Volvo Car UK is the latest brand to join forces with the Extreme Sailing Series, as Official Car Supplier to Act 5, Cardiff. As well as providing a fleet of cars to the Extreme 40 teams and event organisers to assist with the complex logistics of running the only UK leg of the 2012 Series, some of Britain's top sailing talent including Team Volvo sailors and 2012 470 World Champions, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, Olympic gold medallist (Laser) Paul Goodison, RS:X windsurfer Nick Dempsey and Lucy Macgregor’s ‘Match Race Girls’, will also be present in Cardiff to try their hand at a completely different type of sailing post the 2012 Olympic Games.

Volvo Car UK has been a key sponsor of British sailing since 1999, supporting everything from youth development at grass roots through to Britain’s top sailors at the pinnacle of the sport. That support includes a group of 17 elite, inspirational British athletes who will compete on home waters this summer just two weeks before the event in Cardiff. 470 helm Hannah Mills, who grew up in Cardiff, is looking forward to jumping onboard an Extreme 40 in the much-coveted guest sailor spot as ‘Wales’ sailing sweetheart’ explained, “It's really exciting that the Extreme Sailing Series is making its Welsh debut in my hometown. It will be great to head home for a few days, soak up the atmosphere and get out racing, the boats are epic!"

Amongst those joining Mills is Olympic Windsurfing medallist Nick Dempsey, who will be competing at his third Games in 2012. Dempsey, who is hoping to go head-to-head in a speed race with an Extreme 40 on his RS:X windsurf board said, “I'm really looking forward to the Cardiff Extreme Sailing Series event already, it is definitely some of the most exciting and coolest racing around to watch and compete in! It is going to be a great event - we will be meeting the public plus looking to get out on the water to take part in all the action.”

The Extreme Sailing Series pits some of the world’s best sailing teams against each other on identical Extreme 40 catamarans, and is synonymous with the ‘stadium’ style racing – putting spectators right at the heart of the action. This will be the first time the Series visits the Welsh capital between the 30th of August and the 2nd of September, opening to the public from 31st August, as part of the Cardiff Harbour Festival with thousands of spectators expected to descend on Cardiff Bay to see the high-speed adrenalin-fueled Extreme 40s take to the water there for the first time. Volvo will host a selection of shore-based activities during the Act including the chance to meet the Team Volvo sailors, an exhibition of the latest Volvo car range including the all-new V40  plus the chance to win prizes and race virtually against the sailors on the RYA Volvo Sail for Gold game.

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 July 2012 )