Mission accomplished

7 May, 2018

After 11 races, raced amid various conditions, Alinghi took the win in the 2018 D35 season-opener in which the team competed against eight rivals. Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier and Mobimo occupy the other podium places. Ernesto Bertarelli, skipper and helmsman said: "Friday was a big day, but it provided the sort of challenging conditions in which we like to sail. After that day's five races we were leading the fleet with a slight advantage over Ylliam (by one point). Saturday saw slightly lighter breeze with a fleet much more compact. The starts were tight and we had to find every edge - not without risk! – in order to win the legs. "In the end we are pleased with the result, despite some poor performances that, our mistakes notwithstanding, show the high level of our competitors. Ylliam and Mobimo had a great weekend. One with the same crew identical from 2017; the other with a new make-up. "I would also like to acknowledge the Okalys Youth Project, who, for their first regatta together, made a good impression. They even made a top mark rounding in the lead with us. They're very promising." Nils Frei, headsail trimmer, said: "We feel that the teams have trained and improved a lot before the start of this season, perhaps more so in than the other years, especially when we see the performance of Mobimo, which has almost changed all his crew. "Alongside Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier, we'll need to watch them closely. Not to mention the others, who will make their mark and certainly progress. "At our level, one of our strengths is our ability to raise our heads and not question everything when we have one or two setbacks. More generally, we are happy with the overall performance and with the fact that we didn't make any big mistakes. Anyway, we don't intend on banking this win, but will focus on continuing to work across all facets of our sailing and will look to continue to improve." The team is looking forward to the next D35 event, taking place from the 19th to the 21st of May in Versoix for the season's second Grand Prix. In the meantime, the team heads to Riva del Garda (Italy) on Tuesday for a few days of preparation for the GC32 world championship to be held May 24-27. Click here for the general ranking of leg 1 after 11 races. To find out more d35trophy.com Event hashtags #GoAlinghiGo // #D35Trophy 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 in this news story. Credit for photos © Loris Von Siebenthal

On the starting blocks for the 15th D35 Trophy

2 May, 2018

A one-design multihull contest, nine teams competing, and eight races to be run this season on Lake Geneva, as in 2017. So, here we go again as we begin the 15th edition of the D35 Trophy. Things are not exactly the same, however! As a small aside, the weight limit for crews has gone up by 10kg, to 480. During the 'transfer window', some teams have taken the opportunity to mix things up. Not so, Alinghi, the title holder, who return aiming for a seventh victory in the championship and who welcome back the same sailors that were victorious last time. The weather forecast promises – so far at least – wind for the practice day and for the first day of racing, perhaps enough to see the boats hit something-like 25 knots. Let's hope it turns out to be accurate! We look forward to seeing you from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th of May, with six races scheduled per day in this opening D35 Grand Prix, which is organised by our club, the Société Nautique de Genève. Follow the action You can keep-up with the racing, with up to six races per day in the Grand Prix by: On Twitter @alinghiteam > Updates after each race, as well as photos and video clips On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi > Interviews, videos and photos On our website > News and photos To find out more d35trophy.com Event hashtags #GoAlinghiGo // #D35Trophy 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 in this news story. Credit for photos © Lloyd Images

Alinghi wins and consolidates its pole position in the D35

3 September, 2017

The red-white-and black Lac Leman multihull is entering the second half of the season in great and beautiful form, securing today, after the summer break, a victory in the sixth stage of the 2017 D35 Trophy, which was organised by the Geneva Yacht Club. Having recorded two race wins and two second places, the team dominated amidst various wind ranges. Special mention must go to the young Arnaud Grange (15 years of age), who was at the helm of Okalys. He and his crew recorded a superb second place, while Zen Too occupied the third step of the podium. Ernesto Bertarelli said: "I was unable to be onboard for the Bol d'Or Mirabaud and the GC32 events this summer. It’s therefore really satisfying to be here, to find a team at the top of its form and to achieve such a good result." For Nils Frei, who spent his summer on the GC32 in the Extreme Sailing Series, returning to the D35 required some adaptation in terms of way of sailing: "The sails are a little bigger than the GC32, so there's more effort, but less maneuvering around the marks. There’s some compensation, though. To have this weekend’s result, however, we’ve got to say that the transition from one boat to another went rather well!" There is now a few days of rest for the team before they return to the lake for Act 7 of the D35 Trophy in the Alinghi Grand Prix of Crans-Près-Céligny (from 8 to 10 September). Overall standings from Act 6 – Open du Yacht Club : 1st - Alinghi: 4 points 2nd - Okalys: 8 points 3rd - Zen Too: 10 points 4th - Ylliam Comptoir Immobilier: 11 points 5th - Racing Django: 13 points Click here for more results and the overall standings of the Championship after six Acts. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #D35Trophy To find out more d35trophy.com 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 in this news story. Photo credits: Alinghi

MORE WIND, MORE RACING, MORE WINS

6 May, 2017

After conditions yesterday put pay to a full day of racing in the opening event of the D35 Trophy, the teams would have been within their rights to have been worried about the light breeze and persistent rain that welcome the fleet on the waters off the SNG on this, the second day of the Grand Prix d’Ouverture. However, the seemingly ominous early conditions gave way to a good wind, meaning that a full six races could be run, making for some truly competitive and interesting sailing. The day’s first race didn’t exactly go to plan for Alinghi, who could only manage a fifth-place finish, but from then on things just got better for Ernesto Bertarelli and his team. Two finishes in third place were superseded by a great three race victories, meaning that Alinghi holds a commanding lead of seven points heading into tomorrow’s final day of the Grand Prix. As the team knows, however, the job is not yet completed and so the focus is very much on repeating today’s performance. Pierre-Yves Jorand, the team’s coach and mainsail trimmer on the D35, said of day two that: “The conditions today were tough and we had a difficult start, recording a fifth place in the first race. However, that is to be expected given that, as a team, the season is just coming together, and we were really pleased with the manner in which we rallied to record some really positive performances in the following races. We are aiming for more of the same tomorrow.” Results after day 2 Alinghi: 11 points Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier: 18 points Zen Too: 18 points Realteam: 23 points Racing Django: 29 points Swisscom: 29 points Okalys: 33 points Mobimo: 36 points To find out more d35trophy.com Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal 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 in the recap at the bottom of this news story. #GoAlinghiGo