GC32 championship

2nd in San Diego but a good outcome overall

22 October, 2018

Leading Act 6 from the first day until the 18th race, Alinghi was ultimately unable to fend off the repeated assaults of Oman who took the lead in the 19th run. The Swiss won the 21st and final race of the competition, but the Omanis maintained a slender one-point lead to take the result, with SAP claiming 3rd place (Oman Air 233 points - Alinghi 232 points - SAP 226 points). Alinghi of course was aiming for success in San Diego, but the disappointment of finishing second is offset once the implications for the Series’ overall standings are taken into account, with the Swiss firmly in the lead with one Act remaining. Timothé Lapauw, foil adjuster: “We finish 2nd, but there are many positive points that we take, not least the good speed we achieved regularly. Racing was also not easy in San Diego with a variable and light wind." Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician: "We take heart in light of the implications for the final result of the championship, but of course we would have liked to win here in San Diego because it was a result within our reach. However, we didn’t always sail to the best of our abilities.” Arnaud Psarofaghis, helmsman: "Oman Air deserves this win in San Diego because we did not sail well enough on the last day. Overall we wanted to beat SAP and that's the case. It even allows us to finish behind them in Los Cabos to win the championship, since you do not have to win every Act to win the trophy. The guys have done a good job on-board and we can very much still be satisfied with our second place." Yves Detrey, bowman: “Second place leaves a slightly bitter taste because we lost on the last day because of avoidable mistakes, which should not happen at our level. But there is still one regatta to go before the end of the season and we will work hard until the end." Pierre-Yves Jorand, team director: “It was a tough day. We started really well and finished really well. In between, we had four difficult races and made mistakes probably due to a lack of coordination and communication. We will discuss that with the team. But the good thing is that we did the job finishing ahead of SAP who is our direct opponent for the championship.”  The final Act of the Extreme Sailing Series 2018 will be held in Los Cabos (Mexico) from November 29 to December 2. Click here for the full results of Act 6 after its 21 races Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   To find out more extremesailingseries.com If you want to know more about the race tracking system, the team and the racing in general, you can find a recap here. Credit for photos: Lloyd Images

