iShares Cup to kick-off in Venice

8:06 PM Thu 26 Feb 2009 GMT

'Compagnia della Vela, the Venice Yacht Club - ? OC Events' .

Venice has been announced as the first stop on the European iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series. The Italian city will host the 'show opener' from 15-17 May 2009 at Bacino San Marco - Riva Sette Martiri.

The iShares Cup is the European tour for the dynamic Extreme 40 - 40 foot catamarans that 'fly' a hull in as little as 8 knots of wind.

The iShares Cup will bring top international sailors and their teams right to the heart of cities in a three day regatta, putting on stunning displays of close quarter battles on tight race courses.

'We have spent the past six months touring Italy to find an ideal venue for the regatta and Venice came top in all our research.' said Gilles Chiorri, the Events Director at OC Events.

'The Bacino San Marco provides a perfect grandstand for the general public to watch these amazing catamarans as well as providing good shoreside VIP facilities for our guests and sponsors. It will be the most stunning backdrop to a thrilling spectacle; modern hi-tech racing machines competing in the historic venue of Venice.'

The iShares Cup rolls into the city on Monday 11 May when the teams start to construct their boats and the VIP and media facilities are built on the banks of the waterway. The boats are highly portable, packed into a 40 foot container, and can be transported anywhere in the world and built in less than a day.

Each boat races with a core crew of four professional sailors along with a 'fifth man', a VIP guest or member of the media, who is onboard, racing in the heart of the action.

Extreme 40 fleet flying hulls - ? Gilles Foucras / www.PhotoProd.net- ..

'Italy is a key market for iShares and Venice is the perfect location to host the opening event of the 2009 iShares Cup. One of the key factors making the iShares Cup so unique is the ability to bring sailing to the public by racing right in the heart of the city and Venice offers just that opportunity 'said Rick Andrews, Head of iShares Marketing, Europe.

The iShares Cup Venice is strongly supported by Compagnia della Vela, the Venice yacht club. The President, Giorgio Orsoni:

'We are thrilled that such an important international regatta is coming to Venice. In just three years, the iShares Cup has become one of the top five sailing events in the World and we are honoured that it will be visiting our city. Venice and the Compagnia della Vela have the unique opportunity to live again the never forget experience of the Moro di Venezia.'

The iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series 2009:

Event 1 - Venice, Italy, 15th to 17th May

Event 2 - France, 3rd to 5th July

Event 3 - United Kingdom, 1st to 3rd August

Event 4 - Kiel, Germany, 28th to 30th August

Event 5 - The Netherlands, 25th to 27th September

The remaining venues in France, the UK and the Netherlands will be announced in the coming weeks.

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iShares Cup to kick-off in Venice

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