Versoix Grand Prix

Three days to decide a title: Versoix hosts the TF35 Trophy showdown

September 11–13, 2026. The waters off Domaine du Mailly are set to come alive. The Versoix Grand Prix — closing round of the TF35 season — brings together the foiling catamaran fleet for what promises to be a tight, tactical, no-room-for-error finale. Organized by Club Nautique de Versoix, the event has earned its nickname: the championship judge.

Six crews. Three days. And a trophy that may come down to a single point.

Versoix, the decider

Since the TF35 circuit launched in 2021, Lake Geneva events have formed the championship's backbone. Versoix has carved out a special role: positioned at the end of the calendar, after the classics at Nyon, Mies, and Geneva, this is the stage where provisional standings become final.

The 2026 edition follows the script. After a dense season, every team knows the hierarchy can still shift. Club Nautique de Versoix, well-versed in the complex logistics of these "Formula 1s of the lake," delivers an organizational framework worthy of the stakes.

A course built for spectacle

The Grand Prix format favors stadium-style loop courses — tight bananas, designed to multiply maneuvers and crossings before the public's eyes.

• Race area: inshore racing off Versoix, Friday through Saturday, with a potentially longer coastal course on Sunday
• Tempo: up to 5 or 6 races per day, scored in low-point format (1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points…). The goal: the lowest possible total
• Discard: once four races are validated, each team can drop their worst result — a safety valve that allows tactical risk-taking without mortgaging the overall standings

September on Lake Geneva: weather as the wild card

September delivers a formidable range of conditions. Crews must cope with light breezes of 6 to 8 knots — where maintaining flight demands surgical piloting finesse — and westerlies that can climb to 22 knots, as seen at the previous Mies Grand Prix.

The ability to adapt flight control system software to pressure variations makes all the difference. Taking off at 7 knots, staying stable through gusts, avoiding crashes or foil stalls: it's on this technical edge that races are won — or lost.

Six crews, one podium

The 2026 fleet blends established champions with fearless young talent. A tour of the forces at play.

• Sails of Change 8 — Yann Guichard: logical favorite and defending champion. Winner of the 2025 Mies GP with three victories from four races, the crew shows rare consistency and stability within the fleet.
• Ylliam 17 — Julien Firmenich: second at Mies 2025, coached by Stevie Morrison. Metronomic consistency as their main weapon. Always there when it counts.
• Sails of Change 10 — Duncan Späth: third at Mies 2025, a first podium that changed everything. Youngest helmsman in the fleet, he's crossed a major threshold and is no longer just an outsider.
• Realteam Sailing — Jérôme Clerc: historic winner of the 2023 season, still formidable in pure performance despite denser competition.
• Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier — Bertrand Demole: regular top-5 finisher, winner of the 2024 Genève-Rolle-Genève. With Billy Besson aboard, the crew has the talent to strike hard on any given weekend.
• X-WING — Marco Favale: sixth at Mies 2025, in accelerated learning mode since joining the circuit in 2025. The presence of Nicolas Charbonnier on the team is speeding up their development.

Find detailed profiles of the entered boats on spencer.club.

Three battles within the battle

The generational duel

This may be the most captivating storyline of the season's close. Duncan Späth, after his first podium at Mies, directly threatens Yann Guichard's dominance. Two Sails of Change boats, two generations, two styles — and an internal rivalry that could benefit a third party.

Reliability as the X-factor

The 2024 and 2025 seasons served as reminders that TF35 technology remains demanding. "Foil-lock" incidents — foil system failures in strong winds — have cost some competitors dearly. At Versoix, pushing the machine to 100% without mechanical breakage will be decisive. Teams that invested in technical reliability will reap dividends at the crucial moment.

The point war

The fight for second place looks fierce. Just one point separated Ylliam 17 and Sails of Change 10 at their last major confrontation. On a race area as compact as Versoix's, tactical marking between these two crews promises tack-for-tack duels, maneuver after maneuver.

A verdict decided in the details

The 2026 Versoix Grand Prix isn't just about raw speed. It's a test of nerves, mechanical management, and tactical reading where the slightest mistake — a botched start, a foil that drops, a wrong side of the course choice — can redraw the TF35 Trophy's final podium.

Follow news from this race and the complete season calendar on spencer.club.