Sydney Harbour set to host Extreme Sailing World Series 2014 Finale

Sydney Harbour set to host Extreme Sailing World Series 2014 Finale

Red Bull Extreme Sailing skipper Roman Hagara and tactician Hans-Peter Steinacher are returning to the site of their first Olympic gold medal when they take to the water in the Australian city in the final Act of the Extreme Sailing World Series 2014 this week.

The pair enjoyed the first of two Olympic gold medals in the Harbor City back in 2000 when they won five Tornado races to claim the title and go on to win again four years later at the Athens Olympics as they became their country's most decorated summer sports athletes.

They won the gold medal in style in Sydney with two races to spare and Hagara hopes the location will again prove inspirational.

'It is great to be back in Sydney which has so many memories for us," Hagara said. 'Now it is important to remain focused, heads down and finish the World Series in the strongest possible way."

Red Bull, in sixth place overall, can still climb up the table with their carbon-multihull fine-tuned and battle ready and the crew in full composition.

Training sessions kick off on Wednesday with the race running from Thursday to Sunday, against the best in the world.

Swiss sailing syndicate Alinghi leads the standings going into the season finale on 65 points but The Wave Muscat (Oman) on 57 can still leapfrog into victory and become the first team to win the title three times in a row.

The Red Bull Extreme 40 Multihull:
200 square meters sail area, 20 meters tall, 13 meters wide and reaching speeds of up to 75 km/h, these are the stats for the 40-foot catamaran which was transported from Istanbul (TUR) direct to Sydney (AUS).
 
The Red Bull Sailing Crew:
Skipper/Helm: Roman Hagara (AUT)

Tactician: Hans-Peter Steinacher (AUT)

Floater: Stewart Dodson (NZL)

Jib Trimmer: Mark Bulkeley (GBR)
Bowman: Shaun Mason (GBR)

http://www.redbullsailing.com