GAC Pindar has been awarded a three-year contract from global sports marketing company OC Thirdpole to provide a complete logistics support package to the award-winning Extreme Sailing Series.  

The Extreme Sailing Series, only one of four ISAF rated Special Events, is renowned as one of the most exciting competitions in the sailing world, developing the stadium racing concept and building a global tour watched by millions of viewers at the events and on TV. As official logistics provider for the series, GAC Pindar is responsible for every aspect of logistics provision, including transportation of all of the Extreme 40 boats that participate in the global series between the multiple locations on the event calendar. GAC Pindar is also responsible for transporting the supporting infrastructure, which includes onshore facilities such as the Extreme Race Village, media centre, race support centre and VIP area.

GAC Pindar is a strategic partnership between global shipping, marine and logistics provider, GAC Group, and professional sailing team, Team Pindar. Launched earlier this year as a specialist arm of GAC and based in the sailing hub of Southampton, UK, GAC Pindar is now the go-to provider in the specialist field of marine leisure logistics, offering a complete range of services including yacht transportation, superyacht fuel, air ocean and land freight, yacht spare logistics, sailing event management and ships agency.   Securing this major contract for the Extreme Sailing Series is testament to the combination offered by GAC Group’s global logistics infrastructure and Team Pindar’s unique understanding of the professional sailing industry.

Andrew Pindar, Director of GAC Pindar, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the official logistics provider to the Extreme Sailing Series for the next three years.  The needs of sailing teams, the movement of their boats and the sailing events in which they compete have nuances that are deeply understood by us. The Extreme Sailing Series contract is a model customer for our business plan, based as it is on our view - as sailors - that sailors, yacht owners and sponsors want access to the best rates for shipping, whilst at the same time dreaming of a logistics provider who speaks their language and understands their priorities.

“The global strength and infrastructure of GAC brings many advantages to its customers.  When combined with the provenance of Pindar in the world of sailing, this has created a complete service provider in marine leisure and sports that is beyond compare. GAC Pindar promotes itself by competing within the industry that it serves.  With Ian Williams having just won his third world match racing championship, we look forward to campaigning even harder in 2012 as we seek to add success in the Extreme Sailing Series to our pedigree.”

Mark Turner, Executive Chairman of OC Thirdpole, organisers of the Extreme Sailing Series, added: “We pack an enormous amount of activity into the year. It’s a complex logistics puzzle, so we’re happy to be have the expert partnership of GAC Pindar, one of the strong supporters of the circuit for the past two years with their own racing team.”

The Extreme Sailing Series brings together world-class sailors who compete on identical high-speed 40ft catamarans, close to the shore.  The final round of the 2011 season is currently taking place in Marina Bay, Singapore.  The 2012 calendar is to be confirmed on 13 December.