The Geneva-based racer, winner of last year’s Syz Translémanique en Solitaire (compensated time) and veteran of eight editions of the 5 Jours du Léman, will once again be at the helm on August 26, ready to compete in his thirteenth edition of the most demanding single-handed regatta on Lake Geneva.
” It’s a race I love,” he says. ” My life has changed a lot in recent years, both professionally and in terms of my family. I don’t feel like competing in criteriums, transporting the boat etc… However, I’m very keen on my three regattas of the year: Genève-Rolle, the Bol d’Or Mirabaud and the Syz Translémanique en Solitaire. .
Two-time overall winner on corrected time, Cédric neither trains nor cruises. Its approach is essentially competitive, with the aim of winning the Surprise class. ” That’s where it’s most interesting,” he says. ” The level is high and there are many participants. I sail the family yacht, “Kahlua”, which is forty years old but still very competitive. It’s really nice! Beyond the competition, I also really enjoy being out on the lake and enjoying the scenery and the beautiful light. .
Cédric competed in his first Translem in 2005, at the age of 18. “ I’d just competed in the 5 Jours du Léman for the first time, with Patrick Girod, so I was well prepared. We found ourselves side by side in the lead at the halfway point, which was great. Then there was a violent storm, the wind shifted, we couldn’t see anything and I didn’t know where I was. I lost a lot of time in the process. .
In 2016, victory smiled on him for the first time. ” Conditions were stable, with predictable patterns. These are the conditions I like, when you can plan your strategy and there are no ‘poker games'”..
It was the same again last year, with slightly steadier conditions at the end of the course. It remains to be seen what 2023 will bring, with the fiftieth edition of the Syz Translémanique en Solitaire, when Cédric will be aiming for a third victory in the Surprise category, and if possible on corrected time, which would put him alone at the top of the victory count.