Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier Triumphs in the 87th Bol d'Or du Léman: A controversial Clubhouse Celebration Saga

The 87th Bol d’Or du Léman set sail amid a flurry of suspense and anticipation. Only after 11 hours and 48 minutes of fierce racing, Bertrand Demole’s team, Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier, emerged ahead, graciously slicing through the finish line first. It was a feat worth celebratory fireworks and jubilation; however, instead, the air was thick with controversy.

Ylliam XII had been disqualified for changing its crew past the registration deadline. The team was left amidst uncertainty till the later morning, a technical error in the disqualification process found by the Jury led them to overturn the decision.

This abnormal blip in proceedings allowed Marco Favale’s X-Wing to steal the limelight, quite unknowingly, for one tantalising moment. They savoured the victory champagne and basked in the celebratory spotlight adorning the main stage, oblivious to the impending turn of events.

The race saw a vibrant mix of weather conditions, the forecasts promising light sunshine and dominant south-westerly breezes majestically transitioning into thermal winds by nightfall. This wind direction had previously favoured the Swiss shoreline in 2018, as pointed out by Nicolas Charbonnier, the tactician aboard X-Wing.

The spirited fleet commenced the race with a marginal four knots of breeze, still havening the memory of last the windless weekend at Genève-Rolle. As the fleet approached Versoix, the winds welcomed them with an uplifting ten knots, enough to push the TF35s onto their foils, charting their course towards Saint-Prex.

The familiarity of the Swiss shore guided the trio of Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier, Ylliam 17 and X-Wing led them to establish an early betting system. However, as they found their way into the Grand Lac, the rest of the fleet swiftly closed the gap.