Copa del Ray MAPFRE – Armin Strom Team hungry for success in Palma

by Quinag Communication on 2 Aug 2016 It’s been a busy month for Armin Strom Sailing Team members who are now squarely focused on one of the biggest sailing regattas in the Mediterranean, Copa del Ray MAPFRE.

The event which signals the half way mark on the GC32 Racing Tour will see a fresh crew combination hit the start line on 3rd August.

With skipper Flavio Marazzi stepping off the boat to sail onboard a Maxi 72, team manager Sharon Ferris-Choat will lead the crew of Phil Robertson, Shane Diviney, Luke Payne and Andrew Murdoch.

“We have made a few crew changes following Malcesine, which will lift the game of our team as a whole. For this event, we have a strong combination of strength, weight, and tactical ability on board,” explains Flavio.

Sharon arrives fresh from a week sailing in England where she was coaching and sailing with an all women’s GC32 crew as part of the Magenta Project – the concept sparked by Team SCA’s successful participation in the 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race.

Sailing in Palma will present different challenges to the previous two Tour regattas on Lake Garda, especially where conditions are concerned.

“We will most likely have to contend with some steep waves if the breeze gets up. The GC32 will handle very differently. Trimming the boards and sails perfectly will be key to staying on the foils,” advises Sharon.

New Zealander Phil Robertson re-joins the team on the back of a massive win at the World Match Racing Championships in Sweden. Securing first place saw Phil and his match racing team scoop the $1,000,000 prize cheque, the biggest monetary reward in yachting.

Despite this triumph, Phil is looking forward to getting back to some high speed GC32 racing which he asserts is hugely helpful in developing his skills.

“Competing in different types of racing, on various boats develops important transferable skills. Time on the water is always important, and the many hours sailed with Armin Strom both in Auckland and Riva played a significant role in my recent success at the Match Racing World Championship,” notes Phil.

Trimmer Shane Diviney from Ireland is the only Armin Strom Sailing team member to have sailed all of the 2016 GC32 Racing Tour events so far. He believes the key to doing well is a combination of good starts and maintaining a high standard of the crew work: “If you are even a few seconds late at the start you risk getting rolled by the whole fleet, which leaves you playing catch up from the first mark. Thereafter, keeping it simple and reducing manoeuvres makes a big difference in this type of racing.”

The 2016 Copa del Rey MAPFRE runs from 3-6 August and marks the first occasion that organisers, the Real Club Nautico de Palma, have permitted multihulls to compete at the club’s premier event.

Flavio is sure the regatta will present a different atmosphere to previous events: “It’s exciting for the GC32s to be included in this historic event and sailing venue which has traditions dating back some 40 years. It shows that the GC32 Class is held in high regard, adding value to the sailing world and helping to grow attention around these spectacular events. The high level of racing which follows naturally given some of the world’s best sailors are involved, only adds to the spectacle.”

Armin Strom Sailing Team crew for Copa del Rey MAPFRE:

Skipper/Mainsheet: Sharon Ferris-Choat NZL/CAN
Team manager/Coach: Diego Stefani URU
Boat Captain: Ned Dalbeth Hudson NZL
Helm: Phil Robertson NZL
Boards: Andrew Murdoch NZL
Trimmer: Shane Diviney IRL
Bowman: Luke Payne AUS
Reserve: Alex Bryning NZL

Armin Strom Sailing Team thanks their sponsors Armin Strom, Marinepool, Forward Sailing, ProTect Tapes and Kaenon for their support.