Scheduled long in advance, this Sunday afternoon, Nice Premium had the immense opportunity to compete in a race on an Extreme 40. In the end, a 9th place in the fifth race but more importantly, stars in the eyes and an extraordinary experience.
After many negotiations with the Extreme Sailing Series press service, confirmation arrived on Sunday morning: “Meet at 2 PM at the VIP tent, you will board Gazprom for race 4.” A dream, a smile from ear to ear, half an hour to enjoy a rare moment.
At the village call, distributing the “team card,” a little thrill came, normal when you’re minutes away from boarding a 12m by 7m catamaran that can reach speeds of 40 to 45 km/h when the wind blows. A mandatory stop at the race office to sign a waiver, necessary in case of accidents, as occurred in the last America’s Cup where the Swedish boat, Artemis, capsized, and a skipper lost his life.
After completing the formalities, we headed to the port in a private shuttle to receive the obligatory gear and instructions from the instructors. Welcomed by Gina, it was time to put on the life jacket and helmet, a real sailor’s look! The guest boat arrived, the big moment approached, silence settled except when the name “Gazprom” was pronounced by the leader. Onward to the racing area!
Initially, we had to wait for the end of the third race, then a boat from each team would dock alongside the guest boats. After two minutes of waiting, it was my turn; the blue Gazprom boat was there, no turning back. Three minutes of transit to reach the imposing catamaran and its large sail. Assisted by a crew member, I finally boarded one of the Extreme 40s of the competition, it was grandiose! At the helm was Phil Robertson, an English skipper, alongside four teammates (3 Russians and 1 English). The instruction was simple: remain in the middle with knees bent to avoid obstructing the sailors’ races.
After about ten minutes of adjustments, the race management called the eleven boats. Over the radio, the manager gave the final instructions, and the race director counted down: “Three minutes! Two minutes! One minute.” The pace quickened, the boat gained speed and approached the starting line. We were on the left side of the water, challenging as the skipper intended to catch the wind on the right. Gazprom, not having priority, had to pass behind all other boats to avoid a penalty. Tenth at the start then ninth at the first buoy, the climb was underway. Several times, the float lifted, the boat soared, it’s impressive! Phil Robertson changed strategy, and the boat approached the pack for 5th place, but the initial gap was prohibitive. Despite the incredible efforts of the 4 sailors who moved from left to right and back again, pulling on the ropes to raise or lower the sails, we finished in a modest 9th place out of 11.
An intense race of 12 to 15 minutes, and I understood the decompression once the finish line was crossed, under the applause of the public. The 5 sailors consumed cereal bars and sips of water; for them, the day was far from over… Ironically, it was Gazprom that won the 6th race upon my return to the port. No regrets, the experience will remain unforgettable!
