UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour: Arnaud Psarofaghis wins

Valencia was the center of attention of the Swiss sailing community, as it was host to the finals of the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour, taking place right inside Port America's Cup.

The regatta started on Friday afternoon with an exhibition fleet race and continued through Saturday and Sunday, with the Round Robins, the semifinals and finals. Unfrotunately, Saturday's weather proved to be tricky with very light winds resulting in almost half of racing cancelled.

Nevertheless, Sunday's strong but shifting winds gave the chance to recover all lost races but also provided some excellent sailing, especially during the semifinals and finals. Arnaud Psarofaghis, a 17-year old from Geneva, managed to beat Eric Monnin and become the Swiss champion of match race. Despite winning only five out of ten races during the Roiund Robins, the young sailor put on an excellent show in the finals.

According to Alinghi, the successful UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour will be repeated in 2006, and we hope to see the Swiss sailors racing inside Valencia's harbor. Enjoy the photos from Sunday's races, even if, unfortunately, the background is not always as beautiful as one would wish.