Extreme Sailing Series Act 2 concludes in Qingdao

Seven elite teams from all over the world vied in the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series Act Two Qingdao "Mazarin" Cup in Fushan Bay, Qingdao, from April 28 to May 1. [Photo/WeChat account: sailing city qingdao]    

The curtain fell on the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series Act Two Qingdao "Mazarin" Cup on May 1 in China's Olympic Sailing City of Qingdao, with Team Alinghi from Switzerland crowned winner for the second year running in the second act of the Series. 

"We're super happy to have won here in Qingdao for the second year," said Arnaud Psarofaghis, co-skipper and helm of Alinghi. "Our plan was always to do what we did last year -- be patient and deal with whatever wind we get dealt on the water. It's nice to be on top but it's early still and it's going to be really hard to win this championship, that's for sure."

"Qingdao is a great venue as we have a little bit of both styles of racing: open water and stadium racing. We feel really confident on both racecourses. The more challenging it is, the better we get," added Psarofaghis.

Land Rover BAR Academy took second place, their best result since they joined the Extreme Sailing Series at the start of 2016.

The British team's skipper Rob Bunce said his team was delighted with second place despite a minor collision with the NZ Extreme Sailing Team.

The Extreme Sailing Series young guns Land Rover BAR Academy from the UK take second place in Act Two, which is their best result since they joined the Extreme Sailing Series at the start of 2016. [Photo by Xue Hun/dailyqd.com]   

"We're so happy," he said. "I think it all comes down to our great day yesterday and a few good results today before our little collision with NZ Extreme Sailing Team. It's a shame we couldn't compete in the last two races; it's not the way we wanted to finish the Act, but we're really happy with the result. It's just the confidence boost we needed before the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup."

Act 1 winners SAP Extreme Sailing Team slipped to fourth behind Oman Air in third.

The heavyweight Austria's Red Bull Extreme Sailing Team finished in fifth place while Extreme Sailing Series rookies NZ Extreme Sailing Team ranked sixth.

Chinese-flagged wildcard entry Team Extreme, skippered by Qingdao sailing star Liu Xue (nickname Black), rounded off the leaderboard in seventh.

According to the organizing committee, the racing adopts cutting-edge GC32 catamarans, which are capable of flying across the water on hydrofoils, making this competition more fast-paced and thrilling.

A face-to-face exchange between the sailors and over 300 children from local schools was held during the event to help the younger generation learn more about sailing.

Established in 2007 and dubbed the "F1 on the Sea", the Extreme Sailing Series is the original stadium-style racing circuit designed for spectators, delivering high-performance action close to shore.

Hailed as China's "Sailing City", Qingdao has hosted a round of the Extreme Sailing Series for seven consecutive years. The city's Fushan Bay is universally recognized as one of the most challenging and tricky sailing venues for its temperamental weather conditions.