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It only took two years for the young amateur crew from Geneva’s Regatta Training Center to dominate the highly-competitive D35 class on Lake Geneva from the start of the 2012 season and claim the Vulcain Trophy.
Nine young amateur sailors from Geneva, skippered by Jérôme Clerc, stormed through the D35 class and in just two years moved from absolute beginners to season’s champions. They battled some of the most experienced crews on Lake Geneva but prevailed with relative ease.
Brian Conolly, CEO of Zhik, congratulated Jerome Clerc and his crew for their excellent performance this season. He stated that “Zhik is proud to partner with young and competitive sailors as they reflect the spirit of our company. Their brilliant result after just two years shows that Zhik is the clear choice of champions!" Despite this being the second year of the young and amateur crew in the highly competitive D35 circuit, they showed their form from the very first event, the Grand Prix Les Ambassadeurs. Clerc and his crew battled it out with Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi, finishing second, tied with the two-time America’s Cup winners.
Three weeks later, Realstone Sailing scored a commanding victory in the Open de Crans, with three bullets in five races, ahead of Artemis Racing that had French expert Michel Desjoyeaux at the helm. The Realstone kids had another flawless performance during the Geneva-Rolle-Geneva regatta, another classic regatta on the Swiss lake. Jérôme Clerc helmed the Realstone Sailing D35 catamaran to the lead from the starting line and never had to look back. It was in the season’s fourth event, the Open de Versoix I, that Realstone Sailing consolidated their leadership in the first half of the 2012 Vulcain Trophy, scoring two victories in four races.
The 74th Bol d’Or Mirabaud was one of Realstone Sailing’s key moments of the season as Jérôme Clerc and his crew claimed one of Europe’s most renowned and popular lake races. A combination of excellent crew work and tactics in the capricious breeze of Lake Geneva allowed them to hold their lead for the entire race. In the Open de Versoix II only two races were held in two days and Jérôme Clerc’s team had its lowest score of the season, a third place, but with a three-way tie at the top.
The seventh event of the 2012 Vulcain Trophy, the Grand Prix Grange & Cie, put the seal on an exceptional and perfect season for the young crew from Geneva. Not only did they score an emphatic victory, they extended their overall lead and clinched the 2012 Vulcain Trophy with one event left.
Although it was a pure formality, the season’s closing regatta, the Grand Prix Facchinetti Automobiles, was a grand finale for Realstone Sailing. After three days of intensive racing against Ladycat and Alinghi, they took the event in the very last race. Realstone Sailing consists of Jérôme Clerc at the helm, Denis Girardet and Bruno Barbarin calling tactics, Arnaud Psarofaghis (Zhik Moth Team Rider) and Cédric Schmidt trimming, Bryan Mettraux at the bow, and grinders Thierry Wasem, Nils Palmieri and Christian Monachon, the “engines” of the boat, according to Clerc.
