Record thanks to a helping hand from Geneva

Rund Um 2025

With glorious sunshine and strong winds, the Rund Um provided dream conditions for the more than 250 crews who entered. The German crew of the Décision 35 All you need, reinforced by some fine French-speaking sailors, won the race after leading from start to finish, setting a new record in the process.

Last year’s race was short-lived for the Swiss multihulls, swept away by violent gusts and heavy swells. For this edition, held on the Friday after Corpus Christi, such a scenario seemed unlikely. The sun had been out all week, with a somewhat timid wind, and the weather forecasts predicted no notable changes.

Is this enough to revive Swiss hopes? Not necessarily, at least not on paper. Although five of the seven multihulls were sailing under the Swiss flag, the big favorite was still the defending champion All You Need, a German D35 whose length gives it a slight advantage over the Ventilo and other competitors. To compete, the Swiss had to read the race course to perfection, avoid the traps of the calms and make the most of their tactical sense.

A challenge they have successfully met in the past. But that was without counting on Moritz Kleindienst, the new skipper of All You Need. He called on Laurane and Nelson Mettraux, two seasoned Lake Geneva racers and D35 specialists. “We met the owners in April, helping them rig and prepare their boat. After a training outing, Moritz asked us if we wanted to come aboard for the Rund Um. We hit it off straight away, so we said yes,” explains Nelson Mettraux. With the Mettraux brother and sister on board, the German crew could count on two major assets to get the best out of the D35.

The new concept has proved its worth

Although the Rund Um remains the biggest regatta on Lake Constance, with 262 yachts registered, the results are somewhat mixed. It has to be said that, despite the dream conditions, participation was only slightly up on the two previous editions, which were held in the rain. Many of the region’s yachtsmen no longer seem ready for the effort of a long-distance race. Many had to bite their fingers off. Introduced in 2023, the late afternoon start was renewed for the third year running. At precisely 4 p.m., the starting gun sounded for the multihulls and fast monohulls, with the other groups following at regular 15-minute intervals. While the first group had to complete the long round trip from Lindau to Überlingen, the pleasure boats sailed the short loop to Constance and back.

D35 domination All you need

Contrary to forecasts, the wind blew throughout the regatta. A well-established breeze of over 10 knots enabled the participants to make rapid headway. Despite these ideal conditions, the race lacked suspense on the multihull side. All You Need took the lead right from the start, followed by three Swiss boats: Sammy Smits’ Green Horny, Armin Schmid’s Sonnenkönig by Armin Schmid and Rocket by Hans-Jörg Etter. The steady north-easterly wind left little room for tactics. The fleet sailed down to Überlingen on a reaching leg, before heading upwind along the German shore. Visibly at ease, the D35 gradually increased its lead over the Swiss catamarans. “On the way back to Lindau, we knew the record was within our grasp. We gave it our all to push the D35 to the limit,” says Laurane Mettraux.

The Romans are decisive

After just 3 hours, 38 minutes and 33 seconds, All you need crossed the finish line in Lindau, beating the record set in 2023. The long-distance regatta culminated in an evening sports outing. At the finish, Laurane confided: “We’re very satisfied with the result and the way we sailed. We had no room for error if we wanted this record, and we achieved it.” Much of the credit goes to the French-speaking members of the crew. However, Nelson Mettraux remains modest: “Laurane and I helped to prepare the boat better, to make it lighter and easier to handle, and therefore faster. During the race, our experience enabled us to choose the sails well and trim them better.” Moritz Kleindienst, visibly marked by the event, doesn’t see it the same way. Grateful, he admits: “Without the Genevans, we wouldn’t have survived!”

Second place for Sammy Smits

The rest of the podium was decided by the three Swiss catamarans, which fought out a great battle. Hans-Jörg Etter’s Rocket was in the lead at the buoy off Überlingen, before retiring due to damage. On the descent to Lindau, Sammy Smits on Green Horny managed to hold off his rival Armin Schmid on Sonnenkönig, securing second place. “For me, second place is like a victory,” he enthused. We’ve made a lot of changes to the boat, and now it’s running very well. But against the D35, we didn’t stand a chance. As tradition dictates, the Rund Um is accompanied by a rich program of entertainment, including a party zone in the marina and concerts. Even if the audience remains sizeable, the livestream and live race feed could gain in appeal. A renewal of the catamaran fleet would also be welcome. It’s time for new types of boats to shake up the hierarchy. When will the first TF35 be on the starting line? Maybe Laurane and Nelson will bring one next year…