M32 Class ready to rip it up in Miami

The M32 is returning to Miami for the three-stage 2020 Winter Series with 11 teams entered for the first event on January 10-12 in Miami, FL.

With a protected venue on Biscayne Bay offering warm winter temperatures and reliable winds, Class President Pieter Taselaar finds the venue to be ideal. “We want to have good racing in good places, and Miami ticks all the boxes.”

August Schram, sailing under the Austrian flag, is using the M32 Demo Boat to get into the class. “After 2 successful years in the Club Swan 50, we were looking for a boat to enjoy speed, fun on the water and high-class racing without loads of boat work and preparation.… that narrows it down to one boat – the M32.”

The team, Stella Maris, may be doing their first M32 event, but with a crew combination of good M32 experience, they are a team to look out for.

“We are super excited to be here and it’s all really fun,” says Carina Becker of team Young American. This is the first M32 event for the team and they plan to stay in the class while aiming for the 2020 World Championship.

The team to beat is Convexity helmed by Don Wilson. Convexity is both the reigning World Champion and is holding the Rooster Trophy for winning last year’s Miami Winter Series. However, there is no lack of challengers and plenty of teams are aiming for the top spot. Pieter Taselaar’s Bliksem and Jennifer Wilson’s Convergence, both podium placed at the Worlds have shown before that Convexity is beatable in a regatta series.

The January event marks the start of the road to the 2020 World Championship. Globally there will be more than 15 events this year before the season ends, with the major event of the class, the World Championship in November, also in Miami. The racing this year will be in Miami, Newport, Chicago, and in classic sailing venues across Europe.

Teams are based in Regatta Park where the boats are assembled and launched by ramp, with the Shake-A-Leg Sailing Center providing a base where all the boats can be moored at the same dock.

Event information – Race details – Entry list

M32 Miami Winter Series
Jan 10-12 – Miami Winter Series 1
Feb 7-9 – Miami Winter Series 2
Mar 20-22 – Miami Winter Series 3

Team List – M32 Miami Winter Series
NED Bliksem Pieter Taselaar
USA Bronco Michael Dominguez
USA Convergence Jennifer Wilson
USA Convexity Donald Wilson
USA Gravedigger James Prendergast
BER Hedgehog Alec Cutler
SWE Inga from Sweden Richard Goransson
NED LeeLoo Harold Vermulen
USA Midtown Larry Philips
USA REV Rick DeVos
SUI Section 16 Richard Davies
AUT Stella Maris August Schram
USA Surge Ryan McKillen
USA XS Energy Ryan DeVos
USA Youth American M32 Carina Becker