The Club Náutico Lo Pagán, in the Murcian town of San Pedro del Pinatar, hosted the presentation of the Mar Menor GC32 Cup, which will be held from November 3 to 7
GC32 Racing‘s ninth season will include a test in Mar Menor for the first time. It is the latest innovation announced by the organizers of the GC32 flying catamaran circuit as the closing of a program that this year will consist of four events in three locations in southern Europe.
The GC32 Mar Menor Cup is part of the commemorative events of the V Centenary of the first round the world and will be held from November 3 to 7 under the organization of the Lo Pagán Yacht Club, in the town of San Pedro del Pinatar. The Murcian club hosted the presentation of the event, which illustrated the important institutional support that this project has. Among the attendees, the presence of the mayor of San Pedro del Pinatar, Visitación Martínez; the Minister of Presidency, Tourism and Sports of the Region of Murcia, Marcos Ortuño; as well as various civil and military personalities of the Region, representatives of the Organizing Committee and the director of the GC32 class, Christian Scherrer.
In his speech, Minister Marcos Ortuño wanted to highlight the importance of the event within the future plans of the Region: “For us it is essential to unite tourism and sports. Tourism is the most important economic sector in the Region, and sport has the capacity to generate visitors, boost the tourism business and reduce seasonality. The Region of Murcia wants to be the water sports capital of the world, and if we all work together, every day we will be closer to achieving it ”.
A speech endorsed by the mayor, Visitación Martínez: “The Mar Menor needs events of this magnitude. It is an example of tourism that respects the environment, because from the riverside municipalities and the Autonomous Community, we are convinced that the future of the Mar Menor must be linked to sustainability and respect for the ecological balance of this unique ecosystem ”.
Representing the GC32 class, its president Christian Scherrer stated: “We are delighted to incorporate the GC32 Mar Menor Cup as the final test of the GC32 Racing Tour 2021. I started working on organizing an event together with the Lo Pagán Yacht Club during my first visit. in 2019 with INEOS Team UK, when I was able to check the excellent conditions of the Mar Menor for the flying catamaran competition. I would like to thank the club, the local authorities and the collaborators for their support; I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a long collaborative relationship ”.
Perfect setting for GC32s
Mar Menor is a saltwater lagoon with a surface area of 135 square kilometers separated from the Mediterranean by a spit of sand 22 kilometers long and between 100 and 1200 meters wide. The statistics indicate excellent sailing conditions in November, with a 60% probability of winds above 8 knots and a 30% probability above 17 knots. These figures, together with the high salinity of the water and an average depth of four meters, anticipate the spectacle of flying catamarans, which will be able to develop their full speed potential on their foils. This is the reason that makes Mar Menor a very popular destination for training teams of various kinds of sailing during the winter months.
The circuit starts in Lagos
The GC32 Racing Tour 2021 will begin with a double in the Portuguese town of Lagos, which will host the debut of the season from June 30 to July 4 and a second test between July 28 and August 1. The holding of two consecutive events in Lagos responds to the joint effort of the organization, participants and sponsors to reduce the impact of the world situation. “We are aware that for some teams it is not ideal to have two events in the same venue, but in a year like this we believe that it is a good option to simplify things, reduce costs without compromising navigation conditions and hospitality”, explains Christian Scherrer. “We are fortunate that the local authorities in Lagos are willing to host us twice in the same season.” World Cup in Villasimius
From the Algarve coast, the circuit will head to Italy for the GC32 Villasimius World Championship from September 15 to 19. Since its debut on the circuit in the 2017 season, Villasimius has become an unmissable appointment for the GC32 fleet, which values its excellent sailing conditions in the idyllic setting of the Capo Carbonara nature reserve, in the extreme southeast of Sardinia. The Italian test will solve the third world championship oficial of the GC32 class.
At the gates of the start of the GC32 Racing Tour 2021, organizers, teams and sponsors are already working on the design of the next season of the circuit, which will recover an event in Riva del Garda and will incorporate the French town of Port Camagargue au Grau du Roi, two venues initially included in the 2021 calendar but which have had to postpone their participation due to the global pandemic.
GC32 Racing Tour 2021 Calendar
June 30 to July 4, 2021 – GC32 Lagos Cup 1 / Lagos, Portugal
July 28 to August 1, 2021 – GC32 Lagos Cup 2 / Lagos, Portugal
September 15-19, 2021 – GC32 World Championship / Villasimius, Italy
November 3-7, 2021 – GC32 Mar Menor Cup / San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain.
