"Malizia" of the Yacht Club of Monaco, by Pierre Casiraghi (Photo Jesus Renedo)

One of the attractions of the GC32 Racing Tour will again be the Owner- Driver Championship this year. The title reserved for ships held by its shipowner will have at least three candidates: the Monegasque Malizia - Yacht Club Monaco by Pierre Casiraghi, the Japanese Mamma Aiuto! in which the Mallorquín Manu Weiller and the American Argo of Jason Carroll, winner of 2016, militates. The three are confirmed for the first test of the season, the GC32 Riva Cup, to be held between 11 and 14 May in the Italian Lake of Garda. A differentiating aspect of the GC32 from other flying catamarans is that it is easier to navigate and involves a simpler logistics. It incorporates a conventional mast against the rigid wing of other models, sails and fils control systems by dries rather than hydraulic, and relatively large hydrowings to facilitate flight stability. All these details make the GC32 more accessible to shipowners looking for a flying catamaran in which they can pattern and for non-professional crews who want to shoot. What does not differ from other models is that to stand out in the field of race and gain sleeves requires training, concentration and skill.

The GC32 Racing Tour introduced the Owner- Driver Championship last season, and it was a success. Monegasque Pierre Casiraghi, at the command of the Malizia - Yacht Club Monaco, was the leader of the last championship test, but finally it would be the American Jason Carroll, the master and shipowner of the Argo team, who took the title after signing an excellent second place in the final classification of the Marseille One Design. In the absence of two weeks for the start of the 2017 circuit with the celebration of the GC32 Riva Cup in Lake Garda, the battle for the Owner- Driver Championship is presented more intense than ever thanks to the experience gained by the teams (and shipowners) over the past season.

Malizia, Yacht Club de Monaco, the team of Casiraghi
"Malizia" premiered on the GC32 Racing Tour in 2016 by Pierre Casiraghi, son of Princess Carolina of Monaco. To adapt to the rapid pace of the GC32, the team was assisted by the German ocean regatist Boris Herrmann and former French patron of America's Cup and regatist of Moth, Sebastien Col. "We will sail with the same crew last year, which is a point for us," Casiraghi explains. "We are all getting used to sailing together, and we are already looking forward to starting in Garda, without a doubt the most exciting site of the Tour. We have evolved from last year and we will try to get a better result." The team aspires to finish the season in the absolute top five. Casiraghi is satisfied with the choice of headquarters for the 2017 circuit. "I'm so glad to go to Corsica. Calvi is very close to Monaco, it's like a second house for us. I've been there since I was a kid. And Sardinia is beautiful." Malizia has been training in Palma Bay, and according to Casiraghi, they have sought to improve their exits and performance in soft breezes with the help of their usual prepper, Pierre-Alexis Ponsot, and the reinforcement of French Olympic coach Franck Citeau. We will soon be checking the result.

19 / 04 / 2017: The "GC32 Racing Tour 2017" starts in Garda having its third act in the Cup of the King of Palma

The 2017 GC32 Racing Tour season starts on May 11-14 at the Italian Lake of Garda. The Spanish Iago López Marra will premiere with the flying catamarans on board the Swiss "Armin Strom Sailing Team." The fourth season of the GC32 Racing Tour will again include events in Italy, France and Spain on the premise of offering its participants "the best experience on foils" in scenarios characterized by the combination of consistent winds and absence of wave. The chosen headquarters also share spectacular environments, providing a more attractive for guests, who can enjoy the GC32 environment and the unique experience of flying on board a catamaran with fails. For the second consecutive year, the GC32 Racing Tour will start at the magnificent Lake Garda (Italy), based at the Fraglia Vela Riva club.

The Swiss "Armin Strom Sailing Team" will incorporate the Galician Iago López Marra (Photo Loris von Siebentha)

The 2017 season will have a powerful fleet of more than a dozen international teams from three continents. The list of candidates for the title will be a combination of professional teams and in shipowning-pattern format, including participants of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup. They all come attracted by the possibility of sailing at speeds above 30 knots on board these catamarans, true jewels of naval engineering that share many features with those used in the America's Cup, but in a simpler and considerably more economical format. The GC32 Racing Tour 2017 has the following planning:

11-14 May - GC32 Riva Cup / Riva del Garda, Italy
June 28 - July 1 - GC32 Villaimius Cup / Villaimius, Sardinia, Italy
2-5 August - 36 Copa del Rey Mapfre / Palma de Mallorca, Spain
13-16 September - GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup / Calvi, Corsica, France
12-15 October - Marseille One Design / Marseille, France