News

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 Two finishes in third place were superseded by a great three race victories, meaning that Alinghi holds a commanding lead of seven points heading into tomorrow’s final day of the Grand Prix.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

THE ELEMENTS INTERFERE IN DAY 1 OF THE D35

5 May, 2017

Those who sail on Lake Geneva have learned from experience that the wind can be a capricious beast and today it refused to play ball for the first day of the 2017 D35 Trophy, the Grand Prix d’Ouverture sailed in front of Alinghi’s club, the Société Nautique de Genève. The conditions hadn’t looked too promising at the start of the afternoon, but it was still possible for one race to be sailed, albeit in light winds of about four knots. With a course westwards to the SNG laid out, Mobimo took the decision to start on port, by the pin. It was to pay off for the team, who crossed the fleet and led the race throughout.  Alinghi also started on port but by the race committee and, after the start, headed for the shore before tacking to the right-hand upper gate, trailing the leaders. Realteam were also in the hunt for second place, but at the next crossing Alinghi made a good gain, securing second place at the lower gate. That, unfortunately, was that, with the wind dropping to almost nothing. A glorious afternoon to be by the lake, but not necessarily trying to race on it and so the Race Committee took the decision to suspend racing, hoping for better conditions tomorrow for Day 2. A hope and a wish that all at Alinghi share! Results after 1 race on day 1 Mobimo Alinghi Realteam Django Zen Swisscom Ylliam Okalys   To find out more d35trophy.com Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal & Alinghi 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

Useful information - D35 Trophy

3 May, 2017

D35 SEASON - A RECAP What: 2017 D35 Trophy, which is sailed exclusively on Switzerland's Lake Geneva. The championship comprises eight events, including six Grand Prix and two Lake classics (the Genève-Rolle-Genève and the Bol d'Or Mirabaud) Who: Eight teams, with five to seven crew members (total weight limit of 470kg, except for the Genève-Rolle-Genève and the Bol d'Or) Where: Lac Léman When: From May to September (click hereto view the calendar) How: Teams compete in races around buoys, lasting about half an hour each, using 35ft catamarans, the Décision 35, commonly known as the D35. Follow the action You can keep-up with the racing, with up to six races per day: On Twitter @alinghiteam > Updates after each race On Facebook@teamalinghi and Instagram@alinghi > Interviews, videos and photos throughout the regatta On our website > Daily news and photos D35 Team* Helmsman and Skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Mainsail trimmer: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) or Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) Tactician: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Frontsail trimmer: Nils Frei (SUI) Grinder: Coraline Jonet (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Technical Team and Trainer João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Claudy Dewarrat (SUI) For more info d35trophy.com Event hashtags #GoAlinghiGo // #D35Trophy Credit for photo © Loris Von Siebenthal *Temporary changes to the crew - For the first two GPs of the D35 season, Nils Frei (foot injury) was replaced by Arnaud Psarofaghis as frontsail trimmer, with Pierre-Yves Jorand stepping in as mainsail trimmer - For the Genève-Rolle-Genève (raced exceptionally, like the Bol d'Or but unlike the rest of the D35 championship, without constraints on total crew weight), Arnaud Psarofaghis was the team’s floater and Pierre-Yves Jorand the mainsail trimmer - For the Bol d’Or (also raced without any constraints on total crew weight), Arnaud Psarofaghis came in for Ernesto Bertarelli as helm, while João Cabeçadas reinforced the crew as its seventh member as it was this year very windy

