Extreme 40 / 49er : Team EC, from Malta, Announced

Malta 49er training prior to Princesa Sofia, Palma 2011

malta49er in Palma 2011 from sebastian ripard

by Malta 49er media

“Team EC” Announced: Malta 49er team sponsored exclusively by EC English Language Centres for The Extreme Sailing Series 2011.

The Malta 49er team, Seb Ripard and Benji Borg, are one of 8 teams invited to take part in the inaugural 49er class of the European leg of the Extreme Sailing Series. Since 2007, the Extreme Sailing Series has become a benchmark in the sailing world, with Extreme 40s battling it out on courses around the world. This year, the Extreme Sailing Series (ESS) is a 9-event global circuit, with 49ers taking part for the first time.

Ripard and Borg have been invited to take part in the 4 events in the European circuit, and will be joining some of the biggest names in competitive sailing. In order to compete at such a high level, support is crucial; EC have been announced as the exclusive team sponsor for the series. For the ESS, the Malta 49er team will be known as Team EC.

“We are really pleased that we’ve been asked to take part in an event that attracts the best of breed. The ESS races are adrenaline-fuelled and the action is breathtaking, with coverage on major TV networks globally. This will really raise the profile of sailing in Malta, whilst at the same time it will give us some top-class racing experience in the run-up to The Olympics. We couldn’t have competed at the ESS without EC’s support, and we’d like to thank them for their invaluable help and financial assistance which will give them exclusive sponsorship for the series. We’re proud to be known as Team EC and we’ll be doing our utmost to win”, said Ripard, 24.

Andrew Mangion, EC’s Chairman stated “We have been a sponsor of the Malta 49er team for the past year, and we’ve offered our support to get them to the ESS as it will enable them to compete at the highest level. This will be a fantastic opportunity for them to hone their racing skills over the coming months, and raise the profile of the Maltese sailing community on the international stage”.

Team EC will be competing in August in Cowes, UK, then on to Trapani, Italy, back up to Nice, France and finally Almeria, Spain in mid-October.

In 2010, the Extreme Sailing Series attracted coverage in over 120 countries in 13 languages. Channels covering the series included CNN (Intl), Channel 4 (UK), Bloomberg (Intl), Sky Sports (UK, NZ), Fox Sport (Australia), Sport+ (France) and ESPN (Brazil).

About EC:

EC was established in 1991, quickly becoming one of the leading English language schools in Malta. Fast-forwarding to today, EC now consists of ten schools in 4 countries on three continents. This year EC’s staff will help over 25,000 students from over 100 countries to learn and improve their English language skills.
http://www.ecenglish.com

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