OMEGA and ALINGHI have joined forces in a brand new sailing partnership, just days before the launch of the GC32 season in Villasimius. For more than 25 years, the prestigious Swiss watchmaker has shown a proud commitment to the world of sailing and it will continue that passion by accompanying the ALINGHI team on its competitive circuits. Ernesto Bertarelli, founder and skipper of ALINGHI said, "ALINGHI and OMEGA share the same dedication to innovation, technology and speed. We are proud to represent Switzerland together and I am delighted to combine the excellence and know-how of the renowned watchmaker with the skill and success of ALINGHI on the water. In this 50th anniversary year of Apollo 11 and the OMEGA Speedmaster's legendary role aboard that mission, I can recall when we won the America's Cup under the Swiss colours. In the sailing world, that was comparable to the first steps on the moon. Since then, our team has always striven for perfection. With a new partner sharing this same vision, I look forward to writing an exciting new chapter in our story with OMEGA by our side." Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA said, "We are truly honoured to begin this partnership with ALINGHI. Beyond sharing the same nationality, our two brands are inhabited by the same pioneering spirit and a passion for invention. ALINGHI has shown great vision throughout its history and OMEGA is looking forward to supporting the team in future competitions." About OMEGA The Swiss watchmaker OMEGA is known across the world for its unrivalled sporting heritage. Most notably, the brand has been positioned as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games on 28 occasions since 1932. In sailing, OMEGA is a major partner for numerous teams and competitions at all levels, including its enduring support of Emirates Team New Zealand since 1995. In 2000 and 2003, the brand was the Official Timekeeper of the America's Cup and, most recently, their expertise was used as Official Timekeeper of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017/2018. Today, many of the best sailors are closely linked to OMEGA and, throughout its history, the brand has produced many sailing watches, complete with functional ocean design and iconic style. About ALINGHI Founded and directed by Ernesto Bertarelli, ALINGHI made its debut as a sports team in 1994. In 2000, the team set a goal of winning the America's Cup, a goal achieved twice in 2003 and 2007. ALINGHI is therefore the first European team to win the prestigious trophy and has achieved many other successes, including seven victories at the Bol d'Or, seven D35 Trophies and four Extreme Sailing Series championships. ALINGHI is associated with the D35 Trophy and the GC32 Racing Tour in 2019, and is contributing to the development of the new TF35 one-design foiling catamaran. For more information omegawatches.com #OMEGAOfficialTimekeeper #GoAlinghiGo Photo credits ©Jesùs Renedo/Sailing Energy & OMEGA

Challenged by Eleven Sailing Team and Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier in the first three races, Alinghi finished second three times in the runs that were started on Friday. Saturday's day began with a disappointment in a race in which the team crossed the finishing line in 6th position after a few wind shifts. The crew pulled together, however, and took the lead in the 5th and 6th races. Then, though, the wind vanished, ending the second day, and would not reappear on Sunday until right up close to the deadline for starting racing. This brought down the curtain on the Realstone Grand Prix, second stage of the D35 Trophy organized by Société Nautique de Nyon, with Alinghi winning ahead of Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier and Eleven Sailing Team. The next stage of the championship will be fought in a different style of racing. The seven D35s will join other classes of boats for the first of two Geneva classics, the Genève-Rolle-Genève, which will take place on the 8th of June. By then, the team will already have completed the next event in its calendar: from May 23rd to the 26th in Villasimius, South Sardinia, takes place the opening Act of the GC32 Racing Tour. Grand Prix Realstone de Nyon, ranking after six races (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Alinghi: 8 points 2nd - Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier: 11 points 3rd - Eleven Sailing Team: 14 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

Nothing like a win to start the season just right. After nine rounds sailed in a rather strong wind (La Bise so strong that it grounded the crews on Sunday), Alinghi, Zen Too and Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier took the spots on the podium of this opening Grand Prix organised by the Société Nautique de Genève. Yves Detrey, Bowman: "The team has had a good recovery period and our good form in training has been confirmed in these regattas. "In order not to repeat the mistakes of the end of last season, we worked on the fundamentals and found a certain calmness on board. We did things simply, though as a team we still have to find some things to click to operate as one given the arrival of Bryan on board. "But we are on the up and will do everything to make it last!" Two incidents, almost unnoticed, but what happened? "One was due to a composite piece that was starting to get tired. The boats are old now. We've been racing for quite a few years and it was a weekend with strong wind. Suddenly we lost two sets of mainsail and jib settings. It was necessary to find a solution during the race, to finish it, which is what we managed to do. Then to find a more secure fix in the break between two heats. "The next day, a block broke under stress. There was no apparent or obvious wear and so it is difficult to predict. But it's part of the game. Fortunately we managed to tinker again during the round, without losing too much ground." The seven teams in the 16th D35 Trophy will next be lining-up on the Nyon-side of the Lake from 17 to 19 May for the Realstone Grand Prix. Ranking of the opening SNG Grand Prix after nine races (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Alinghi: 14 points 2nd - Zen Too: 24 points 3rd - Ylliam-Comptoir Immobilier: 25 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

