After four days of racing on Lake Geneva in light conditions under sunny skies but with a far from straightforward meteorological picture to contend with, Esteban Garcia’s Realteam, co-skippered by Jérôme Clerc, has claimed the TF35 opening event win of the 2022 season after scoring two bullets over the first two days.
“It was a tricky weekend, the conditions were usual for the Lac Léman,” explained Clerc at the prize giving. “The races we had were good and in foiling mode. From a sporting point of view, we are happy with our result because we trained hard over the winter to start this season ahead.“
Of his competition, Clerc added: “It’s good to see that Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Spindrift have also improved; our three boats seem to be really well matched in pace on the water. Spindrift especially is improving fast in the light wind; they are very strong.“
With only four races sailed over four days, the TF35 Realstone Cup for Léman hope finished today with one attempted race, which started in seven knots of breeze but was abandoned as the wind died at the first gate. “We got really unlucky this week,” said class manager Bertrand Favre. “At the start, there was a very strong wind at altitude, and this stopped the sea breeze system from kicking in, and today, there was very little difference in temperature between the altitude and the lake level, so again, the sea breeze couldn’t get going.“
“We’ve been racing here for 16 years with the D35, and for two with the TF35 and we’ve never had two single race days at a regatta!” he added.
Second-placed Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing was a close match for Realteam in every race this weekend, taking the win from them in race three after finding better pressure on the right when the fleet split upwind. Bryan Mettraux from the team explained: “It’s hard to have a long weekend and only do four races, but it is part of the game. We are happy with our result but also really happy to see the great level of competition between Realteam and Spindrift; this season will be a good fight“.
Continuing to impress after showing real promise at the end of the 2021 season in Scarlino, Italy, Yann Guichard and his young crew onboard Spindrift finish the Nyon event in third after winning yesterday’s race.
“The goal for everyone is always to be better and better, so it will be hard to beat them at the next event in Mies,” said Mettraux of his rivals, laughing.
Of the chasing pack, Team Sailfever helmed this week by Loïck Peyron finished in fourth, six points off the podium, with ZEN Too, and Vitamina Sailing tied on points in fifth and sixth. An impressive result for new helm Andrea Lacorte as this is the first time the Vitamina crew has officially raced with the fleet. Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier completes overall ranking just two points behind in seventh.
The TF35s will meet next in two weeks when the fleet will face a bumper weekend of Lake Geneva racing with two days of fleet racing for the TF35 Mies on either side of the Genève-Rolle-Genève long-distance race.
22 March 2022
TF35 Season 2: New Teams, New Venues And More Open Water Racing
Building on the success of their inaugural season, the TF35 Trophy goes into 2022 strong with new team Vitamina Sailing, helmed by Andrea Lacorte, joining the line-up of seven cutting-edge hydro-foiling catamarans. Plus, Malcesine on the North-East of Lake Garda, Italy, and Cannes on the French Riviera have signed up as new venues on tour.
“The TF35 is a new and very competitive class, but this is precisely what makes it exciting”, explained Lacorte “I like challenges that push you out of your comfort zone. Vitamina Sailing is a team that wants to improve and grow, so the new TF35 circuit is ideal for measuring our ambition”.
The season will start on home waters for most in Nyon on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, over the 19 – 22 May. Hosted by Realstone and raising awareness for sailing cancer charity Léman hope the event will be based at the Société Nautique de Nyon. The teams will go into this event fresh, all having completed training on the lake during the early spring months. With five of the eight teams based on the lake, the crews have a wealth of local knowledge, making competition intense. However, typically a light wind venue at this time of year, gentle boat handling and critical decision-making are likely to be vital to easing the TF35 around the Lake Geneva racecourse off the coast of the charming town of Nyon.
For round two, the TF35 will face a bumper weekend of racing over the 3 – 5 June, with two days of fleet racing for the TF35 Mies on either side of the Genève-Rolle-Genève long-distance race.
The following weekend the TF35s will take part in the world’s largest inland lake regatta: the Bol d’Or Mirabaud. For this 83rd edition, over 500 boats will take part in the 123 kilometer (66.5 nautical miles) course from Geneva to Le Bouveret and back.
For the second half of the season, the fleet will travel to Italy to be hosted over the 8 – 11 September by Fraglia Vela Malcesine, located on the northeastern side of Lake Garda. A revered venue for all high-performance yachts, Lake Garda is one of the world’s best venues for high-speed foiling catamaran action, offering the opportunity to sail in perfect 15-20 knots and flat water, ideal for exhilarating TF35 competition against the spectacular mountainous backdrop.
The TF35 Trophy season final will take place one month later hosted by the city of Cannes on the French Riviera during the second weekend in October.
Class Manager Bertrand Favre explains: “The 2022 calendar ticks all the boxes! An ideal light to medium breeze warm-up on Lake Geneva for the start of the season. Then a visit to the mecca of foiling Malcesine in the home country of our new team followed by an exciting final on the open waters of the bay of Cannes.
“We are using the winter to develop the flight control software and to trim the foils to increase the stability of the boat in high speed and wavy conditions. The full fleet of eight boats will start training on Lake Geneva during the beginning of April”.