Unexpected conditions and competing styles make for happy sailors

4 March, 2017

This afternoon, on the fourth day of racing in this GC32 Championship, the wind was more than was forecast (6-7 knots), allowing the boats to foil downwind. The wind finally faded by the day's fifth race, the finish of which was just 21 seconds over the 35 minutes deadline as set by the race committee. It was Land Rover BAR Academy who narrowly lost out on the win in what was to be the day's final race. Nils Frei, headsail trimmer: "We are happy with this fourth day of racing. We were concerned about the prospect of a dead calm (little or no wind) because it was very hot this morning and when it was warm, the wind struggle to settle. In the end we were able to do four races in 7 to 10 knots. "With windward starts today, which was different to previous days when we launching 'reaching', with the wind on the side of the boat, it was certainly more interesting strategically. It gave us more options and it enabled us to get back to classic tactics - the first leg of the course facing the wind, the return with the wind with us. "With our 7, 4, 5 and 2 places, we maintain our third place on the podium, ten points ahead of 4th (Red Bull Sailing Team), seven behind second (SAP). It is true that Oman Air and SAP have taken a little lead ahead, but we have, at the same time widened the gap on our pursuers. So in the end, it's a positive day. " With Ernesto Bertarelli very involved in running a large and dynamic business, the Alinghi Team needs an additional sailor to accommodate sudden commitments to be fulfilled by his skipper. When Ernesto is helming, it does not mean holiday for the reserve sailor, far from it. Instead, he can observe the racing, monitor the team's performance and then offer advice. This week it was Nicolas on the role alongside team coach Pierre-Yves Jorand. Nicolas Charbonnier, co-tactician / mainsail trimmer: "Being in the follow boat, the view is totally different. I was aboard the GC32 throughout the 2016 season but I have to say that having an outside eye is very interesting at several levels. It is much easier to see the sail settings and you have a better vision of the whole fleet and how it evolves during the manoeuvres, after which it's easier to compare notes. "Since Tuesday, I have noticed two major facts. Our team has serious assets and Ernesto has done a fantastic job at the helm by assimilating, in a few hours of training, what we learnt during a whole season last year (Ernesto not been on board the GC32 since the Extreme Sailing Series Act 1 in March 2016). But, to be quite honest, even if it is an interesting and instructive exercise to be on the rubber boat, I prefer to be on board the GC32!" Misfortune for one, happiness for the other, a schedule overlap compelled Ernesto to head back to Europe tonight. Therefore, Nicolas will be on board with Arnaud, Nils, Tim and Yves for the closing of the first GC32 class championship. See you tomorrow at 1 pm (local time) for the final day in Muscat.   After Day 4 and fourteen races sailed, the overall standings read (with one point for first, two for second, and so on): 1st - Oman Air (OMA) : 2, 3, 7, 1, 1, 3, 1, 4, 5, 7, 6, 1, 2, 1 > 44 points 2 nd - SAP Extreme S.T. (DEN) : 7, 2, 1, 5, 2, 4, 12, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 3, 7 > 51 points 3rd - Alinghi (SUI) : 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 4, 5, 2 > 58 points 4th - Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) : 8, 8, 2, 7, 6, 8, 2, 2, 4, 8, 4, 2, 1, 6 > 68 points 5 th - Team Tilt (SUI) : 1, 6, 4, 2, 5, 1, 12, 3, 7, 5, 9, 6, 9, 3 > 73 points 6 th - Team Engie (FRA) : 4, 1, 5, 3, 7, 5, 6, 8, 10, 1, 2, 5, 6, 10 > 73 points Find all results on: https://www.gc32championship.com/results/ A RECAP What: The very first annual GC32 class championship, bringing together teams from the Extreme Sailing Series and the GC32 Racing Tour, as well as those who simply run a GC32 Who: 11 international teams, each with five members Where: Al Mouj, Muscat, Oman When: Tuesday 28th of February to Sunday 5th of March, 2017 How: The teams will compete in a race around marked buoys aboard their one-design 32ft long foiling catamarans – the GC32 Follow the action There are five different ways to follow Alinghi during the championship, with each day featuring up to five races each afternoon, starting at 1pm local time (GMT + 4, CET + 3) News, photos and video clips www.alinghi.com www.gc32championship.com On Twitter @alinghiteam > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi > Interviews, photos and videos Alinghi's GC32 crew Helm and skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Tactician and mainsail trimmer, helm on the last day: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Co-tactician and mainsail trimmer on the last day: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Foil trimmer and grinder: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Coach and team leader Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) To find out more www.gc32championship.com Event Hashtags #GoAlinghiGo #GC32championship Photo Credit ©Lloyd Images

Conditions in Muscat today are similar to Lake Geneva!

