istanbul has a wealth of history and charm immersed in the Imperial Ottoman architecture found throughout the city. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque more popularly known as the Blue Mosque due to the blue titles adorning its walls provides visitors with a glimpse into its Middle Eastern past. This historical mosque, completed in 1616, with a capacity of 10,000, attracts people from all over the world to view one of the most impressive large monuments in the world.

From Extreme Sailing Series