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   #GoAlinghiGo #D35Trophy #gc32racingtour #gc32 Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal & Lloyd Images

It's not just one, but three wins for Alinghi in Los Cabos. Amid shifty and light wind conditions, Alinghi won the last Act of the 2018 Extreme Sailing Series and in doing so secured first place in the Championship, the team's fourth such win (2008, 2014, 2016 and 2018). In parallel and at the end of this season's seventh regatta, David Niklès and João Cabeçadas were named the Championship's best shore crew of the year, their meticulous work having given Alinghi's sailors a truly competitive boat for every single race. Over 141 races, 53 of which were won, sailed over 28 days of competition this year, Ernesto Bertarelli, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Nils Frei, Bryan Mettraux, Timothé Lapauw, Yves Detrey, Arthur Cevey and Pierre-Yves Jorand demonstrated mastery and calm to overcome the defending champions, SAP, as well as Oman Air, Red Bull, Ineos Team UK and all the others whose high quality performances have pushed Alinghi all the way. Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman and skipper: "With this win in Los Cabos, the 2018 season ends on a high point, with this fourth title coming only a few weeks after our win in the D35 Trophy. Given these two victories, our great team, and having achieved all our goals for the season, I'm thrilled." Arnaud Psarofaghis, helmsman and co-skipper: "It was a complicated Act in Los Cabos, with not many races sailed and a very shifty wind. The team did a great job of staying calm and treating each run as if it was the last. Winning the Act in addition to winning the Championship really is the icing on the cake. "The team is the best I've ever sailed with and a big thank you to all of them for giving us the victories this year. I also thank Ernesto Bertarelli especially for having made all this possible, as well as the team's partners who have been with us throughout the year." Yves Detrey, bowman: "I am really happy with our season and the way we've sailed. For sure, we had a bit of a hard time with this event. The conditions were really difficult, with the wind going in all directions, meaning anything could happen. But we remained solid until the end and we showed that we can cope with anything. "For decades now, the strength of the Alinghi team has been based upon passion, experience and, above all, knowing how to put the right people in the right place." Pierre-Yves Jorand, team director: "Both on sea and on shore, the team has been fantastic all year long. In their own way and in their own field of expertise, every single person has contributed to this success, including, and as an example, the unwavering support provided by Ernesto and Nils from Switzerland." After a seventh victory in the D35 Trophy and with this win aboard the GC32, the team has met its sporting goals for 2018 and is already looking forward to next year challenges in Switzerland and beyond. Click here for the full results of the last Act after its 12 races. Click here for the general ranking of the 2018 championship. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   To find out more extremesailingseries.com If you want to know more about the race tracking system, the team and the racing in general, you can find a recap here. Credit for photos: Lloyd Images

Taking third place in the final event of the season, Alinghi took the requisite points to secure the team's seventh championship win since the launch of the D35 one-design series in 2004. Ernesto Bertarelli, skipper and helmsman: "We finished the season on the beautiful race area by Nyon. The first day of racing was complicated for us, with very tricky conditions. But the second day was fantastic with six races, in which we sailed well. After two difficult Grand Prix, we're pleased to be back on the podium here and to win the D35 championship. "I would like to congratulate Ylliam, Swisscom and Zen Too for their results, both on this last Grand Prix and in the overall standings." Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician: "Brilliant first half of the season in terms of winning the first four events and finishing fourth in the Bol d'Or. But the transition into September was a bit difficult. With Nils injured, we made some crew changes. We lost a bit of confidence, but we managed to get our heads above water to prove we still knew how to make a boat go fast." Nils Frei, trimmer: "It's a little frustrating for me not to be on board with this injury that came at just the wrong time. But the team knew how to be strong enough to find the resources and, in the end, it went well. "Following the races from outside is interesting because it's an opportunity to continue to learn. Overall the level of the fleet in D35 has become even more competitive." Pierre-Yves Jorand, team director: "On this last Grand Prix, the team was able to integrate Bryan who joined us for the first time in D35. It was also necessary to be on the ball in the Saturday races, where the winds were really shifty. "Today with the strong south west wind, we knew that there would be five or six races launched. We had to be consistent, regular, avoid making mistakes, and try to aim for a podium finish, which we managed. Congratulations to all the team for the work done throughout the season!" From Tuesday, the D35 will leave the lake by air for its winter quarters within the construction site at Décision in Ecublens. And now that the team has achieved one of its goals, it still has two Extreme Sailing Series events on the calendar. Currently in the latter stages of this international circuit on the foiling GC32, the waters of San Diego (October 18-21) and Los Cabos (November 29-December 2) will host the races that will decide the top three in the Extreme Sailing Series. SN Nyon - Realstone Grand Prix ranking after 8 races (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Ylliam Comptoir Immobilier: 12 points 2nd - Swisscom: 19 points 3rd - Alinghi: 23 points General classification of the 2018 D35 Trophy season after eight events (the worst score being withdrawn): 1st - Alinghi: 17 points 2nd - Ylliam Comptoir Immobilier: 22 points 3rd - Zen Too: 25 points Click here for the rankings 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