Realteam, winner of the GC32 Racing Tour 2017 (Photo Gilles Martinn-Raget)

The GC32 Racing Tour ended in Marseille by crowning French Zoulou as the winner of the last event of the season and erecting Swiss Realteam as the 2017 absolute champion of the GC32 flying catamaran circuit. The Mamma Auto! in which the Mallorcan Manu Weiller rivals won the title Owner-Driver as the best team patronized by its shipowner.

The Realteam of the shipowner Esteban García, patronized by Jérôme Clerc, has been proclaimed the absolute champion of the GC32 Racing Tour 2017. Winner of the first event of the year in Riva del Garda (Italy) and the fourth in Calvi (Corsica, France), the Swiss team did not drop from podium posts in any of the five events of the season, and rubricated its excellent year by signing the third position at the Marseille One Design, the last date of the circuit. In the second absolute position, six points from Realteam, finished the American Argo, followed a point further by the Japanese Mamma Aiuto!. The General of Marseilles was thus:

1 Zoulou 1 1 5 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 = 16
2 Mamma Aiuto! 4 4 2 7 3 2 4 6 3 2 2 = 39
3 Realteam 2 7 1 4 2 4 3 3 7 5 = 45
4 Malizia - Yacht Monaco Club 5 3 3 1 5 5 6 5 6 5 4 = 48
5. film Racing 6 5 7 3 6 7 2 4 2 4 6 = 52
6 Team ENGIE 7 2 6 5 4 3 5 7 4 3 7 = 53
7 Argo 3 6 4 6 7 7 7 2 5 6 3 = 55

14 / 10 / 2017: "Zoulou" with five first is already the virtual winner in Marseille of the GC32

Erik Maris' Zoulou today signed an immaculate card and faces the last day of the season's competition with 11 points of advantage in the provisional of the Marseille One Design. The French team will try to get their first event of the season tomorrow, while Realteam is heading towards their first absolute title on the GC32 Racing Tour.

The 2017 GC32 Racing Tour ends tomorrow, the last day of the Marseille One Design competition. The forecast indicates another day of light breezes, and the Committee has decided to advance the first sign of attention at 12: 00 in the morning (Photo Gilles Martino-Raget)

Probably the most exciting moment of the day occurred in the last stern of the first sleeve. The leader of the provisional of the GC32 Racing Tour 2017, the Realteam of Jérôme Clerc, mounted barlovent in first position ahead of the Team ENGIE of Sébastien Rogues, but the Zoulou was able to read the field coming from behind and chose on the opposite side of its rivals in the final stretch, passing them to score a surprising victory. "We had a little luck," he recognized the French team's tymonel, Arnaud Psarofaghis. Zoulou would win the next two sleeves of the day after leading them convincingly in front of some rivals who seemed not to give up to the French team. Finished three sleeves, the wind fell enough to convince the Main Regata Officer to send the fleet to the ground.

1 Zoulou 1 1 5 2 1 1 = 12
2 Realteam 2 7 1 4 2 4 3 = 23
3 Mamma Aiuto! 4 4 2 7 3 2 4 = 26
4 Malizia - Yacht Monaco Club 5 3 3 1 5 5 DNF / 8 * = 30
5 Team Engie 7 2 6 5 4 3 5 = 32
6. film Racing 6 5 7 3 6 7 2 = 36
7 Argo 3 6 4 6 7 6 DNF / 8 * = 40

13 / 10 / 2017: Nil day in Marseilles due to lack of wind, "Zoulou" remains leader of the GC32

White Day in Marseilles (Photo by Jesus Renedo)

The second day of the Marseille One Design competition was closed blank. The absence of wind on the Rade Sud persuaded the Regata Committee to send the fleet into the water, and the GC32 remained tied in the Navy Olympique du Roucas Blanc, headquarters of the 2014 Paris Olympic Games. Yesterday's results are valid, and Erik Maris' Zoulou retains the lead for the third day of competition. Today Marseilles ran out of wind, but tomorrow he is expected back

12 / 10 / 2017: French Zoulou leader in Marseille of the GC32 Racing Tour after the first day

Today, the teams enjoyed a full day in the race field that will host the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with four sleeves and a session of the Anonymous Speed Challenge. The Mamma Aiuto! of the Japanese Naofumi Kamei took this speed test, consisting of two sections of the way and a cross-fight, recording an average of 14.33 knots despite a really light breeze.

