Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Sheer amount of high quality competition at GC32 Riva Cup

by GC32 Racing on 27 May 2016
Norauto and Team Tilt neck and neck - 2016 GC32 Riva Cup Loris Von Siebenthal / GC32 Racing Tour
While Norauto and Team Tilt were battling to be top cat at the GC32 Riva Cup on another strong wind day on Lake Garda, others in the hi-tech fleet were battling to stay in the game.

With nine boats on the course, it’s a new game, but one that has the crews – both amateur and professional – enthralled by the competition and the sheer amount of high quality racing. Six races a day was perhaps even a bit too much for Glenn Ashby, the Olympic medallist racing on board Team Tilt. “All the boys are under 30 except for me,” grinned the 38 year old. “Maybe one less race would be nice. But good fun out there, the last two days have been great sailing.”

The Swiss crew skippered by Sebastien Schneiter swept the board in the first three races, winning all three. But they were struggling to keep Franck Cammas and Norauto at bay. “They’re a lot more practised than us, and about 50kg heavier with extra crew weight,” said Ashby. “They’ve got the legs on us upwind. And then the cunningham broke – again!”

Coincidentally one of Cammas’ crew is called Hervé Cunningham, and it was Cunningham who observed what a difference a lack of cunningham can make. “They were leading us in today’s last race,” said the tall crewman, “but when their cunningham broke you could see what an effect it had on their performance. We were probably a knot faster through the water after that.”

And so Norauto matched Team Tilt’s early afternoon performance by winning the final three races of the day. It couldn’t be closer between these two, with Cammas holding a single point advantage over Schneiter, and with both boats a long way ahead of the rest of the fleet. Gunvor’s retirement has allowed Armin Strom to move into third overall, with the Swedes in fourth. A close battle is underway for fifth and sixth between the two French teams, Spindrift Racing leading Team Engie by a point. Behind them are the three Owner-Driver teams.



Argo leads Owner-Driver Trophy

The war of attrition held up Argo’s and Malizia’s progress in the regatta today, although the USA team skippered by Jason Carroll holds a 9-point lead over the Monaco crew. The newest team on the block, Orange Racing, started to climb through the fleet towards the end of the day as skipper Laurent Lenne steered the Dutch boat to 8,7,6 finishes, only to fail to complete the final race of the day due to a Man Overboard incident. Still, the Dutch have the highest learning curve and sailed a pretty clean day to close the gap on the boats ahead.

A day of many dramas, and one capsize

The reaching starts on the GC32 Racing Tour are always moments to get the blood pumping, but today it was the leeward gate marks that proved to be the most challenging part of the course.

Malizia Yacht Club de Monaco was charging down the course on port gybe at high speed, with Armin Strom already having rounded and on her way up the next leg. Too late, the crew from Monaco responded to the collision course, helmsman Pierre Casiraghi forced to abandon a last-second gybe and steering the opposite way to minimise contact. The Malizia gennaker brushed over the top of Flavio Marazzi’s boat, but no real harm done.



However, while there was no injury to any of the crew, one of Malizia’s foils was damaged while being pulled upright by a chase boat and forced the team from Monaco to head for shore for the rest of the day. Even in adversity, though, Casiraghi manages to remain upbeat. “We might be up all night trying to fix the foil, but we will be positive,” he said. “It’s like a 1970s car rally where everyone is working on their cars to be race ready for the next day. It’s great!”

A protest was underway this evening at the Yacht Club Fraglia Riva to work out who was right and who was wrong at a couple of leeward mark incidents that caused minor damage to Team Engie, Argo and Gunvor Racing. Iain Percy already admitted responsibility for the Swedish error in turning too close behind Argo, causing a small chunk to be taken out of one of Jason Carroll’s rudders. “Sorry about that,” smiled Percy sheepishly as he handed over a few bottles of something alcoholic as some kind of peace offering, which was gratefully accepted by Carroll – even if they had a few more hours of sticky epoxy and carbon repair work ahead of them tonight. However it was bad news for Carroll in the protest room after Argo was disqualified for failing to keep clear of Team Engie.



