Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:00:00
An all-Dutch crew will be flying the flag for Volvo in the 2008 iShares Cup Extreme 40 series
The Volvo Ocean Race will field an entry in an iShares Cup Extreme 40 series which will feature larger fleets and the potential for a host of America’s Cup combatants in 2008.
The Volvo boat will be skippered by Herbert Dercksen, of TornadoSports, the manufacturers of the boats. Dercksen was the founder of the Extreme 40 competition which started life as the Volvo Extreme 40 series and featured in a number of stopover ports during the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06. Last year’s inaugural iShares Cup was won overall by Team Basilica helmed by Rob Greenhalgh with Justin Slattery on the bow. Both sailed on the winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, ABN AMRO ONE.
Dutchman Dercksen is joined by fellow countrymen and former Whitbread/Volvo crew members – Simeon Tienport and Gerd Jan Poortman (both ABN AMRO TWO, 2005-06) and Arend van Bergeijk (Brunel Sunergy, 1997-98).
Dercksen says that four new boats have been built in 2008 bringing the number of Extreme 40s in circulation to 17. Dercksen expects that at most rounds of the series 14 boats will be on the water.
“The purchase of Extreme 40s by America’s Cup syndicates Alinghi and BMW Oracle has drawn unprecedented attention to the class and there is now a palpable buzz around the 2008 series,” Dercksen said.
“It’s great to see guys like James Spithill from Oracle and Ed Baird from Alinghi competing against each other in catamarans. It’s a whole new dimension for big boat sailors.
“The America’s Cup guys are putting in a lot of time and effort to go training on the boats. It’s a steep learning curve for some of them but they are really enjoying it. Most likely the next America’s Cup match will be in multihulls so it’s beneficial for them.”
The first iShares Cup event will take place from 30 May to 1 June at Lake Lugano on the Swiss/Italian border. The schedule also includes a return to Cowes Week in England before the finale in Amsterdam.
iShares Cup Extreme 40 Series 2008:
Did you know that you can watch hours of race video at www.VolvoOceanRace.tv, the official Race TV channel for free!