The Norcar has literally flown in the waters of Sotogrande. Photo: Jesús Renedo

The GC32 Racing Tour, the European circuit in which the so-called 'flying catamarans' compete, has been fired today from Sotogrande (Cadiz) after four days of emotion, speed and show. The GC32 Cup The Sotogrande Reserve is closed with a victory of the NORAUTO team, the third of the season, and with many options for the French to rise with the final win of the competition, in the absence of the fifth and final stage of Marseille next month.

Second and third have been Team Tilt and ENGIE teams, while the Malizia of Pierre Casiraghi, son of Princess Carolina of Monaco, has been left sixth (penultimate) in the general classification, although he received the trophy in the owner-driver (owner pattern) mode and is currently leading the world classification in this category.

The waters of this corner of the Mediterranean have provided great conditions for this race, which for the first time has been held in Andalusia following its premiere in Spain at the last Cup of the King of Vela. The exclusive environment of Sotogrande has contributed with its light, beauty and glamour to enhance the show of the fast GC32 in action, when they manage to rise on the water thanks to its distinctive foils (alarms) under its helmets, at speeds that can reach 40 knots (70 km / h).

NORAUTO dominated the final day of the competition and was imposed in the GC32 Cup The Sotogrande Reserve. On a day with the soft wind of Levante, Adam Minoprio's decision to occupy the side of the sotavent on the starting line placed his team in front of the three sleeves that were disputed yesterday, winning in two of them.

Minoprio was satisfied because pressing on the exits worked: "If you win on the exits you are in a good position to win the sleeve. Today we wanted the beacon side, which is pretty risky. If you do it right, it works, but if it can't be a big mistake because other ships can hit you. We have strongly defended our position, especially in the fight with ARMIN STROM.

When NORAUTO really dominated it was with the strong breeze that he blew in the first days of the race, when he won seven consecutive sleeves. "On the first day there were between 10- 15 knots and our practice on the ship benefited us much," Minoprio explains. "We could sail with the most horizontal, more stable and less pantonazas, which allowed us to gain speed. But the rest of the equipment has gone faster on each sleeve, and the shipowners are also learning very quickly. The level has risen a lot since the beginning of the season."

Team Tilt needed a time to make progress in this race but yesterday, Saturday, the 21st birthday of his patron, Sébastien Schneiter, seemed to drive the team: he won two sleeves on Saturday and another one today, leading the Swiss catamaran to second place in the Cup. Team Tilt had its moments with a strong wind at the start of the race, but also responded well in the light breeze of the last two days.

"I'm happy with how we do the maneuvers, we're gaining speed, although the exit is now my weak flank," Schneiter says. After returning from the Rio Olympic Games on behalf of Switzerland, the young pattern is improving rapidly. "I've only had two days after the rudder before this event, just like my partner Lucien Cujean on the eldest's neckline, so we're not as strong as we could. But we are happy with the result."

The battle for the third position was very open until the last day, with four teams very close to the podium. In the first sleeve, ENGIE was second behind NORAUTO, but with Realteam stuck in third place. In the next manga, NORAUTO was put to the head but was overcome in the first set up by Team Tilt, and then by ARMIN STROM, with a second very useful position in his fight for the podium.

In the third and last sleeve, with NORAUTO and Tilt Team very fast at the exit and at the head of the fleet, it was time to shine for Realteam, which was third ahead of the Japanese team Mamma Aiuto!. ENGIE was sixth in this test, but in the end it was enough to place third in the general.

According to ENGIE's pattern, Sébastien Rogues, "it is fantastic to be on the podium for the first time. Bertrand Dumortier has trained us in many areas, including work on our exits. I come from the ocean candle, where you sail for several days, so it doesn't matter if you leave 20 minutes late. Here you can't afford to delay a second, and we've improved in Sotogrande."

