Despite the TF35 Race Committee’s best efforts to hunt down the breeze on Lake Geneva, the final day of the TF35 Mailly Grand Prix ended at the 16:00 time limit without a race.

After two solid days of racing and nine contests completed, Yann Guichard’s Sails of Change 8emerged as the clear winner, topping the leaderboard with a commanding nine-point margin.

"From the very first race, our goal was clear: to compete for the overall season ranking. We got off to strong starts, showed good speed, and with Noé making excellent tactical calls, we were able to take the lead on day one and hold it through to the finish. The results look dominant, but every race was hard-fought against tough opposition", said Guichard.

"Cohesion is everything on board. We’re six sailors, not just a helmsman and a tactician, and everyone contributes. Mistakes happen, but the goal is to make fewer than the competition, keep our cool, and fight back even when we’re behind."

Duncan Späth and his crew on Sails of Change 10 took second, thanks to a strong performance on Saturday. "We had two very different days on the water," Späth explained. "Thursday was complicated, we scored two six-point races and one win, which was good, but overall our manoeuvres and consistency weren’t where we wanted them to be."

"On Friday, everything came together. Winning three races in a single day was fabulous. It confirmed what we knew we could do, even in tough conditions, and taking four wins from nine races overall is hugely satisfying. It shows what we’re capable of."

It was a breakthrough weekend for Marco Favale’s X-Wing, who celebrated both their first race win and their first regatta podium. “It was a really great weekend of racing,” says Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician on X-WING. “It took us a little while to find our footing at the start of the season, but now we’re in the groove. We’re happy with what we achieved, and it’s encouraging for what’s ahead.”

For Zen Too, missing the final day of racing was a disappointment. Just three points off third, they were within striking distance, and their recent results suggested they were finding the rhythm to climb the rankings.

For event host Julien Firmenich, the Mailly Grand Prix was always going to be a challenge. With half of Ylliam 17’s crew committed to SailGP in St Tropez, a reshuffled line-up took to the water. Despite the setback, a discard now working into the overall standings keeps them in second place in the season results behind the championship leaders, Sails of Change 8.

Meanwhile, Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier has been consistently competitive but has struggled to convert that form into results. They sit fifth in the season rankings, just two points shy of the podium with two events left to race this year.

Tomorrow the event will wrap up with a relaxed long-distance race designed to showcase the boats in a more playful format.