Blue skies and a light 7-10 knot sea breeze provided excellent conditions for the opening day of the TF35 Versoix Grand Prix, with the seven-boat fleet completing four races in the afternoon.

The standout performers were Julien Firmenich’s Ylliam 17, who appeared to have an extra gear in the tricky conditions.

In Race 1, Ylliam 17 were initially part of the main pack, but picked their way through the areas of pressure to pull a small lead out of nowhere on the first beat. From there they extended steadily to take the win unchallenged by three boat lengths. X-Wing took an impressive second, while a photo finish saw Realteam Spirit edge Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier for third.

“We were really dealing with a rather unusual Séchard. It was a bit of a Séchard – the Bise coming from the Séchard. So there were quite a few patches of light wind and areas you really didn’t want to go into. And I think the key today was really to stay in the pressure, much more than choosing which side to go to,” explained Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier tactician Maxime Bachelin.

Race 2 followed a similar pattern. A clean start, a conservative approach upwind and good speed allowed Ylliam 17 to establish an early lead. This time, however, Realteam Spirit were never far away. A brief split at the first leeward gate gave Realteam Spirit the opportunity to cover Ylliam 17 when the boats converged on the next beat.

They made the most of it, covering Ylliam 17 all the way to the finish to take the win, with Ylliam 17 settling for second.

Race 3 produced the most dramatic reshuffle of the day. Zen Too were the only team to start on starboard tack, charging in close to the race committee end of the line and crossing the fleet.

Helmed by Loïc Forestier, Zen Too held the lead for most of the race. But on the final downwind leg they fell into a patch of light breeze, allowing Bertrand Demole and the Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier crew, who had been steadily reeling them in since the second beat, to seize their opportunity.

Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier maintained their speed and sailed through to take the victory, with X-Wing taking their second second-place finish of the regatta, further evidence of the growing consistency of the relatively new team.

“The teamwork and coordination is coming back. We did struggle a bit with the starts today, to be honest, but after that, we were really able to get onto the right side. And then, every time, never lose hope, keep sailing, make good manoeuvres and round the right marks. And that paid off for us at the end of the day,” Bachelin added.

For Realteam Spirit, Race 3 ended prematurely after a failure of the system that locks the foil in place. The team limped to the finish to record a DNF, scoring eight points and using up their discard for the regatta.

The fourth and final race of the day was another strong showing from the two Ylliam teams. Both committed to the right-hand side of the course, with Ylliam 17 making the most of the pressure to claim their second bullet of the regatta. Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier followed them home in second, with Sails of Change 8 taking third.

It was an unusually difficult day for Sails of Change 8 and Sails of Change 10, who were rarely seen among the leading pack but they have plenty of time to debrief and reset at tonight with a beer as the TF35 fleet joins the North Sails Double at the Club Nautique de Versoix for a crew party hosted by Sails of Change ahead of the Double’s long distance race tomorrow.