The TF35 Trophy kicks off this weekend in Nyon

TF35 Trophy © Sailing Energy

The 2026 TF35 Trophy season gets under way this weekend with the Grand Prix de Nyon, taking place from 15-17 May at the Société Nautique de Nyon.

Racing begins on Friday morning with five races per day scheduled over the weekend. Crews will gather at the clubhouse at 10am for the first briefing of the season before getting straight into action, with the first possible start scheduled for 11.30am off the shores of the charming old town and its iconic Musée du Léman.

The forecast for the weekend looks unsettled and almost wintry, with a mix of cloud, showers and a few brighter spells expected later in the weekend. Temperatures will remain cool, ranging from 6°C to 13°C, very much in keeping with the traditional "Ice Saints" period. Winds are also expected to be unstable, meaning crews will need to stay alert and adapt quickly to make the most of every opportunity.

"Unfortunately, we may end up paying the price for our fantastic pre-season. We've had incredible conditions for sailing, whereas now it's quite the opposite: very cold, little wind and plenty of rain," said Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician aboard X-WING. "That said, these boats are designed to sail in very light airs, and the race committee always manages to find something on the lake in which we can race."

Last year, the Grand Prix de Nyon set the tone for an intensely competitive season, with five different winners across six races and an exceptionally evenly matched fleet. Ylliam 17 claimed victory ahead of Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier and Sails of Change 8. This year, all seven teams arrive at the opening event following several training sessions since early April, promising another exciting contest on Lake Geneva.

Charbonnier continued: "It's been a really positive start to the year with some excellent training, and we're fortunate to continue with the same team. Racing is always quite different, though, because you never really know where the others stand. This first Grand Prix will give us a good indication of where we are."

Fans will be able to follow the racing live via the new tracking app, available from Friday on the homepage of the official website, while race replays will also be accessible online. The TF35 fleet can also be followed on the Class's Instagram and Facebook channels.

Join us on Friday 15 May at 11.30am for the opening race of the 2026 season.