Mataji
Well-Known Member
My wife wants to go on holiday to Switzerland, staying by one of the lakes. Could anyone recommend which would be the best lake for getting some sailing, and details of boat hire?
Sailing in Switzerland
- Thread starter Mataji
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Sybarite
Well-Known Member
BrianH
Well-Known Member
It all depends on what area of Switzerland you wish to visit, the range is wide, from Lake of Constance in the north that is shared with Germany; to Lake Maggiore in the south shared with Italy; to Lake Geneva in the west, shared with France. They are all very different as are the languages.
The largest lake entirely in Switzerland is Lake Neuchâtel on the edge of the Jura mountains in the northern area close to France. However, perhaps the most scenic, in the Alpine areas of Lucerne on Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) and in the Bernese Oberland, the lakes of Thun and Brienz, separated by the town of Interlaken and close to the massif of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, both are very famous tourist venues. Boats can certainly be hired on Lake Thun at various villages between the towns of Thun and Interlaken on the eastern shore (see footnote).
For a sailing boat with more than 15m² total sail area* you need either a Swiss sailing licence or, if not a Swiss resident, an ICC with CEVNI endorsement.
*That means anything more than a largish dinghy. I used to rent a Soling from the sailing school at Neuhaus, Interlaken, with a mainsail alone slightly larger than that. But I kept my 470 there and raced it regularly so was trusted not to do anything silly to attract the water police, as I had no Swiss Segelschein and, being a Swiss resident, my UK ICC would not have been accepted. It was anyway before Switzerland signed UNECE Resolution 40 in 1998, which now applies for temporary visitors only.
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Mataji
Well-Known Member
Thanks for those replies. Very useful. I would prefer the French speaking area as it’s the only other language I speak, but my wife will decide in the end. It’s her holiday, and as I’m away sailing much of the summer I have to do as I’m told on this one.
BrianH
Well-Known Member
If you visit the areas of central Switzerland where the most scenic lake and mountain areas are, such as Interlaken or Luzern, although in the German-speaking part they will also speak French fluently ... as well as English.
langstonelayabout
Well-Known Member
Having flown from Geneva on a few occasions I must say that the lake is lovely.
But with rules like those, is the requirement for those qualifications to ensure that only certified people use the lake or to keep most people off the lake altogether? It looks pretty draconian...
BrianH
Well-Known Member
Basically it reflects the German-speaking countrys' mentality of order and competence, resulting in a highly-regulated society. The Swiss rules for water craft are similar to, and reflect much of, those of Germany and Austria, which is why I write "German-speaking" as that language, at 63%, dominates and influences the entire Swiss sailing regulations and qualifications. The main other languages are French, 22.7% and Italian, 8.4%.
So no, such "draconian" regulations are not to restrict the number of lake users, that is controlled by the limited number of berths and moorings, with their long waiting lists and astronomical prices. In contrast, the availability of lake-side land storage and launching ramps that, with the sub-15m² sail-area no Segelschein requirement, results in healthy fleets of dinghies on most of the substantial lakes, of which there are over 100.
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BrianH
Well-Known Member
One point I failed to address above regarding Swiss bureaucracy in water-sports is that not only are sailing qualifications required for >15m² sail-area boats but that ALL craft, without exception, must be registered and inspected by the cantonal department responsible for water and road transport.
When many years ago I learned that the European laser championships were to be held on my local lake (Thunersee) that summer, I bought a new one intending to enter for the three day event. Naturally, I turned up with it on a roof-rack at the Bern offices to register it and duly received its official number and then off to practice.
First time out I was surprised to be approached by the Wasserpolizei boat and interrogated as to why I did not have the official number displayed on the hull. Fortunately, I had the relevant registration document on me but my argument that the 'hull', being little more than a surfboard, was just not large enough to fit the standard-sized numbers on, fell on deaf ears. I was sternly warned to fit anyway or next time I would be fined.
There's more. Each lake is ringed by a series of warning lights that are activated when the wind exceeds a certain force (I cannot remember exactly what it is). There are two frequencies of flashing, slow is a warning; fast is a mandatory order to return to shore - to not do so will result in a fine.
Writing this in my comfortable cabin I can smile about it - because I am moored in Bella Italia! ... :encouragement:
