For the first time, the TF35 fleet will share the waterfront and starting area on Saturday with the 45th edition of the Double North Sails. More than 80 two-handed yachts are expected to line up for the 1200 start of their long-distance race, after which the TF35s will take to the windward-leeward course.
Supported by North Sails and Sails of Change, the combined event promises plenty of activity both on and off the water, with sailors from the two fleets coming together for a joint dinner on Friday evening.
Realteam Spirit arrive in Versoix with confidence restored after their victory at the Mailly Grand Prix two weeks ago. Jérôme Clerc and his crew have steadily rebuilt their form following an unsettled start to the season, and now sit level on points with Zen Too in the overall standings.
Both teams are within striking distance of the championship-leading Sails of Change 8, skippered by Yann Guichard. But the gap between the leading boats is only part of the story. Over the past two seasons the TF35 fleet has become increasingly competitive as boat handling, crew work and team dynamics have developed, particularly in the second half of the season. Every team in the fleet has now stood on a Grand Prix podium this season, underlining just how little separates the boats.
“It’s going to be tight right to the end. There are now two Grand Prix events left and everything is still up for grabs, so we’re really looking forward to the challenge,” said Guichard after the Mailly Grand Prix.
Sails of Change 10 will also be looking to build on the progress made at Mailly. After a difficult start to the event, Duncan Späth and his crew found their form with two consecutive race wins, moving them into fourth place in the championship and within reach of the podium.
“It feels good to be sailing again in a full fleet. It allowed us to understand what we are doing well and less well compared with the others, then rediscover our routines and optimise where we can,” said Späth.
“We’re fourth overall and there’s still a lot to play for. We’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.”
With the championship entering its final two events, there is little margin for error. The leading crews will have to contend not only with each other but with the notoriously changeable conditions of Lake Geneva, where shifts in pressure and direction can quickly turn the order on its head.
Racing gets under way tomorrow with the first warning signal scheduled for 1130.
Live racing and results will be available at www.tf35.org.
