Sailing is very popular among people worldwide, which is why numerous sailing competitions and championships are being held every year. In 2012, one of the most awaited competitions of the kind is the Extreme Sailing Series, which is an annual high-octane racing event providing spectators with up close sailing action. This global circuit spans on Europe, Arabia, Asia and South America and consists of 8 events, also known as acts. The Extreme Sailing Series started on February 28 in the Sultanate Oman and is heading towards Qingdao. Act 2 of the competition will take place in Qingdao from 17 to 20 April.
The series, now in its sixth season, returns to Qingdao for the second time. Qingdao is also known as “City of Sailing”, due to the numerous sailing competitions that it hosts. In 2008, Qingdao was home to the Beijing Olympic Games sailing competition. Now, the city will play host to the very popular Act 2 of the 2012 Extreme Sailing Series, which is organized in association with the Qingdao Yachting Association. In the previous year, the city was also home to one of the series’ acts. However, the only thing extreme about that event was the weather, which led to four capsizes, a major collision and a broken mast. Nevertheless, organizers hope that the Extreme Sailing Series this year will run smoothly, without any unpleasant events. Tuesday, April 17, nine teams with 45 of the best sailors in the world representing 10 nationalities will line up on the starting grid.
This year’s teams are ZouLou, The Wave, Muscat, Team Trifork, Red Bull Sailing Team, Oman Air, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, GAC Pindar, and Alinghi. The event will be broadcast live for two days, so if you do not have the chance to be there, you could also watch it on TV. During the 4 days of the competition, sailing fans will have the chance to witness one of the most adrenaline-fueled global series in the world. The sailors and their spectacular Extreme 40 boats will definitely provide an amazing show. After Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series comes to an end, next act’s locations include Istanbul, Turkey, and Porto, Portugal.
