Bernard Haissly, Nicolas Berthoud and Daniel Stampfli sailing Caracole (SUI 214) won the International 5.5 Metre Swiss Open at the Société Nautique de Genève, Switzerland, winning both races on the final day.
Marie-Françoise XIX (SUI 228) of Jürg Menzi, Rasmus Knude, Bo Selko) were second with Pungin (SUI 213) of Hans-Peter Schmid, Gilbert Dürr and Walter Dürr in third.
The final day belonged to Caracole, who could barely put a foot wrong all day, winning both races comfortably, while her main rivals struggled in the light and fickle breeze.
In Race 5, Caracole made the best of the first upwind, while those who went right struggled a bit.
She rounded ahead of Pungin and Marie-Françoise XIX and seemed to have a speed advantage downwind to break away. The race turned into a procession with no further changes until the finish.
With the breeze already on the way out, Race 6 got away promptly and this time it was Dune (SUI 218 Philippe Kolly, Philippe Dupont, Annette Martin) leading at the top from Caracole and Pungin.
Marie-Françoise XIX needed to win the race to stand a chance of defending her title, but rounded mid-fleet and could not find a way back over the next two legs. Caracole rounded the gate right behind Dune and then moved ahead on the final upwind to take a comfortable win, with Dune in second.
With six races completed and the wind rapidly decreasing the race committee sent the fleet home and ended the regatta.
The fleet heads north next, to Helsinki, Finland, where the 100th Scandinavian Gold Cup and the World Championship will begin on July 24.
5.5 Metre Swiss Open – Final Results after 6 races
1st Caracole (SUI 214 Bernard Haissly, Nicolas Berthoud, Daniel Stampfli) 8 pts
2nd Marie-Françoise XIX (SUI 228 Jürg Menzi, Rasmus Knude, Bo Selko) 10 pts
3rd Pungin (SUI 213 Hans-Peter Schmid, Gilbert Dürr, Walter Dürr) 13 pts
4th Dune (SUI 218 Philippe Kolly, Philippe Dupont, Annette Martin) 22 pts
5th Nina (SUI 215 Falk Einecke, Ronald Röseler, Nils Schröder) 23 pts
6th Shaolin (SUI 226 Cyrus Golchan, Andreas Kindlimann, Hans Von Werdt) 27 pts
7th Beta Crucis (AUS 63 Martin Cross, Ed Peel, Richard Powell) 28 pts
8th Feng Shui (NED 26 Arend Jan Pasman Ron Azier, Jan-Peter Kurvers) 37 pts
9th Forza Del Destino (SUI 211 George Prapopoulos, Simon Pfändler, Philip Prapopoulos) 45 pts
10th Black&White (SUI 219 Daniel Schenker, Mark Dangel, Pierre Buhofzer) 48 pts
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