Ode to elegance

Classic sail

In mid-May, the Société Nautique Rolloise brought together 48 traditional gauge yachts for its Coupe de la Harpe. An exceptional concentration, demonstrating that in the age of foiling, sailboats that push off from the water still have a bright future ahead of them.

The flagship event of the Société Nautique Rolloise (SNR) for almost half a century, the Coupe de la Harpe was back in style in mid-May, with a magnificent fleet of 6mJI, 5.5m IC, 15m SNS and 6.5m SI boats. Four classes emblematic of an era that is far from over, reminding us that, while the speed of foilers is exhilarating and attracting an ever-increasing number of enthusiasts, fine racing on units with rules designed several decades ago continues to attract enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. The event saw boats from France, Finland and even Greece, and crew from the UK, Norway and New Zealand were also on hand to do justice to these hypertop sailboats, each more elegant than the last.
Over the course of a weekend, SNR succeeded in attracting a veritable who’s who of Lake Geneva sailing. They included recent Congressional Cup winner Éric Monnin, shipyard owners Bruno Engel, Yves Estermann and Philippe Kolly, and master sailmakers Nicolas Berthoud, Michel Vaucher and Julien Monnier. Olympic sailors such as Lucien Cujean and Jean-Philippe Ryter were also present. Philippe Durr, multiple world champion in the metric class, was also present, as was Pierre Fehlmann, the Swiss skipper of five Whitbreads, who is enjoying a happy retirement in the 5.5m IC class. A non-exhaustive line-up that reminds us that no one was there to string pearls, and that the level of the regattas proved equal to the personalities present.

A fulfilled president

Christophe Berthoud, president of SNR, was over the moon during the three-day event, and spared no effort to ensure that the welcome was up to the standard of these prestigious classes. Fortunately for everyone, Éole played the game and responded, albeit timidly, on Saturday and Sunday. Most of the 5.5CIs come from across the Sarine and wanted to be able to race on Friday to optimize their travel,” confided the president. We agreed to their request and allowed them to compete in two races on Friday afternoon. They didn’t regret their decision. “Philippe Durr, who raced in the 5.5 class on Friday, then in the 6.5 class for the rest of the weekend, commented: “It was great sport! The ten-strong fleet took advantage of steady winds, in excess of fifteen knots, to warm up before the arrival of the other classes.

Timid but stable airs

On Saturday, faced with smooth water throughout the morning and early afternoon, the crews stayed ashore until the first reefs settled in off Rolle. The race committee, brilliantly led by Garance Sarton-Lohéac, was then able to launch two regattas at the end of the day, in light airs but sufficiently stable for the jousts to be fair. It takes almost twenty minutes for the four procedures,” explained Christophe Berthoud. He continued: “This requires the conditions to be right, because once the course has been set, it’s very difficult to reorient it, given the number of boats on the water.” On Sunday, when the weather forecasts were rather pessimistic, an unexpected south-westerly flow, turning south-easterly as the day progressed, enabled three races to be run, in a wind of 3 to 6 knots, more than enough for these heavily-roofed boats. Strings of spinnakers and contact crossings punctuated this cool but sunny day, to the delight of all competitors.

Unanimous satisfaction

Winner in the 6mJI class, Éric Monnin was obviously satisfied with his trip: “Our objective was to validate several elements of the boat, modified with the help of Jean-Marc Monnard with a view to the Worlds in the USA this autumn. We didn’t have the conditions to experiment with everything, but we did see that it worked well in light airs.” In the 5.5CI class, Caracole dominated proceedings, winning five of the seven races. Nicolas Berthoud, who has been a loyal crew member of Bernard Haissly for almost forty years, recalled that, despite the boat’s apparent domination, “nothing is ever won. We had to fight. But it’s true that we’ve been sailing together in 5.5s for some fifteen years, so we’re benefiting from a wealth of experience.” Hans Lüdi, winner in the 15m SNS class, originally from Berne and who has lived on Haut-Lac for a number of years, was delighted to be taking part: “I’ve been sailing 15m boats since I was nine years old, when I started with my father. Since then, I’ve had a new boat, and I’ve been coming to Rolle since 1996. It’s always a great party and I never miss it. In the 6.5 SI class, Claude Laval from Thonon, who is very much involved in the class, showed great consistency, with only one race off the podium. Christian Monachon, class president and third-placed finisher, was delighted to see ten units on the move: “Rolle has long been a classic for 6.5s. But since 2010, participation has been a little sluggish. Christophe Berthoud put a lot of effort into getting us back, and it paid off. I couldn’t have hoped for better. In addition to the races on the water, the festive evening on Saturday, organized under the huge tent set up next to the club by the municipality, attracted over 150 people. Here, too, the SNR demonstrated its expertise in welcoming guests ashore, and the Coupe de la Harpe regained its rightful place as a Classic for Classics. Next year’s fiftieth edition should confirm this status.

Podiums

6mJI :
1: Éric Monnin, Duclop.
2: Jean-Pascal Chatagny, Saint-Francis.
3: Lucien Cujean, Junior.

5.5CI :
1: Bernard Haissly, Caracole.
2: Jürg Menzi, MF XXII.
3: Philippe Kolly, Dune.

6.5 SI :
1: Claude Laval, Zooloo.
2: Yves Estermann, Ibis.
3: Christian Monachon, Ondine.

15m SNS :
1: Hans Lüdi, Abraxas.
2: Vincent Zanlonghi, Nouvelle vague.
3: Markus Aebi, Carioca.