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

As tradition dictates, some 450 boats and several thousand sailors launched an assault around Lake Geneva, departing to the sound of the cannon firing at 10am on Saturday. For multihulls, the 82nd edition of the world's largest closed-basin regatta can be classified in the series of classic early summer Bol d'Ors, with light wind, thermal breezes and a lot of twists and turns! Nils Frei: "After a good start, we were vying for the lead at the head of the pack, before being overtaken by two D35s and an M2. Being in front is good. But in light and shifty wind conditions, it shows, when you come to a halt, those chasing you the areas with no wind. They then come back into contact, by being able to bypass this 'lull' that you have found yourselves in. "And then at one point comes the finish line, which yesterday was after 12:50 in the race for the TF35s. This is the last transition that you must not fail to nail. Some wind came in, we took off this time shortly after some boats and we finished 4th, 34 seconds behind Ylliam - Comptoir Immobilier, whom we congratulate, just like Zen Too and SailFever, who completed the podium." Miles ahead that melt like snow in the sun We counted six 'new starts', where M2s, D35s and TF35s were almost on a tied line of departure. Each time, the boats, once split, returned to contact, or even took the lead. At 2pm, Alinghi was up to 11km ahead of Realteam. A few hours later, the two boats were back level! Nils Frei: "As soon as the wind picked up a little, the TFs get on their foils, the gaps fill up or widen quickly, leaving little chance for the M2 and D35, kings of the light air. "The good news from this Bol is for the TF35 class, for whom this was a baptism of fire on the Bol d'Or. As we feared in this type of conditions, the M2 and D35 largely were the protagonists at the head of the race. At 13 hours for the leaders and with about 140km travelled, the average speed was around 6-7 knots. It's slow for the multis when the record for the event is 5:01:51. Despite this, the seven TF35s seized the first seven places. It is a success for this new class with complex but well-crafted specifications. "At our level, we will continue to develop techniques in light conditions and we will be delighted to run the Bol in a stronger wind!" Accept the random nature? Nils Frei: "The sport is really different from a grand prix type regatta and when you start a long race like the Bol, you have to accept this element of randomness, which becomes more of a factor. It is not easy to take in and there is no magic bullet in light air. You have to be in the right place at the right time and, above all, be on the right boat. We have the feeling of having sailed well. If we had to repeat the race, we wouldn't change much. We had a great speed and we started again well after each 'new start', but at the end, as fast as it was unpredictable, we missed a chance." When the wind finally picked up, six TF35s were sprinting at 25 knots in the pitch black on approach to Geneva, escorted by dozens of motorboats with all lights blazing. The first four TF35s arrived in the space of 34 seconds, the next two crossing the finish line at the Société Nautique de Genève a minute later. In the provisional general classification of the TF35 Trophy, Realteam takes the lead, one point ahead of Alinghi. Spindrift is 3rd before the summer break and the two final rounds, which will be held in Scarlino. Note that the rules of the classification of the season allow for the withdrawal of the worst score: Realteam played its 'joker' by finishing 7th in the event that combined the two long races (Geneva-Rolle-Geneva and Bol d'Or). There is no doubt that the battle will be intense to win the very first TF35 Trophy awarded in Italy in September. Until then, the team will continue to its second annual regatta circuit and will soon be flying to Lagos, southern Portugal, before the first stage of the GC32 Racing Tour from July 1st to the 4th. Extracts from the rankings of the 82nd Bol d'Or Mirabaud: 1st - TF35 Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier: 12h49'27 2nd - TF35 Zen Too: 12h49'46 3rd - TF35 SailFever: 12h49'52 4th - TF35 Alinghi: 12h50'01 5th - TF35 Realteam: 12h51'15 ... 8th and the 1st D35 - Emil One: 13h04'07 9th and the 1st M2 - Degroof Petercam: 13h06'34 .... 17th and 1st monohull (Bol de Vermeil) - Raffica: 14h06'23 Click here for the ranking including all boats. Extracts from the provisional general classification of the TF35 Trophy after five 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: 4 points 2nd - Alinghi: 5 points 3rd - Spindrift: 10 points 4th - Ylliam XII: 11 points 5th - Zoulou: 11 points Click here for the full classification. To find out more tf35.org  //  boldormirabaud.ch 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  //  #BOM21 Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal, Gilles Martin-Raget and jeanmiphotographies

