17 year old victor

Arnuad Psarofaghis takes the Swiss Match Race Championships held in Valencia

Arnaud Psarofaghis and his team Arnaud Didisheim and Cedric Schmidt, accompanied by Alinghi team member Yann Gouniot, have won the title of Swiss Match Race Champions 2005. The 17 year old Swiss sailor and his crew fought hard in shifty conditions in the Port America’s Cup in Valencia to beat Team Monnin 2:0 in the finals, snatching the championship from the favourite.

This event is the culmination of a year long competition that started in Zurich, went to Thun, Lugano, Romanshorn and Geneva. Six crews came through to the finals, each one accompanied by a member of the Alinghi sailing team. Nils Frei (SUI), Yves Detrey (SUI), Bernard Labro (FRA), Yann Gouniot (FRA) Matt Mitchell (NZL) and Claudio Celon (ITA) all took part.

Yann Gouniot, who raced with Psarofaghis and crew comments on a wet weekend of racing: “Arnaud is a very talented sailor, who has been concentrating solidly on sailing for two years now. It was a lot of fun to sail with the whole team during the last three days. Although the weather was not always great, I have really enjoyed it.”

The new Swiss sailing champion received a genuine America’s Cup Class Yacht carbon wheel and an invitation for the next international Match Race in St.Moritz, Switzerland in August 2006. There is another UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour planned for 2006 but the details are to be confirmed.