Surprise victory for Realteam at GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup

by GC32 Racing on 16 Sep 2017 An unforced error caused victory to slip through the fingers of Malizia – Yacht Club de Monaco on the final day of the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup, leaving the Swiss Realteam to claim their second event win on the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour.

While summery conditions initially gave way to an overcast sky and rain, out on the Bay of Calvi it was the most stable day with 15-20 knot winds. This enabled one round of the Anonimo Speed Challenge and five races with reaching starts to be held.

In the Anonimo Speed Challenge it was Jason Carroll’s Argo which made the fastest run today with an average speed of 21.21 knots for the two reaching legs and the gybe between.

“Finally!” exclaimed Argo helmsman Anthony Kotoun. “Yesterday we did a bad one, but today it was good. So yahoo!” As to why they won, Kotoun confided: “This was the first time we have successfully even got close to pulling off a foiling gybe at the mark. And we have won a watch! It’s great to have Anonimo as a sponsor of the Tour.” The winner of the Anonimo Speed Challenge at each event on the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour wins an Anonimo Nautilo watch.

Crews and spectators alike today were pleased the race committee was able to set up America’s Cup-style courses with reaching starts/finishes. As the wind piped up to 20 knot for the fourth race, the start became even more of a high octane affair. Once again the Bay of Calvi’s fish farm formed an obstacle on the left side of the race track forcing boats that went this side to reach into the leeward gate at warp factor. On Argo they hit 36 knots.

Followed her Anonimo Speed Challenge victory, Argo was also firing on all cylinders initially in the fleet racing and posted two bullets in the first two races. “We got back to our old rhythm and had good communication and good boat handling,” said Kotoun.

Unfortunately in the third race there was disaster for Pierre Casiraghi’s Malizia – Yacht Club de Monaco as they rounded the weather mark. As Casiraghi explained: “I hit the mark and hooked the rudder and that’s about it...” The starboard rudder ripped off the transom, forcing the Monegasque to retire from the remaining races. “It was just bad driving,” Casiraghi continued. “The guys did a great job this week. I am sorry for them because they sailed really well.” The regatta had been Malizia’s to lose, starting the final day with a 14 point lead.

With this the stakes were raised and the two way fight for second between Realteam and Argo became a battle for the lead. Initially this went Argo’s way, but Realteam winning races three and four, left the Swiss holding a tenuous one point lead going into the final, deciding race. “They were just one point behind us, so the boat that won would come out on top,” explained Swiss skipper Jérôme Clerc. “We made a good start and we were ahead at the first gybe, so then we just had to match them.” This they successfully managed, with Argo overhauling Sébastien Rogues’ Team ENGIE on the final beat to claim second. As a result Realteam, the team founded by Esteban Garcia, claimed the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup by two slender points.

“We were checking where they were,” said Clerc. “We knew we had the chance to do some good races in the strong wind. In fact we didn’t make great starts but we did manoeuvre well and the team did a good job. It is cool, a great fight with Argo. Now – we are now looking where we stand in the Championship.”

Going into the final event of the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour, Marseille One Design, Realteam holds a two point lead over Argo.

On this occasion it was Naofumi Kamei’s Mamma Aiuto! that claimed the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup owner-driver prize. Incredibly there are now three teams - Argo, Mamma Aiuto! and Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco all tied on points in the 2017 season Owner Driver Championship going into the last event of the season: Marseille One Design will take place over 12-15 October.

Pos	Team	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	Tot
1	Realteam	2	1	5	4	3	5	5	2	3	4	2	1	1	1	39
2	Argo	5	2	4	2	4	2	3	5	6	1	1	2	2	2	41
3	Team ENGIE	3	3	3	3	6	3	2	6	4	3	3	3	3	3	48
4	Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco	1	5	1	1	1	1	1	4	1	5	4	DNF/8	"	DNC/8	49
5	Mamma Aiuto!	4	4	2	6	2	6	4	3	5	2	5	4	4	4	55
6	.film Racing	6	6	6	5	5	4	6	1	2	6	6	5	5	5	68
7	Zoulou	DNC/8	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	DNC/8	112

GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup Owner-Driver results

Pos	Team	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	Tot
1	Mamma Aiuto!	4	4	2	6	2	6	4	3	5	2	5	4	4	4	55
2	.film Racing	6	6	6	5	5	4	6	1	2	6	6	5	5	5	68
3	Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco	DNS/8	"	"	"	"	"	DNS/8	4	1	5	4	DNF/8	"	DNC/8	94
4	Zoulou	DNC/8	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	"	DNC/8	112

ANONIMO Speed Challenge at the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup

Pos	Team	Best average speed
1	Argo	21.21
2	Team ENGIE	20.64
3	Mamma Aiuto!	19.35
4	Realteam	19.11
5	.film Racing	18.25
6	Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco	16.3

2017 GC32 Racing Tour results after four events

Pos	Team	Riva Cup	Villasimius Cup	Copa del Rey MAPFRE	Orezza Corsica Cup	Tot
1	Realteam	1	2	3	1	7
2	Argo	4	1	2	2	9
3	Mamma Aiuto!	6	3	1	5	15
4	Team ENGIE	3	5	7	3	18
5	Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco	7	6	4	4	21
6	Movistar	5	4	5	11	25
7	ARMIN STROM Sailing Team	2	7	9	11	29
8	Zoulou	11	11	6	7	35
9	.film Racing	11	11	8	6	36
10	Código Rojo Racing	8	11	10	11	40

2017 GC32 Racing Tour Owner-Driver results after four events

Pos	Team	Riva Cup	Villasimius Cup	Copa del Rey MAPFRE	Orezza Corsica Cup	Tot
1	Argo	1	1	2	7	11
2	Mamma Aiuto!	7	2	1	1	11
3	Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco	2	3	3	3	11
4	.film Racing	7	7	5	2	21
5	Zoulou	7	7	4	4	22
6	Código Rojo Racing	3	7	6	7	23