Round the World sailing legend Roland Jourdain has thrown his hat into the ring and will be entering his Extreme 40, Veolia Environnement, into the Extreme Sailing Series at Cowes Week next month, bringing the fleet to nine in total. One of the World’s very best ocean racing skippers, Jourdain is a two-times IMOCA World Champion and has won the Transat Jacques Vabre twice as well as the Route du Rhum.

The short racecourses of the circuit will certainly challenge the skipper from Quimper, France, who for the past 15 years has been focussing on long-course monohull racing since being crowned Formula 40 World Champion in 1989.

Jourdain commented: “Our participation in Cowes Week in August is an excellent occasion for us to be up against the big champions from all countries. I hardly sailed multihulls for the past ten years so it will be a tough task, but it will be a pleasure to be on the Formula 40s of the third millennium.”

Joining Jourdain will be experienced Extreme 40 sailor Jean-Christophe Mourniac, former French National Match Racing Champion Philippe Legros and America’s Cup veteran and experienced match racer, Christophe André, who raced in 2009 in both the Kiel and Amsterdam Extreme 40 events with Luna.

Jourdain will be up against some of the biggest names in multihull sailing. Three French compatriots will be on the start line on 31 July. Loïck Peyron, helming defending Champions Oman Sail Masirah, Franck Cammas, onboard Groupama 40 and Yann Guichard, winner of the first event in Sète at the end of May 2010 with Groupe Edmond de Rothschild.

The nine-strong line up will include Mike Golding, with Ecover Sailing Team and double Olympic Gold Medallist Roman Hagara onboard Red Bull extreme Sailing.

The Extreme Sailing Series at Cowes Week will see six days of action right off the shorefront at Egypt Point every afternoon. For the first three days racing will be from 15:00 and for the final three days 16:00.

Schedule:

Friday 30 July
14:30 – Informal racing, first start off Royal Yacht Squadron

Saturday 31 July – Monday 2 August
10:00 – Long-distance race off Royal Yacht Squadron
15:00 – Short course racing off Egypt Point

Tuesday 3 August – Thursday 5 August
10:00 – Long-distance race off Royal Yacht Squadron (NO race Tues 3 August)
16:00 – Entertainment begins
17:00 – Short course racing off Egypt Point

For more, visit www.extremesailingserieseurope.com