FLYING HIGH IN OMAN

The GC32 Racing Tour o ers the high-speed foiling excitement of the 35th America’s Cup, says SAM FORTESCUE as he goes for a ride with the home team

- SAM FORTESCUE

As I drive from Muscat airport to the race complex at Al Mouj, there is nothing to hint at the extreme foiling action that lies in the days ahead. Outside the window, it is all tidy street lighting and squat-looking residential complexes peppered with palm trees, lush jasmine and orange trees. But in the light of dawn the next day, the unmistakable tips of high-aspect carbon masts can be seen behind the nearby breakwater and a palpable sense of excitement is centred over the race HQ.

I am here to watch the final event of the GC32 Racing Tour, the Oman Cup. Six of these extreme foiling catamarans have made the long three-week journey from Italy in a container, and behind each one is a team that could win or lose a place in the overall rankings according to their performance here. At the top of the table, Oman Air and Swiss entry Alinghi are tied on points and engaged in a virtual match race within the fleet. Just three points separate the other four teams. With fine weather and growing wind, the stage is set for a great tussle.

There are some famous faces to be seen at the pre-race safety briefing, although not quite as many as there should have been. Five of the 11 teams on the 2019 roster are absent, including Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Rebels and Franck Cammas’s Norauto. The circuit mixes amateur and professional sailors, so there is a handful of owner-drivers present, including James Carroll of Argo and Erik Maris of Zoulou.

The GC32 boasts all-carbon build amounting to less than a tonne, with a generous 150m 2 sail plan and minimal five-person crew that means these boats have phenomenal acceleration. Speeds top out at 30 to 40 knots in flat water and optimum wind conditions.

“As it gets windier, the risk goes up a lot,” says Oman Air skipper Adam Minoprio. “With the wind over 20 knots, they can flip and people can get hurt.”