Ladycat's final appearance in the Bol d'Or Mirabaud 2019

by Spindrift racing 25 May 2019 11:58 BST 14-16 June 2019

Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing © Chris Schmid / Spindrift Racing

The 81st edition of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, which is scheduled to start at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 15th, has historically been a key event in Spindrift racing's calendar.

This year it will mark the close of a chapter for Ladycat. After 13 years navigating the fickle waters of Lake Geneva, Dona Bertarelli's catamaran will set sail for the last time at this legendary Swiss event, with the colours of Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing. It will be replaced by the TF35 in 2020.

For the 2019 edition of the Bol d'Or, Yann Guichard will take over the role of skipper from Dona Bertarelli. She will be following close by, as Guichard and his crew take on one of the best races on inland waters.

Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing

Dona Bertarelli took part in her first D35 championship with an all-female team in 2007, when her 35-foot catamaran, Ladycat, raced in the class' flagship event, the Bol d'Or. Dona Bertarelli's original ambition was to learn as much as she could; she quickly took to the boat and after a series of podium places, won the 2010 edition of the Bol d'Or, becoming one of the very few women to win this iconic race.

Two additional wins followed for Dona Bertarelli and her team, in 2014 and 2016, with the catamaran, now renamed Ladycat powered by Spindrift Racing. The third victory in 2016 also saw them win the D35 championship title a just reward for the whole team's effort, determination and progress. Some thirteen years after Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing was first launched, the crew is making their final preparations before taking the start, for the last time, of the famous circuit of Lake Geneva which takes the fleet from Geneva to Bouveret and back.

"All the crew is looking forward to racing in the Bol d'Or again. This is a challenge we particularly like, as there are some interesting elements to the event. While the race course itself can be technical and capricious, the impressive fleet of 500 amateur and professional teams adds to the exciting competition and rarely experienced sailing conditions, all within a restricted playing field. We very much hope to be able to win the coveted title for the fourth time - that would be a nice footnote to our adventures with Ladycat," commented Yann Guichard.

Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing - photo © Chris Schmid / Spindrift Racing

A faithful crew

Dona Bertarelli will not be able to sail in this final event for Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing, due to a leg stress fracture. The Swiss sailor has entrusted the helm to Yann Guichard, who will be sailing with a team drawn from his core crew of Xavier Revil, Christophe Espagnon, Jacques Guichard, François Morvan and Matthieu Salomon. Together they have raced many miles offshore around the world, as well on Lake Geneva.

"While I'm naturally disappointed that I can't be onboard this year, I'm delighted that Yann has such a loyal and experienced crew to sail with at this unique event," says Dona Bertarelli.

Before the Bol d'Or, the crew will be put through their paces with Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing during the intense Geneva / Rolle / Geneva on June 8th.

Bol d'Or crew for Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing: