As in previous years, Alinghi’s programme for 2018 will include D35 racing on Lake Geneva in the 15th edition of the D35 Trophy, as well as GC32 foiling on courses around the world in an 8th season for the Team on the Extreme Sailing Series. There’s a special bonus too: The first GC32 World Championship. In the D35 Trophy, after having come within a whisker of recording a grand slam in 2017, the team will give its everything to notch a 7th victory in the Championship. The one-design circuit, which combines the ultimate competitiveness on the water with friendship among teams off it, enters its 15th season this year. Also to be watched closely this year is the 80th Bol d’Or Mirabaud, which will start on the 9th of June and will feature some 500 boats. Will the D35 manage to hold its own against the foiling boats? The battle to win this anniversary edition of the classic race promises to be exciting. Regarding the GC32, the team remains convinced that this 32ft one-design catamaran is the ideal vessel upon which it can continue its progress in foiling and that the Extreme Sailing Series offers the toughest test in this type of competition. Alinghi will therefore relish challenging for a title that it has won previously in 2008, 2014 and 2016. This year, the Series will, again, see international teams racing on eight courses across three continents. Finally, just before the end of May, the first GC32 World Championship will take place on Lake Garda, with the class having been officially recognised by World Sailing (the International Sailing Federation). Bringing together the competitors from the GC32 Racing Tour and from the Extreme Sailing Series, about 15 flying boats can be expected on the same start-line. It promises to be adrenaline-filled sailing, with the races around the marks sure to be full of tension. Not long now, then, till the start of the season in Muscat, Oman, mid-March. ABOUT           The Team Sailors Helmsman and Skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) – D35 and GC32 Co-Helm and Co-Skipper (GC32) and mainsail trimmer (D35): Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) Tactician: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) – D35 and GC32 Headsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) – D35 and GC32 Foil trimmer: Timothé Lapauw (FRA) – GC32 Floater: Coraline Jonet (FRA) – D35 Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) – D35 and GC32 Technical Team João Cabeçadas (POR)  /  David Nikles (SUI)  /  Claudy Dewarrat (SUI) Team Director Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) Click here to learn more about the team. Club Société nautique de Genève 2018 sporting calendar Find the dates for each event by clicking here. To find out more d35trophy.com  /  extremesailingseries.com  /  gc32worlds.com #GoAlinghiGo  #D35Trophy  #Extremesailing

To look at the points tally at the end of Act 8 one might think that the last day of racing did not contain any pitfalls for the Swiss team. However, to follow the last race of the event minute-by-minute, or even second-by-second, a different story is told! Before this double-points last one, the overall Championship went to SAP, who managed to put enough of a gap between themselves and Red Bull to secure the season win. Still, aside from a victory in the Act being at stake, second place in the Championship was still in play. Whomever of Alinghi or Oman Air finished in front of the other, would claim the spot. From one tack to the other, the sailors held us in suspense. Halfway through this last race, Oman Air was even positioned to win the Act and to keep their second place overall. They were, however, perhaps not counting on Alinghi reviving its fortunes. The end of race 20 saw real mano-a-mano racing and, when the dust settled, it was Arnaud, Nicolas, Nils, Tim and Yves who won the duel, securing both the Act win - the team's first since Act 2 - and second place in the Championship. Ernesto Bertarelli, skipper, said: "After a difficult phase this summer, Alinghi has raised the bar since Act 6 in Cardiff. Tonight I am very proud of the team and the result they produced in Los Cabos." Pierre-Yves Jorand, coach: "It was an exciting season of ups and downs for the team. We learned much, especially that we must never give up and that we must always fight to the end, because in sailing and with these competition formats, anything can happen." Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician: "What a battle with Oman Air and SAP all throughout this year! I have only one desire for us now: Come back even stronger next year!" Nils Frei, trimmer: "It was a season with fluctuations, one that ebbed and flowed. We started well, then had a slump in Hamburg, before regrouping and beginning again in a positive waystarting. I really enjoyed the way we sailed this Act. We are, naturally, a little disappointed not to win the Championship, but we know that it was not here in Mexico that it was decided. However, it was important for us to finish well and, on this point, we are satisfied with the job we did." For the end-of-the-season video commentary, click here. To relive Act 8 with race replays, click here. The entire Alinghi team congratulates SAP Extreme Sailing Team for their victory in the 2017 Championship, thanks its partners and many fans for their support and looks forward to seeing you on the water in 2018! The standings for Act 8 in Los Cabos after 20 races: 1st - Alinghi: 224 points 2nd - Oman Air: 212 points 3rd - SAP Extreme Sailing Team: 209 points 2017 Championship standings after eight Acts: 1st - SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN): 98 points 2nd - Alinghi (SUI): 96 points 3rd - Oman Air (OMA): 95 points Click here for the results in their entirety. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photo credit ©Lloyd Images To find out more about the race tracking system, team composition and the event in general, you can find the event recap by clicking here.

The team fought and fought well on the last afternoon of racing in California, winning three of the six races launched in San Diego Bay. Alinghi thus had the best day of it and managed to gain four points on the leaders, SAP Extreme Sailing Team; unfortunately not enough to close the gap opened-up by the Danes on Day 3. It is therefore in 2nd place that the Swiss finished Act 7. Red Bull Sailing Team took third place on the podium, with Oman Air finishing in fourth. Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician, said: "San Diego gave us great sailing conditions throughout these four days of racing and we really enjoyed ourselves. However, we didn't quite manage to overcome SAP and so congratulations to them for their performance this week. We are disappointed with our third day of racing because we think we could have done better. We learned some lessons and today we sailed well. "It's up to us to come back stronger for the last act of the season in Los Cabos in a month. Mathematically, first place in the championship is still achievable. It would require that we win the event and SAP finishes 4th...In other words, if they sail as well as they have recently, it will be difficult. But in sailing, everything is always open and we'll see!" Click here to watch the interview with Nicolas in its entirety. See you in five weeks for the conclusion of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series season in Los Cabos (Mexico) from November 30th to December 3rd. Click here for the final standings of Act 7 in San Diego after 25 races. Click here for the overall ESS table after seven Acts. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photos credit ©Lloyd Images If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here.