The French skipper was the first to cross the finish line, ahead of François Thorens and his Psaros 40 Cellmen TBS. The winner on corrected time will be known tomorrow, at the end of all the finishes.
Arriving in Geneva on the eve of the 48th edition of the Syz Translémanique en Solitaire, French racer Charlie Dalin had just a few hours to discover his new boat and sailing on Lake Geneva. But that didn’t stop him from dominating the race head and shoulders, and taking victory after 10 h 12’58” of racing in exceptional conditions, which brought together no fewer than 107 solo racers.
“The conditions were very nice and I had a lot of fun,” he said at the end of the race. “I was lucky enough to have a very nice boat, Katana, which wasn’t easy at all. But I’m used to sailing complex boats with my IMOCA Apivia, and also to positioning myself strategically in relation to my rivals, thanks to the Figaro race. I benefited from this double experience to control the regatta and win it.”
Dalin got off to a good start, then sailed against the best Psaros 33 and 40 until the exit from the small lake. He then gradually broke away, crossing the halfway mark with a comfortable lead. But the return journey wasn’t easy, and was marked by a minor scare. “My spinnaker fell into the water, so I stopped the yacht rather abruptly to avoid tearing the sail, but I lost control of the yacht during this maneuver and it lay on its side. The situation was quickly restored, but it reminded me that these Lake Geneva sailboats are very sensitive, and that you always have to be careful. At the end of the race, I put my foot down and enjoyed the scenery, with Mont Blanc… It was magnificent.”