The M32 World Championship is as tight as it gets, with the top three teams—Youngblood, Miles Julien, Surge, Ryan McKillen, and Rated X, Jake Julien, —all tied at 17 points. Each of the five races had a different winner, showcasing just how fierce the competition is. Lake Garda delivered perfect sailing conditions, with sunshine and 15-20 knots of the southerly Ora wind. Close behind the leaders are race winners Extreme2, skippered by Dan Cheresh, and Gravedigger with James Prendergast, making the fight for the title wide open
The gray clouds and storms of yesterday had cleared, and sailors sipped their cappuccinos at the yacht club as the southern wind filled in, preparing for a 1 o'clock start. The races began on time, with the classic Riva course taking boats close to the mountainside. Choosing your lanes in and out of the wall was key, and though the course favors the mountain side, there were plenty of opportunities for lead changes. Teams with tough starts managed to fight their way back, making for an exciting day of racing.
“You can not beat Lake Garda” says Extreme2 skipper Dan Cheresh, race winner and one point behind the tied top trio. Race five winner Gravedigger skipper James Prendergast is impressed with the competitiveness of the fleet. “The whole fleet is getting a lot more denser, you can see a lot of lead changes going on and also a lot of guys getting better starts”. On top of the leaderboard is YoungBlood with Miles Julien enjoys the incredible Riva scenery “The racing is incredible, even if you are not winning, it’s almost distracting, you just want to look around all the time, it’s pretty challenging to keep your head in the boat”
There were clear signs of championship nerves on the starting line, with two clean starts but no less than eight boats recording OCS across the other three races (2+0+4+0+2). The M32 class uses the Vakaros automated OCS system, giving teams real-time data on time and distance to the line, as well as instant OCS alerts on their boat displays. “An M32 start is intense, and removing the human factor from calling the line ensures consistency,” said Principal Race Officer Mattias Dahlstrom.
The Championship heats up tomorrow, with Saturday’s forecast promising the same stellar conditions as today. Teams are gearing up for more exciting racing in Lake Garda’s famous Ora wind. By Sunday, the M32 class will crown its 2024 World Champion, and with the competition this tight, every race counts. It’s going to be an intense finish to an incredible event!