The seventh and last stage of the 2021 TF35 Trophy, the #2 Scarlino Grand Prix today marked the end of the very first season of this new class of foilers in Italy. Second behind Realteam, both this week and overall for the season, Ernesto Bertarelli's team ended this championship on two good notes: Alinghi won the first grand prix at the beginning of May, and won the season's last race. Spindrift made up the rest of the Grand Prix's podium and the TF35 Trophy. Ernesto Bertarelli: "It was another great weekend of competition. Spindrift has come a long way, but Realteam remains the team to beat. These boats are very demanding and it's positive to see the teams perform after such a short time on the TF35s. I look forward to welcoming an eighth crew next year. In a circuit of boats over 30 feet foiling upwind, racing with eight is already a substantial fleet and I think twelve would be the maximum. The boats will be improved by next year, which is why we have just decided not to race this winter in order to have time to work in the yard." Second behind the team to beat: Realteam! Jérôme Clerc and his team recorded an almost perfect score around the marks. Winner of four out of five Grand Prix this season, Realteam has set the bar high. Thanks to the team's work on shore and on the water, Alinghi fought to the end, but finished three points behind in the annual championship. Nils Frei: "The Realteam crew sailed very well all year. Solid, they had excellent starts and were very hard to pass. We have the potential to beat them and know what we must work on, but this year they were better! We had a lot of fun sailing here in Scarlino, although we are still in the development phase on the boat." A windy Grand Prix to close the season Six teams competed in Scarlino's second Grand Prix, with Zen Too unable to compete due to technical issues. The race committee was sensible and made reasoned decisions to preserve the boats. This Sunday, no race was launched because of wind that was too strong. Nicolas Charbonnier: "There is obviously some disappointment in finishing second, given we invested a lot of time and energy this season. We have been very consistent throughout the championship and will carefully analyse what we can improve upon to come back stronger next year, including manoeuvres, speed, starts, and tactics. It is the combination of a series of details that will make the difference." Positive results for the first season of TF35 After a short test event in 2020, the seven crews of the TF35 Trophy have raced as a fleet for real this season. And like any class launch, the progression curve is huge. Pierre-Yves Jorand: "It was a wonderful first season for the TF35! We had varied conditions on Lake Geneva and at sea, and the boats showed good performance. Even on the two long distance runs in light airs. Now it's time for the development of the flight software and sails, the reinforcement of certain parts and we are already delighted to see eight TF35s line up in the spring of 2022 with the arrival of an Italian team." Valuable learning for 2022 After five Grand Prix and two long distance races, the team members will take stock after the first 100% foiling season. Between the GC32 and TF35, it's been a year full of flying! It is now time for debriefing and to look to progress next year. Arnaud Psarofaghis: "We still have work to do to get a good handle on the boat, especially on-board operation and manoeuvring. By also improving the system and the software that control the foiling I think it will be possible to do a "dry lap" (doing the entire race while flying "dry" from start to finish, without even touching water in the manoeuvres. To this day, tacks are not foiling ones). This winter, we will continue to analyse our performance and that of our opponents. We will also try to simplify the processes as much as possible." Bryan Mettraux: "We have been very lucky with the weather conditions this season, from the training sessions in March before the first TF35 Trophy races, to these events at the Marina di Scarlino in Italy in open and salt water. It was very interesting to sail in the sea. These boats were designed primarily for light air on the lake, but future developments will make them more reliable even in medium wind and wave." David Niklès & João Cabeçadas: "This winter the class will make some changes to the foils, especially the flaps. In strong winds and waves, like here in Italy, they need to be reinforced. We will also work with the class on a number of other improvements. From Alinghi's perspective, while respecting the monotype rules of this class, we will also try to optimise our boat to be faster than our rivals!" A memory of this very first TF35 Trophy? Ernesto Bertarelli: "The successful launch of a class of boats that foil upwind and downwind and that can be steered by passionate sailing owners. Thrills are guaranteed and sailing is very likely to be challenging!" Florian Trüb: "The start of the Genève-Rolle-Genève, when we almost capsized a minute after crossing the line!" Nicolas Charbonnier: "When I was at the top of the mast to observe the wind during the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, and the boat started to foil. A first!" Arnaud Psarofaghis: "The progress that we will have made throughout this first season and the solutions found to accelerate this new class." Pierre-Yves Jorand + Nils Frei + Bryan Mettraux: "The arrival in the Bol d'Or Mirabaud at night, with the seven TF35s flying shoulder to shoulder around Yvoire in Geneva." While the TF35 returns to Switzerland for its winter break, there is still one event in the team's 2021 calendar: The