On Friday and Saturday, the D35 fleet battled it out on Lake Leman for one last time this season at the Grand Prix SAP. Despite the summer temperatures, the wind was unstable and continually changing. Neck and neck with Realstone throughout the weekend, the final championship podium was decided only in the last race of the Grand Prix. Thanks to four podium finishes this season, including victory at the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, the black and gold catamaran thus finishes on the 2014 Vulcain Trophy podium, in third position. For Spindrift racing, as well as its Swiss partners (Mirabaud, Genes-x and Zenith), it is a very positive result.
Dona Bertarelli took the helm of Ladycat for this final event of the season, accompanied by tactician Yann Guichard and the ever-reliable crew of Xavier Revil, Jacques Guichard, Christophe Espagnon and Francois Morvan. Dona was delighted with her crew’s performance: “On both days we were racing in light breezes, and the wind never really got up,” she explained. “Tactics were complicated and we sailed very well. This proves that we work well as a team, which was essential for me – even though I helmed for the Bol d’Or Mirabaud in June, it had been a year and a half since I had helmed Ladycat in a Grand Prix.”
A good season.
With such a gruelling schedule between the D35 on Lake Leman and the maxi-trimaran in the Atlantic, the different positions aboard Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing have rotated between one Grand Prix and another. Those selected, however, have always come from Spindrift racing’s core group of sailors. Such team spirit has helped Spindrift to perform consistently, despite opponents of the very highest calibre. Dona Bertarelli expressed her delight at finishing on the podium after the eight events: “We are thrilled to have finished the 2014 Vulcain Trophy with a place on the podium,” she said. “It has been a particularly busy year for Spindrift racing, but we rose to the challenge and fought hard on the D35 circuit, which always enjoys competitors of the highest level. We won the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, which is of course the race to win. We are proud to have performed well in local surroundings on our precious Lake Geneva. We share that pride with our Swiss partners, who loyally support us in everything we do as a team, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude.”
Next stop: the Route du Rhum.
The focus will now turn to the ocean, with the 10th edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe due to commence in Saint-Malo on November 2nd. Yann Guichard is racing single-handed aboard the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2. “We will now channel all of our attention to the final preparations for the Route du Rhum,” explains Dona Bertarelli. “We want to provide Yann with the best support so that his boat will be in perfect condition, and so that he feels as well prepared as possible, both physically and mentally.”
A few words from the crew:
Yann Guichard, tactician
“I’m delighted with the team, we have made good progress since last year. We faced some stiff competition – Alinghi was well ahead, but we fought hard against Realstone and Mobimo, and we have been a real player in this season’s circuit. We are already looking forward to next year’s circuit and shall be aiming for the top position in the rankings.”
Xavier Revil, mainsail trimmer, traveller
“This year’s results were very good and we closely missed out on second place. If we compare ourselves to the crews who systematically sail
Jacques Guichard, headsail trimmer
“The level of competition was pretty high this year. We fought hard with 2nd-placed Realstone and also with Mobimo. The most important thing for me was winning the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, and we did it!”
Christophe Espagnon, bowman
“We finished on the podium for the Vulcain Trophy and won the Bol d’Or Mirabaud – that’s a good season for us. Having two boats on the go – the D35 and the maxi – has created an excellent crew dynamics this year.”
François Morvan, headsail trimmer
“We were a new crew at the start of the season and struggled with some of the manoeuvres. As the season progressed, however, we have come to perfect them. When we returned from Newport with Spindrift 2, the crew suffered from fatigue and this showed in the Geneva-Rolle-Geneva and Open de Versoix events. But we quickly bounced back to win the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, which remains the best race of the season.”
2014 Grand Prix SAP standings:
1. Realstone – 7 points
2. Veltigroup – 11 points
3. Zen Too – 12 points
4. Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing – 12 points
5. Racing Django – 16 points
6. Okalys – 17 points
7. Mobimo – 20 points
8. Oryx – 30 points
9. Team Tilt – 30 points
10. Ylliam – Comptoir Immobilier – 40 points
Overall standings in 2014 Vulcain Trophy:
1. Alinghi – 24 points
2. Realstone – 26 points
3. Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing – 28 points
4. Mobimo – 36 points
5. Zen Too – 36 points
6. Team Tilt – 42 points
7. Veltigroup – 51 points
8. Okalys – 59 points
9. Racing Djamgo – 69 points
10. Oryx – 72 points
11. Ylliam – Comptoir immobilier – 85 points
Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing 2014 results:
9-11 May: Grand Prix Les Ambassadeurs – SNG – 2nd
24-25 May: Open de Crans – Crans-près-Céligny – 3rd
7 June: Geneva-Rolle-Geneva – Yacht Club de Genève – 6th
8-9 June: Open de Versoix – Club Nautique de Versoix – 6th
14 June: Bol d’Or Mirabaud – SNG – 1st
30-31 August: Open Nationale Suisse – Club Nautique de Versoix – 4th
6-7 September Grand Prix Grange & Cie – Yacht Club de Genève – 2nd
19-20 September: Grand Prix SAP – SNG – 4th