Yachting
A promising and thrilling season for Team ENGIE
The final round of the 2016 GC32 Racing Tour, the Marseille One Design, came to an end yesterday, concluding what has been an outstanding season for the foiling GC32 catamarans. The level on the water has never been so high and Sébastien Rogues and his Team ENGIE crew have worked hard on mastering foiling, completing this epic 2016 season in 5th place overall. The French team, who also finished fifth in Marseille, still have to work on the consistency of their results, but the crew have shown great promise in the last two stages of the circuit, an encouraging result for Team ENGIE to finish the season on.
Flying in Marseille
Thursday’s gale force winds meant the GC32s remained safely in the port. It was only on Friday afternoon when the wind dropped that the fleet of GC32s were finally able to take part in the first races of the Marseille One Design. This last event, crucial for the new season’s final ranking, allowed Sébastien Rogues, Gurvan Bontemps, Jean Baptiste Gellée, Antoine Joubert and Benjamin Amiot to put their coach Bertrand Dumortier’s advice into action. ENGIE were more aggressive during the starts, and as a result finished one race in first place and two in second place in the nine races sailed. “The starting phases are very important. Missing a procedure and starting slowly makes it almost impossible to come back to the front again. The level is too high here to expect any mistakes from our opponents”, analysed Sébastien Rogues.
With a total of 49 points, Team ENGIE climbed to fifth position in the Marseille event ahead of Malizia and Armin Strom. But having finishing a few races in 7th, 8th and 9th position, the room for progress provides a glimpse of new goals. “We’re becoming more confident. We are really happy with our performance here in Marseille, although some bad results remind us that we still have work to do to perform better. Being consistent on this circuit is the key to success, especially as the level has never been higher. During the competition, we were more comfortable when the wind was stronger but let’s not forget that Team ENGIE is still in the development phase. We will focus on this work in 2017, but we won’t wait until next season to start tackling it”, added the Team ENGIE skipper.
Five teams competing for fourth position overall
After the event in Sotogrande, where Team ENGIE took their first step up onto the podium this year with a 3rd place finish, the team managed to keep in with a group of five competitors, all striving to reach fourth place overall. ENGIE’s result at the final event in Marseille allows the team to finish the season in fifth place overall. They have reached their objective to finish in the first half of the general ranking. Argo’s strong performance this week enabled them to extend their lead and grab fourth place. Norauto, skippered by Franck Cammas in Marseille, led the races unchallenged, commanding great respect for their 4 event wins and one 2nd, propelling the French team to a logical first place overall, 6 points ahead of Team Tilt. “I really want to congratulate Norauto for their exceptional achievement. This team commands respect and the monumental work done this winter wasn’t for nothing. This team, which will represent France in the next America’s Cup, has demonstrated incredible potential and as a sailor I’m really behind them.”
After 5 events in Italy, Spain and France, Team ENGIE have demonstrated their potential and have proved to their opponents that they will be tough competitors in 2017, capable of ruffling a feather or two next season. “We achieved our goals which is very important for us and I really hope that 2017 will be a season where consistency is our creed,” concluded Sébastien.
GC32 Racing Tour at Marseille One Design overall results (after 10 races):
1 – Norauto, 13 points
2 – Argo, 37 points
3 – Mamma Aiuto, 41 points
4 – Team Tilt, 43 points
5 – Team ENGIE, 49 points
6 – Malizia Yacht Club de Monaco, 52 points
7 – Armin Strom Sailing Team, 52 points
8 – Gunvor Sailing, 58 points
9 – Realteam, 68 points
10 – Orange Racing, 89 points
GC32 Racing Tour Overall Standings (after 5 Acts)
1 – Norauto, 6 points
2 – Team Tilt, 12 points
3 – Armin Strom Sailing Team, 22 points
4 – Argo, 26 points
5 – Team ENGIE, 29 points
6 – Malizia Yacht Club de Monaco, 29 points
7 – Gunvor Sailing, 32 points
8 – Mamma Aiuto, 33 points
9 – Realteam, 40 points
10 – Spindrift racing, 47 points
11 – Orange Racing, 47 points
SPOTLIGHT ON THE GC32
The GC32 is a 32-foot, or just under 10-metre long catamaran that is able to “take off” the water in just 8 knots of wind (Force 2). This small technological marvel is capable of reaching amazing speeds on the water. Helming, which is both very technical and physically demanding, requires full team participation.
