Premier GC32 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The GC32 is a foiling catamaran with a 10-meter hull length and 12-meter overall length including a 6.60-meter bowsprit, a 6-meter beam, and a light weight per the class authority of 975 kg, though one review cites 850 kg — sources differ on this figure. Its carbon hulls were built by Premier Composite Technologies in Dubai, while the rig, spine and beams came from Southern Spars in South Africa and the foils and rudders from Heol Composites in France. Being a one design keeps it substantially cheaper than an America's Cup catamaran. The boat is relatively light and easily road trailerable, able to be demounted and trailed home after racing on a custom open trailer or in a container on wheels. Test sailors found the boat very stiff, which is good for foiling.

Rig and Foils

The GC32 carries a conventional catamaran rig with a rotating mast and three soft sails — main, jib and gennaker — with the mast 16.50 meters above deck and sail areas of 60, 23.50 and 90 square meters respectively. For its first season the boats raced with a Mk1 foil package using a double-S main foil and L-profile rudder, but the Mk2 foils transformed it into a fully flying catamaran with T-shaped rudders and J-shaped lifting foils. Those new foils are the latest iteration of designs developed for Franck Cammas' International C-Class champion Groupama C and the Fischer-designed Flying Phantom F18, and further refinement involved the class project manager and foil builders, producing composites close to the limit of what is currently possible to build. The V-shape the main foils form when lowered encourages auto-stabilisation, and as speed rises the foil lifts out to reduce lift while more foil submerges at lower speeds, giving good heave stability and minimal porpoising. There are no hydraulics; foil pitch is adjusted by a line-driven worm drive.

Performance Underway

The large main lifting foils let the GC32 get airborne from around 7 knots of true wind, and the boat is easy to helm and get airborne. The Daily Sail reported it can foil stably with almost no hobby-horsing, and in testing it foiled upwind at more than 20 knots in under 10 knots of breeze, recorded 27 knots downwind in those conditions, and averaged 30 knots over four minutes. A five-second burst averaged 32.5 knots, and in 14 knots it made 18-19 knots upwind at roughly 50 degrees. The helm proved well balanced and the boat surprisingly easy even for a crew of average ability. Philippe Presti noted you can foil upwind from 10-12 knots to the top of the range and downwind in 7-8 with the big gennaker, with takeoff around 15-16 knots. Yachting World reported a claimed top speed to date just under 38 knots from the builder, while the class site cites a top approaching 40.

Accommodations

The GC32 is a pure racing platform with no creature comforts or interior accommodation to speak of; its focus is outright speed and one-design uniformity rather than cruising layout. There is nothing in the record to suggest berths, galley or cabin trim, and the boat's road-trailerable, container-friendly nature reinforces its regatta-to-regatta purpose.

Refits and Ownership

As a one-design class, the GC32's evolution has been managed centrally rather than through owner refit discretion — the headline change was the mandated move from Mk1 double-S foils to Mk2 T and J foils. Owners live with a no-hydraulics package and line-driven foil control, and the easily trailerable configuration means a private owner can transport the boat and rig without professional shipping for most European venues.

The Verdict

The GC32 is a remarkable step from grand-prix foil development into a comparatively accessible one-design. Its large, high-aspect foils deliver stable flight across a wide wind range and genuine upwind foiling, while the stiff carbon hull and simple line-driven controls keep it tractable for accomplished amateur crews. The light, trailerable format and controlled one-design rules make ownership realistic beyond factory teams.

Pros