This weekend the seven cutting-edge TF35 hydro-foiling catamarans will compete in a bumper weekend of racing. The competition will start on Friday with what promises to be another round of hotly-contested one-design racing at the TF35 Mies, the third event of the inaugural TF35 Trophy.
Saturday, the teams will have a quick change of mindset as the fleet will join more than 250 other boats in the long-distance Genève-Rolle-Genève race, prologue to the iconic Bol’Or Mirabaud, before returning to fleet racing on Sunday for the final day of the TF35 Mies.
After two successful opening regattas of the 2021 season in Nyon, Switzerland, Esteban Garcia’s Realteam Sailing is the top boat, but only just. Tied on points with Alinghi after winning one regatta each and with Spindrift just three points behind at this halfway stage of the season, Garcia and co-skipper Jerome Clerc on Realteam Sailing will need to be on their game to stay ahead by Sunday.
As the teams are quickly learning there is that there is very little margin for error in this competitive fleet. The other boats on the startline this weekend are Team SAILFEVER owned by Frédéric Jousset with Loïck Peyron as tactician, Bertrand Demole’s Ylliam XII – Comptoir Immobilier with Erwan Israel calling the shots, Zen TOO owned by Guy de Picciotto and featuring Fred Le Peutrec on the helm and Zoulou owed by Erik Maris with Thomas Le Breton as tactician on board.
Having played an integral role in assembling and launching the TF35 fleet at Miles shipyard in 2019 and 2020 Nautic Concept is the host of the event. “We are extremely pleased to welcome all the teams to the TF35 Mies”, explains Nicolas Rossier of Nautic Concept SA, “Especially since most of them have been working on their boats in our new shipyard over the past year. The atmosphere of this class is very special, the racing very dynamic and we are happy to be able to host such an exciting event”.
The TF35 Mies event will be the last time the teams meet for fleet racing on Lake Geneva before rivalries are renewed with two open water events in Scarlino, in the heart of Tuscany, Italy, to close the 2021 season.
Follow the live race coverage this weekend at tf35.org