3 March, 2017

Nils Frei, headsail trimmer: "Leaving the port today we had 9-10 knots of wind, which allowed us to foil in the first race, in which we finished sixth. We were blocked on the start line by a competitor, meaning we were left in a bad position once we got to the first mark, though we were then able to make up some ground. "At the same time, the level has definitely been raised this week, as can be seen by how each team has had differing results throughout the course of the regatta. In today's race Oman Air finished seventh, Team Tilt fifth and Red Bull Sailing Team eighth. SAP's second place in the race secures them the same position in the overall rankings tonight, with us one position behind, six points ahead of Tilt in fourth. "Soon after the first race the wind fell and the race committee even had to cancel the second race as it was being run, the time limit to finish it having been breached - the rule states that if nobody is over the finish line within 35 minutes then the race is abandoned and the race restarted on a shorter course, if the wind allows it, of course. "The wind stayed the same, so we look forward instead to tomorrow and hope for big breezes so that we can enjoy some great racing." The sailing starts a little earlier tomorrow than the previous days, at 12:00 local time, with five additional races added to the programme. After Day 3 and ten races sailed, the overall standings read (with one point for first, two for second, and so on): 1st - Oman Air (OMA): 2, 3, 7, 1, 1, 3, 1, 4, 5, 7 > 34 points 2nd - SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN): 7, 2, 1, 5, 2, 4, 12, 1, 1, 2 > 37 points 3rd - Alinghi (SUI): 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6 > 40 points 4th - Team Tilt (SUI): 1, 6, 4, 2, 5, 1, 12, 3, 7, 5 > 46 points 5th - Team Engie (FRA): 4, 1, 5, 3, 7, 5, 6, 8, 10, 1 > 50 points 6th - Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT): 8, 8, 2, 7, 6, 8, 2, 2, 4, 8 > 55 points Find all results on: https://www.gc32championship.com/results/ A RECAP What: The very first annual GC32 class championship, bringing together teams from the Extreme Sailing Series and the GC32 Racing Tour, as well as those who simply run a GC32 Who: 11 international teams, each with five members Where: Al Mouj, Muscat, Oman When: Tuesday 28th of February to Sunday 5th of March, 2017 How: The teams will compete in a race around marked buoys aboard their one-design 32ft long foiling catamarans – the GC32 Follow the action There are five different ways to follow Alinghi during the championship, with each day featuring up to five races each afternoon, starting at 1pm local time (GMT + 4, CET + 3) News, photos and video clips: www.alinghi.com www.gc32championship.com On Twitter @alinghiteam: > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi: > Interviews, photos and videos Alinghi's GC32 crew Helm and skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Tactician and mainsail trimmer: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Foil trimmer and grinder: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Co-tactician and mainsail trimmer (alternating with Arnaud): Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Coach and team leader Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) To find out more www.gc32championship.com Event Hashtags #GoAlinghiGo #GC32championship Photo Credit ©Lloyd Images

In with a shot!

2 March, 2017

Timothé Lapauw, foil trimmer and grinder: "We are generally happy with our second day of the championship, which started with a nice second place after a great start. We then recorded finishes of 4th, 5th and 6th, placing us second overall in the championship standings. Oman Air lead by seven points ahead and SAP are close on our tail, one point back. The pack widened a little with Tilt suffering a disqualification for a false start under the 'black flag' rule in the second race of the day, implemented when repeated over-shooting of the starting gun has occurred. "The conditions were lighter than yesterday and the opportunities to foil were naturally rarer. We still have to fine-tune our start-up phase on the launch, but we can be pleased that, throughout the day, we always managed to come back during the race. The competition is really fierce, but our motivation remains strong and we will keep going until the end." Without our technical team, we might not have even been on the start line... Inside Alinghi with David Nikles, part of Alinghi's shore team: "Tuesday, at the end of the first day of racing, our GC32 was sailing back towards the harbour when we heard a loud noise, even from the coach boat following the GC. Whatever the catamaran touched in the water, it was big enough to cause serious damage to the rudder on the starboard side. It was impossible for us to sail – the plate on the transom holding the rudder was torn off, the link bar broken and the carbon spoiled. We had to lower the sails and be towed back to the port. We knew we would have to get to work to make the necessary repairs to get us back on the water. "We used a crane to take the boat out of the water for the repairs. All of the team helped João and me, of course, but they needed to rest in order to be fit for the races on the water. It took me a good part of the night and I came back early this morning to check that the resin had caught and that the paint was dry for the boat to be ready to go back to racing ... " Discover the rest of the story in pictures on our Facebook page ;-) Tomorrow Thursday 2 March is a day off, so there will be no competition. But March the 2nd is a big day for Alinghi, the anniversary of the team's first victory in the America's Cup! That win came in 2003 and was the team's first attempt, success meaning that the Auld Mug was returned to Europe for the first time since it was founded in 1851. Returning back to 2017, Alinghi invite you to join us this Friday for the continuation of the first annual championship of the GC32 class. After Day 2 the standings read: 1st - Oman Air (OMA) : 2, 3, 7, 1, 1, 3, 1, 4, 5 > 27 points 2nd - Alinghi (SUI) : 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6 > 34 points 3rd - SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) : 7, 2, 1, 5, 2, 4, 12, 1, 1 > 35 points 4th - Team Tilt (SUI) : 1, 6, 4, 2, 5, 1, 12, 3, 7 > 41 points 5th - Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) : 8, 8, 2, 7, 6, 8, 2, 2, 4 > 47 points Full results at: https://www.gc32championship.com/results/ A RECAP What: The very first annual GC32 class championship, bringing together teams from the Extreme Sailing Series and the GC32 Racing Tour, as well as those who simply run a GC32 Who: 11 international teams, each with five members Where: Al Mouj, Muscat, Oman When: Tuesday 28th of February to Sunday 5th of March, 2017 How: The teams will compete in a race around marked buoys aboard their one-design 32ft long foiling catamarans – the GC32 Follow the action There are five different ways to follow Alinghi during the championship, with each day featuring up to five races each afternoon, starting at 1pm local time (GMT + 4, CET + 3) News, photos and video clips: www.alinghi.com www.gc32championship.com On Twitter @alinghiteam: > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi: > Interviews, photos and videos Alinghi's GC32 crew Helm and skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Tactician and mainsail trimmer: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Foil trimmer and grinder: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Co-tactician and mainsail trimmer (alternating with Arnaud): Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Coach and team leader Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) To find out more www.gc32championship.com Event Hashtags #GoAlinghiGo #GC32championship Photo Credit ©Jesùs Renedo / GC32 Championship Oman 2017