After the flying GC32s, now the powerful D35s

2 May, 2017

As it is well known, once spring has sprung the regattas come thick and fast! Just as soon as Alinghi's GC32 had been dismantled, stored in its container, and sent on its way for the next Act of the Extreme Sailing Series, it was the turn of the D35 to enter the stage for the start of its annual championship. As usual, Lake Geneva will be the scene for the D35 Trophy, for which Alinghi is competing for the 14th season, in search of a 6th victory. The Alinghi crew remains as it was in 2016, apart from one change: Arnaud Psarofaghis coming in for Nils Frei as frontsail trimmer, as the latter recovers from his fractured foot. Pierre-Yves Jorand will be taking-up the position of mainsail trimmer, alongside helmsman Ernesto Bertarelli. Alinghi's club, the Société Nautique de Genève, is organising this opening Grand Prix, with six races scheduled for each day from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th May.   A RECAP: What: Opening Grand Prix of the 2017 D35 Trophy, which is sailed exclusively on Switzerland's Lake Geneva. The championship comprises eight events, including six Grand Prix and two Lake classics (the Genève-Rolle-Genève and the Bol d'Or Mirabaud). Who: Eight teams, with five to seven crew members (total weight limit of 470kg, except for the Bol d'Or). Where: The 'Petit lac' zone, in front of the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) and up to Versoix if lack of wind does not allow races to be launched in front of the SNG. When: From Friday 5th May (start-time 2pm, local) to Sunday 7th May. How: Teams compete in races around buoys, lasting about half an hour each, using 35ft catamarans, the Décision 35, commonly known as the D35. Follow the action You can keep-up with the racing from the 5th to 7th of May, with up to six races per day: On Twitter @alinghiteam > Updates after each race On Facebook @teamalinghi and Instagram @alinghi > Interviews, videos and photos throughout the regatta On our website > Daily news and photos D35 Team Helmsman and Skipper: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Mainsail trimmer: Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI) Tactician: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) Frontsail trimmer: Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI), replacing the injured Nils Frei (SUI) Grinder: Coraline Jonet (FRA) Bowman: Yves Detrey (SUI) Technical Team and Trainer João Cabeçadas (POR) David Nikles (SUI) Claudy Dewarrat (SUI) For more info d35trophy.com Event hashtags #GoAlinghiGo // #D35Trophy Credit for photos © Loris Von Siebenthal & Alinghi

ALINGHI 2017: The D35 Trophy, Extreme Sailing Series and the first ever GC32 Class Championship

