They had to take full advantage of every opportunity. On the Friday after two aborted starts, the fleet finally got underway for a first race contested in a 6-knot north-westerly. Zen Too initially led the pack, but Realteam Spirit fought back on the second upwind leg before finding an opening downwind. Esteban Garcia’s crew from YCM went on to secure their first victory ahead of Ylliam 17 and Zen Too.
It was much the same scenario for the next race, with a wind nudging 7 knots. The seven TF35s remained in a group upwind before Realteam Spirit pulled ahead downwind to clinch a 2nd win. X-Wing won the day’s third and final race. After seven hours spent on the water, there were no further races.
It all came to a standstill on the Saturday due to the weather, with a windless Lake Geneva preventing any races even being started. At this point only six points separated the seven teams in the season’s ranking, leaving the door wide open for a shake-up on the final day.
But despite a long wait on the water, the wind did not show up on the Sunday. Esteban Garcia and his crew won the Geneva Grand Prix based on the results of the three races held on Friday. And to top it all Realteam Spirit claimed two podiums for the price of one at the end of this final event.
The lack of wind inevitably left a sense of unfinished business. Having been lying third in the Championship ranking before Geneva, Realteam Spirit was still in contention for the title and needed a race on the Sunday to try and turn the situation around.
However, the result in Geneva meant the team finished 2nd in the TF35 Trophy 2026, behind Sails of Change 8 which retains its title for the third consecutive year. Zen Too completed the podium.
It was a nail-biting season, with four different teams winning a Grand Prix. As a result the championship title was still wide open heading into the final races in Geneva. After a difficult start to the season, Realteam Spirit finished on a high with a win that took them up another notch in the overall ranking.
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