The M32 fleet back in Miami January 2023 and loving it. Photo: m32world/Stephen R Cloutier
The M32 class coming back to Miami
The M32 class keeps coming back to Miami and we love it! The sunshine, the temperatures, the flat water of Biscayne Bay, and the list goes on and on. Simply put -- it's just the perfect place for wintertime sailing. The Winter Series #1 had all 15 races completed as scheduled and the winner of the first event was team Dingbat with skipper Bobby Julien. After a mid-fleet performance on the first day, the team was unbeatable on day two walking away with all five wins and the regatta.
Vakaros and M32 Class testing Start Electronics
During the entire weekend starting electronics were successfully tested together with the Vakaros team. Sailors know Vakaros well for providing data in an effective readable way to help them perform around the race course. Vakaros Sense is a new race management function to supply all teams with the correct time, live positions of the start line and ocs calls, all handled by the race committee without any input required from the sailors. "This was a great test as the M32 racing is pushing the system to the limits" says Jake Keilman, co-founder of Vakaros. Testing will continue throughout the winter.
New Teams Joining
"When I tested these out, it was just a blast" says Bobby Julien, winner of the first Miami event and racing against his sons Jake on Rated X and Miles on Young Blood. "There aren't that many sports where you, as an adult, can truly compete directly with your children. To be able to go out on the race course where we all have chance to beat each other is fantastic"
Class Coach Drone Live
The class coach drone is now live on Youtube and during racing you can see the raw feed of start and marks roundings. The class coach drone has been a tool provided by the class for teams, the coaches and umpires to use at their debriefs after sailing. Having the class drone live gives our hard core supporters a chance to follow the race and also makes the video available to the teams directly after the finish of a race.
The Friday Cup
Introduced this year is the Friday Cup inviting the teams to a more relaxed day of racing before the start of the Winter Series. Helmsmen and crew can be changed between races and there are no owner/driver requirements. The courses and format allow to be different from the series racing. The Friday of each regatta traditionally had only practice but as most of the fleet is ready to go they are now able to collect points for the season's Friday Cup Trophy. "The Friday Cup is a great opportunity both for teams and the race committee to try out new things in a relaxed way without losing the edge of competition" says Dave Doucett of M32 North America.
Demo Boats
The M32 Demo Boat is the perfect way to get introduced to M32 racing in a way that is tailored to your background in racing and other classes. Maybe you have your own racing team and just need a few hints on M32 specifics, or maybe you need help with setting up an M32 experienced crew and start from the beginning with multihull racing. During the 2023 season there will be demo boats available at all events. The Boat is booked by new potential teams to join the class for February and March in Miami. Contact us to find an event that works for you to test the M32.