Evolution and continuity in the 2019 season

27 April, 2019

25 years after its first multi-hull took to the lake, Alinghi is launching its 2019 sporting season on Lake Geneva. Meet us at the Société Nautique de Genève from May 3rd to May 5th for the first of the seven events of the final D35 Trophy, in which seven teams will take part.

Pierre-Yves Jorand, Team director : "The D35 fleet has reduced in size for this last championship, but to see the diligence of the boats in pre-season training, I think that the battle on the water will be intense and that each race will be hard-fought. Nothing more is needed to motivate the team less than a week from our first race!"

It is the final D35 Trophy because, after 16 years of good and loyal service, the Décision 35 will, at the end of the season, pass the torch to the brand new TF35. This 35-foot catamaran equipped with "T" foils (hence its name) will become, from 2020, the backbone of the one-design championship that has run from 2004 to 2019 with the D35.

Before this transition, the teams will, together, be focused upon testing, developing and debugging the very first TF35, which is currently under construction and which should pull its first edges on Lake Geneva this summer. This is how Alinghi will use its free time between each event in 2019, participating actively in the development of this new racing machine.

Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman and skipper: "We are nine shareholders associated in the creation of the TF35 and each brings their own skills to the development of the boat and to the launch of the class. Our team has been contributing to this project since the start. The emphasis this time is on the development of the flight assistance system that will make the boat more accessible to teams with fewer hours of navigation in three dimensions."

Thus, the season comprises the D35, the development of the TF35, but also the GC32 programme, with five events on the GC32 Racing Tour, including the World Championship series at the end of June in Lagos (Portugal).

Arnaud Psarofaghis, co-helm and co-skipper: "This year, we are joining the circuit on which we made our foiling debut in 2015. We are familiar with the boat, but we will have to adapt quickly to new race areas, longer race formats that in the Extreme Sailing Series, as well as to our competitors. The first time we will line-up against them will be at the end of May in Villasimius (Sardinia)."

The boats have been prepared with care, the circuits are defined, the objectives of victory are laid. The team is the only missing piece of the jigsaw...
After a number of successful appearances in recent years, Bryan Mettraux officially joins the core, permanent team, an appointment that meets the requirements of a packed annual calendar, the specifications of foil racing and, as ever, the team's commitment to young Swiss sailing talents.

With two titles to defend this year in D35 and GC32 and the ambition to go get a World Title in the GC32... Lights! Camera! Action! The team is ready to 'roll' around the buoys.

ABOUT

The Team

Sailors
Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) - Helmsman and skipper - D35 & GC32
Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) - Co-helm and co-skipper (GC32) and mainsail trimmer (D35)
Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) - Tactician - D35 & GC32
Bryan Mettraux (SUI) - Headsail trimmer - D35 & GC32
Timothé Lapauw (FRA) - Floater and foil trimmer - GC32
Coraline Jonet (FRA) - Floater - D35
Yves Detrey (SUI) - Bowman - D35 & GC32
Nils Frei (SUI) - Coach and spare crew - D35 & GC32

Technical team
João Cabeçadas (POR)
David Nikles (SUI)
Claudy Dewarrat (SUI)

Team director
Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI)

Club
Société nautique de Genève

2019 sporting calendar
Find the dates for each event by clicking here.

To find out more
d35trophy.com / gc32racingtour.com / gc32worlds.com
16th D35 Trophy useful infos
GC32 Racing Tour useful infos

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