Gstaad Yacht Club
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A Yacht Club in Switzerland
The Gstaad Yacht Club
was founded in 1998 by a group of sailor enthusiasts with the vision to
"create a unique global yacht club away from the waters, instead of
another local club by the waters". Based in the Swiss mountains and in the
beginning, very often acknowledged with surprise, the GYC developed to a club
with more than 400 members from over 30 different countries and to a place
where members and their guests love to meet.
The GYC supports sailing
projects on all levels from juniors to professional sailors and it has become a
solid force on the Swiss
sailing scene and especially among Olympic sailing and the classic yachts.
Land-Locked Yachting
Although
the club has no lake or sea access, on land training and on water education is
provided. Children, youth and club teams are introduced to sailing depending on
their level and trained further. In addition to the training on Lake Thun or
Lac Léman, every year the children can attend a sailing camp which takes place
in various places in European sailing waters.
And once more: where's a will there's a way.
Together with other clubs or class associations, the GYC searches and finds the
ways to achieve its goals. Each year in cooperation with the national Optimist class
a team is formed from the best Swiss Opti sailors to take part in the
International Club Team Race regatta, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco in
the end of January. As
the club from the landlocked country the GYC tries to diversify its water
activities as much as possible.
Social Activities
Every
March more than 20 teams from the friends' yacht clubs are invited to the Ski
Yachting. During this three-day event winter and summer feelings are brought
together. A giant slalom with a special condition brings out team that compete
the next day in the match race with America's Cup model boats a sport event
with pleasure and friendship.
The
summer event became equally popular:
Starting
back in 2006 the club organises an annual classic car rally, combining a
beautiful car drive, remote-controlled model boat sailing, as well as golfing.
Centenary Trophy
GYC upholds the traditions of classic yachts. Mariquita,
at that time in possession of a GYC member and arguably one of the most
beautiful large yachts, built in 1911 in the famous William Fife shipyard in
Scotland, had become 100 years old. On this occasion, in 2011 the GYC had
decided to invite yachts that were one hundred years or older and in their
original condition to a special race. The Centenary Trophy, found and brought
from England, was also 100 years old and freshly polished waited for the
winner. With friends in Saint-Tropez and carried out by the Société Nautique de
Saint-Tropez, the first Classic Regatta was organized in a Pursuit format. In
accordance with the handicap, the slowest boat started first and almost 45
minutes later started the birthday child Mariquita. Each participant and, above
all, every guest aboard the 15 of the over 100-year-old yachts knew their
ranking at any time during the regatta.
In
2018, the Trophy will be held for the eight time, becoming an increasingly
popular event, and every year the trophy gets new "young" 100 years
old yachts.
For a fuller story of Gstaad Yacht Club, click HERE to download a colorful article.
Updated Wednesday, April 11, 2018