GC32 Racing Tour

The first day of competition of the GC32 Mar Menor Cup was resolved with three tests and a draw between the Swiss Alinghi and the Black Star Sailing Team at the head of the provisional. The exciting grand finale of the GC32 Racing Tour 2021 is held in the Murcian lagoon until next Sunday.

The premiere of the GC32 flying catamarans competition in the Mar Menor has fulfilled the high expectations with which the fleet arrived at this last appointment of the GC32 Racing Tour 2021. After three events played in Portugal and Italy, the teams today demonstrated equality between their performances, and each one was able to enjoy their moment of glory in Murcian waters.

The unique characteristics of the Mar Menor, with its combination of shallow depth, high salinity and the presence of La Manga as a natural barrier with the sea, are acting as an excellent regatta field for GC32 flying catamarans. In the opinion of Rasmus Koster, tactician for Danish Team Rockwool Racing: “A better place could not be designed for foil boats. We are impressed ”.

Alternating positions
The first two tests of the day were held at 13-15 knots from the northwest, more than enough for the GC32 competition. In the opening, Alinghi’s expert crew was the first to cross the line and held a solid lead in the first two stages. However, the Black Star Sailing Team knew how to play their cards to overcome their rival, although the team assembled by Ernesto Bertarelli would reverse the situation to regain a leadership that they would no longer lose, taking the first round of the GC32 Mar Menor Cup.

In the second round, the Black Star Sailing Team showed their excellent form once again, this time against Erik Maris’s Zoulou, with whom they had a good duel that this time the Swiss team would win. Alinghi’s third position made the Black Star Sailing Team the new provisional leader heading into the last round of the day.

The third manga added new protagonists to the fight for victory. The American Argo, led this time by helmsman Taylor Canfield, was able to take advantage of the error of his rivals at the start to lead the fleet and defend his position during much of the test. But Zoulou was correct in reading the field to take the lead, albeit for a short time, as the Danish Team Rockwool Racing managed to overtake them and face the final stage in the lead. The wind would claim its share of prominence in the final meters with an instability that Alinghi knew how to take advantage of to surprise all his rivals, score the second victory of the day, and return to the dock of the Lo Pagán Yacht Club as the first leader of the week after that the Race Committee decided not to contest any more races.

Good sensations

“It was a challenge for the tacticians,” explained the 470 Olympic medalist Nicolas Charbonnier, Alinghi’s tactician, on landing. “There were a lot of changes that were hard to see and we don’t really know the place, its trends, or where it’s good to go. In addition, the fleet is very compact, which is a challenge, but it is a magnificent regatta ”. After today’s premiere, the Frenchman already considers himself a new fan of the Mar Menor. “It is a really nice place. Absolutely flat water is perfect for foiling, because it is safer and we can go faster. Besides, the organization is good ”.

After the disappointing performance of his team in the GC32 World Championship held in Villasimius (Italy) last September (in which they were fourth), Christian Zuerrer was happy today with the performance of his Black Star Sailing Team. “We made some good comebacks and made the right decisions. Unfortunately we did not do as well in the first race, but we learned and did better in the second and third. Going back was the most important thing ”.

The GC32 Mar Menor Cup is part of the commemorative events of the V Centenary of the first round the world and has the support of the Murcia Region Tourism, the Cartagena Port Authority and the municipalities of San Pedro del Pinatar, Cartagena, San Javier and Los Alcazares.

The action returns tomorrow, Friday, for the second day of competition of the GC32 Mar Menor Cup starting at 1:00 p.m. The competition will run until Sunday, when the champion of the GC32 Racing Tour 2021 will be crowned.

GC32 Mar Menor Cup – provisional classification
Pos Owner / Helmsman Team R1 R2 R3 Tot
1 Alinghi Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) 1 3 1 5
2 Black Star Sailing Team Christian Zuerrer (SUI) 2 1 2 5
3 Red Bull Sailing Team Roman Hagara (AUT) 3 4 4 11
4 Zoulou Erik Maris (FRA) 4 2 5 11
5 Team Rockwool Racing Nicolas Sehested (DEN) 5 6 3 14
6 Argo Taylor Canfield (USVI) 6 5 6 17