23 January, 2017

In its 23rd season of competitive sailing, Alinghi will line-up on two circuits, as well as take part in a new championship for the GC32 class. Competing against some of the world's most prestigious racing stables, Alinghi will be going for a sixth victory in the D35 Trophy, as well as aiming to repeat last year's performance and win in the Extreme Sailing Series. Ernesto Bertarelli is founder, owner and skipper of the Alinghi sailing team. He outlines Alinghi's thinking behind the upcoming 2017 season: "The Alinghi spirit was forged by our exploits and victories on Lake Geneva, long before the America's Cup. That is why our participation in the D35 Trophy was never in doubt. It's where we come from, it's in our DNA and, whatever my schedule, I make it a priority to lead Alinghi on the D35 circuit. "Our successes on the Lake are extremely important to us and, believe you me, winning the big prizes, like the D35 or the Bol d'Or, is just as tough and just as satisfying as getting on the most acclaimed international podiums. "With regards the Extreme Sailing Series, Alinghi will be defending its title in 2017. Being the defending champions, we know that we have our work cut out, because we have become the ones to beat, but also because – and this is what makes the Extreme Sailing Series so good – the standard of all of our competitors is so high. We saw some amazing performances in 2016, notably from SAP Extreme Sailing Team, Red Bull Sailing Team and Oman Air. It was always close and hard-fought racing and, given that all of the teams will continue to improve, we need to make sure that we are ready to compete. "We therefore are also looking forward to participating in the first ever GC32 Class Championship, which will take place between the 28th of February and the 5th of March in Muscat (Oman) and in which teams from both the GC32 racing tour and the Extreme Sailing Series will participate. Exciting times ahead!" Alinghi: Team spirit is at the heart of our approach Ernesto Bertarelli: "It's no great secret that the key to a successful sailing team is teamwork. We have a long history of success, which breeds know-how and a determination to win. I've sailed with some of my teammates for more than 20 years now and also we have been able to integrate some of the best young sailors of the new generation. Take Arnaud Psarofaghis, for example, one of the premier talents in sailing. He was only 14 when Alinghi won its first America's Cup in 2003. Today, we are co-helming the GC32 and sailing together on the D35 Trophy on Lake Geneva. "Alinghi just has this superb team ethic, something I've always put at the forefront of what we try to do. It is not just about the guys on the boat, but also a fantastic technical team and a coach who is second to none. It is precisely the richness and variety of experience of each member of the team that makes Alinghi stand out. Each member can share and express their own experiences and ideas with the rest of the team, and spending as much time together as we do helps us to learn from one another and allows every member to up their game. This is also where the hard work of the past years comes into play; all the hours and hours of training together on the Lake came to fruition. "Finally, I believe that one of our strengths is that we are able to question ourselves and to learn from failures, enabling us to come back stronger. I could not be more proud of our team." Keep improving to stay at the top Arnaud Psarofaghis, GC32 co-skipper & co-helm, D35 mainsail trimmer: "We fully match Ernesto's way of thinking. We believe above all in teamwork. For me, it is a great thrill to race with a team I dreamt about sailing with as a youngster growing up on the shores of Lake Geneva. It was a great moment in Sydney - winning the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series - and we worked for it, but the next hardest thing is to do it again because everyone will improve and many more people with experience will come into the fleet, so it's going to be even harder this year. "I believe that there are lots of areas where our team can still improve. In sailing, you can always gain everywhere. One particular focus for 2017 will be trying to play the percentage game a little more when a race is going against the team. That means, for example, instead of trying to go for a big play that could produce a podium finish, but also risks finishing in the cheap seats, we will, with our tactician Nicolas Charbonnier, try to go for a safer option that gives us a few points but avoids the risk of disaster. "That's easy to say before you are racing, but when you are out on the water, it is really hard to make decisions that could be the difference between beating one boat or losing out against five others. You need to take risks, but in some positions we need to be careful not to throw everything away." Composition of the team The crew will remain the same in what will be: - Their 14th year competing in the D35 Trophy (with 13 podiums, including five victories) - And their 7th year in the Extreme Sailing Series (with four podiums and three victories) Ernesto Bertarelli and Arnaud Psarofaghis will share the responsibilities as co-skipper and co-helm on the GC32, while on the D35 Ernesto will helm and Arnaud trim the mainsail. Nicolas Charbonnier, Olympic bronze medallist in the 470 class, will operate as tactician both on the D35 & the GC32. Nils Frei, who first competed onboard Alinghi in 2001, will continue his role as headsail trimmer both on the D35 & the GC32. Yves Detrey, who was part of Alinghi's 2003, 2007 and 2010 America's Cup campaigns, remains on bow both on the D35 & the GC32. Timothé Lapauw, the youngest on the team at just 20 years of age and who made his debut last season, will return as floater on the GC32. Coraline Jonet, who was in the hospitality team during the 32nd and 33rd America's Cup joined the D35 sailing team in 2008, will be floater on the D35. Supporting the onboard team will be longstanding Alinghi crewmember, Pierre-Yves Jorand, who will continue to deliver guidance as coach and team leader, alongside the expert shore crew, David Nikles, João Cabeçadas and Claudy Dewarrat. 2017 Sporting calendar D35 Trophy Grand prix d'ouverture – Société nautique de Genève: 5th – 7th May Grand prix Realstone – Club nautique de Versoix: 20th & 21 May Open de Versoix – Club nautique de Versoix: 9th & 11th of June Genève-Rolle-Genève – Yacht Club de Genève < > Rolle: 10th of June Bol d'Or Mirabaud – Société nautique de Genève < > Le Bouveret: 17th and 18th of June Open du Yacht Club – Yacht Club de Genève: 2nd and 3rd of September Grand prix Alinghi de Crans – Club nautique de Crans: 9th and 10th of September Grand prix de clôture – Société nautique de Genève: 22nd and 23rd of September Extreme Sailing Series Act 1 – Muscat, Oman: 8th – 11th of March Act 2 – Qingdao, China: 28th April – 1st May Act 3 – Madeira Islands, Portugal: 29th June – 2nd of July Act 4 – Europe (TBA): 20th – 23rd of July Act 5 – Hamburg, Germany: 10th – 13th of August Act 6 – Cardiff, UK: 25th – 28th August Act 7 – San Diego, USA: 19th – 22nd October Act 8 – Los Cabos, Mexico: 30th November – 3rd December GC32 Class Championship Muscat, Oman: 28th of February – 5th of March Check Alinghi's sporting calendar at: www.alinghi.com/calendar Alinghi's record of success 1997: 1st victory in the Bol d'Or 2000: 2nd victory in the Bol d'Or 2001: 3rd victory in the Bol d'Or (the Challenge Bol d'Or awarded for having won the race three times) 2001: World Champion of the Farr 40 2001: Winner of the America's Cup Jubilee 2002: 4th victory in the Bol d'Or 2003: Winner of the Louis Vuitton Challenger's Series for the America's Cup 2003: Winner of the 31st America's Cup 2003: 5th victory in the Bol d'Or 2004-2007: Winner of the Louis Vuitton Acts 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13 2007: Winner of the 32nd America's Cup 2007: 1st victory in the D35 Championship 2008: 2nd victory in the D35 Championship 2008: Victory in the Trophée Clairefontaine 2008: 1st Extreme Sailing Series Championship win 2009: 3rd victory in the D35 Championship 2011: 6th victory in the Bol d'Or 2013: 4th victory in the D35 Championship 2014: 2nd victory in the Extreme Sailing Series 2014: 5th victory in the D35 Championship Since April: Top-speed record on a GC32, with 39.2 knots 2016: 3rd victory in the Extreme Sailing Series   For more information, please visit: www.d35trophy.com www.extremesailingseries.com   Photos credit: Loris Von Siebenthal & Lloyd Images