Filippo Faruffini, the Italian ORC GP 42 sailor gets company

Italian Filippo Faruffini was the first GP 42 skipper and owner out of the yard and last season he raced the boat in solitude in IMS races in the Mediterranean. But this season he is not alone anymore. 13 boats are on their way and the success of the class is just around the corner.

Most owners go from small boats to big boats. Italian Filippo Faruffini went the other way. After racing his Roma, a Farr/Latini Marine 85 among the other big boats, he decided to go for the ORC GP 42.

Once again Latini Marine in Rome built his new boat and Farr Yacht Design did the job on the drawing board. 2006 was his first season.

-How was it to go from big boat sailing to a GP42?

- It is cheaper! Jokes aside, racing with the maxi is very exciting but unfortunately the boats are very different and it is not easy to give them a fair rating. Especially if you race under IRC a good part of the result is due to "how good is the TCC" assigned to your boat. I am saying that even though I won the last two editions of the Rolex Cup I participated in.

Someone might think my opinion is biased, but the GP42 is a fantastic boat: fast, technical and impatient, exuberant but, at the same time, solid and reliable, it's a boat which can easily endure any kind of rough seas.

You race in real time. Every owner can imagine, see the birth and growth of his own boat exactly as he and the team wish. They can select the naval architect, the shipyard, equipment and everything else which is much more complete and involving than simply buying a monotype. It has a stable rule and it's unanimously recognized by all that it is convenient it remains so. It has a reasonable budget and this is also universally wished by all owners that it remains this way.

Filippo Faruffini's brand new GP 42 ROMA at her racing debut in the 2006 Trofeo de la Reina. Valencia, 1 July 2006. Photo copyright Kurt Arigo / Rolex

- Any thoughts on the GP42 rule after one season with Roma?

- We cannot consider 2006 as a GP42 season as we were alone and raced in the IMS class, but it was very useful anyway for the class because it allowed us to fine-tune some aspects which could only be done by practicing. We consider it as a pre-racing test.

- Are you going to do some changes to the boat this season?

- No, no changes, the rule has not changed and all interpretations went in this direction. Maybe we'll change something in the deck layout, but more to accommodate the desires and habits of some crewmembers than out of necessity.

- What are your regatta plans for 2007?

- To participate in all races in the international circuit and, I hope, some in the circuit of our very active Spanish friends. In reality I'd like to participate in all races in the class, mainly because even if we only met a few times, it has established a friendly atmosphere that I really enjoy.

There is a strong pragmatic feeling, a will to act quickly and well, in the general interest of the class without imposing anything to anybody. More than anything, there is a common way of living and feeling our sport, understanding and trying to adapt to the diverse needs of everyone such as nationality, sponsors, crews, planning.

It rules, in a class which is anyway highly competitive and professional and therefore strongly tied to the above needs, the spirit of the sport which we love, even if it involves sacrifices, and this, nowadays, does not happen often in any fields. The GP42 is a fun boat: anyone that chooses it wants to enjoy.

Filippo Faruffini's brand new GP 42 ROMA at her racing debut in the 2006 Trofeo de la Reina. Valencia, 1 July 2006. Photo copyright Kurt Arigo / Rolex

Currently there are 14 ORC GP 42’s, either finished or under construction. Spain has 6 boats, Italy 3, and Croatia, Portugal and Norway one each. All major design houses have come up with plans for the boat.

The Mediterranean will be their playing field this season and Valencia is set to be the homeport for most of the boats. Filippo Faruffini is eager to go racing against his new launched competitors.

- It is an unexpected success, this will be the first year of racing and we already have so many boats, our prognoses called for less than half units and I also feel on a daily basis an increase in queries, and interest on this class from everybody. This is due to the effort of all the people that devised and worked on this class formula, involving the whole sailing world, designers, shipyards, suppliers and we will continue along this line. This class strongly wishes to be open to all, give all the same chances, to work, decide communicate in the most transparent way possible.

2007 race calendar of the ORC GP 42 ClassCres, Croatia June 21st – 23rd
Valencia, Spain July 13th – 15th
Palma de Majorca, Spain July 28th – August 5th
Cascais, Portugal August 30th – September 1st
All events will count for the final scoring. The single event NoR will rule the discard procedure inside itself. Beside this official international calendar, in the national events below listed GP42 are invited and included as stand alone class in the NoR.

Melilla August 11th – 15th
Bayona September 7th – 9th
Sanxenxo September 14th – 16th
Cala Galera, Italy September 21st –23rd
Puerto Calero October 17th – 21st