After too much wind and too many waves yesterday, the waters off Barcelona today offered a light sea breeze of 6-8 knots, while maintaining a good train of swell. Alinghi was very well accommodated by the conditions, chalking-up three consecutive victories! Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician, said: "Aside from the first race, where we made a mistake on the side of first upwind gate, we sailed superbly. We started on port for many of our starts, leeward of the fleet, and it really paid off. As the others did not follow our call, it was perfect for us. They let us do what we wanted several times and so we were able to execute our plans. The boat was going fast, our manoeuvres were good, we were sailing on the right side of the course: All in all, this is what constitutes a good day!" Click here to view Nicolas’ interview (in French) in its entirety. See you tomorrow at 3pm (local time) for the continuation of this competition, which you can also follow live (video & 3D graphics) by clicking here. Click here for overall standings To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi’s team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit Lloyd Images

Extreme Sailing Series race Director, John Craig, has confirmed there will be no racing today due to unsafe conditions for foiling GC32 (too wavy and windy). See you tomorrow at 3pm (local time) for the beginning of this competition, which you can also follow live with the 3D graphics by clicking here. Click here for 2017 overall standings after 3 events Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #Extremesailing If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit © Lloyd Images

21 races in four days, 264 points distributed and, at the end, only three small points separating SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Alinghi, who finished in 2nd. Oman air completes the podium, five points behind. The numbers speak for themselves and reflect the level of competition at the top of the table. Once again, the final order of the podium was in play until the last race, which, counting for double points, meant that the result was not secure and that the racing would be tense until the last. Nils Frei, headsail trimmer, said: "It was a good day. We sailed really well in a light air, but unfortunately it was not quite enough to win the event. We had a lot to catch-up after the first day, which left us 11 points behind, but we narrowed that gap at the end to three. We sailed really solidly, but then so did SAP, who deserve the win here. Overall, it’s a good result, with 2nd better than 3rd, for sure – it was the first day that probably cost us the victory.” Pierre-Yves Jorand, team leader, said: "It was today a great performance from the team. We had a hard first day, but then, they sailed super well. Overall we are one point ahead in the season rankings and we are already looking forward to the next event. Goodbye Madeira, it has been a fantastic venue with a wonderful crowd every day coming to watch the races."   Tim Lapauw, foil regulator and trimmer, said: "There were good races today in light wind. We were strong, but so too were SAP and we finish second. Of course, we started the week wanting to win, and that's what we'll aim for in the next event in Barcelona."   Click here to review the live prize ceremony on Facebook and the interviews of Nils and Pierre-Yves after the podium presentation. After this stage in Portugal, Alinghi scores 34 points and still leads the provisional overall standings, one point ahead of SAP and four ahead of Oman air. We will be meeting in Barcelona from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 July for Act 4 of the Extreme Sailing Series.  Click here for overall standings of Act 3   Click here for provisional overall standings of the championship To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com   Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi’s team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit Lloyd Images

On this third day of the racing in Madeira, the wind played with the nerves of the competitors, but also with those of the race committee. The wind? There was certainly some...Maybe a little too much sometimes, with Red Bull even capsizing. Maybe not enough at other times. But above all, the direction from which the wind blew did not stop shifting throughout the slot allocated for the regatta. Not 10 or 15 degrees, but regularly 180 degrees. As sailors say, the wind was doing 360°. As such, it was dIfficult, if not impossible in these conditions to launch a fair round. Nevertheless, just before the deadline for the day's racing, the committee managed to launch one. The result? A victory for Alinghi. Arnaud Psarofaghis, co-skipper and helm said: "I think today we did everything we could. Only one race sailed, which we won, so that was really good. We gained only one point back on SAP and two on Oman Air, but tomorrow everything is on the table and we're looking forward to some racing." Click here to view Arnaud's interview in its entirety. Alinghi is still in 3rd place on the podium tonight and now only two points behind Oman air and nine on SAP. See you tomorrow at 2pm (local time, i.e -1h in relation to the time in Switzerland) for the last day of this competition, which you can follow directly from our Facebook page at the start of the races. For overall standings www.extremesailingseries.com/results Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi’s team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit Lloyd Images

In eight races on the second day in Madeira, the leading trio scored almost exactly the same number of points! SAP Extreme Sailing Team: 84 points. Oman Air: 85 points. Alinghi: 85 points. The battle rages around the marks and no crew intends to give an inch. At the halfway point of Act 3, there is no major change at the top of the table, except for the small point gained by the Omanis and the Swiss on the Danes leading the fleet, six points ahead of Oman Air and ten on Alinghi. Tim Lapauw, foil regulator and trimmer said: "Great day, though a bit tiring with eight races in just three hours, but so it goes! The venue is superb, it is a bit complicated to read the wind shifts, but it’s nice, it is hot and there were good sailing conditions with a wind blowing between 8 and 12 knots. “We can see the public coming to follow the regattas and on each finish line we hear the applause and encouragement, which is great for us.   “The key to success tomorrow will be making good starts. We know that if we are ahead at the first mark, we have all the strengths to remain so until the end." Click here to view Tim's interview in its entirety. He discusses in detail this second day of racing and returns to his recent experience at the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, with Team France Jeune (A good exercise to practice your French ;) Check back tomorrow at 2pm (local time, -1 hour from Swiss) for the continuation of this competition, which you can also follow live (video & 3D graphics) by clicking here from 2pm. For overall standings www.extremesailingseries.com/results   Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi’s team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit Lloyd Images

