TF35 Les Voiles de Choisi: Comprehensive Overview of the Thrilling Sailing Championship

TF35 Les Voiles de Choisi Overall

30 August – 1 September 2024

Esteban Garcia’s Realteam Sailing, skippered by Jérôme Clerc, along with tactician Sébastien Col, clinched victory on the final race day of the TF35 Voiles de Choisi, finishing the event with a five-point lead over Yann Guichard’s Sails of Change 8.

“I’m proud of our team,” Clerc stated at the prize-giving. “We had to stay ahead of Sail of Change 8, who lead the overall standings, to remain competitive for the season’s overall ranking. Our two teams are set for an exciting showdown at the Realstone Cup final in Geneva. It will be a thrilling conclusion to the season.”

Day two was windless, prompting the race committee, led by PRO Benoit Deutsch, to strive for racing on Lake Geneva for the final day. The forecast appeared promising, similar to the first day, with the thermal Séchard breeze expected to pick up in the afternoon. The committee observed the situation closely.

At 12:45 local time, the call was made for teams to head onto the water, and the race committee successfully conducted one race in 10 knots of wind before storm cells gathered and triggered an unstable 20 knots wind, bringing the day’s racing to a close.

Off the start, Bertrand Demole’s Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier and Julien Firmenich’s Yilliam 17 found themselves well-positioned to the favored right side, while Sails of Change 8, Zen TOO, and Realteam opted for a more central route to get clearer air. At the windward mark, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier established a small lead, which they extended during the downwind leg. However, events took a turn at the second windward mark when they incurred a two-jibe penalty for not providing room to Realteam. This misstep allowed Realteam and Zen TOO to capitalize. In the final sprint to the finish line, Realteam surged ahead, followed by Zen TOO in second and Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier in third.

“We felt a bit frustrated on Friday as we believed we could have performed better. Today, we regained our momentum and finished second. Our baseline game is strong; while there’s still work to improve, it’s getting better and better,” remarked Zen TOO skipper Loic Forestier. “Consistency and stability remain our focus if we aim for better results. However, I’m thrilled to share the podium with Guy.”

The overall ranking is tight. Realteam now leads, closely followed by Sails of Change 8, both on four points. Guy de Picciotto’s Zen TOO has climbed to third place, while Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier is tied in fourth place on 10 points. Ylliam 17 rounds out the top five, ahead on countback with Sails of Change 10, both tied on 15 points.

“We had an excellent Grand Prix on a beautiful stretch of water, hosted by the remarkable Choisi estate. A big thank you to them. Despite three days of racing in inconsistent winds, we secured a second-place finish here and second overall behind our rival Realteam,” reflected Sails of Change 8 owner and helm Yann Guichard. “All our races are tied, and everything will come down to the last Grand Prix regatta in 15 days. It’s still up in the air, and while it won’t be easy, the entire team remains optimistic.”

TF35 Les Voiles de Choisi Overall: (after five races with one discard)
1. Realteam Sailing (SUI 7) – 1 1 2 3 1 – 5pts
2. Sails of Change 8 (SUI 8) – 5 2 3 1 4 – 10pts
3. ZEN Too (SUI 4) – 4 6 1 5 2 – 12pts
4. Ylliam XII—Comptoir Immobilier (SUI 12) – 3 5 4 4 3 – 14pts
5. Ylliam 17 (SUI 17) – 2 3 5 6 6 – 16pts
6. Sails of Change 10 (SUI 10) – 6 4 6 2 5 – 17pts

TF35 Trophy Overall Ranking 2024: (after five events with one discard)
1. Realteam Sailing (SUI 7) – 2 1 2 1 – 4pts
2. Sails of Change 8 (SUI 8) – 1 2 1 2 – 4pts
3. ZEN Too (SUI 4) – 4 3 5 3 – 10pts
4. Ylliam XII—Comptoir Immobilier (SUI 12) – 3 5 3 4 – 10pts
5. Ylliam 17 (SUI 17) – 6 6 4 5 – 15pts
6. Sails of Change 10 (SUI 10) – 5 4 6 6 – 15pts