More victory for Alinghi

As Ernesto Bertarelli's helms his catamaran to honours in the Régate du Joran on Lake Geneva

In ideal sailing conditions the Decision 35s today competed for the Régate du Joran, the second part of this year's Challenge Julius Baer.

Today it was Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi which won the regatta ahead of Alain Gautier's Foncia and Philippe Cardis and François Mordasini's Julies Baer. Following this race, the overall results have tightened up even further.

The Régate du Joran was competed for by both monohulls and multihulls who sailed a large 30 mile long windward-leeward course from Nyon one third of the way up the north side of Lake Geneva (from Geneva). The race was held in 10-18 knots of wind.

Bertarelli's Alinghi made an excellent start, getting tp full power quickly and led away from the line. On one hull for the majority of the regatta, Alinghi's crew showed excellent coordination and good tactics. After three laps they finished under genniker with a lead of 200m.

“Following our dismasting in June during the Bol d'Or Rolex we repaired the hull and the boat's builder Decision SA. The boat was relaunched at the beginning of this week, allowing us to sail her intensely from Tuesday to Thursday in the same kind of wind conditions as today to finish tuning. This also allowed us to make some more improvements to the sails. This victory is reward for our efforts and the strength of our team work," commented Alinghi's Andrew Graham.

Former Vendee Globe winner and 60ft trimaran skipper Alain Gautier gave his views on the race: “Very interesting! I made the decision to take a reef in the mainsail, while other remained unreefed. The option paid. We had a good brawl with Alinghi and Guy de Picciotto's Zen Too, behind whom we were blocked for a while. Without obstructions, Alinghi flew away,” recounted Gautier. “We haven't regressed! We are even on an upward trend - we were sixth, then fourth and now second. There remains only one place left to go!”

However it was not all plain sailing as Jean-François Demole on board Rate found, with gusts and irregular winds resulting a frustrating seventh places for them. Bringing up the rear for the first part of the race was Nicholas Grange's Okalys which finished fourth.

Meanwhile in the M2 class, André Guggiari's DFI won ahead of Christophe Peclard's Xtrem Pub and Igal Kasavi's DHL. In the ACVI classes one to four, the winner was Alexandre Schneiter's Psaros 40 Tilt with Jean-Marc Deryng's Twistger second.