Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Leaderboard

Heading south for the second event of the GC32 Racing Tour

by Sébastien Rogues on 26 Jun 2017
GC32 Racing Tour Jesus Renedo / GC32 Racing Tour
The seven heavyweights contending the GC32 Racing Tour title are heading to Sardinia, in the southeast corner of the island, where they will race against each other from Wednesday 28th June to Saturday 1st July in the GC32 Villasimius Cup.

All the competing GC32 teams are eager to try out racing at this new sailing venue. Measuring up against Sébastien Rogues’ Team ENGIE, the other teams, who come to Sardinia in peak form, will leave the French team little room for manoeuvre. Sébastien Rogues is confident in his team’s potential, and arrives in the Mediterranean more focused than ever.

Having finished fourth in the first event of the GC32 Racing Tour on Lake Garda in Italy, Team ENGIE descends on the Mediterranean for a rematch, and above all to prove that the French GC32 has a place on this circuit’s podium. The competition is very high and the other six teams competing in Villasimius will be putting up a fight to win.

A steady pace

In this type of competition, where there are many races, the slightest slip-up can be difficult to correct. Good results and consistency are the key to guarantee success. Sébastien Rogues knows this only too well: “At this level of competition the team must be consistent at all costs and finish in the Top 3 as often as possible at this event, with of course the aim to win as many races as possible. This is what it is going to take to reach our goal of gaining a place on the final podium and capitalise on our end of season objective - a podium finish on the GC32 Racing Tour. We have the means to achieve this; the team is tightly welded, talented and already has ample foiling experience. We are going to approach the races one by one and capitalise on our strengths while erasing the weak points. We are really looking forward to competing at this venue. There should be plenty of wind, and as we will be sailing on an open body of water, the state of the sea will also be a factor to consider.”



Sailing and physical training between events

Daily training is necessary to maintain the team’s high level between each event. Sébastien and his team are fully aware of this and aim to sail on all types of boats, especially foiling boats, between competitions.

After returning to France from the competition in Riva, Sébastien Rogues participated in the largest gathering of foiling boats, the FOILING BAY, which took place in La Baule in Brittany in May, where Sébastien paired up with Jean-Batiste Gellée to compete in the Flying Phantom class.

Antoine Joubert rose to even greater heights and climbed Europe’s highest summit, Mont Blanc. “It was a challenge I had in mind for a while and when my mind is set on something, I will not rest until I achieve it. It is a way of surpassing myself physically and mentally. It was an intense effort and I did not foresee how deeply I would have to dig to draw the necessary resources. I have learnt much about myself from climbing Mont Blanc. I love the mountains and I have just returned from the Puy de Dôme where I practiced paragliding. I have re-charged my batteries, that is certain”, commented Antoine Joubert, an atypical training for the sailor who works on cardio and endurance.

Gurvan Bontemps preferred the calm of the Swiss lakes and participated in the largest closed water race, the Bol d'Or. When they are not sailing, the sailors run, cycle and lift weights in order to keep their physical condition in the optimal shape required by this physically demanding sailing discipline.

Sébastien Rogues, Gurvan Bontemps, Jean-Baptiste Gellée, Antoine Joubert and Benjamin Amiot are confident in their success, but are keenly aware of the work to be done. Choosing the optimal path on the race course, positioning themselves well on the start line, choosing the most favourable side of the water, foiling for as long as possible, manoeuvring to perfection and being incisive at key moments of the race are the keys to success. So will Villasimius be the event that unleashes the toughest competition? Saturday July 1st will reveal the results of the second event of this ultra competitive circuit.

Overall Ranking 2017 GC32 Racing Tour
1 - Realteam – Switzerland – 1 point
2 - Team Tilt – Switzerland – 2 points
3 - Armin Strom Sailing Team – Switzerland – 3 points
4 - Team ENGIE – France – 4 points
5 - Team Argo – USA – 5 points
6 – I’M Racing Movistar – 6 points
7 - Mamma Aiuto ! – Japan – 7 points
8 - Team France Youth – France – 8 points
9 - Malizia – Yacht Club de Monaco – Monaco – 9 points
10 - Team BDA – Bermuda – 10 points
11 - Codigo Rojo – Argentina – 11 points

Selden 2020 - FOOTERVetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERV-DRY-X

Related Articles

North launches new Wingfoil Race Collection
Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace. Engineered with a VMG-optimised partial double skin for improved aerodynamic efficiency, lower drag and precise manoeuvres at higher speeds.
Posted today at 10:35 am
AEGEAN 600 Attica Warm-Up Race
5th edition sets sail with strong winds and signature Greek hospitality Under perfect sunny skies and brisk northerly winds, the 5th edition of the annual AEGEAN 600 kicked off with a flawless start both on and off the water.
Posted on 4 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D5
Stage set for Finals showdown in Marstrand With just one day to go at the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, the stage is set for a thrilling finale in both the Open and Women's classes.
Posted on 4 Jul
Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section.
Posted on 4 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 2
Light breeze, boat park buzz and big wins off the water >Day 2 brought lighter winds to Lake Garda, but the energy around the event stayed sky-high.
Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 3
French tour de force gives Paprec world championship lead As the Rolex TP52 World Championship passed its midway point today in Cascais, Portugal it is the French underdogs on Paprec, led by ocean racing legend Loïck Peyron, which has taken the overall lead.
Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again?
Posted on 4 Jul
International Moth Worlds begin this weekend
Pre-Worlds are under way at Malcesine From 6 to 13 July 2025, the 2025 Moth World Championship officially gets under way, hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine and preceded by the Pre-Worlds on 4 and 5 July. The event marks the culmination of three weeks entirely dedicated to foiling.
Posted on 4 Jul
K-Challenge gives opinion on proposed Protocol
Why the 38th edition could usher in a new era for the America's Cup Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, Co-CEOs of K-Challenge, jointly stated: “The provisional Protocol published on 23 May 2025 by Defender Emirates Team New Zealand is an important step forward for the America's Cup."
Posted on 4 Jul
PredictWind to show new race tracker in August
The Ocean Race joins with PredictWind as Official Tracking and Weather Services Supplier The Ocean Race, often described as the toughest test of a team in sport and widely recognised as a leader in impactful ocean health initiatives, and PredictWind, a global leader in marine weather forecasting, are collaborating on a new race tracker.
Posted on 4 Jul