M32 Miami Winter Series: From Rookie to Victor
by M32 Class 12 Jan 2025 22:16 PST
January 10-12, 2025
"To win is the best feeling ever," said Charlie Julien after his Rated X team claimed the tiebreaker victory over Ava Wilson's Convexity.
Julien and his crew—tactician Keith Swinton, Rhys Mara, Jeff McCooey, Julius Hallström, and Alan Johnson—delivered a commanding performance over 13 races on Miami's Biscayne Bay this weekend. Following P1 Julien and P2 Wilson was Bobby Julien and his Dingbat team in third place.
At just 14 years old, Charlie Julien is brand new to the M32 and faced a learning curve, but the teenage talent climbed quickly. "Everything was new to me. Each tack I was getting better and better," said Julien. "I've only ever sailed an Opti and a Laser, and these boats are so different and so fun. The speeds are amazing."
"Going into the last race, we didn't know whether we were going to win or not, so it was extremely exciting," said Julien. As is typical in the M32 fleet, the title came down to the final race—a who-beats-who showdown between Wilson and Julien. But this time, it wasn't Don Wilson and Bobby Julien at the helm—it was their children battling it out for the crown.
This weekend also welcomed three new drivers—Julien, Wilson, and Jon Desmond—stepping into the spotlight. Wilson led the fleet after the first day and shared some touching remarks in her post-race interview. Watch it here: instagram.com/p/DEsMk8Pxtme/
The M32 fleet is thrilled to be back at its winter home, Shake-A-Leg Miami, where they'll compete monthly this season. In February, M32 stalwarts Surge, Pursuit, and more will join the action. All roads lead to the M32 World Championship in Miami November 2025.
View full results on www.M32World.com.