EXSS Istanbul 2014, Day 1: Alinghi & Groupama dismasted

Images by EXSS , ETNZ & Alinghi. Great scenery , 20knots sailing conditions and dismasting, that is a real Extreme Sailing Series event. Welcome back.
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Official full report at extremesailingseries.com :
” Groupama sailing team and Alinghi with a night in the pitlane after both teams lose their rigs in separate incidents “We pushed a little too hard” explained Alinghi’s Larson.

Fleet reach the highest average speed over ground since 2013, in near perfect conditions, and Emirates Team New Zealand fastest boat on the water to finish the day at the top, tied with The Wave, Muscat. Read more in the full SAP Sailing Analytics reports, here.

In an unprecedented opening day at the Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6 in Istanbul, the public and national media witnessed some extraordinary adrenaline fueled racing, with every team pushing hard – and at times too hard, with two boats dismasting; first Groupama sailing team and then Alinghi.

In near perfect sailing conditions that topped out at 20 knots, the French, with too much load on their rig at the windward mark, were the first to lose their new mast during race four, which disappointingly for the French came after their best start to an event this year. 

In a completely unrelated incident in the seventh and final race of the day, Alinghi suffered the same fate, with both boats now out of the water and with a long night in the pitlane to be back on the water tomorrow…”