The 2026 TF35 Trophy opened in Nyon with a cold, awkward reminder that Lake Geneva in May can still bite.

After a winter away from competition, the seven TF35 teams arrived expecting momentum from two weeks of near-perfect pre-season training - 18 knots, blue skies and sunshine. Instead, the fleet was met by the Saints de glace, the late-season cold snap feared around the lake, bringing low cloud, rain and temperatures hovering at six degrees.

With only six to eight knots of unstable breeze on offer, the race committee at Société Nautique de Nyon wasted no time getting racing underway, sending the fleet off promptly at 11:30 in a bid to stay ahead of the weather.

Race 1 immediately exposed how costly small mistakes would become in the light air. Yann Guichard's Sails of Change 8 were over early at the start, leaving Julien Firmenich and Ylliam 17 to launch cleanly off the line and split left while the rest of the fleet headed right.

At the first windward gate, Sails of Change 10 and X-Wing had emerged in front, but the race turned decisively at the leeward mark. Sails of Change 10 became trapped in traffic with Sails of Change 8 and Ylliam 17, losing momentum at exactly the wrong moment.

Arriving with speed from the left-hand side, Bertrand Demole's Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier avoided the congestion, gybed away cleanly and surged from fifth into second in a single move.

From there, Marco Favale's X-Wing controlled the race to take the opening win ahead of Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier . Behind them, Sails of Change 8 produced the comeback of the race, recovering from last place to third, only to be edged back into fourth by Realteam Spirit on the line.

“There’s a strong team spirit on board, and this first race is the reward for the hard work we put in training at the start of the season,” explained Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier tactician Alexis Rochat. “We had a bit of luck when several boats got bunched up at the gate. We took the opportunity to slip through on the inside before tacking away quickly and breaking clear on the right side of the course to sail the final downwind leg in the best possible conditions.”

Race 2 began with a fight for position at the committee boat end. Firmenich's Ylliam 17 timed the start perfectly, hitting the line at full speed as the gun fired.

But with the breeze fading towards five knots, the race quickly became a slow-motion tactical contest. Neither side of the course offered a consistent advantage and the fleet compressed approaching the first windward gate.

Once again, Favale's X-Wing looked composed at the front, leading Sails of Change 8 and Sails of Change 10 but as the fleet approached the second windward gate, the breeze dropped below four knots and the race committee shortened the course.

In the dying pressure, Zen Too led by Loïc Forestier with Valentin Sipan calling tactics  profited from a decisive shift and found enough speed to steal the win ahead of Sails of Change 10, with Realteam Spirit claiming third.

X-Wing’s owner and helm, Marco Favale said: “We’re very pleased to have managed two races today, it was far from guaranteed, and the weather certainly hasn’t been kind to us. The Ice Saints have definitely arrived. We’re delighted to have won the opening race. We made the right tactical decisions, took advantage of the best breeze and pressure, and sailed well throughout.

In the second race, we were leading right up to the leeward mark. After that, there was a major wind shift that we hadn’t fully anticipated. That’s the nature of racing and sailing. Even so, we still managed to hold on to fourth place, which is a very satisfying result in these conditions.”

By mid-afternoon, Lake Geneva had turned to glass beneath another advancing rain cloud.

The fleet was sent ashore to wait, leaving crews just enough time for coffee and warmth inside Société Nautique de Nyon before one final attempt at racing. But the breeze never settled sufficiently for a third start and the opening day ended with only two races completed.

After a day that demanded patience more than power, X-Wing are narrowly ahead overnight - but with the forecast still uncertain the regatta feels wide open. Follow tomorrow from 11:30 at www.tf35.org