A nice and smooth entry into the new competition

28 February, 2017

Ernesto Bertarelli, Skipper and Helm: "With five races sailed today we are pleased to have completed the full programme of the first day of this annual GC32 class championship here in Oman. These flying boats really are great machines and I really enjoy being at the helm – it is great fun. "I am pleased with our alternating third and fourth place finishes because in these types of regattas that last several days, consistency can often be key. It is not like events where a team's worst result is discounted. Here, every race, every place and every point is important. Tonight, we lie in third place in the overall rankings, tied with SAP in 2nd and three points behind Oman Air, who lead the fleet. It's tight at the top, the more so because the other Swiss team, Tilt, are only one point behind us. For tomorrow we expect conditions to be pretty similar and we are all really looking forward to renewing the battle against this fleet of beautiful GC32s." Nils Frei, headsail trimmer, says: "We had fairly typical wind for the region, between nine and 13 knots and coming from the northwest and which allowed us to foil in each race. The courses are longer than those on the Extreme Sailing Series circuit, so we have more time to develop our tactical game. The manœuvres we carry out are generally the same, but we tend to do a little less since we are not constrained by things like a harbour wall or quays that exist in restricted race zones of the type that, naturally, we see in the ESS, where the emphasis is on stadium racing in venues where the public can get close to the action. We even have the time here to lower the gennaker during the upwind legs in order to reduce the drag. "Even though only a few points separate the top at the end of this first day, it's interesting to note that the top three are part of the Extreme Sailing Series, with the following two teams part of the GC32 Racing Tour. Maybe the ESS has taught us well?! In any case, starting a race with 11 boats can be tight! We decided not to take too many risks today on the starts, but maybe risk is what it will take in order to stay near the top of the rankings."   Racing is back tomorrow at 1pm local time, with five races scheduled. After Day 1, the standings read: 1st - Oman Air (OMA) : 2, 3, 7, 1, 1 > 14 points 2nd - SAP Extreme Sailing Team : 7, 2, 1, 5, 2 >17 points 3rd - Alinghi (SUI) : 3, 4, 3, 4, 3 > 17 points 4th - Team Tilt (SUI) : 1, 6, 4, 2, 5 > 18 points 5th - Team Engie (FRA) : 4, 1, 5, 3, 7 > 20 points A RECAP What: The very first annual GC32 class championship, bringing together teams from the Extreme Sailing Series and the GC32 Racing Tour, as well as those who simply run a GC32 Who: 11 international teams, each with five members Where: Al Mouj, Muscat, Oman When: Tuesday 28th of February to Sunday 5th of March, 2017 How: The teams will compete in a race around marked buoys aboard their one-design 32ft long foiling catamarans – the GC32 Follow the action There are five different ways to follow Alinghi during the championship, with each day featuring up to five races each afternoon, starting at 1pm local time (GMT + 4, CET + 3) News, photos and video clips: www.alinghi.com www.gc32championship.com On Twitter @alinghiteam: > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi: > Interviews, photos and videos Alinghi's GC32 crew Helm and skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Tactician and mainsail trimmer: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Foil trimmer and grinder: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Co-tactician and mainsail trimmer (alternating with Arnaud): Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Coach and team leader Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) To find out more www.gc32championship.com Event Hashtags #GoAlinghiGo #GC32championship Photo Credit ©Jesùs Renedo / GC32 Championship Oman 2017