Pierre Casiraghi was disappointed to have finished sixth in Sotogrande, after having been a short distance from the podium this morning, but he leads the general classification of shipowners. His victory in the ninth manga shows that Casiraghi is in a position to compete with the best when he is able to hit the exit. However, he was hard on himself, blaming himself for some avoidable errors. "If we sail like we did today, we don't deserve much success," he said. "I need to improve my exits and end up with dumb mistakes like the black flag of disqualification. It's gonna be hard to finish fourth in the general at the end of the season, but that's what we're aiming at. I need to do more to Seb Col and the rest of the team, focus more, and maybe that's possible."

After this race, interest in the GC32 World Circuit increases, and Iker Martínez has been in Sotogrande this week to check the picture. "The GC32 is a great boat I have much hope to be on the circuit next year," said the Olympic medalist and regatist at the Volvo Ocean Race.

There are only a few weeks before the season reaches its climax, when nine GC32 will compete at the Marseille One Design from October 13 to 16. There are many battles pending, with the Argo team back in the competition to fight Malizia for the patron-shipowner trophy.

Norcar resists in Sotogrande on a day dominated by Team Tilt (24 / 09 / 2016)

Norcar, Team Tilt and Armin Strom in Sotogrande. Photo: Jesús Renedo

Sébastien Schneiter celebrated yesterday his 21st birthday in the best possible way, with his team Tilt imposing on two of the three sleeves in the GC32 Cup The Sotogrande Reserve.

The Levante breeze was expected to blow with a force of around 10-11 knots on the third day of race, but the white clouds on Gibraltar's rock announced that it would be softer. In any case, even with 5-6 knots the GC32 catamarans were able to rise on their foils at the start of the first sleeve.

The Realteam took the lead but the pattern Jérôme Clerc could not stop the most experienced NORAUTO team. In just a few seconds Adam Minoprio advanced the Swiss team and took the lead. NORAUTO also had its vulnerable moment, when it was advanced by ARMIN STROM, but Minoprio resumed the initiative just before the goal. Flavio Marazzi held second, followed closely by Team Tilt.

Two ships, ARMIN STROM and Pierre Casiraghi's Malizia, skipped the exit in the next manga and the judges ordered them to stop to comply with their penalty. However, the Monegasque ship was not able to stop in time before the first beacon step and was penalized with a black flag of disqualification, so it had to see as a spectator how the rest of the fleet completed the sleeve.

After a poor exit, Schneiter opened his way between the group and took the lead before the end, winning his first race sleeve. NORAUTO had held the first position, but in an unusual way it was not able to hold the push of its competitors, being advanced not only by Team Tilt but by two other Swiss teams, Real Team and ARMIN STROM, which were second and third respectively.

In the third and last manga of the afternoon, Team Tilt pulled the exit and was rewarded with a leadership position in the first beacon step of the 12 manga. In this type of situation everything can happen, and the ENGIE team briefly took the lead. But not for long. Schneiter went to the ground in search of better wind accompanied by NORAUTO. ENGIE seemed slower on the sea side. This time it was Minoprio who was on top of Schneiter, but the 21-year-old remained calm and won his second sleeve of the day.

While NORAUTO keeps its leadership secure with 24 points, Team Tilt's results in yesterday's day (two first posts and a third one) have placed it with 40 points in the general, a very useful advantage against its rivals, with ENGIE at 50 points. Its pattern, Seb Rogues, cannot afford any more mistakes, as Realteam, ARMIN STROM and Malizia are just four points away from the podium, when it remains only one day for the end of the Sotogrande Cup.

The weather forecast for the last day of the race is 10-11 knots from Poniente, which promises an exciting competition between the GC32 in Sotogrande.

Teams participating in the GC32 The Sotogrande Cup Reserve.
• ARMIN STROM Sailing Team (Switzerland). Flavio Marazzi
• Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco (Monaco). Pierre Casiraghi
• Mamma Aiuto! (Japan) Naofumi Kamei.
• NORAUTO (France). Adam Minoprio (NZL)
• Realteam, Switzerland. Jérôme Clerc
• Team ENGIE (France). Sébastien Rogues
• Team Tilt (Switzerland). Sébastien Schneiter