Local sailing enthusiasts got to watch a glimpse of what they can expect when the Island hosts the 2016 M32 Winter Series Bermuda in Hamilton Harbour yesterday.

The first high-performance M32 catamaran launched in local waters turned heads as it ripped around the harbour travelling faster than the true wind speed during a demonstration.

Sailed by a crew of four of five, the one-design M32 is made of carbon fibre and is a speed machine that does not require a jib which would create drag and reduce both speed and manoeuvrability. The boat’s asymmetrical foils create the perfect amount of lift and stability, making the hulls skim the surface.

Hakan Svensson, the CEO and owner of Aston Harald AB and the World Match Racing Tour, has revealed that Bermuda will host the M32 Winter Series between January and April.

“This is amazing and I guess it all piggy backs on the America’s Cup,” Peter Shrubb, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club rear commodore, said. “Once you are sort of selected for the top sailing event in the world I guess people start looking at you in a new light.

“We’ve got the RC44s, M32s, Moths and so we are starting to wrack up quite a number of very good events.”

The series will include four separate events and involve as many as twelve M32s that will race either in the Great Sound or Hamilton Harbour.

“We still have a few Is to dot and Ts to cross,” Shrubb added. “We are just trying to figure out the logistics and it’s obviously a nice event which ties in with what’s going on around the world today and we are keen to be involved.”

Among the skippers keen to compete is Ian Williams and Team GAC Pindar, the five-times world match racing champion and 2006 Argo Group Gold Cup winner, who competes on the M32 Scandinavian Series in Europe.

“We are looking at bringing our boat here at the moment,” Williams said. “We are just trying to get a few more details about dates and schedules.

“Bermuda is a great place to sail the M32s so I’m positive and hopefully if the schedule works and the costs are reasonable then it will be great to bring our boat here.”

Another skipper pumped up for the championship is Taylor Canfield and US One, the 2015 M32 Scandinavian Series champions.

“It should be a blast and I think it will be good for Bermuda to have something new, fresh and fast,” Canfield, the past Gold Cup and world match racing champion, said. “It’s just really fast-paced exciting racing and I think it will be a success.”