last stage of the GC32 Racing Tour, in early November in San Pedro del Piñatar (Mar Menor, Spain). Summary of the rankings of the Grand Prix of Scarlino #2 after nine races (the worst score being withdrawn from four rounds validated): 1st - Realteam: 10 points 2nd - Alinghi: 18 points 3rd - Spindrift: 19 points ... Final general classification of the TF35 Trophy 2021 after seven events (NB: from four validated events, the worst score is removed / The results of the two long races add up to form only one event): 1st - Realteam: 6 points 2nd - Alinghi: 9 points 3rd - Spindrift: 16 points 4th - Ylliam XII: 21 points 5th - Zulu: 22 points 6th - SailFever: 22 points 7th - Zen Too: 31 points Click here for the full classification. Click here to watch the races in 2D thanks to the GPS tracker placed on board each boat. To find out more tf35.org To learn more about the race monitoring system, the team composition and the TF35 Trophy in general, a summary of the event is here. #GoAlinghiGo  //  #TF35Trophy Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal & Lloydimages

The seven TF35s embraced salt water all together for the first time in their careers this week. The fleet migrated to the Italian town of Scarlino, in Tuscany, for the last two Grand Prix of the 2021 TF35 Trophy. A four-day regatta in lovely conditions made possible twelve races, at the end of which Alinghi finished second, just one point behind winner Realteam. Spindrift completed the podium. Ernesto Bertarelli: "We had a lot of fun sailing here at Scarlino, with exemplary hospitality and organisation. The conditions were perfect, the TF35 reacted well at sea and we are going to work on some improvements to be made. Congratulations to Realteam, who sailed very well and fully deserves the victory. It was a pleasure to race against them!" Finally at sea! After five stages on Lake Geneva, the TF35 Trophy crews were able to test their foilers in competition mode in salt water. There were little differences to be found with sailing on the lake, thanks in particular to ideal wind and sea conditions all week. Yves Detrey: "We didn't change our methods in relation to how we sailed on Lake Geneva - salt water does not influence foiling, or if it does only in an infinitesimal way. The main difference was that it was a bit windier than our first regattas on the lake. And the small waves reminded us that we were at sea! The damage to our two rudders yesterday cost us a few points, with the flaps having torn off (rear part of the rudder foil, which is angled). But that doesn't detract from Realteam's performance, of course!" A tight ranking to the end at the top of the table Only one point behind Realteam at the end of each day, Alinghi fought until the last. Jérôme Clerc and his team gave the team a hard time! After the first three races of Day 2, which were won by Spindrift, the three boats were tied even. Arnaud Psarofaghis: "We only had one day of training with the full crew before this Grand Prix and hadn't sailed the TF35 since the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, so we're happy with our result. We made some small mistakes, especially in some strategic and tactical choices. Realteam sailed better in all conditions and made fewer mistakes than us. To date, two groups of competitors have been identified within the fleet. The difference is probably due to the number of days training. The leading teams also experienced less crew changes and we may have understood better how this new foiler works." Ideal conditions Installed for two weeks in Scarlino, where the last stage of the season will also be held in two weeks, the TF35 Trophy teams have benefited from dream-like conditions. Nicolas Charbonnier: "The wind was more stable than on the Lake, which created less difference between the boats. It was very tight and interesting! The duel with Realteam was intense. Finishing just one point away from them each evening and after four days illustrates this perfectly." Everything to play for in the final Now two points ahead of Alinghi, Realteam maintains its lead in the overall championship standings. The goal in the final in two weeks will be to finish ahead of them. Mathematically, it will also be necessary for a boat to come between the two rivals for a victory in the championship to be possible. There are lots of unknowns, but one thing is certain: the whole team is looking forward to returning to Scarlino for the final! Before that, the direction now is Villasimius for the GC32 World Championship and the defence of the title won in 2019. The team has already taken off for Sardinia. The scheduled four-day regatta will start on Thursday September 16th. Extract from the ranking of the Scarlino Grand Prix # 1 after 12 races (the worst score being withdrawn from four validated rounds): 1st - Realteam: 19 points 2nd - Alinghi: 20 points 3rd - Spindrift: 28 points ... Click here for the full results. Extract from the provisional general classification of the TF35 Trophy after six events (NB: from four validated events, the worst score is withdrawn / The results of the two long races are added together to form only one event): 1st - Realteam: 5 points 2nd - Alinghi: 7 points 3rd - Spindrift: 13 points 4th - Ylliam XII: 16 points 5th - SailFever: 17 points ... Click here for the full classification. Click here to watch the races in 2D thanks to the GPS tracker placed on board each boat. To find out more tf35.org To learn more about the race monitoring system, the team composition and the TF35 Trophy in general, a summary of the event is here. #GoAlinghiGo  //  #TF35Trophy Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal