After a GC32 World Champion title at the end of June in Lagos and an 8th D35 Trophy in 16 seasons at the end of September on Lake Geneva, Alinghi finished its sporting season in style by securing the 2019 GC32 Racing Tour in the Gulf of Oman with a win in the final event. From the 6th to the 9th of November, the city of Muscat, located on the Arabian Peninsula, hosted the fifth and final round of the GC32 Racing Tour 2019. The six teams in contention raced in varied conditions, with light air at first changing to stronger breezes and waves, helping to diversify the competition. At the start of this final stage of the Tour, the two rivals, Oman Air and Alinghi, had one and the same goal: to finish in front of the other, whatever their place in the fleet because no other competitor could join them at the top of the ranking. At the end of the 17 races that were completed over four days (including nine won by the team), Alinghi won the event and added a first "GC32 Racing Tour" title to its record, in the wake of the Championship Extreme Sailing Series won in 2018 , also on the GC32. Zoulou and Red Bull Sailing Team completed the podium of this fifth and final round of the season. Overall, Oman Air finished second, followed by Red Bull. Zoulou finished fourth and first in the owner-driver classification. Ernesto Bertarelli, skipper of the D35 and GC32: "I warmly congratulate the team for the work they have done throughout this season, especially at key moments, of which there have been many in recent days. I also congratulate Zoulou, Erik Maris's team, who recorded a nice second place in Oman. "The GC32 Racing Tour is the world's most demanding one-design multihull racing circuit, resulting in intense racing. Every micro-detail counts towards achieving victory and that's what our team is doing every day. "We have won the GC32 Racing Tour 2019, we are the reigning world champions of the discipline and we won our 8th D35 Trophy in 16 seasons on the lake. We've achieved the treble this year and to fulfil our goals...it's fantastic." Arnaud Psarofaghis, co-skipper of the GC32: "To see the final score, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this victory was easy, but everything was still up for grabs this morning. Even being 10 points ahead, you never know what could happen in a regatta, the proof this morning being the contact between Oman Air and Zoulou, with the latter returning to port to be out of the water quickly before their boat took on water. We had to stay attentive and race every moment as if the scoring was tight. "For me, it's the team that makes us win throughout the year. Everybody on the team is important, like David who managed to fix our boat two days ago during the night." Nils Frei, coach: "We have a great team spirit in our group and we have been able to stay focused on key moments. The team is strong technically and mentally, it's essential to go for wins and keep winning." Pierre-Yves Jorand, Team Director: "When the conditions are difficult and the pressure rises, the guys deliver their best game. During the World's at the end of June, or here in Oman, they had no room for error and they sailed superbly. Congratulations to the sailors, the technical team and thank you to all those who support us every day; friends, families, partners, the team that remains at the office and of course a big thank you to Ernesto who makes all this possible. I am already looking forward to the challenges ahead in 2020!" While hoping to go on and achieve even more on the GC32 Racing Tour 2020, to perfect our technique in foiling, the team will be busy these next months preparing for the arrival of its brand new foiler, the TF35, before the launch of the class in the spring of 2020 on Lake Geneva. Click here for all the 2019 rankings. To find out more gc32racingtour.com #gc32racingtour #GoAlinghiGo To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Sailing Energy/GC32 Racing Tour  &  ©Lloyd Images

The 16th and final season for the Decision 35 had seven events in 2019, but six were enough for Alinghi to register its name on the trophy for the eighth time. In which case, why race in this weekend's closing Grand Prix organised by the Société Nautique de Genève? Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman: "For this very last test of the D35 as a class – this end of an era – Alinghi's D35 could never stay at the dock with our sailors watching the other teams race! We sailed for the pleasure, tried to win, and trying also not to interfere too much on the ranking of other boats. We met competition stronger than us this weekend with Realteam winning (19 points) and Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier who finished just in front of us, following the tiebreaker system in the event of a tie (23 points each)." Pierre-Yves Jorand, team director and helmsman for the Grand Prix's last day: "Ernesto offered me the D35 helm for this last day of racing. Thanks to him and to the crew who gave me good advice. We cross the finish line of the very last race in the history of the D35 in first position... pure happiness after a port start at the committee boat." A little history... In 2019, 37 races were launched in the D35 Trophy, including two Geneva classics, with the Genève-Rolle-Genève and the Bol d'Or. Since 2004 and the start of the D35 championship, there have been just over 700 validated races, up to 12 one-design multihulls on the same starting line, a series of experienced sailors coming to test their skills, Bol d'Ors regularly won by the D35 in front of all other classes etc., and three teams there from the start to finish: Okalys, Zen and Alinghi. The Decision 35 was born thanks to the will of a group of owners wishing to sail on equal terms on one-design boats, affordable and designed to perform on Lake Geneva. Following the 2003 Bol d'Or and its devastating conditions, the order book for the first eight boats was signed on a piece of tablecloth. Architect Sébastien Schmidt conceived the D35 in close collaboration with experienced sailors and its construction took place during the winter of 2003/2004. After 16 seasons, we can say that the bet has most definitely paid off and wish equal success to the new TF35 class that will take off in 2020. Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman: "It obviously causes a bit of a pang to think that the D35 championship is coming to an end because it's the last time we've sailed as a fleet on these beautiful boats. This last Grand Prix had a special flavour and I am obviously happy to have won the 2019 championship. What better way than to finish the saga of the D35 with our eighth win in sixteen terrific seasons? That said, the arrival of the TF35 next year promises even more thrills and will keep Lake Geneva racing at the forefront of what is being done in the world of sailing and foiling." Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician: "I think we're very lucky to have a team that changes very little. We really work together and how we communicate is a huge advantage at our level. We are also sailing and working together outside of the D35, with the GC32. This allows us to see a lot of situations, to sail a lot and, for me, it's the key to us continuing to progress all the time, to question ourselves, to make regattas and to learn from our mistakes." Are we able to decipher the conditions of Lake Geneva? "We still don't get it always right! But in the end, it's a race. We know we're not going to do everything right, we just have to make fewer mistakes than others. Especially when you sail on the lake because the winds are a little more erratic than on the sea. We must try to limit the damage when we make the wrong choice, always push ahead and question yourself." Bryan Mettraux, sail trimmer (who joined Alinghi this season): "This is my 3rd D35 championship win, after 2012 with Realteam and 2015 with Tilt. Both times right in front of Alinghi and both times with Arnaud on board ;-) "The operations are quite similar from one team to another. With the level of knowledge we have of the boat, and that our competitors also have, it's the details that make the difference. When a team wins, it's because they've been better at handling small details in all phases of the race." Next appointments for the team: > Sailing on the TF35 boat zero in October to continue the development work of this new foiler > The last event of the GC32 Racing Tour from 6 to 9 November in Oman where the championship title is at stake! Closing Grand Prix, ranking after 9 races (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Realteam Sailing: 19 points 2nd- Ylliam Comptoir Immobilier: 23 points 3rd - Alinghi: 23 points 2019 D35 Trophy final ranking after 7 events (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Alinghi: 9 points 2nd - Ylliam Comptoir Immobilier: 14 points 3rd – Realteam Sailing: 22 points Click here for all the results To find out more d35trophy.com #GoAlinghiGo #D35Trophy To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Loris Von Siebenthal

From the very first race in this fourth event of the GC32 Racing Tour in Riva del Garda (Italy), Alinghi showcased its intent by taking-up position at the head of the fleet. There then ensued a tense and close battle over the course of the four days of racing. Oman Air managed to square things up in the 17th race and by the end of the 18th they led the Swiss by two points. With only one race left to run, Alinghi needed to finish in front of its rival by two places. The team sailed nicely, winning the leg. In its wake, Red Bull Sailing Team crossed the line just in front of Oman Air. Mission accomplished! (And the video is on Alinghi’s Facebook page J) Arnaud Psarofaghis, helmsman: "In the five races today it was very tight with Oman, but we did not sail well at first. We made tactical and strategic mistakes, trying to attack at the wrong moment. They were stronger than us in four races, but we only needed to win one. “From Thursday we’ve had great conditions, typical to Lake Garda, but also races where it was less so. This opened-up the sailing tactically and created opportunities to lose position or to get back into contact with the leaders. “We did not always made it in front at the first marks. On the other hand we managed to overtake the fleet and control our opponents, without which we would not have won the event. “Oman Air gave us a hard time. It’s a good thing that they did so and our two teams have been progressing together. The rest of the fleet is also sailing really well, but maybe is a small step behind in terms of consistency. “For the season’s class victory, we already know that it’ll be between Oman Air and us, because neither Red Bull nor Zoulou can catch us. It will be whichever of the two teams finishes ahead of the other, regardless of the result within the fleet. Will we prepare differently given these special circumstances? "We will need to be steady and to sail well so as to be ahead of the fleet and therefore minimise errors or trouble. We sail in a fleet and we of course have to deal with traffic. And to try and put pressure on a rival to make a mistake themselves, one has to sail really well. It’ll be an interesting match-up.” João Cabeçadas, shore team and rigger: "In my role, in collaboration with David, we must do everything possible to provide a reliable boat, able to win legs, and we must anticipate possible losses. Since June, we have done well across our two circuits in back-to-back events without incurring damage [João touches wood at the same time as he speaks...]. But the season is not over and by the time of next event in Oman, I'll have been over the boat with a fine-toothed comb to ensure we deliver the best tool. “After that, it’s up to the sailors to race. When it's tight like today, the time on board the following boat can seem long because once the start is underway there’s nothing we can do for the GC32. But, from the outside, we observe and we also study our competitors, because if we want to continue to win, we must seek areas for improvement and sometimes draw inspiration from our opponents. I think they managed to make progress in areas where they were maybe behind than us before. It's up to us to work on our weak points as well."   Only one point separates Alinghi and Oman Air in the season’s overall standings and the last event promises to separate the two. Oman, from the November the 6th to the 9th, will decide who finishes in front of the other. In the meantime, the team will be back, this Friday September 20th, at the Société Nautique de Genève for the last event of the 2019 D35 Trophy. Click here for the 3rd event general ranking after 19 races. To find out more gc32racingtour.com #gc32racingtour #GoAlinghiGo To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Sailing Energy/GC32 Racing Tour

The traditions were good: a warm welcome and a flawless organisation by the Club nautique de Crans for the traditional Alinghi Grand Prix, the raclette (eight machines melting the cheese!) shared by all competitors, a teasing wind and rain to announce the arrival of autumn... And the novelties were appreciated: the 'young' series of catamarans, Nacra 15, responded to the invitation to race and the Société nautique de Nyon also strengthened the ranks. At the end of the five validated races, Alinghi confirms its good form in the "Grand Prix" form of the races and took the win ahead of Eleven Sailing Team and Realteam Sailing. Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman "Very nice weekend despite the few races. We waited a lot on the water, but the races we did sail were very beautiful, especially last night in the Joran, which was fabulous with a nice breeze. And then we sailed well. "A special mention about our start on our last race with a starboard position windward, launched to cover the entire fleet. The level of the sailors is strong on Lake Geneva, the fleet is compact and so it's nice when you get to start like this." Bryan Mettraux, trimmer "The key thing is consistency. Try to do the simple things and do them well. That's what pays on the D35. "Nico was also strong this weekend. Good starts, clean manoeuvres and good speed, all matched with a good tactics is a winning ticket. "Our main opponent in the championship (Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier) could not allow for a single mistake and I think that they focused more on us than on themselves. It's complicated to sail this way. They are super good, they know very well how to race, but here they have missed." Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician "We spent a lot of time on the water waiting for the wind, while trying to stay alert about what was happening or what could happen, so that we would be right in the game when the regattas were launched. We did five rounds, albeit four for us because we had enough of a lead to win before the end (the worst score being removed from four races validated). We really sailed well by being very regular at the starts, which, having executed well, we could easily go to the side of the race course that we wanted. A dream weekend. Even the traditional raclette on Saturday night was fabulous!" In the provisional season rankings, Alinghi increased its lead with six points on the clock. Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier has 12 and Eleven Sailing Team 17. While waiting for the closing Grand Prix of the 2019 D35 Championship (September 20th and 21st at the SNG), the team will head towards Riva del Garda this Monday morning for the fourth stage of the GC32 Racing Tour (regattas from September 12th to 15th). Grand Prix Alinghi de Crans, ranking after five races (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Alinghi: 6 points 2nd - Eleven Sailing Team: 10 points 3rd - Realteam Sailing: 12 points Click here for all the results. To find out more d35trophy.com #GoAlinghiGo #D35Trophy To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Loris Von Siebenthal

After the summer break, the D35 Trophy returns for three end-of-season events throughout September. The Club Nautique de Versoix has just completed its organisation of a 16th Grand Prix...in 16 years of the D35 Championship! After six races, Alinghi took the win (8pts) ahead of Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier (14pts) and Realteam (15pts). Following were Okalys Youth Project, Cabestan and Eleven Sailing Team, tied for points (twenty-two). Zen Too closed the racing a point behind. As highlighted by Bryan Mettraux in his interviews on social media afterwards, this win marks a faultless record for the team in the Grand Prix format so far, with Alinghi winning three from three in 2019. Nils Frei, mainsail trimmer said: "When you look at the points at the end, it seems that it was comfortable, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The margins of victory were decided at the first crossing of the boats, or at the windward gate. It was tight! "We are happy to have sailed well. It was a nice regatta. We did well to get six races under our belt despite a bad weather forecast. "Since the beginning of this season, my two roles (coach and sailor) have been different, but complementary. For sure, I enjoy the sailing, especially on these boats that we know very well. They are really made for the conditions of the lake." At this stage of the season, Alinghi leads the trophy, three points ahead of Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier and eight of Zen Too. The team continues its racing next weekend with the 6th stage of the D35 circuit on the Crans-Près-Céligny side for the Alinghi Grand Prix, which will also see the youth series of the Nacra 15 catamarans taking place. Grand Prix de Versoix, ranking after six races (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Alinghi: 8 points 2nd - Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier: 14 points 3rd - Realteam Sailing: 15 points Click here for all the results. To find out more d35trophy.com #GoAlinghiGo #D35Trophy To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Loris Von Siebenthal

A performance from the whole team from the first to the last delivers GC32 World title. After four intense days in the waters of Lagos (Portugal) to decide between ten world-class teams from seven countries, Alinghi is crowned GC32 World Champion by recording 12 podium-place finishes (including eight wins) in eighteen races. For the second year in a row, Switzerland wins. "Who would have thought that one would have to be Swiss in order to be GC32 World Champion”, joked the team’s helmsman, Arnaud Psarofaghis, at the prize-giving ceremony. Team Tilt, the former World Champion, finished in second place, ahead of INEOS Rebels UK, the team of Ben Ainslie, four-time Olympic gold medalist. Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi’s skipper who had to remain in Switzerland during the competition, said: "I'm proud of my team. Arnaud, Nico, Bryan, Tim and Yves sailed brilliantly. This title is the result of a lot of work upstream, both on the water and on land. I would also like to congratulate the technical team, David and João, and the coaches, Nils and Pierre-Yves, whose work contributes so much to great results such as this one." Arnaud Psarofaghis, helmsman and co-skipper: "I'm very happy. The guys on board and the technical team have done a great job. We even managed to secure the win with two races to go and that’s a great result given the calibre of the fleet. And with Tilt in second place, it shows that sailing in Switzerland is doing well." Yves Detrey, bowman: "It's a long-term job that pays off. We are not World Champion because of these four days. It’s happened because of months and years of hard work." Nils Frei, coach: "You couldn’t really say that the team is missing titles from its list of achievements. A two-time winner of the America's Cup, seven victories in the Bol d'Or and the D35 Trophy, and four-time Extreme Sailing Series winner; the team is constantly evolving, renewing itself and seeking to improve. “But a World Champion title is really nice. The opportunity to win a world class championship does not come around every day. Indeed, you’d need to go back to 2001 to see the team’s last world crown, which was in the Farr 40." It is therefore with joy that the team records this new victory, which is the fruit of many years of work on the GC32: working to learn its behaviours, to tame it, to repair it and to optimise it. The work done at team-level has also been huge and fundamental: the team’s composition, training, adaptability, not least in the face of injury-enforced absences, its member’s knowledge of one another and their ability to come together as one. Pierre-Yves Jorand, Team Director: "The knowledge of the boat and teamwork allowed us to compete in a variety of conditions this week in Lagos. We started the racing with several reaching starts in strong winds, then, in the middle of the championship, we sailed in light conditions with upwind starts style. Each time the guys were able to find the keys to make good starts, go to the right side of the course and especially to run the GC32 fast, very fasty, while manoeuvring wonderfully. Congratulations to all, as well as to the organising committee who delivered a very good event both on the water and on shore." One special mention for Bryan Mettraux, the sailor who retains his title of World Champion given that he was aboard Team Tilt last year, during the first world championship of the series in Riva del Garda. Congratulations also to the American team Argo, led by Jason Carroll, who wins the world title of owner-driver. The whole team would like to thank its supporters and partners for their daily support. After the dismantling of the boat, the team will enjoy a few days of rest before regrouping in Palma de Mallorca at the end of July for the 3rd stage of the GC32 Racing Tour. Click here for the general ranking after 18 races. To find out more gc32racingtour.com #gc32worlds #gc32racingtour #GoAlinghiGo To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Sailing Energy/GC32 Racing Tour

As previously announced, Alinghi took to the start line in Villasimius (South Sardegna) in a new GC32 circuit this year. Exit the Extreme Sailing Series, welcome to the GC32 Racing Tour. Looking from a distance, it'd be easy to be mistaken that not that much has changed, from the boats to the sailor faces at the dock, and it is still a matter of racing around marks. But, dig a little further, and the differences between this year and last become clear...the races are longer (lasting more), there are more boats involved and the composition of the teams has changed too. A rule change, too – the last race does not count for double points any more. Also do not discount the fact that it's also never rained so much before in two days in the previous Championship, not even in Cardiff! In short, all these little details added a degree of change, which, taken together, had to be factored in planning debriefing and onboard sessions in order to win. Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician: "With longer courses, we had more time to play with the wind shifts and pressures. There were fewer manoeuvres and you have to take care of the speed of the boat. We all think we could have done a little better, avoiding some of our mistakes. That said, our rivals will be saying the same and we all know that we have to limit these things in order to win." Arnaud Psarofaghis, Co-Helmsman: "The ranking feels logical given that we were competing chiefly with Oman and Ineos all week. We know how to win stages and have the means to do so by continuing to make good starts and going fast." Pierre-Yves Jorand, Team Director: "To compensate for the absence of Tim, who was injured, the team had to adapt. We are of course aware of the importance of the specificities of each position, as well as the fact that we wouldn't have enough training time in our new set-up. We also had to deal with some small technical problems, the impact of which will take some time for us to analyse properly so that we don't repeat the mistakes. Some of those are probably related to the longer racing format on the GC32 Racing Tour... "Oman sailed very well. Congratulations to them. They were consistent and found solutions to come back and pass boats when they were at the rear. A bit like us, but a little step above." Today the GC32 will take its place in its container to travel to Lagos, Portugal, for the World Championship of the series, held from the 27th to the 30th of June, with the event also counting as the second leg of the annual circuit. In the meantime, the team will be back on Saturday, June the 8th, on Lake Léman for the Genève-Rolle-Genève aboard the D35. Click here for the GC32 Villasimius Cup general ranking after 16 races. To find out more gc32racingtour.com #gc32racingtour #GoAlinghiGo To find out more about how to follow the racing, the team composition and the circuit in general, find the event recap by clicking here. Photo credits ©Sailing Energy/GC32 Racing Tour