With boats capable of sailing in excess of 30 knots and with closing speeds of 112 km/h (70mph), crew safety is of paramount importance when racing the latest generation of foiling catamarans. To look after the protection of its guests while sailing on board its race boats, the Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour is proud to announce Swiss company FORWARD WIP as its Official Safety Gear Partner.

FORWARD WIP specialises in innovative protective sailing gear to prevent shocks and injuries on fast sailing boats. The speed of yachts has increased significantly following the advent of foil-born boats and as a result there is an increased risk of competitors suffering cuts and bruises or, worse, physical injury during crashes which can occur to even the top athletes. Today protection for crew is required on foiling catamarans such as the GC32, just as it is in other high speed sports such as skiing and cycling.

From its base in Rolle on the shore of Lake Geneva, FORWARD WIP has already set a new standard in technical solutions, construction, material combinations and engineering, with innovative solutions to increase the degree of protection of its safety wear provides. The process involves the union of skills in different fields, from professional sailors to engineers, materials specialists and industrial and graphic designers.

All FORWARD WIP’s products are tested and further refined by top athletes. The end result is a line of lightweight, high performance gear that offers the ultimate protection against injury thanks to superior impact absorption and penetration resistance.

The Partnership between the Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour and FORWARD WIP will be key to ensuring the highest level of safety for on board guests during GC32 races.

Remi Finiel, FORWARD WIP Founder and Manager shares his excitement about the new partnership: “Our design philosophy is radically different to that of any sailing gear available up until now: we focus on personal Water Impact Protection (WIP). Thanks to the collaboration with teams in the last America’s Cup, our specialisation is in attractive protective sailing gear, which is both low windage and provides freedom of movement.

“Our 2015 range is the result of a long development process with many pro sailing teams such as ARMIN STROM on their GC32, which has enabled us to offer a full line of technical protective gear from head to toe.

“Using our sailing helmets and impact buoyancy, guests will have the best protection available on the market to enjoy their GC32 sailing adventure in safety.”

Flavio Marazzi, President of the GC32 International Class Association and skipper of the ARMIN STROM Sailing Team GC32 said: “Safety is of our biggest concern to run a smooth annual GC32 Racing Tour for sailors, guests and spectators. The FORWARD SAILING company with its WIP (Water Impact Protection) gear is supplying the class with all the necessary safety gear to make foiling on the water maximum fun. They set new standards in the foiling sail world with their helmets, impact/life vest and full body impact gear, just like the GC32 design.

“We look forward to having this innovative company in the GC32 family.”

FORWARD WIP gear will be in use throughout the Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour’s five event series in 2015, taking in venues in Austria, the UK, Germany, Italy and France.