This year’s iShares Cup will feature 40 of the World’s best sailors – who between them have over 50 World Championship titles, 27 America’s Cup participations, 17 Round the World navigations and 14 Olympic campaigns.

Forty sailors across 10 teams are now officially confirmed for the 2009 series and it is anticipated that the competition will be fierce.

Loïck Peyron and Franck Cammas, who are unrivalled in the oceanic multihull world, have signed up. Peyron, who in addition to having five World Oceanic Multihull Champion titles to his name, won The Artemis Transat in 2008 making it three career wins on the toughest solo transatlantic course. Peyron joined the Oman Sail project in March this year and will now be charge of his own Extreme 40, Renaissance, for this season.

Cammas holds the North Atlantic speed record and has recently been ‘teaching’ the BMW ORACLE Racing team how to use their brand new maxi (90ft) trimaran. The young French skipper already had a taste of the iShares Cup having raced at the French event in 2007 and at Cowes last year, and wanted to come back for a full season with his long-term sponsor Groupama.

Double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson will skipper Team iShares in 2009. The Olympic contingent is also represented by Carolijn Brouwer on Holmatro, Yann Guichard on Gitana Extreme- Groupe LCF Rothschild, Darren Bundock on BT and Pete Cumming with Chris Draper on the helm of Oman Sail’s second Extreme 40, Masirah.

Australian Nick Moloney brings his experience as a round-the-world and America’s Cup sailor back into the fray with BT, after finishing the 2008 iShares Cup on the podium.

Also from the prestigious world of the America’s Cup is James Spithill – onboard BMW ORACLE Racing – who will be a real rival for the number one spot.

2009 Entries iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series:

BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) – James Spithill (AUS)
BT (EUR) – Nick Moloney (AUS)
Holmatro (NED) – Carolijn Brouwer (BEL)
iShares (EUR) – Shirley Robertson (GBR)
Gitana Extreme- Groupe LCF Rothschild (FRA) – Yann Guichard (FRA)
Groupama 40 (FRA) – Franck Cammas (FRA)
LUNA (FRA) – Erik Maris (FRA)
Oman Sail Masirah (OMA) – Pete Cumming (GBR)
Oman Sail Renaissance (OMA) – Loïck Peyron (FRA)
& another top flight team to be announced shortly…

2009 Venues iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series:

Event 1 – Venice, Italy, 15 to 17 May
Event 2 – France, 3 to 5 July
Event 3 – United Kingdom, 1 to 3 August
Event 4 – Kiel, Germany, 28 to 30 August
Event 5 – The Netherlands, 25 to 27 September
Event 6 – Almería, Andalucía, 10 to 12 October