We could have summed up Alinghi's last three days in a short sentence: two events in one weekend, two second places. But such a review would be incomplete without detailing the very first long classic race involving the TF35s (and won by a TF35) and the wild scenes produced shortly after the start of the Genève-Rolle-Genève. It would also be remiss not to mention the remarkable performance of Arnaud Psarofaghis, who took part as interim skipper of the New Zealand team engaged on the international SailGP circuit. After only a few hours of getting to grips with the 50-foot foiler, our co-skipper made a promising start in Italy and led their team to the gates of the final. But first, let's come back to Switzerland with Yves Detrey for the 3rd grand prix of the season, run over two days because of the Genève-Rolle on Saturday: "After taking the advantage in the five races on Friday, we are a little disappointed with our performance this Sunday. The wind was not as forecast and only allowed for two races, where we keep making mistakes. "Finishing 2nd in a grand prix is not the result we are aiming for, but day after day the general level of the fleet is rising. There are very good sailors on board each boat, who know how to take advantage of sailing alongside Realteam and us, who had a small lead. One thing is certain: it will be tough until the end of the season." Realteam wins this stage, Zoulou takes 3rd place. Florian Trüb: "It's great to be on board the TF35 in competition. We did our best in this new configuration without Arnaud. The conditions were not easy, especially on Saturday during the long race with small clouds of rain randomly bringing wind from the right and left. Anyway, it's good to be back on a foiler!" He continues about the "cold sweats" episode: "Just after the start of the Genève-Rolle, we suffered a big gust that surprised us with its strength. At that precise moment, there were four of us in the middle of the boat to furl the gennaker. We quickly climbed the nets to counterbalance! It was hot and we narrowly avoided capsizing the boat." Photo and video report on our social networks... Bryan Mettraux continues, talking about the key moments in this 56th Genève-Rolle-Genève: "We waited quite a bit for the expected wind, especially on the outward journey. There wasn't much of a gap at the beginning. With the wind coming in from behind, the TF35, D35 and M2 were fairly aligned. "We rounded Rolle's mark in 2nd position, 20 seconds behind Realteam. At the end of Rolle, we sailed really well and we took the lead. Then it became impossible for us to control all our competitors, and the width of the lake gives the teams many options! Ylliam and Zoulou (even though Zoulou were last at the Rolle mark) passed us by. We regained ground over the last two miles and we managed to gain a place to finish 2nd. Obviously, we would have preferred to win, but we are happy with this result and the way the boat behaved against the D35 in light winds." Zoulou, led by Erik Maris, signs for a nice victory, Spindrift completes the podium, while Realteam, our direct competitor, finished 6th. Note that the rankings of the two major races (Genève-Rolle and the Bol d'Or) will be added together to count as a single race. The result at the Bol d'Or will act as a decider in the event of a tie. We will therefore have to wait another week for the announcement of the provisional general classification for the first part of the season. See you at 10am on Saturday June 12 for the start of the 82nd Bol d'or Mirabaud! Podium for the Grand Prix de Mies after seven races (the worst score being removed from four races validated): 1st - Realteam: 11 points 2nd - Alinghi: 14 points 3rd - Zoulou: 17 points Click here for all the rankings Podium for the Genève-Rolle-Genève 1st - Zoulou: 3:27:33 2nd - Alinghi: 3:29:51 3rd - Spindrift: 3:30:47 Click here for the ranking including all boats To find out more tf35.org  //  ycg.ch/grg 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  //  #GRG21 Credit for photos © Loris von Siebenthal, JeanMiPhotographies and Seb Aubord