Yann Guichard and his teammates from the Spindrift Racing team have taken to the flying catamaran trend. And in particular the GC32, a one-design catamaran of 10 meters capable of taking off from 8 knots of wind. Regattas aboard this carbon dragonfly take place on the sea as well as on lakes. Equipped with "L" foils and "T" rudders, the GC32s take off even with little wind and quickly reach speeds of 25 knots, with possible peaks above 35. Yann Guichard and Dona Bertarelli, passionate about innovation and international competition and experts in multihulls, have decided to participate in the 2015 GC32 Racing Tour.
Ãeuros the discovery of the GC32
The GC32 was designed by French entrepreneur and sailing enthusiast Laurent Lenne and Dr. Martin Fisher. It is to him that we owe the Class A hulls, the appendages of the Groupama Sailing Team or the Flying Phantom.
This catamaran is one of the fastest one-design boats in the world, 10 meters long (12 meters with the bowsprit) and 6 meters wide, designed with a high level of technology and dedicated to high performance racing. It has many similarities with the America's Cup catamarans, but is free from the constraints of the rules. In addition, it appeals to a broader group of sailors, not just sailing athletes. The foils used to fly the GC32 are a scaled-down version of the AC'72. The flying catamaran starts to take off, generally, at 7 knots of wind. Its speed record is 37.9 knots.
The GC32 is equipped with a classic catamaran platform with a rotating carbon wing mast and three sails (mainsail, jib and gennaker). Compared to the AC'72, the rig configuration is easier to use by non-professionals and makes it easier to store and transport. Thanks to its relatively light weight, 950 kg with sails, it is easily transportable on the road. The rig and boat can be installed on a custom open trailer or in a container on wheels.
The first GC32s were delivered to Dubai at the end of 2012 and three boats participated in the first events, the class made its racing debut at the Allianz Traunsee Woche in Austria. For this first season, the boats are equipped with S-foils, but these do not allow for flight. The GC32 was later designed with L-shaped foils and a T-shaped rudder. Today, the boats race in Europe on the Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour.
Technical specifications
| Total length | 12 m |
| Hull length | 10 m |
| Width | 6 m |
| Weight | 950 kg (including sails) |
| Draft | 2,10 m |
| Mast height (above deck) | 16,50 m |
| Length of Beaupré | 6,60 m |
| Mainsail | 60 m2 |
| Foc | 23,50 m2 |
| Gennaker | 90 m2 |
