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Simon Hull is used to flying around the Waitemata Harbour in his GC32 with the occasional ferry and small pleasurecraft for company.
The Frank Racing team get in some training before the GC32 world championships. Photo: Frank Racing.
He faces a completely different proposition this week on Lake Garda. A fleet of 13 foiling catamarans will line up for the inaugural GC32 world championships, the biggest gathering of the one-design rockets, and the lineup is littered with a number of the world's top skippers like Glenn Ashby, Franck Cammas, Phil Robertson, Adam Minoprio and Chris Draper.
"The calibre of the fleet is extraordinary," Hull said. "If I had known before I committed, I probably would have chickened out. The vast majority are either America's Cup skippers or owner-drivers who have done a couple of years on the circuit. I'm not only the least experienced [skipper] here but also the oldest. I'm loving it but we are in for a steep learning curve."
But while the Frank Racing owner-driver might not have raced his GC32 against competition at a level he will see at the worlds - in fact, he had only ever raced one other foiling boat before this week - his crew certainly has. He's joined by Will Tiller, Josh Salthouse and his son Harry Hull who all have experience in both the Extreme Sailing Series and Red Bull Youth America's Cup as well as Emirates Team New Zealand's Guy Endean.
They are realistic about their chances at Lake Garda and it's the first stop on the GC32 Racing Tour that also takes in Portugal, Palma, Sardinia and Toulon. Garda is renowned for plenty of wind and flat water, making it a perfect venue for high-speed action, especially as the GC32s are capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots in less than 10 knots of wind.
“These little boats are wonderful," Hull said. "You get back to seat-of-the-pants sailing.
"Sometimes we're learning the hard way but it's going to be a wonderful experience. There's no question we have some pretty skilled, young guys in our team, and they have a fair bit of carrying and teaching with me. We have already lifted the tempo and are sailing much better than we were in New Zealand. By the end of the regatta, and more so by the end of the series, we will be sailing significantly better than before."
It was natural Hull would look further afield given his multihulls have dominated the local scene. His trimaran has taken line honours in seven of the last eight Coastal Classics, and also holds the race record, and he's also set records in the races to Fiji and Noumea. He plans to race in the full GC32 Racing Tour series.
Among the favourites this week will be Minoprio and his SAP Extreme Racing Team. The Kiwi helmed the Danish team to their first Extreme Sailing Series title last year, narrowly fending off the challenge from Alinghi and Robertson's Oman Air, and he's expecting some typically tight racing at Lake Garda, especially as the intention is to hold up to 20 windward leeward races over the four days.
“There is awesome competition and with that competition you see some tempers flaring and some good action out on the water,” Minoprio told gc32worlds.com.
It certainly has a good international flavour, with teams from France, Great Britain, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland, as well as the United States, Oman, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.
Racing gets underway on Thursday night (NZ time) and doubles as the second of eight events on the Extreme Sailing Series and first of the GC32 Racing Tour. Follow the action here.
