Yacht-Club Luzern
Yacht-Club Luzern is a traditional sailing club on Lake Lucerne with its clubhouse at Lidostrasse 8 on the right shore of the Lucerne basin, next to the Lido bathing beach. Members use the jetty, mooring field, dinghy storage ashore, a crane at Alpenquai and a clubhouse with lounge, fireplace, bar, kitchen and changing rooms. The programme includes regattas, junior and adult training, J/70 club-boat booking and social events. The club welcomes beginners through to racing sailors; youth development with Optimist courses is an explicit goal. Founded in 1941 and celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2026, the club stands for camaraderie and active sailing in Central Switzerland.
History
On 2 November 1941 Yacht-Club Luzern (YCL) was founded in the «Rotes Gatter» at Hotel des Balance. In 1943 the club held its first regatta «Preis vom Trastenbergli»; in 1944 the first regional Pirate championship took place at YCL. Around 1950 the club had about 100 members and some 50 sailboats, still moored at various spots in the Lucerne basin, and the Crystal Cup began. In 1954/55, after the old bathhouse was replaced, the club gained a small changing room and a race-committee room. In 1966 the clubhouse cooperative (CHG) was founded and the building lease for Lidostrasse 8 was signed; construction began on 12 November 1966 and the clubhouse opened officially on 25 August 1968 with 45 moorings and numerous dinghy places after the move from the Tivoli site. In 1968 the club acquired its own crane; in 1975 the clubhouse bar was installed and the dinghy-yard contract with the city was signed. In 1980 the crane moved to the Technical Spur. In 1991 YCL celebrated its 50th anniversary and renewed the jetty; in 1998 the lease was extended to February 2026. In 2000 Swiss Sailing named YCL the most active sports club; in 2004 www.ycl.ch went online. In 2014 the crane was refurbished; in 2016 the jetty was replaced and radio remote control added to the crane. 2017 brought the 75th club anniversary and 50 years of the clubhouse. 2020 was marked by COVID cancellations and correspondence meetings, renewal of clubroom and sanitary facilities, sponsorship of start boat POLE, and the final LEE-BOTE issue. In 2023 a bicycle parking area was added. In 2025 the club adopted the «Vision Yacht-Club Luzern» and marked 50 years of Opti training. In 2026 Yacht-Club Luzern celebrated 85 years under the motto «Seit 1941 am Wind».
Information
Youth section
Active junior section with Optimist courses on Wednesday afternoons (course 1 from 13:30, course 2 from 15:30, two hours each), training aligned with J+S and DSV guidelines, taster sessions from June by arrangement, plus 7 O’Clock and regatta participation; also open to children of non-members.
Guest berths
Mooring buoys for rent