One day to go until the start of the GC32 Class Championship

27 February, 2017

Alinghi join ten international teams on the starting line There’s just one day to go until the start of the GC32 Class Championship, which marks the opening of Alinghi’s 23rd season racing as a team. For the first time since the launch of the GC32 boats in 2012, all of those competing in the Extreme Sailing Series and the GC32 Racing Tour have been race together in a one-class championship that runs from the 28th of February to the 5th of March in front of the Al Mouj marina in Muscat, Oman. On site since early February, Alinghi’s technical team and sailors have been tweaking the set-up of their flying GC32, as well as focusing on training. Over the course of the five days of competition, each of which will feature up to five races, Alinghi will face ten high class international teams. Pierre-Yves Jorand, team manager, says: “When we heard the idea for this championship and the way it would bring together the maximum number of boats, we were very supportive, and are delighted to see eleven teams here to compete against one another. Some of the teams are already known to us from the Extreme Sailing Circuit, such as Oman Air, SAP Extreme Sailing Team, Land Rover BAR Academy and Red Bull Sailing Team. There are also those that we are not as familiar with, such as the French team, Engie, and the Americans, Argo – both compete on the GC32 Racing Tour. Then there are those teams who see this as the perfect opportunity to boost their season, such as the Kiwi team, Tawera Racing, and the three young crews preparing for the Youth America’s Cup in June 2017: Team Tilt from Switzerland, Youth Vikings Denmark and SVB Team Germany. “In terms of the sailing conditions, we’ve been racing in Muscat in winter for several years now. Generally, there is a thermal wind of between nine and 12 knots – sometimes a little more – which is favourable for foiling. So, it should be set-up perfectly for a good spectacle and a big battle on the starting line.” A RECAP                                                                                                  What: The very first annual GC32 class championship, bringing together teams from the Extreme Sailing Series and the GC32 Racing Tour, as well as those who simply run a GC32 Who: 11 international teams, each with five members Where: Al Mouj, Muscat, Oman When: Tuesday 28th of February to Sunday 5th of March, 2017 How: The teams will compete in a race around marked buoys aboard their one-design 32ft long foiling catamarans – the GC32 Follow the action There are five different ways to follow Alinghi during the championship, with each day featuring up to five races each afternoon, starting at 1pm local time (GMT + 4, CET + 3) News, photos and video clips: www.alinghi.com www.gc32championship.com On Twitter @alinghiteam: > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi: > Interviews, photos and videos Alinghi’s GC32 crew Helm and skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Tactician and mainsail trimmer: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Foil trimmer and grinder: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Co-tactician and mainsail trimmer (alternating with Arnaud): Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Entraîneur et directeur d’équipe Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) To find out more www.gc32championship.com Event Hashtags #GoAlinghiGo #GC32championship