We had been warned that conditions for the 77th edition Bol d’Or Mirabaud would be calm and changeable, turning the race into a test of patience and concentration for the 500 entrants. At the end of a “poker” race as some had predicted, it was the young team of “Team Tilt”, skippered by Sébastien Schneiter, (he’s only 19 years old!) that finished first, just 18 seconds ahead of Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi. Ladycat powered by Spindrift Racing, skippered by Dona Bertarelli, completed the podium this year, which was marked by light winds on the outward leg and a thunderstorm on the way back.

At the head of the flotilla, the D35s, the Formula 1 on the lake, were locked in an intense tactical battle. After the starting gun fired at 10am in the blazing sun, Ladycat powered by Spindrift Racing quickly moved ahead along the northern Swiss shore of the lake before being blocked in by Realtime and Tilt when approaching the turning point at Le Bouveret. The lead changed several times on the way back to Geneva. Around 8pm, violent storms broke out with strong gusts of wind, with Team Tilt making the most of the changing conditions to take the lead. With Alinghi hot on their heels, the young team crossed the line as the winner after 12 hours, 5 minutes and 58 seconds, according to the Hublot clock set up at the Société Nautique de Genève especially for the occasion.

For the third consecutive year, Hublot was the Official Timekeeper of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud. The brand has always had close links with the world of the sea and sailing, both through its name (“hublot” means porthole in French) and the shape of its Swiss replica watches UK, but also thanks to partnerships such as those with the Monaco Oceanographic Museum and its Institute. Because it was the 77^th edition of the regatta, Hublot unveiled a special edition of its Classic Fusion Chrono in black ceramic that is limited to 77 numbered pieces. The dial, bezel and strap of this sport-chic model are in carbon fibre, a high-tech material that is particularly appreciated by sportspeople and renowned for its lightness and shock-resistance. A strap in carbon fibre stitched onto to blue rubber completes the ensemble. These three materials, carbon fibre, ceramic and rubber, together make up the Art of Fusion for which Hublot is so famous.