GC32 Racing Tour Gets Underway

Riva del Garda, Italy (Mary 12, 2017) – The 2017 GC32 Racing Tour got off to an exceptional start today with four races completed, one round of the new ANONIMO Speed Challenge and a leaderboard with the top three boats separated by one point. This was despite Lake Garda being in fickle mood with the wind typically 10-15 knots, occasionally gusting more but also dropping off in the middle of the day.

Spanish double Olympic medallist Iker Martinez once again proved that 49er sailors can make the best foiling catamaran sailors, winning today’s opening race – his first ever race in a GC32. Following with a 2-6, Martinez’s I’M Racing Movistar was leading going into the last race, only for a broken block and some bad luck to finish the day with a 10th, them to fifth overall.

“We need to learn a bit more to get used to it and then we’ll have more fun,” said Martinez, adding that they were struggling for speed when it got lighter. “At the moment we can’t do what we want. As soon as we understand more about the light breeze, then it will be good. It was a great first day – now we know how we stand.”

It was another first for Team ENGIE today, ending the day tied with Realteam, but leading overall by winning today’s fourth and final race. French skipper Sebastien Rogues was delighted: “We had a beautiful day. The feeling with Team ENGIE is very good, very fast. This is the first time we have led the GC32 Racing Tour which is nice.” Rogues attribute their success to their winter training in Oman and the crew was performing well especially mainsheet/tactician Gurvan Bontemps. “But this is just the first day and tomorrow it might be more windy.”

Compared to last season’s performance, Realteam is also performing well, also the first time they have topped the GC32 Racing Tour leaderboard. They didn’t win a race today but put in three seconds.

“It was great to sail after two days off,” said skipper Jerome Clerc. “We were really happy to get sailing. The fleet is very close and you have to fight hard to be at the front of the fleet.” Realteam, perhaps more than any other made great use of the usual Lake Garda tactics of heading straight into the sheer cliff face on the western shore. “It was tricky – it was never over. You could lose everything even on the last leg. It was hard on the nerve.”

Realteam came close to winning the third race only to pick up a penalty at the final mark rounding when on the water jury felt they had fouled ARMIN STROM Sailing Team. As they completed their penalty turn, their compatriots passed them to take the bullet. “The umpires thought they were too close,” remarked ARMIN STROM Sailing Team skipper Flavio Marazzi. “It was good for us.”

ARMIN STROM Sailing Team also came out on top of the first ever ANONIMO Speed Challenge, where the boats completed two reaches and a gybe at the reach mark over a course today of 1.06nm. ARMIN STROM’s average speed was 31.02 knots. All the teams have the chance to better this over the next two days – the team ending the GC32 Riva Cup with the fastest speed winning an ANONIMO Nautilo watch.

Leading the field going into the final race was Team Argo of American Jason Carroll. However a sixth in this dropped them to third overall, albeit just one point off the lead. “It was one of those days where it was very chutes and ladders and you only know when the coach comes alongside how it is shaking out,” admitted main trimmer Anthony Kotoun. “We had one good start. It is easy days when you get out of front, especially on this race track where you can control the mode into the wall [ie the cliff face].”

Team ARGO won today’s second race which Kotoun put down to a good start and a good layline call into the leeward gate by British tactician Alister Richardson. Carroll’s team is the current leader of the Owner-Driver ranking at the GC32 Riva Cup.

Tomorrow the plan is to run two races, two rounds of the ANONIMO Speed Challenge followed by two more races, with a start time of 1300 CET.

Tour Website – Scoreboard – Facebook

2017 GC32 Racing Tour
May 11-14 – GC32 Riva Cup / Riva del Garda, Italy
June 28-July 1 – TBA
August 2-5 – 36 Copa del Rey / Palma de Mallorca, Spain
September 13-16 – TBA
October 12-15 – Marseille One Design / Marseille, France

About the GC32 Racing Tour:
2017 will be the fifth year of the GC32 Racing Tour and its fourth since the GC32 was transformed into a foiler over the winter of 2013-14. The GC32 Racing Tour seeks to attract both private owner-driven boats and commercially-backed teams with a circuit aimed at providing the best foiling catamaran experience for participants. This remit includes choosing venues known to provide optimum wind conditions for foiling and race courses large enough to enable the boats to hit maximum speeds.

About the GC32
The GC32 is a 10m long (12m including bowsprit) by 6m wide foiling catamaran conceived by Laurent Lenne and designed by Dr Martin Fischer, now part of the Groupama Team France design team. It is built in carbon fibre by Premier Composite Technologies in Dubai.

The GC32 is fitted with T-foil rudders and J-shaped daggerboards/foils, conceptually similar to those used on the America’s Cup catamarans, with adjustable rake on all appendages. However relative to the boat’s size, the foils are substantially larger, allowing the GC32 to foil even in low wind speeds and with much great stability and ease. Despite having big foils, GC32s are fast! Alinghi holds the record with a peak speed of 39.21 knots.

Unlike the AC catamarans, the GC32 features a more manageable soft-sail rig and has one design sails. It is demountable with a two piece mast for easy transportation.

Source: Sailing Intelligence