TEAM ENGIE
Sébastien Rogues – Skipper/ Helm
Born in 1986, Sébastien Rogues began practicing dinghy sailing when he was 6 years old. In 2007, at just 21, Sébastien started sailing at the top level, with the ambition to become a professional skipper. After acquiring his first boat, a Mini 6.50 series (Pogo 2), he achieved very promising solo race results on the Mini 6.50 circuit. He then embarked on the highly competitive Class 40 circuit. This circuit allowed him to consolidate his experience and to add the Transat Jacques Vabre as well as the Fastnet Race aboard his Mach 40 GDF SUEZ to his list of victories. In 2015, Sébastien turned to multihulls: the Diam 24 trimaran and GC32 catamaran. He was among the first to engage in the technological breakthrough the world of competitive sailing is currently experiencing, and is the first Frenchman to have started his adventure on the GC32.
The 2016 season will be an opportunity to put into practice the skills he has acquired during the many encounters with the world’s top multihull sailors and the training he has received on various other foiling boats, including the Flying Phantom.
Gurvan Bontemps – Mainsail Tactician
Gurvan began his career with the Tornado, with which he prepared for two Olympics from 2000 to 2007. He has a high track record in F18 including 2nd place at the 2014 World Championships, Champion of France in 2013 and 2014, as well as 5th place at the 2013 World Championships. In this discipline, he also won the Martinique Cata Raid 2013-2014. In 2015 he focused on the Flying Phantom where he won Le Raid des Corsairs at the Foiling Week and the Eurocat. Meanwhile, Gurvan has participated in numerous projects including the role of helmsman, trimmer on the Maxi 80 Prince de Bretagne in 2013, a responsible post for the GC32 Gitana Team in 2015, as well as helmsman position while training on the GC32 for the Groupama Team France in 2015.
Jean Baptiste Gellée – Mainsail Trimmer
At 27 years old, Jean-Baptiste has already recorded more than 15 years of competitive sailing, including 8 years of high-level practice in Laser. In 2004 he was crowned champion of France Espoir in Laser (under 18). In 2006 he finished 4th in the ISAF Youth World Championship. In 2008 he came 4th in the European Youth Championship (under 21). He then joined the France Espoir team, a high-level training group which he left in 2011. In 2014 Jean-Baptiste participated in the Tour de France à la voile for the first time aboard the M34 of APCC Voile Sportive and finished 2nd in the amateur rankings. Last year, he skippered the Diam 24 Radio VINCI Autoroutes on which he finished in 14th place.
Antoine Joubert – Headsail Trimmer
Anthony began his career in Formula 18, including two Junior World Champion titles in 2008 and 2009. He also took 7th place in the World Championships in 2011. He then spent 3 seasons in the M34 with the Courrier Dunkerque crew where he became France champion with the team in 2011, he won the Spi Ouest France in 2013 and finished second in the Tour de France à la Voile in 2011 and 2012. In 2015, Antoine carried out the Diam24 season with Chimney Poujoulat and the Flying Phantom season with Team Momentys (including a victory in Genève Rolle and second place on the Eurocat Carnac alongside Franck Cammas).
Benjamin Amiot – Bowman
At 28 years old, Benjamin Amiot brings solid experience aboard racing catamarans. At 15, he started competing in Formula 18, the boat on which he’s been competing on until now. He was awarded the title of runner up World Champion in 2014. He’s been sailing foiling boats for 3 years (Flying Phantom and GC32). In 2015, he competed for Phantom shipyard, then became part of Gitana’s and Zoulou’s GC32 crew and then trimmer and tactician on the Diam 24 Prince de Bretagne before racing two Grand Prix aboard the D35 Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing.
SÉBASTIEN ROGUES – CV
At almost 30 years old, Sébastien, from La Baule and a member of the La Baule Yacht Club, already has a great track record, with top podiums spots and victories over the years in the mini 6.50 and Class40.
2015
– 5th Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour (crew – GC32)
– 4th Marseille One Design (crew – GC32)
– 5th Trofeo di Roma Cup (crew – GC32)
– 4th Kiel Cup (crew – GC32)
– 21st Tour de France Sailing Race (crewed – Diam 24)
– 4th Cowes Cup (crew – GC32)
– 4th Grand Prix of Austria (crew – GC32)
– 10th Grand Prix of the Ecole Navale de Brest (crew – Diam 24)
– 20th Atlantic Grand Prix (crew – Diam 24)
– 7th Spi Ouest-France (crew – Diam 24)
– 7th Martinique Cata Raid (double handed with Matthew Souben – F18 catamaran)