Seven international crews, a magnificent setting, some wind and six races run in front of hundreds of spectators. Such was the setting for the first day of the 3rd Act of the 2017 season. However, in sailing and especially on the Extreme Sailing Series circuit, winning the day’s first race does not necessarily mean that it’s going to be an ideal day! Alinghi subsequently recorded two 5th places, one 4th, one 3rd and was then disqualified tonight on a 2nd place scored having been flagged over the line too early at the start of race 3.   The team stands in 4th position tonight, 11 points behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team, but as our bowman, Yves Detrey, says "It's not over until it's over!" And, given there are still three days in which to race under the Madeiran sun, that is very much the case. Click here to view the Yves interview in its entirety.  See you tomorrow at 2pm (local time) for the continuation of this competition, which you can also follow live with the 3D graphics displayed on our Facebook page. For overall standings www.extremesailingseries.com/results   Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi’s team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit Lloyd Images

EXTREME SAILING SERIES - A RECAP' What: The Extreme Sailing Series™ circuit comprises eight events, in eight host cities on three continents. Who: Seven to nine international teams, each mainly composed of five sailors (a mixed or women crew could race with six) Where: Act 1: Muscat (Oman), Act 2: Qingdao (China), Act 3: Madeira islands (Portugal), Act 4: Barcelona (Spain), Act 5: Hamburg (Germany), Act 6: Cardiff (England), Act 7: San Diego (USA), Act 8: Los Cabos (Mexico) When: Between February and December (click here to access to the calendar) How: Teams compete over short and fast courses in front of the public aboard a 32ft flying, foiling catamaran: the GC32 Follow the action Follow the Alinghi Team during each of the eight events (4 days of racing per event, up to 10 races each afternoon – but be aware of time difference depending where it happens): Online, via www.alinghi.com and www.extremesailingseries.com > Races modeled in 3D from 1st to 4th day of racing > Live racing from 3rd to 4th day of racing, generally from 2pm local time until the end of racing > Replays available at the end of racing On Twitter @alinghiteam > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and on Instagram @alinghi > Interviews, videos, photos throughout the regatta Alinghi's GC32 Team* Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Headsail Trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Foil regulator: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) Tactician and mainsail trimmer: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Helm, co-skipper: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Trainer and Team Director Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo #Extremesailing Credit for photo © Lloyd Images *Temporary changes to the crew For the second event of the championship (Act 2 in Qingdao), Nils Frei (foot injury) was replaced by Bryan Mettraux (SUI) as frontsail trimmer

We had been warned of the 'random' nature of the local weather and Qingdao is keeping all of its promises! The waters within Fushan Bay, a nautical stadium bracketed by two sea walls and the city's coastline, delivered a range of conditions this afternoon, going from weak airs to abrupt gusts of over 25 knots, as recorded by the measuring equipment on board. As the wind increased, so too, did the speed of the racing legs, meaning that zone in which the boats sailed is limited by natural barriers. The more the wind rose, the more the GC32 began to lift on their hulls, then up onto their foils, making for an excellent spectacle for the astonished Chinese watching crowds, whose cries of "Ohhhhh" and "Whaaaa" of surprise gave voice to how fun it was to watch. As the wind increased, however, the boats became more difficult to manage and it took all of the sailors' talents to keep them on the right lines and under their control. In that context, Alinghi even narrowly avoided capsizing on the exit to a jibe (the images are obviously online!). In the end, seven validated races were run under a variety of conditions in which the young teams of Land Rover BAR Academy and NZ Extreme Sailing Team performed very well to join Alinghi on the provisional podium. The Swiss team keeps its first place and will start the final day of this Act 2 four small points ahead, a sign of great battles to be anticipated tomorrow! Straight after « hoisting João » up in the rig, Bryan Mettraux shares his impressions of the day in a video on our Facebook page. See you tomorrow at 2pm (local time) for the 4th and final day of this ESS Act in a China. After the ten races (12 points are awarded for a 1st place, 11 points for a 2nd, 10 points for a third etc.) the overall standings are: 1st - Alinghi (SUI) : 102 points 2nd - Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) : 98 points 3rd - NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) : 96 points 4th - SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) : 90 points 5th - Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) : 89 points Find all the results at: www.extremesailingseries.com/results To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Credit for photos © Sean team, Xaume Olleros et Alinghi If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need in the recap at the bottom of this news story. #GoAlinghiGo

There's just one scenario where a day without wind, and therefore without racing, can in any way be seen as favourable: When you are already leading the regatta and so, without doing anything, you stay at the top of the rankings. Pierre-Yves Jorand, team manager, said: "There really was not enough wind to get the sails full. At the end of the afternoon, the race director tried to lay out a course and launch the boats in pairs, in match racing mode, in order to give the public a bit of entertainment, but it was really lacking the wind to run. The forecasts seem more favorable tomorrow, with a strong east wind approaching and so we cross the fingers!" To watch our coach's interview in full, check our Facebook page here. Did you know? João Cabeçadas is not only a passionate rigger, he also inspires younger generations to get into sailing. This morning, he was visited by young Chinese children to whom he introduced our workshop container and the GC32. Check out the pictures on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts! Check back tomorrow at 2pm (local time) for the third day of competition...hopefully windy! (No change since yesterday) After the first three races (12 points are awarded for a 1st place, 11 points for a 2nd, 10 points for a third etc.) the overall standings are: 1st - Alinghi (SUI): 1st, 2nd, 2nd > 34 points 2nd - SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN): 4th, 4th, 1st > 30 points 3rd - Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): 2nd, 1st, 6th > 30 points 4th - NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL): 7th, 3rd, 3rd > 26 points 5th - Oman Air (OMA): 3rd, 7th, 5th > 24 points Find all the results at: www.extremesailingseries.com/results To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Credit for photos © Alinghi If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need in the recap at the bottom of this news story. #GoAlinghiGo