Alinghi Red Bull Racing wins the 2022 TF35 Trophy
by Alinghi Red Bull Racing 11 Sep 2022 11:03 PDT
2022 TF35 Malcesine Cup final day © Loris Von Siebenthal
Finishing second in the TF35 Malcesine Cup this weekend, Alinghi Red Bull Racing wins the 2022 Championship with one event to spare. As the worst result of the season does not count in the final ranking, the team secures the overall season victory.
Back on Lake Garda to compete in the TF35 Malcesine Cup, Alinghi Red Bull Racing made the most of the four days of racing. Despite the complicated weather conditions, seven races were completed. With two wins on the final day, Alinghi Red Bull Racing finishes second behind the winner Spindrift, while Realteam for Léman Hope is third.
"We're lucky to have sailed a great last day. The race committee took the right decisions to make the most of it," said Lucien Cujean. "We didn't have the classic Lake Garda conditions this time. Instead, we had storms, very strong winds in the morning, very light in the afternoon, and a lot of waiting on shore. Despite the weather, getting back into race mode was very beneficial for us, as in our America's Cup campaign where we won't be racing much before 2024. It's important to find the right balance between the AC preparation and racing on interesting series like this one."
The second place in Malcesine secures the 2022 TF35 Trophy win for Alinghi Red Bull Racing, even before competing in the sixth and final race of the season, as the worst result of the year is removed from the overall ranking. "After a disappointing Bol d'Or Mirabaud before the summer break, we had a great feeling here in Malcesine," adds Arnaud Psarofaghis. "The whole team knows its role on board and has quickly found its marks. Ernesto Bertarelli helmed very well, Lucien Cujean did his physical training for the month and Nicolas Charbonnier made excellent tactical choices - as always!"
Second in the 2021 season behind Realteam Sailing, Ernesto Bertarelli's team is taking revenge. With two wins and two second places this year, the Swiss challenger for the next America's Cup has been rewarded for its consistency (overall ranking here). "The key to success this season has been our preparation, and I keep in mind a good memory from our Genève-Rolle-Genève victory", adds Cujean.
After this racing week on Lake Garda, the Alinghi Red Bull Racing crew will return to Barcelona to resume preparation for the 37th America's Cup and train on the AC75. They will go back to Italy to join their TF35 competitors for the final leg of the season in Scarlino, Tuscany, from 6 to 9 October.
TF35 Malcesine Cup results:
1 Spindrift (SUI 10) 10pts
2 Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI 100) 14pts
3 Realteam for Léman hope (SUI 7) 16pts
4 Team SAILFEVER (FRA 009) 22pts
5 ZEN Too (SUI 4) 27pts
6 Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier (SUI XII) 32pts
7 Vitamina Sailing (ITA 3508) 34pts
TF35 Trophy 2022 overall:
1 Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI 100) 4pts
2 Realteam for Léman hope (SUI 7) 6pts
3 Spindrift (SUI 10) 8pts
4 Team SAILFEVER (FRA 009) 10pts
5 ZEN Too (SUI 4) 14pts
6 Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier (SUI XII) 15pts
7 Vitamina Sailing (ITA 3508) 20pts
Alinghi Red Bull Racing crew - TF35 Malcesine Cup:
Ernesto Bertarelli
Lucien Cujean
Arnaud Psarofaghis
Nicolas Charbonnier
Bryan Mettraux
Yves Detrey