Some of the world’s most talented female sailors are set to compete in this year’s Extreme Sailing Series
Four world-class female sailors will compete in this year’s Extreme Sailing Series.
Great Britain’s Pippa Wilson and Sarah Ayton will make up two of the four women taking part in the 2014 series, which kicks off in Singapore on 20 February.
French sailor Sophie de Turckheim and Anna Tunnicliffe of the United States will also compete in this year’s races.
Organisers OC Sport introduced the ‘fifth sailor’ rule back in 2012, where by one member of the each crew must either be female, under 23-years-old or a classified as an amateur by ISAF.
GB’s Pippa Wilson will take up the role of trimmer on board the J.P.Morgan BAR team, while Sarah Ayton will be team tactician for The Wave, Muscat.
Both sailors are Olympic gold medallists and have several years of competative racing experience under their belts.
Pippa Wilson said: “I am completely new to the Extreme 40 and relatively new to catamaran sailing, but hopefully my background so far in the Nacra 17 and the other boats I’ve sailed will offer me some relevant insights into the extreme racing.”
Ayton, who is joining the defending champions, said: “My biggest challenge will be learning the in-boat routines and the different set plays around the course as well as learning what’s possible in terms of boat on boat positioning and overall tactics.”
The 60-strong fleet of sailors will line up against each other in just over a week when a full starting grid of 12 Extreme 40s will race on Marina Bay in Singapore.
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