Marseille One Design
Marseille,30th September-3rd October
Kiel Cup
30.07.2015
Cowes Cup
Isle of Wight
24th-27th June
Austria Cup
Gmunden, Traunsee, Austria
27th – 31st May
Yacht racing entered a new era in 2013 with the advent of the AC72 catamarans that raced around San Francisco Bay at supersonic speeds with their giant hulls flying above, rather than through, the water (see top sailors discussing this in the video below).
Designed by Dr Martin Fischer, the GC32 has many similarities to the foiling America’s Cup catamarans but, free from rule constraints, has been conceived from the outset as a ‘better foiler’ (see below). It is also allows a wider group of sailors – not only elite level athletes – to experience the very latest technology in yacht racing.
While the foil system used to get the GC32 airborne is effectively a scaled-down version of the AC72s’, the boat is otherwise notably different in several ways. In addition to being substantially cheaper (!), principally it is very much easier to sail and to run:
It is fitted with a conventional catamaran rig with rotating mast and three sails (main, jib and genniker). Compared to an AC72’s wing, the GC32’s rig configuration is easier for regular sailors to adapt to and makes the logistics of running the boat far simpler, in particular docking and transportation.
The GC32 has a better all-round foil package. The main lifting foils are large, allowing the boat to get airborne in the widest range of conditions (typically from 7 knots TWS up). The large foils also make for a relatively stable ride, reducing pitching. Contrary to expectation, the large foils seem to have little effect on top end speed – a GC32 has been clocked at 39.2 knots… The large foils also enable the GC32 to foil upwind, although this requires 18-20 knots TWS. Despite its impressive performance, the GC32 is easy to helm and get airborne, but, like most race boats, requires skill and practice on the part of the crew to become competitive.
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Fotos: www.gc32racing.com
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