OMEGA and Team Tilt – The GC32 World Champions

Our Journey – Freedom on the Water

You know that feeling of freedom when the light morning breeze touches your face and you feel soft sunrays on your skin? All you can hear is small waves splashing and birds singing as you get out on the water early in the morning when everyone is still asleep.

This is the feeling we had during our journey with OMEGA and Team Tilt at Lake Garda in Italy. It was incredible to see the dedication of the young and dynamic sailors team as well as the true-hearted support of OMEGA!

OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean ‘Deep Black’ and sailing

With OMEGA breaking numerous precision records and the brands profound knowledge and experience in manufacturing durable timepieces, an OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean ‘Deep Black’ is one of the most suitable and reliable companions for sailing. Not to mention the magnetic field resistance as well as the brands expertise in various different watch making fields.

OMEGAs adventurous pioneering spirit is underlined by how much effort and resources the brand puts into research and advancing technologies.

It was a great experience working alongside OMEGA’s design team. They respected my input and were 100% committed to producing a timepiece fit for boat racing at the highest level – Glenn Ashby, Skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand

deep black omega

OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 M Master Chronometer GMT “Deep Black”
Ref: 215.92.46.22.01.003

OMEGA and Team Tilt

Being inspired by the successful cooperation with Emirates Team New Zealand, OMEGA now supports the new generation of Swiss sailors with a strong sense of national price. Not only does the ‘Swissness’ go hand in hand with the brand but also the shared passion for precision and team spirit. There is no place for the maverick outsider in sailing. It’s a team sport and everyone must work in synch to achieve great results. OMEGA takes the same approach to watchmaking.

team tilt

Team Tilt at the GC32 World Championship 2018 Lake Garda
Source: http://teamtiltsailing.ch/en/multimedia-en/

Team Tilt and its passion for Freedom and Flying

Team Tilt is a sailing squad that offers structure and support to young Swiss sailors. It began in 1987 when Alex Schneiter christened his first boat, a mini 6.50, ‘Tilt’ after its sponsor, Tilt Sportswear.

The squad represented Switzerland at the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in 2013 and in 2017. The GC32 is a scaled-down version of the boats used in the America’s Cup. Fast, exciting, spectacular and fun, they are amongst the world’s fastest catamarans.

Team Tilt at the GC32 World Championship 2018 Lake Garda
Source: http://teamtiltsailing.ch/en/multimedia-en/

Successfully mastering the art of Foiling

The GC32 was initially only used as a training platform by Team Tilt to improve its flying skills and to master the art of foiling.

For the non-sailors: What is foiling? A hydrofoil sailboat is a sailboat like the catamarans used at the GC32 with wing-like foils mounted under the hull. As the craft increases its speed (from about 15 knots) the hydrofoils lift up the hull and out of the water, greatly reducing wetted area, resulting in decreased drag and increased speed. A sailing hydrofoil can achieve speeds exceeding twice the wind speed.

foiling

Team Tilt at the GC32 World Championship 2018 Lake Garda
Source: http://teamtiltsailing.ch/en/multimedia-en/

OMEGA made it possible for us to witness the Team Tilts enthusiasm and passion for sailing first-hand during the last training before the GC32 World Championship.

Experiencing the complexity of sailing and feeling the excitement of the team made us want to start sailing ourselves. It is incredible how in sailing it does not only depend on your skills but mainly on how you can adapt to the weather and wind conditions. The sailors know exactly what the wind is doing and which ropes to pull at the right moment.

The team certainly proved their skills as they ended up winning the GC32 World Championship 2018 at Lake Garda. Big Congratulations Team Tilt!

omega seamaster deep black