GC32s @Riva del Garda 2017: Day 2

Photo: Jesús Renedo – Video Icarus Sports / GC32 Racing Tour / www.gc32racingtour.com – Iker Martinez had a great start wining the opening race today at Garda showing he is one the top notch sailors who can excel in almost any class or boat type.  Team Movistar holds a good 4th overall after the four races held today.
So cool seeing my Argie friends on shot above by Renedo, finally they could race the red machine after the no wind cancellation of Day 1. They had conservative starts behind the fleet (you can follow live tracking at gc32racingtour.com) . Feedback from the guys: They were exhausted but happy to put hours onboard the GC32 beast. On the course, maneuvers and handling are key to keep pace.  Coming from behind they had good moments and some match ups with Malizia which are contenders for the owners ranking.
Debut now behind,  time now to focus in learning as much as possible, they have a long term plan towards next season.

If resources are available for any to participate this GC32 Circuit is like the F18 Glory days in terms of racing agasint world level sailors in the same fleet with amateurs.
At Garda aside the Argies , Team Engie (leading the overall) has crews formed in the Formula 18 sailing with Sebastien Rogues: Bontemps, Amiot & Joubert.

Logistics and preparations are quite big to race in the GC32 Tour but worth for the format chosen by the Class which focus on allowing the sailors and platforms to enjoy long  Windward/leeward course racing in the best venues possible.

Full results at www.gc32racingtour.com

Pos Team Tot
1 Team ENGIE 14
2 Realteam 14
3 Team Argo 15
4 ARMIN STROM Sailing Team 18
5 I’M Racing Movistar 19
6 Team France Jeune 21
7 Mamma Aiuto! 22
8 Team Tilt 25
9 Team BDA 34
10 Malizia – Yacht Club de Monaco 40
11 Código Rojo Racing 44

Below press release sent by GC32 Racing Tour / www.gc32racingtour.com
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Three boats within a point of the lead after tricky opening day
GC32 Racing Tour press release issued on 12/05/2017

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.

Following the GC32 Riva Cup
The aim is to hold up to five races each day on a mix of windward-leewards or ones with reaching starts/finishes, depending upon the wind conditions. A live blog from the race course can be found on the GC32 website along with Georacing tracking provided by the French company Trimaran.
GC32 Riva Cup – teams

Team Argo (USA) – Jason Carroll
ARMIN STROM Sailing Team (SUI) – Flavio Marazzi
Team BDA (BER) – Mackenzie Cooper
Codigo Rojo Sailing Team (ARG) – Federico Ferioli
Team ENGIE (FRA) – Sebastien Rogues
Team France Jeunes (FRA) – Robin Follin
Malizia – Yacht Club de Monaco (MON) – Pierre Casiraghi
Mamma Aiuto! (JPN) – Naofumi Kamei
Realteam (SUI) – Jérôme Clerc
Team Tilt (SUI) – Sebastien Schneiter
I’M Racing Movistar (ESP) – Iker Martinez

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