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Twelve Extreme 40 catamarans, with world-renowned sailors from 15 nationalities, will line up on 6 August for seven days of high-octane 'stadium sailing' action the circuit has become renowned for.

The fleet of 48 top professional sailors have amongst them competed at 30 Olympic Games. In addition there are 82 World Championship titles amongst the fleet, 57 Records Broken or Held making it the strongest ever line-up seen in the five year history of the circuit.

Aberdeen Asset Management, the new sponsor of Cowes Week which forms the backdrop to Act 5, has announced its own entry skippered by British Olympic 49er class contender John Pink, joined by his regular 49er crew Rick Peacock. Pink, who will be racing for Scotland, said, "I was proud to be asked to take the helm of Aberdeen's first Extreme 40 entry as they are incredibly exciting both to sail and to watch and I look forward to hopefully bringing home success for Aberdeen at Cowes."

French entry Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, currently lying third, will be looking to regain their top spot on the overall podium having lost it following a disappointing fifth place at the last event in Boston.

Home crowds in Cowes will have plenty of Brits to support. Britain's Team GAC Pindar, will be hoping to continue improving and skipper Ian Williams is fresh from a second World Match Racing Tour victory in Sweden.

Britain's Leigh McMillan, who skippers The Wave, Muscat, will be looking to capitalize on their first podium position in Boston when the team came third. Leigh McMillan, Skipper of The Wave, Muscat commented, "Last year in Cowes we had some insane conditions, blowing 20 to 25 knots on some days. So we are prepared for something similar again this year. Seven days of racing will probably be the hardest sailing we will do this year but I'm thrilled to be sailing again in front of the crowds." McMillan is on particularly strong form at the moment: he left the last Act in Boston and flew straight to France where he won the fifth leg of the Tour de France à la Voile.

2010 Extreme Sailing Series champion, Paul Campbell-James, will be back again in Cowes helming for Max Sirena's Italian team Luna Rossa. CJ's introduction to Extreme sailing was back in 2008 when as stand in for Shirley Robertson, he pitchpoled 'J.P. Morgan Asset Management' on a memorable day of action in Cowes.

And Pete Cumming, skipper of 2009 winning team 'Oman Sail Masirah' will also rejoin the sailors in Cowes, onboard Niceforyou, one of two Italian teams on the circuit.

With twelve teams on the starting grid, the race courses will feel smaller than ever as the Extreme Sailing Series™ 2011 reaches the half-way point of the 2011 global circuit.

www.extremesailingseries.com