GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup– Sébastien and Team Engie finish on the podium

by Sébastien Rogues on 18 Sep 2017 Team Engie’s objective before the penultimate race of the GC32 Racing Tour was clear - to finish on the podium. The Orezza Corsica Cup was the toughest event of the circuit and in these windy conditions, Sébastien Rogues and his team managed to pull it off.

Bouncing back at the end of the final day with 48 points, Team Engie finished third behind Realteam and Argo. The team will next be heading to Marseille for the ultimate test of the GC32 Racing Tour.

Never before on the GC32 Racing Tour have the waters been so choppy during racing. The bay of Calvi’s magnificent setting served as a backdrop to the gripping races battled out between the seven competing crews where precision, experience and audacity played a key part.

On the final day, the provisional overall ranking was overturned when Malizia’s efforts went up in smoke after a high-speed collision with a buoy. Taking advantage of this mistake, Realteam, Argo and Team Engie finished first, second and third respectively. Team Engie gained their second podium of the season after that of the Riva Cup, following a consistent performance, finishing in third place ten times during the event.

Now fourth in the provisional GC32 Racing Tour overall ranking, Team Engie’s final goal of climbing onto the 2017 season podium is not that far off, but it will take at least a 4-point lead in the next event ahead of team Mamma Aiuto! to achieve this, a challenge the Team Engie sailors are ready to take on.

“This event was mind-blowing! The conditions were extremely tough and I must say that the downwind tacks at over 33 knots were quite tricky to handle with the constant fear of capsizing. We are doing very well and finishing on the podium is very rewarding for us. Malizia’s problem in the last race was certainly much in our favour, but that is also what competition is all about. They had a perfect race and it was a shame for them. No other team had dominated a race like that, it must be frustrating for them. They deserved to win. As for our performance, we are really happy with the work done on the boat and the foils because we managed to sail even faster to windward. We also worked individually with the crew members in order to strengthen the team. It worked very well and we have rarely been so efficient on board. It was a real treat. Thank you to our coach Bertrand Dumortier for this work.”

“The last GC32 event in Marseille will be a special occasion because it is here that everything started for us and our GC32 back in 2014 and it is here that the adventure with Engie will come to an end on this foiling catamaran. Our goal is simple, to finish on the podium of the Marseille One Design but especially to finish on the 2017 season podium. We really want to have some fun on this last event,” said Sébastien.
Marseille will be the last event of the season - running from Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th October and which also promises fine racing for a breathless finale.

Overall ranking GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup
1 - Realteam – Switzerland – 39 points
2 - Argo – USA – 41 points
3 - Team Engie – France – 48 points
4 - Malizia – Monaco Yacht Club – Monaco – 49 points
5 – Mamma Aiuto! – Japan – 55 points
6 - .film Racing – Australia – 68 points
7 - Zoulou – France – 112 points

Overall ranking GC32 Racing Tour
1 - Realteam – Switzerland – 7 points
2 - Argo – USA – 9 points
3 - Mamma Aiuto! – Japan – 15 points
4 - Team Engie – France – 18 points
5 - Malizia – Monaco Yacht Club – Monaco – 21 points
6 –Movistar – Spain – 25 points
7 - Armin Strom Sailing Team – Switzerland – 29 points
8 – Zoulou – France – 35 points
9 - .film Racing – Australia – 36 points
10 - Codigo Rojo – Argentina – 40 points