Armin Strom Sailing Team

What can be more exciting than sailing on a foiling catamaran at 30 knots? Doing it for the first time, of course. And the energy you get from the rush + the talent of raising Olympic stars will create magic! Or at least, that’s the plan.

ARMIN STROM Sailing Team is about to start the new GC32 Racing Tour 2017 with a totally renewed crew, made of newbies of foiling, some of them to catamaran sailing at all. The skipper Flavio Marazzi decided to invest in young Olympic sailors, most of whom with more than one campaign in their background and with a clear goal in mind: Tokyo 2020.

The skipper is assisted by a brilliant sailor and coach: Frithjof Kleen, one of the big names in the Star class, yet very eclectic if you see his CV, came up with the idea of fishing for some Olympic talents here and there starting with his pupil at the last Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Erik Heil won bronze medal in the super fast, athletic and competitive 49er class, under the encouraging and protective wing of “Frida”. Gold and Silver medalists have flown straight to Bermuda steering the AC boats, and just like his 49er mates, Erik has a great feeling with the ‘magic carpet’. 

Not every young Olympic sailors get a good chance to join the professional teams in the big boats series, particularly the new era of foiling catamarans. Behind ARMIN STROM Sailing Team idea there is the intention of giving these young talents a chance to learn new skills, enlarge their sailing know-how and horizons and earn their living while training for their biggest ambition a medal at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.

Alongside more 49er sailors, chosen for their attitude to fast thinking on the course, heart rate and good look: Iago Lopez Marra from Spain, Alain Sign from the UK. For balance and soundness, Flavio and Frida went scouting in their territories, where strategy and tactic play a huge role and the reduced speed teaches the waiting game; strength is a priority on the GC32 and Finn and Star sailors have much of it. From Portugal Frederico Melo a good giant, now part of the team.
Irish bowman Shane Diviney from Ireland – a keep from last year’s crew – and boat captain Andrew Turton from Australia, with deep boat building knowledge and expertise, complete the ARMIN STROM Sailing Team 2017.

The program for the team is to attend all of the events of the GC32 Racing Tour:

11-14 May                GC32 Riva Cup / Riva del Garda, Italy
28 June-1 July          South Sardinia, Italy
2-5 August                36 Copa del Rey / Palma de Mallorca, Spain
13-16 September    North Corse, France
12-15 October          Marseille One Design / Marseille, France

The involvement required to every team member is being committed for a two years program and attend long periods of training on the Northern Lake Garda, at Fraglia Vela Riva. The first week of a two months’ intense training program leading to the GC32 Racing Tour start has just finished. The area chosen as a team headquarter has ideal sailing conditions renowned all over the world and it usually allows on the water training almost every day. The yacht club is well equipped for hosting any kind of boats, from small Optis to huge catamarans.