With an outstandingly consistent weekend, Julien Firmenich’s Ylliam 17 won the TF35 Versoix Grand Prix after a light-wind race reshuffled the leaderboard on the final day, confirming their victory over second-placed Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier.
“It was exciting to be in the final with Bertrand and the Ylliam XII team. With a one-point lead, you’re a little torn – you think, ‘Well, if we don’t race, we win,’ but at the same time, you’re preparing yourself to go all the way. In the end, we were able to sail this final race and finish on a high note,” Firmenich explained after racing.
The forecast had been predicting light conditions all week, and with Lake Geneva mirror-flat on Sunday morning, the teams were likely to be on standby for much of the day. The sailing instructions imposed a 16:00 cut-off for the start of the final race.
Going into the day, Ylliam 17 and Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier were separated by just one point in the overnight standings but held a comfortable 10-point advantage over the rest of the fleet. The battle for third was much closer, with X-Wing, ZEN Too, Realteam Spirit, and Sails of Change 8 all vying for position. Some would have welcomed the lack of wind; others needed a race.
The call to go afloat finally came at 14:00, and the race started at 15:46 – just 14 minutes before the cut-off – in around six knots of breeze. The two Ylliam boats started cleanly, while some pre-start match racing between Sails of Change 8 and X-Wing forced the latter into an unwanted gybe, putting them at a disadvantage.
The fleet split on the first beat, with three boats heading left, three right, and X-Wing attempting to recover through the middle. The right-hand side paid off, and ZEN Too rounded the windward gate in the lead, closely followed by Ylliam 17 and Sails of Change 8.
Downwind, more pressure on the right allowed the leading three boats to extend their lead. With the course shortened at the windward mark, the order was set: ZEN Too took the race win, followed by Sails of Change 8 and Ylliam 17. Realteam Spirit finished fourth, ahead of Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier in fifth, Sails of Change 10 in sixth, and X-Wing in seventh.
Ylliam 17’s victory was well-deserved, with their worst result being a fifth throughout the weekend. “We were in the right rhythm and sailed really well all weekend. It’s really great to have a team that works well together, and we’re very happy to win this Grand Prix,” Firmenich added.
Finishing three points behind Ylliam 17, Bertrand Demole’s Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier took second overall. The final-race victory was enough for ZEN Too to leapfrog X-Wing and claim the final podium position.
“Although we made a few small mistakes, we had some good moments and managed to win the final race, which was good,” said Alex Detrey, bowman on ZEN Too.
Remarkably, just six points now separate all seven teams in the overall TF35 2026 championship standings. Yann Guichard’s Sails of Change 8 heads into the final Grand Prix with the lead, but with the fleet so closely matched, nothing can be taken for granted.
The championship finale takes place in three weeks’ time at the TF35 Geneva Grand Prix from 2–4 October, hosted by the Société Nautique de Genève. “This has been an incredible season. The boats are incredibly closely matched. This is my third season here, and by far, this season has been the most tightly contested. It promises to be a final for the ages,” said Sails of Change 8 tactician Noé Delpech.
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