GC32 Worlds 2019 @Lagos: Official Preview & Teams confirmed
Photos: Sailing Energy / GC32 Racing Tour. – Images , video & report sent by GC32 Racing Tour Media. Event web www.gc32racingtour.com –
GC32 Racing Tour – Stars of the sailing world congregate in Lagos for tomorrow’s GC32 World Championship
Ashby understands the importance of a world championship. Personally he is a ten time winner and defending champion of the singlehanded A-Class Catamaran Worlds. As to Team Tilt’s chances this time, he is realistic. This is the first time since they have sailed their GC32 since last year’s Worlds, so they have had to go back to basics.
As to Lagos, Ashby is impressed: “From what we have seen it is absolutely ideal – beautiful flat water 70% of the time and good breeze, sunny and warm. It is pretty much perfect for sailing foiling boats.”
He is not the only current America’s Cup sailor in Lagos. Sir Ben Ainslie, who is challenging with INEOS Team UK, is here with his INEOS Rebels UK team. Aside from being the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, with his unmatched tally of four golds and one silver, Ainslie also won the America’s Cup in San Francisco with Oracle Team USA, as did his GC32 jib trimmer Joe Newton. However most impressive is the number of Olympic medals on board the British GC32 – in addition to Ainslie’s haul is Giles Scott’s Finn gold from Rio 2016, where Iain Jensen won 49er silver, adding to his gold medal from London 2012. Their fifth crew is Luke Parkinson who won the Volvo Ocean Race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
“It is really nice to be back in Lagos – it is a great venue,” says Ainslie, who first raced the GC32 here last year. “We had some fantastic racing here last year and this time we have a few more teams and we’ve had a bit more practice in the boat. It is nice to have Team Tilt back to defend their title. They will be really strong with Glenn Ashby coming across from Team New Zealand, so there’ll be a bit of Cup rivalry!”
Equally accomplished, but in different spheres of yachting, is France’s
Franck Cammas, skipper of NORAUTO. Among his accolades are winning the
Volvo Ocean Race, France’s top offshore race the Route du Rhum, a former
holder of the Jules Verne Trophy for sailing around the world the
fastest, as well as being a multiple champion in the ORMA 60 trimaran
class. He also won last year’s GC32 Lagos Cup.
“It is a good place to race,” says Cammas of Lagos. “It is normally flat
water. We had two days last year with a strong offshore wind, which was
very nice because it was flat but also shifty. Last year we had a good
result, but the fleet is different this year. We hope to do better than
in Villasimius [the first event of the 2019 GC32 Racing Tour]. There we
had some good results and some bad ones, so we need to be more
consistent. We are not far away, but we are not as steady as the guys in
front.”
Cammas skippered the French challenge for the last America’s Cup in
Bermuda and several of his crew from that are on board Erik Maris’
Zoulou, while another former America’s Cup skipper is France’s Seb Col,
who is tactician on board Jason Carroll’s Argo this season. This week
both Maris and Carroll will be gunning for the GC32 World’s owner-driver
trophy.
One of the most successful sailing teams of all time is Ernesto
Bertarelli’s Alinghi, two time winner of the America’s Cup, which is
also won the last season of the Extreme Sailing Series.
Arnaud Psarofaghis is standing in here for Bertarelli, but denies there
will be more pressure because it is a World Championship. “There is no
pressure, but we have to win and we want to have some great racing. On
the water it will be the same. Everyone will push hard, but teams may be
more disappointed at the end if they don’t win the World title.”
Alinghi has had a crew change since Villasimius with Nicolas Charbonnier
moving on to main and tactics, Bryan Mettraux on trim, Yves Detrey on
bow and Timothé Lapauw back from injury on board rake.
A third team from Switzerland, new for this season, is Christian
Zürrer’s Black Star Sailing Team, on which four time Olympic Star sailor
Flavio Marazzi is sailing. Two key crew on board Red Bull Sailing Team
are also significant Olympians – skipper Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter
Steinacher were gold medallists in the Tornado catamaran at both Sydney
2000 and Athens 2004.
Oman Air and CHINAone NINGBO are both skippered by New Zealanders who
are former winners of the Match Racing World Championship. Oman Air’s
Adam Minoprio claimed this title in 2009 before going on to compete in
the Volvo Ocean Race. His Oman Air team comes to Lagos having won the
first event of the 2019 GC32 Racing Tour in Villasimius.
CHINAone NINGBO is on a steeper learning curve. Skippered by 2016
champion Phil Robertson, he and his crew are fresh from campaigning the
Chinese entry in the New York stopover of SailGP last weekend.
“We are a little bit behind the 8 ball but we’ll try and play catch-up,”
admits Robertson. “The line-up looks tough and there are a lot of
really good boats – all of the best guys are congregating at this
event.” For this event, the Chinese team includes two more ‘Robertson
regulars’ Will Tiller and James Wierzbowski.
Racing starts tomorrow at 1300 and concludes on Sunday. In addition to
the regular racing will be the Cascade Sopromar Speed Challenge. In this
the team recording the highest average speed will win five double rooms
for three nights at Lagos’ 5 Star Cascade Wellness & Lifestyle
Resort.
Teams competing at 2019 GC32 World Championship
Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis
Argo (USA) Jason Carroll
Black Star Sailing Team (SUI) Christian Zürrer
CHINAone NINGBO (CHN) Phil Robertson
INEOS Rebels UK (GBR) Ben Ainslie
NORAUTO (FRA) Franck Cammas
Team Oman Air (OMA) Adam Minoprio
Team Tilt (SUI) Sebastien Schneiter
Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara
Zoulou (FRA) Erik Maris
2019 GC32 Racing Tour schedule
22.-26 May: GC32 Villasimius Cup / Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy
26-30 June: GC32 World Championship / Lagos, Portugal
31 July-4 August: 38 Copa del Rey MAPFRE / Palma de Mallorca, Spain
11-15 September: GC32 Riva Cup / Riva del Garda, Italy
6-10 Nov: TBA
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