The 2009 edition showed all the signs of being a very close-fought race in view of the prestigious range of sailors this season and the number of contestants : 12 for 3 places on the podium ; the stretch of water on Lake Léman was truly the scene of fantastic comings and goings that made people hold their breath. After three successive victories, the OKALYS-CORUM team won 2nd place. With two boats this year, the ALINGHI team on SUI-1 landed 1st place on the podium.
Review of the three days of racing (results of the races taken from the Grand Chelem releases):
Friday, 8th May 2009
OKALYS-CORUM won the only leg of the day’s race.
Twelve D35 on the starting line before noon with a wind of 15 to 20 knots. Although Stève Ravussin on board Veltigroup made a strong start, it was finally OKALYS-CORUM that won the first round with only a 5-meter lead on Zen Too of Guy de Picciotto in 2nd place. Banque Populaire closed the sailing of this first day.
Saturday, 9th May 2009
Alinghi SUI-1 and OKALYS-CORUM won each of the first three legs of the second day of the CORUM Grand Prix.
Due to the wind conditions, the first departure could not be given until 3:00PM. A first leg, dominated by Smarthome of Christian Michel, was started before being cancelled due to instability and lack of wind. The second leg was won by OKALYS-CORUM of Nicolas Grange, propelling the team to the head of the overall classification. Alinghi SUI-1 led by Ernesto Bertarelli won the 3rd and final round of the day, positioned just ahead of Ladycat of Dona Bertarelli Spaeth and Veltigroup of Marco Simeoni.
Sunday, 10th May 2009
Alinghi SUI-1 came out winner of the CORUM Grand Prix after fighting OKALYS-CORUM up to the last leg.
After two days of regatta, OKALYS-CORUM was leading the dance by one point. The last two legs of the day totally changed the entire classification. In total, the twelve D35 will have raced 6 legs.A first leg won by OKALYS-CORUM, of Nicolas Grange was launched at 1:45 PM with a wind of between 5 and 10 knots. Alinghi SU-1 was in 2nd place. The second and final leg of the day was decisive and was won by Alinghi SUI-1. This victory brought the first place in the Grand Prix to Alinghi SUI-1.
OKALYS-CORUM of Nicolas Grange only just finished in second place. This team, which has not changed for four years, shows that experience of the D35 and knowledge of the stretch of water are of prime importance. On third place on the podium was Julius-Baer that had been reinforced by four members of the Courrier Dunkerk team in a Mumm 30.
General classification of the CORUM Grand-Prix
1. SUI-1 Alinghi SUI-1 13 pts
2. SUI-2 OKALYS-CORUM 16 pts
3. SUI-3 Julius-Baer 18 pts
4. SUI-5 Foncia 21 pts
5. SUI-4 Zen Too 22 pts
6. SUI-6 Alinghi SUI 6 24 pts
7. SUI-11 Veltigroup 28 pts
8. SUI-10 Ladycat 32 pts
9. SUI-7 Zebra 7 37 pts
10. SUI-9 Smarthome 39 pts
11. SUI-12 Banque Populaire 39 pts
12. SUI-8 Romandie.com 58 pts
The result of this CORUM Grand Prix reflects the teams’ strengths, both amateurs and professionals, which had been honed through years of experience making this a really exhilarating competition. The oceanic sailors who also participated in the circuit added a valuable international visibility to this event, contributing to the D35 fleet a fame that extends well beyond our frontiers.
Summary of the history of this partnership....
Confirming its attachment to the world of sailing, CORUM continues its history and reinforces its presence in the arena of nautical sponsoring. Marking a nautical double, the CORUM watchmaking brand, joined forces with the prestigious and winning OKALYS-CORUM team and lent its name to the Geneva Grand Prix; a history which above all tells of the meeting of passionate people. Building a long-term partnership, the watchmaking brand has signed a contract for three years and plans to make great strides in the discipline.
To commemorate this new challenge, CORUM has created a custom trophy for the event. Antonio Calce, CORUM CEO presented it to Ernesto Bertarelli’s team, which was the first winner of the CORUM Grand Prix trophy. The names of all winners will be engraved on it, in the order of their victories.
As the Grand Prix’s official partner, CORUM is running up its watchmaking colors and lending its precision to seafaring timepieces and chronographs. CORUM rewarded the winning team with a titanium Admiral’s Cup Black Hull 48 watch, the brand’s iconic model famous for its dodecagonal bezel and a dial decorated with nautical pennants. This model will symbolize the two partnerships by becoming the official watch of the CORUM Grand Prix and the OKALYS-CORUM team.
Source: Corum
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