2016 GC32 RACING TOUR   28 Apr 2016

2016 GC32 RACING TOUR

ARMIN STROM Sailing Team is proud to announce a fresh new team packed with both experienced foiling sailors and talented youngsters ready to take on the 2016 GC32 Racing Tour which starts in May.

Having spent winter ‘down under’ in New Zealand preparing for the 2016 European season skipper Flavio Marazzi has selected a strong international crew to go up against the nine other teams contesting this year’s GC32 Racing Tour title.

Armed with a new boat and a new crew ARMIN STROM Sailing Team is fully prepared to take on the challenge of the five tour events spanning Italy, Spain and France.

ARMIN STROM Sailing Team 2016

Flavio Marazzi (SUI)
Skipper/Helm Age: 38, Weight: 100kg, Height: 190cm
The four-time Olympic Star class sailor and GC32 Class President from Switzerland is looking forward to this year’s GC32 Racing Tour.

Quote: “Last year we were taught a few lessons by more experienced catamaran sailors. We believe we have closed the gap following an intense winter training programme. As a competitor and Class President, I’m thrilled to see the Racing Tour grow in numbers and have more teams take on the challenge.”

Phil Robertson (NZL)
Mainsheet Trimmer/Tactician 29, 70kg, 168cm
Competitor at multiple World Match Racing Tour events with fast multihull experience that ranges from the Extreme Sailing Series to the America’s Cup World Series.

Sharon Ferris-Choat (NZL)
Team Manager, Mainsheet Trimmer/Tactician, Co-helm 42, 74kg, 168cm
Former Olympic, offshore maxi catamaran and speed record sailor, Sharon joins ARMIN STROM as the only woman competing on the Racing Tour this year.

Diego Stefani (URU)
Team Coach/Trimmer 35, 78kg, 182cm
Diego brings a wealth of GC32 Class racing knowledge and experience as both coach and sailor.

Shane Diviney (IRL)
Trimmer 24, 83kg, 175cm
Shane has a wide range of experience from dinghies to multihulls, and offshore sailing. He has also competed at the World Match Racing Tour and the Extreme Sailing Series.

Alex Bryning (NZL)
Bowman 19, 77kg, 182cm
The youngest member on ARMIN STROM, 20-year-old Alex, is a teams-racing champion with a passion for the GC32 which saw him excel during training in New Zealand.

Ned Dalbeth-Hudson (NZL)
Boat Captain 19, 98kg, 182cm
Ned is the ARMIN STROM team’s “go to guy” for all matters concerning sail-making, boat repair and general maintenance.

Backed by a strong, diverse blend of sailing backgrounds and experience within the team, Flavio says the goal for ARMIN STROM is simple.

“Our aim is to build on last year’s good work and our training in New Zealand, and be at the front of the fleet. We’ve put together a talented young crew with some very good sailors and it’s great to have nine other teams to line up against. We’re looking forward to some intense racing and what will surely be a very competitive series of events.”

The New Zealand Sessions

While in New Zealand and operating under the name MARWIN Racing Team, the team based itself out of the Bay of Islands and Auckland. Trialing crew members were faced with a wide range of wind strengths and sea conditions in both training and racing environments.

Highlights include comfortably winning the Bay of Islands Race Week and completing a clean sweep of the Auckland Jack Tar Regatta with eight bullets.

The crew were featured on a variety of media outlets and showcased foiling as innovative, fast and highly physical sailing.

Final decisions on the team selection for the 2016 Racing Tour were based on skill, experience, fitness and attitude.

GC32 Racing Tour 2016

This year, Flavio and the ARMIN STROM Sailing Team will go up against some stiff competition: Jason Carroll’s ARGO (USA), Franck Cammas’ NORAUTO Racing (FRA), Gunvor Sailing (SWE), Jerome Clerc’s Realteam (SUI), Yann Guichard’s Spindrift Racing (FRA), Sebastian Rogues’s Team ENGIE (FRA), Sebastien Schneiter’s Team Tilt (SUI), Boris Hermann’s Team Monaco (MON) and Laurent Lenne’s Team Umpirex (NED).

The European GC32 season kicks off with a special event in Austria in mid-May. The GC32 Alps Challenge Traunsee will signal the 2016 competitive debut of the fresh new ARMIN STROM Sailing Team in Europe. The GC32 Alps Challenge Traunsee will be held from 12 - 15 May, after which the GC32 Racing Tour begins in earnest.

GC32 Racing Tour 2016 Schedule:

26 - 29 May: GC32 Riva Cup, Riva del Garda, Italy
7 - 10 July: GC32 Malcesine Cup at The Foiling Week, Malcesine, Italy
3 - 6 August: Copa del Rey MAPFRE, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
22 - 25 September: GC32 Sotogrande, Spain
13 - 16 October: Marseille One Design, Marseille, France

ARMIN STROM Sailing Team thanks their sponsors ARMIN STROM, Marine Poole, Forward Sailing, ProTect Tapes and Kaenon for their support.

About the GC32

The GC32 foiling catamaran is a strict one-design class meaning all the boats in the fleet are identical.
It weighs 950 kilograms and is able to reach speeds of up to 40 knots. Thanks to modern construction and technology the so-called foils of the boat means they can generate enough lift for the hulls to fly over the water. Sailed with a crew of five (maximum weight 437.5 kilograms) and one guest.

Overall length: 9.75m (32ft)
Beam: 6m
Mast height: 16.5m2
Mainsail area: 60m2
Jib: 23m2
Gennaker:90m2

ENDS

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