Sailing: Swiss team Decouvertes-GeoMod wins the J/70 world championship in Monaco

MONACO, Oct. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The J/70 world championship, organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco, ends with the victory of the Swiss team Decouvertes-GeoMod. The crew, formed by Kilian Wagen, Gregeoire Siegwart, Luke Patience, David Hughes, Celia Wilson, finished on the top step of the podium followed by the Monegasque team Leonteq with Pierrik Devic, Francois Brenac, Stephane Christidis, Axelle Foucaud, Martin Lemarchand. Bronze medal to the Americans Peter Duncan, Willam Van Waay, Morgan Trubovich and Victor Diaz de Leon with their boat Relative Obscurity.  “We are world champions and with my team we are very happy with the result – says Luke Patience -. We came to Monaco to win and we worked very hard. We didn’t expect it. It was great and I sailed with some old friends. There was a moment when I thought that our points were good and that if we could finish the race in a certain position then we could become world champions. It is a strange feeling: you don’t want to say it in your head because otherwise you risk losing focus instead you have to keep your attention up. I didn’t tell what I thought to the other teammates, I kept it to myself. The conditions were difficult because the wind kept changing but in English we say ‘fortune favors the brave’ and that’s what happened today.”  The world championship was the first one to be organised in Monaco since 1976: “It was amazing for the Yacht Club. As the vice president – underlines Pierre Casiraghi – it’s a fantastic event. We’ve been working for years and I want to thank all the team of the Yacht Club that did an amazing job but also the sailors that came here and fought to get the best result. We’re very proud  we have a vice world champion from the club and Monaco so to us it’s a great honor. I want to congratulate the winners, the Swiss team, they did an amazing job, very consistent all day. We’re very happy and hope we can organize more events of this magnitude.”  Some 400 sailors, 90 teams, 23 nations took part to the competition organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with the Monegasque Sailing Federation, FxPro, Sebago and technical sports clothing brand Slam which supplied garments for all crew members on the podium.

For more information:

LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director
Barbara Sanicola – barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c5fd67a-2da7-4d75-acf0-98e4a16d220e