The M32 International Class Association has released the dates for a busy 2019 sailing season and the World Championships in Riva, Italy.
Schedule:
-Pre Worlds 24-25 August
-Worlds Measurement 26 August
-Worlds Racing 27-30 August
Riva del Garda at the northern end of Lake Garda is one of the best-known yacht racing venues in the world. Northerly winds in the morning and the southerly Ora starting in the early afternoon, combined with the funneling effects of the mountains provide the perfect flat water, strong wind sailing conditions for high-performance catamarans. The host yacht club, Fraglia Vela Riva, has a very experienced regatta team and a packed racing schedule. After the World Championship, two long-distance races will be held in Lake Garda: the 30 nautical mile Gorla in the northern part and the 50-mile Centomiglia race spanning the entire length of the lake. These races are well suited to multihulls and both M32s and Extreme 40s have won these regattas in the past.
M32 Mast Design Update
Aston Harald has designed and built a new mast with the same overall tube size as the current rigs, but with a different shroud geometry. The hounds have been moved about 2/3 of the way up the mast, towards the gennaker halyard exit point. It is also marginally heavier (2kg) as a result of additional carbon stiffening in the lower section. Aston Harald is looking to achieve a decrease of ~50% of the maximum bending moment in the mast caused by the high loads on the gennaker luff cable. This together with the reinforcement increases resistance against local buckling and ovalization by ~160%.
- The total added weight of the rig is ~2kg
- Mast junction and spreader fittings moved 500mm upwards.
- Forestay attachment and top diamond fitting moved 1130mm upwards.
- Mast joint 500mm higher.
The new mast has been tested in November in Sweden and during the first two events of the Miami Winter Series where the new rig was racing against existing rigs. The tests have been positive with the rig showing significant improvements in stability. It is well adjusted to the existing sail plan and has little or no performance differences compared to the current version. Based on this testing, the Class has approved this as the new rig to be delivered from now and going forward. Old rigs will be grandfathered in until further notice. The mast development has been a long process, and the class is grateful to the builder, testing teams and other parties for cooperating. It is always a difficult decision to upgrade equipment in a one-design boat but the class board feels confident that this is the right thing to do for the future development and growth of M32 sailing.
M32 Sail Design Update
With the adoption of the new mast design, the current sail plan is working well, so the class board, together with the builder has decided that there will be no upgrades to the sails for the 2019 Worlds. The class, along with partners, may test new sail designs for future use. Any introduction of new sails will be made with a schedule giving owners sufficient time to evaluate their inventory and place orders in advance of the major championships.
Based on owner interviews and web surveys, it is the opinion of the class that sails should be strict one design with a single supplier with strong quality control. The main and gennaker may be tested and updated separately and in the future may not necessarily have to be from the same supplier.
Mast and Sail Orders
Due to the long lead time on the production and delivery of both sails and masts, any orders will have to be placed by the end of February to be available for the 2019 season. This deadline will allow for use in a tuneup event or two before the World Championship in August.
Contacts for ordering M32 parts and equipment:
North America: dave.doucett@astonharald.com
Europe/Australia: lotta.harrysson@astonharald.com
M32 Europe
M32 Europe will visit amazing locations in 2019 as the fleet builds up to the World Championship.
M32 owner and multiple Match Racing World Champion, Ian Williams, is taking an active role in designing a series that returns to some proven locations while introducing a mix of new destinations. Class Manager and PRO Mattias Dahlstrom, will be overseeing the series stops to ensure top international standards of race management, umpiring and safety.
2019 Events
-San Remo, Italy 22-24 March
-Marina di Pisa, Italy 24-26 May
-Holland 21-23 June
-Gothenburg, Sweden 19-21 July
-Stenungsund, Sweden 15-17 August (two days of fleet racing followed by the around Tjorn race)
Contact: ian@williamssailracing.com
M32 North America
The M32 North America class continues to grow with three additional boats joining the fleet this fall. We would like to welcome Team Hedgehog and Midtown Racing. The fleet is currently enjoying the Miami Winter Series and will head up the East coast this spring, stopping at Charleston Race Week, the largest one-design event in the US. Then we will move to Newport, RI for the New York Yacht Club Regatta in June, followed by the Midtown Cup in July.
The fleet is arranging the schedule around and providing a discounted shipping/logistics package to join our European friends at the Worlds this August. We then plan to host the North America Championship later in the fall of 2019 and the 2020 Worlds Championship the following fall, both in Miami.
2019 Events
-Event 3, Miami, FL, US 8-10 February
-Event 4, Miami, FL, US 15-17 March
-Charleston Race Week, Charleston, SC, US 12-14 April
-NYYC Annual Regatta, Newport, RI, US 14-16 June
-Midtown Cup, Newport, RI, US 12-14 July
-Deadline to ship North American M32s to Italy 17 July
-North American Championship, Miami, FL, US November
2020 Dates
-Winter Series Event 1, Miami, FL, US Jan
-Winter Series Event 2, Miami, FL, US Feb
-Winter Series Event 3, Miami, FL, US March
-M32 Worlds, Miami, FL Fall
Contact: dave.doucett@astonharald.com
M32 Australia
David and Harry Price continue their “down under” push to form an owner series and an Australian M32 Class Association.
Their focus is to get as many potential owners on board to experience the M32 as possible. They did just that this past December at the 2018 Grinders Coffee SOLAS Big Boat Challenge (click on the link to watch the video). This is one of the most prestigious sailing events in Sydney Harbour, where the 100ft Super Maxis match raced around the harbor with our two M32. We hosted “try-out” days for four potential owners (a new TP52 owner, two senior yacht racing and skiff champion sailors, and an AC official and keen, well-regarded sailor). It was very successful, with some great feedback.
As Price said, “The best sailing day, I've had. On this occasion (as we did last year), we ambushed the live TV and social media attention with the event's record four Super Maxis and three Maxis racing up and down the harbor. The M32s were weaving between them and finishing ahead of the race leader Wild Oats XI. We had the M32 banners flying from our chase boat which also gained attention out on the water during the event. The potential owners on our M32 pocket rockets had the pleasure of racing alongside the Super Maxis and actually beating them around the track – how good is that?”
