Regattaclub Oberhofen has claimed the HEIDI Cup, the autumn highlight of the Swiss women's sailing league circuit, after a tight battle on Lake Thun.
Hosted this year by Yacht Club Spiez, thirteen women's teams took on nine races in matched J/70 one-designs on the lake south of Bern. The racing was unusually close, with just four points separating the top four finishers at the end of the regatta.
That tightness owes much to the sailing league format itself, where teams rotate through the same boats each flight. Scores frequently overlapped as a result, with leaders sharing identical tallies through parts of the series.
Skipper Lisa Thonen steered Regattaclub Oberhofen to victory, backed by crew Salvina Fries, Angelika Siegfried, Sophie Studer and Selina Adam. Their scoreline, three firsts, five seconds and a fifth, added up to 18 points.
Second went to CER-Ville de Geneve, skippered by Karina Savary with Camille Guess, Anaelle Ortega, Amelie Bigler and Iona Jan aboard. They finished just one point adrift on 19, having posted three firsts, four seconds and two fourths.
Bordee de Tribord-La Neuveville took the bronze on 21 points under skipper Maren Kaushke, sailing with Morgane Emery, Lucille Andrey, Leonie Andrey, Oceane Affolter and Dilemma Dirren.
Kaushke's crew had actually led the regatta heading into race seven, but their form dipped late. Four firsts, two seconds, a third and two fifths in the closing races weren't quite enough to hold the top spot.
Karen Stein's Boddensprotten team, representing Regatta-Verein Greifswald, rounded out fourth on 22 points. Carmen Somm's Yacht Club Kreuzlingen crew finished fifth on 29.
