Lake Geneva delivered exactly the kind of chaos SailGP needed as its season hurtles towards a finish. Light, fickle winds, a home crowd desperate for something to cheer, and fleets fighting for the last points before the Grand Final combined for a thoroughly entertaining weekend on the water.
Here are the five moments that stood out.
Quentin Delapierre's DS Automobiles France crew went for broke on day two of group racing. Needing a top-four finish to reach the event Final, the French boat pushed hard on the run to the line and came within a whisker of collecting the Danish F50. Chief umpire Craig Mitchell wasn't impressed. France copped a penalty, and the advantage swung straight back to ROCKWOOL Racing.
Then there was the home team.
Sebastien Schneiter's Explora Journeys Swiss crew had a shocking start to their regatta but turned it around when it mattered, picking up two race wins in front of their own supporters. The cowbells were out in force as the Swiss boat crossed the line, and the result was enough to send them through to the four-boat Final.
Geneva also made history off the back of a quieter, longer-term story. Martine Grael took the helm of the U.S. F50 with Anna Weis alongside her as grinder and jib trimmer, marking the first time two women have raced together on board an F50. The pair made up half the crew.
Not everyone left Geneva happy. Emirates GBR looked to have done enough to scrape into the Final, until organisers slotted in an extra group race late in the schedule. A poor start left Dylan Fletcher's crew stuck in the pack, and they were overtaken at the final gate by the Canadian F50. That dropped them out of qualifying position entirely, and Fletcher's frustration was obvious.
The Final itself came down to four crews with plenty on the line: season leaders Bonds Flying Roos, Explora Journeys Swiss, ROCKWOOL Racing and Los Gallos. For much of the race it looked like another Australian win was on the cards.
It wasn't to be.
Diego Botin's Spanish crew produced a sharp, well-timed move to snatch victory away from the Aussies and take the win in Geneva. The result also locked in Los Gallos' place at the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi, where the season's champion will finally be decided.
SailGP now turns to the Middle East for the final push, with back-to-back events in Dubai on 21-22 November before the season-defining Grand Final in Abu Dhabi on 28-29 November.
