A SYZ Translémanique en Solitaire that rewarded confirmed sailors

Monday, 09/03/2018

Antonio Da Cruz in elapsed time and Patrick Girod in corrected time: the SYZ Translémanique en Solitaire 2018, which took place in conditions of sustained wind, has rewarded confirmed sailors!

September 3, 2018

The 45th edition of SYZ Translémanique en Solitaire was held under sustained wind conditions (20-25 knots), present on the entire route between Geneva and Villeneuve. It rewarded seasoned sailors with a great sense of seamanship and put the 102 participants to the test.

The ranking is rich in surprises. Traditionally, the winner of the Translémanique is the winner of the ranking in corrected time. This year, it is  Antonio Da Cruz, aboard Swan 44MkII Vire Vent; a powerful cruising-racing sailboat designed for the sea, led by Da Cruz. He leads Nelson Mettraux, on Surprise CER 1 Sofies and Patrick Mégroz, on Hiva Oa.

Da Cruz is a former professional sailor, who has raced two Mini Transats, five Solitaires du Figaro and crossed the Atlantic 35 times! Suffice to say that the conditions encountered on Lake Geneva this weekend did not scare him ... "It was extraordinary", he declared at the end of his race. "The Vire Vent is made for these conditions and it was a pleasure, even though I had a blackout shortly after departure, which forced me to hold the bar all along. The boat weighs twelve tons and I knew that lighter sailboats would come back on the return trip. So I gave everything straight away."

The ranking in elapsed time was won by Genevan Patrick Girod aboard the Psaros 33 Raijin in 8h17'30 '', less than an hour from the Purple Ribbon, who set the absolute record for Geneva - Le Bouveret and back in monohulls with crew!

Girod is ahead of the 1992-93 Vendée Globe winner Alain Gautier (Fujin) of eight minutes and Jean-Pierre de Siebenthal (Joker) of 42 minutes. The real-time podium consists of 100% Psaros 33 sailboats built in Geneva, by Jean Psarofaghis. Note, by way of comparison, that the latter had won the Bol d'Or 2016, played by a beautiful wind, in 08:44:14, 27 minutes more than Girod. But with a crew of ten people!

Behind these three tenors, other racers shone, starting with Nicolas Baudu, fourth aboard EOLE 7, winner in TCF 2 in 09:38:56, just ahead of David Pertuiset's Esse 850 Darnetal, fifth at scratch. Jacques Emery finished sixth on his Melges 32, just ahead of Pascal Cattaneo, winner of the Grand Surprise category on Apsara. Finally, Nelson Mettraux wins the Surprises ranking against 21 competitors.