Day three holds the prospect of more thrilling racing at the northern end of Lake Garda, which is proving to be every bit as good as the fleet had hoped for.

Overall results after 12 races
Pos. Team (Nation) Points


1. Norauto (FRA) 20
2. Team Tilt (SUI) 21
3. Armin Strom Sailing Team (SUI) 51
4. Gunvor Sailing (SWE) 57
5. Team Engie (FRA) 67
6. Spindrift racing (FRA) 70
7. Argo (USA) 86
8. Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco (MON) 89
9. Orange Racing (NED) 101

Owner-Driver Trophy after 12 races
Pos. Team (Nation) Points

1. Argo (USA) 86
2. Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco (MON) 89
3. Orange Racing (NED) 101

Vaikobi 2024 FOOTERLloyd Stevenson - Artnautica60 728x90px BOTTOMC-Tech 2020 Tubes 728x90 BOTTOM

Related Articles

Lunven and Soudée on the dockside in Lorient
Preparing for a classic north Atlantic passage in the Transat CIC Once again La Base marina in Lorient, Brittany – the main home of the IMOCA fleet – is a hive of activity as 33 boats and their skippers prepare for the daunting challenge of the North Atlantic alone.
Posted today at 1:38 pm
Antigua Sailing Week 2024 Preview
All set to deliver sensational racing and amazing parties in a beautiful setting Antigua Sailing Week is back for the 55th edition with 13 racing classes filled to the brim with sailors from all over the world. Teams from over 20 different nations are set for the Caribbean's famous regatta.
Posted today at 10:15 am
The Transat CIC: Who are the favourites?
Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) makes his comeback The start gun of the 15th edition of The Transat CIC will sound on Sunday sending a fleet of 48 skippers - 33 IMOCAs, 13 Class 40s and two vintage yachts - off on the complex, cold and mainly upwind passage across the Atlantic.
Posted today at 7:44 am
59th Congressional Cup at Long Beach Day 1
Strong start for Jeppe Borch on opening day Denmark's Jeppe Borch leads the 12-team international line-up after Day One with an impressive six wins and one loss, signalling a promising start in his pursuit of the coveted Crimson Blazer.
Posted today at 4:33 am
Antigua Wingfoil Championship sets sail
Winds of excitement at Antigua Sailing Week Registration Day is now closed, with a total of 11 enthusiastic Wingfoilers gearing up for an exhilarating experience at this year's Antigua Wingfoil Championship part of Antigua Sailing Week (ASW).
Posted today at 12:20 am
Last Chance Regatta at Hyères, France Day 4
Bainbridge grabs last chance Paris 2024 ticket for Team GB Connor Bainbridge finally claimed a place in the men's kite at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for Great Britain, approximately eight months later than he expected, after a dominant display at the Last Chance Regatta in Hyères.
Posted on 24 Apr
RORC Myth of Malham Race preview
An impressive RORC fleet will gather off Cowes on 4th May This early May Bank Holiday weekend is the date for one of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's most celebrated races.
Posted on 24 Apr
Clipper 2023-24 Race 10 Finish
Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam wins 5,500nm race across North Pacific Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam has claimed its fourth win on the Clipper 2023-24 Race, taking first place in the longest, and one of the toughest races on the circuit, Race 10: Ultimate Test of Perseverance - the 5,580nm North Pacific crossing.
Posted on 24 Apr
52 Super Series Palma Vela Sailing Week preview
The champions are looking to achieve lift off with new Platoon Aviation The reigning 52 SUPER SERIES champions, Harm Müller-Spreer's German flagged crew, start their title defence on Sunday on Majorca's Bay of Palma.
Posted on 24 Apr
Groupe SNEF win the Niji40
A new Class 40 Transatlantic Race with a strong international flavour French aces Xavier Macaire and Pierre Leboucher, both formerly top Figaro solo racers, ably supported by Spanish Min650 racer Carlos Manera Pascual have won the first ever Niji40 Class40 race from Belle-Île-en-Mer to Marie Galante, Guadeloupe.
Posted on 24 Apr