After two days of strong Bise winds and fiercely contested racing for the high-performance foiling TF35 fleet, the final in Geneva offered a complete contrast with four technical races sailed in a gentle 5-8 knot breeze. Returning to the circuit after a break earlier in the season, Jérôme Clerc, at the helm of Realteam Spirit with crew members Sébastien Col, Gurvan Bontemps, Léo Tetaz, Eliot Merceron and Benjamin Amiot, showed remarkable consistency across the 14 races to claim the Grand Prix victory with a narrow two-point margin.
One of the standout performers of the day was Julien Firmenich’s Ylliam 17, who opened with a win in arguably the trickiest race of the event. Sailed in barely 5 knots of wind and shortened to finish at the first windward mark, Ylliam 17 was quickest off the start, played the shifts perfectly, and led the fleet to the finish line with Realteam Spirit close behind. The team followed up with scores of 3-2-4 to secure second overall at the TF35 Geneva Grand Prix.
“Going into today, we knew we had a lot to gain or a lot to lose,” said a jubilant Firmenich after racing. “We put together a really solid day, and it felt fantastic. We sailed well, the communication on board was great, the manoeuvres were sharp, the tactics were good and in the end, we finished second in the Grand Prix, just a hair’s breadth from victory!”
Despite a strong week overall, Duncan Späth’s Sails of Change 10 struggled in the lighter breeze this morning, posting two fifths and a fourth, which temporarily dropped them from the podium as Zen Too climbed the leaderboard. In the final race of the season, Zen Too had Sails of Change 10 pinned off the start, forcing them back. However, Späth’s crew stayed focused, their decision to go furthest right downwind paid off, and they climbed from fourth to second by the leeward gate. They held the position to the finish, fending off a late challenge from Realteam Spirit to secure the final podium spot in third for the Geneva Grand Prix.
“I’m super proud of my team. We’ve come a long way and made great progress – we’re moving forward fast!” said Späth at the prize-giving. “Congratulations to all the competitors; it was an amazing challenge to race against you. So many emotions! And finally, a big thank-you to the technical crew and the entire Sails of Change team. I’m already looking forward to next year!”
For Guy de Picciotto’s Zen Too, it was an excellent day on the water, with two third-place finishes and a highlight win in Race 12, when they managed to roll Realteam Spirit downwind in the final metres before the finish line. After missing yesterday’s races due to a capsize, Bertrand Demole’s Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier staged an impressive comeback, rounding out the event with back-to-back race wins.
In the overall 2025 TF35 Trophy standings, Yann Guichard’s Sails of Change 8 had already secured the title at the TF35 Crans Grand Prix ten days earlier – a fortunate result, as a collision during training prevented the team from competing in Geneva. “The 2025 season has been fantastic,” said Guichard. “All the teams are very evenly matched, so it really comes down to the smallest details. Keeping the same crew as last year made a huge difference. It’s truly a great team victory and winning the trophy two years in a row is pretty incredible!”
Ylliam 17 finished an impressive second in the overall Tour standings, their best result since joining the fleet in 2023. While Sails of Change 10, tied on points, took third, also marking a career-best finish. Zen Too placed fourth, Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier fifth, and newcomers X-Wing sixth, their best result a third at the Mailly Grand Prix in September.
OVERHEARD ON THE DOCK:
“If someone had told us last season – after finishing fifth – that this year we’d win a Grand Prix, the Genève-Rolle, and finish second overall, we’d have signed up for that straight away! I couldn’t have hoped for better results. I’m absolutely thrilled with the season – it’s been extraordinary.” – Julien Firmenich, Ylliam 17
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