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.”
この記事は Yachts & Yachting の April 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Yachts & Yachting の April 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Super, smashing, great
How do you stand out in one of the most competitive sectors of boat building? Sam Jefferson steps aboard the Dufour 390 to find out
ST PETER PORT - GUERNSEY 49°27.19'N, 002°32.00'W
This haven on Guernsey is the ideal starting point to explore the beauty of the Channel Islands, as Emma Bamford discovers
Round the Island Q&A
Dave Atkinson, director of the Round the Island Race, now postponed until the autumn, explains some decisions and breaks down misconceptions about the race in a revealing chat with Rupert Holmes.
The rest is Istria
Nicola Beykirch headed to Venice in search of a cheap winter berth and endured the hardship of sailing the length of the Croatian coast en route
Grinding to a halt
Sent home from warm-weather training in Sardinia amid Covid-19 restrictions, grinder Freddie Carr updates us on what is now for INEOS TEAM UK and the America’s Cup
From a distance
Rob Peake looks at what ‘sailing’ we can do via distance learning courses and online regattas
Flying the flag
Her rise through the ranks has been meteoric and her helm Charlotte Dobson calls her ‘an absolute weapon’. Rob Peake meets 49erFX crew Sakia Tidey
Eire on a shoestring
The Irish sea deserves respect, but the rewards of a summer cruise can be great, as Don Smith notes
Ace Your Club Race
Quirky courses and mixed fleets - Mark Rushall talks tactics and sorts strategy for club race situations
WIZARDS IN OZ
After Ainslie’s spectacular series debut, ROB KOTHE speaks to SailGP skippers on the lessons learned in Sydney, and finds out what’s next from Russell Coutts