BT is back on the overall podium!
'BT sailing - iShares Cup - Kiel'
Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
The penultimate round of the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series reached its finale today (Sunday, 31st September) and the BT Extreme 40 team dug deep to get them back on the overall iShares Cup podium.
This leaves BT 9 points adrift of America's Cup teams Alinghi and TEAMORIGIN who are on equal points at the top of the overall leaderboard but only 2 points ahead of the Dutch team Holmatro as they head towards the final round of the iShares Cup in Amsterdam which will take place over the 19th to 21st of September. 'Another mixed bag of results but we stuck to our game plan and just missed the event podium but we did manage to place well amongst the other threats for overall placing for the year. I believe we have moved into 3rd overall for the year, which for us is our overall objective. If we finish this season on the podium we will go crazy with happiness against the two America's Cup teams' explained Nick Moloney, BT Extreme 40 skipper, at the end of the day.
 |
BT Extreme 40 - iShares Cup - Kiel - Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events |
After three days of intense racing and a mix of conditions that created a 'snakes and ladders' game of racing off the waters of Kiel. Today, Kiel put together all the best ingredients to make an amazing recipe: one crash, a near capsize, a near pitch pole, strong winds, sunshine, thousands and thousands of spectators, and mark roundings just metres away from the shoreline. 'Everytime we went near the shore everyone was yelling and cheering from the shore which made for a fantastic atmosphere,' said BT Extreme 40 skipper, Nick Moloney.
For the final day the breeze was around 16 knots with brilliant sunshine but what makes for perfect sailing conditions for racing monohulls, once again proved challenging for these super-charged and super-light Extreme 40 catamarans. In the third race of the day, the crew of BT had a heart-stopping moment. Charging downwind suddenly BT became more and more vertical until the crew were sure they were on the verge of a capsize...right over Holmatro! Fortunately, helmsman Andrew Walsh managed to bring under control, but straight away the boat accelerated away and both bows dug into the water making the boat pitch pole! Incredibly, the BT crew managed not to flip over and crash-landed again to continue racing!
Thanks to a third place on the double-points final race of the day, BT finished fourth at the Kiel regatta and this great performance has put them back in contention on the overall leaderboard.
 |
Crowds at Kiel - iShares Cup - Kiel - Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events |
The final round of the iShares Cup Extreme 40 European tour: Amsterdam, Nederlands 19th to 21st September.
by BT Team media
 |
sunrise beach, QLD