The last event of the 2017 season of the GC32 Racing Tour began with difficult conditions in a race field that allowed the celebration of four sleeves... French Zoulou was the best of the day and returned to the ground as the first leader of the Marseille One Design (Photo Gilles Martin-Raget)

The first sleeve presented the minimum conditions for the GC32 to raise their water helmets, but the intensity in the last one reached 16 knots. Unfortunately, as the fleet approached the sotavent door at the fifth test of the day, the wind fell sharply and the Regata Committee decided to cancel the test. The competition returns tomorrow to the Rade Sud of Marseilles from 1: 00 p.m.... the general in Marseilles is thus:

1 Zoulou 1 1 5 2 = 9
2 Malizia - Yacht Monaco Club 5 3 3 1 = 12
3 Realteam 2 7 1 4 = 14
4 Mamma Aiuto! 4 4 2 7 = 17
5 Argo 3 6 4 6 = 19
6 Team Engie 7 2 6 5 = 20
7. film Racing 6 5 7 3 = 21

11 / 10 / 2017: The final act of the GC32 Racing Tour 2017 begins in Marseille

The French town of Marseilles is home to the final test for the GC32 Racing Tour 2017. The Marseille One Design is held between Thursday and Sunday with a complete competition program that will reveal the identity of the absolute champion of the 2017 circuit. The Swiss Realteam and the American Argo, the ultimate wreath seekers.

The fleet, training today at the foot of the Basilica of Notre- Dame de la Garde, in Marseilles
(Photo Gilles Martin-Raget)

For the fourth consecutive year, the GC32 Racing Tour is fired in the waters of Marseille. The fleet of flying catamarans will share event with also spectacular Moth. For more than 30 years, France has been the world's benchmark for the multistage competition, and Marseille is always a popular destination for the GC32 Racing Tour family. In its waters many of the legends of the gala navigation have been forged, such as Michel Desjoyeaux, Loick Peyron or Franck Cammas, winner of the last edition of the Marseille One Design. Several colleagues of the French patron of Groupama Team France will compete for the title this year, including Thierry Foucher, Nicolas Heintz or Thomas le Breton, all on board Erik Maris' Zoulou. Also with local team vitola comes the Team ENGIE of Sébastien Rogues, one of the most experienced patterns in the GC32 universe. The general classification is as follows:

1 Realteam 1 2 3 1 = 7 points
2 Argo 4 1 2 2 = 9
3 Mamma Aiuto! 6 3 1 5 = 15
4 Team Engie 3 5 7 3 = 18
5 Malizia - Yacht Monaco Club 7 6 4 4 = 21
6 Move 5 4 5 10 = 24
7 Armin Strom Sailing Team 2 7 9 10 = 28
8 Zoulou 10 10 6 7 = 33
9. film Racing 10 10 8 6 = 34

05 / 10 / 2017: Marseille decides the crown of the GC32 Racing Tour 2017

For the fourth consecutive year, Marseille will host the grand final of the GC32 Racing Tour. The Marseille One Design is held from 12 to 15 October to close a season in which the GC32 have flown in regatta fields in Italy, Spain and France. Two teams face this fifth event of the year with mathematical possibilities to raise the title 2017. The Swiss Realteam of Jérôme Clerc leads the provisional with a two-point advantage over the American Argo armed and patronized by the double world champion of Melges 32, Jason Carroll. The European team, winner of two events (GC32 Riva Cup in May and GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup in September) is the best of the year, although the American beat his rival in two other clashes (including his victory at the GC32 Villaimius Cup in June).

The 2017 season of the GC32 Racing Tour ends next week with the celebration of the Marseille One Design, the fifth and last date of the year for the GC32 flying catamarans in European waters... the title will be decided in an exciting duel between the Swiss Realteam, the current leader of the circuit, and the American Argo (Photo Sander Van der Borsch)

Although Swiss and American are a clear proponents of the title, mathematically there is room for the Japanese Mamma Aiuto! of Naofumi Kamei, who is third in the provisional six points of the Argo to fall into the battle for the second square. Three points behind the ship in which the Mallorcan Manu Weiller rivals arrives in Marseille the Team ENGIE of Sebastien Rogues, which will try to take advantage of the local factor to meet its goal of ending the season on the podium.

Even more exciting is the battle for the title Owner- Driver, reserved for the teams named by its shipowner. Three teams arrive in Marseille at one point: Argo and Mamma Aiuto! tied, and the Malizia - Yacht Monaco Club by Pierre Casiraghi separated by the minimum. Recovered from his flight in Calvi, Zoulou will compete at the Marseille One Design with Arnaud Psarofaghis at the helm replacing the shipowner Erik Maris. Psarofaghis has great experience with the GC32 commanders after sharing the position of timonel with Ernesto Bertarelli in Alinghi. The team also has on board American veteran's Cup and expert in Thierry Fouchier, who resides in Marseilles and knows the field in which the GC32 will compete.