Yacht-Club Spiez

History

Yacht-Club Spiez was founded on 23 May 1964 at Hotel Krone in Spiez. Founding members included Hansruedi Amstutz, Hansruedi Bader, Hansruedi Boss, Therese Fuhrer, Josef Hausner, Otto Jungi, Ernst von Kaenel, Jürg Müller, Roland Rupp, Peter Siegrist and Willy Spozio. The purpose was to promote sailing and motorboating, especially cruising and racing, as well as fellowship. The first regatta was held on 30 August 1964 from the start tower at Hotel Spiezerhof; the club had around 50 members. In 1967 the start/finish area moved in front of the Faulensee fish farm and the first day-and-night regatta was held with about 35 participants. In 1970 Jakob Itten lent his yacht «Whiskytime», enabling starts on the open lake; YCSp hosted its first Swiss championship in the Kielzugvogel class. At the end of 1971 Itten donated «Whiskytime» to the club. In 1974 the club celebrated its tenth anniversary with a pirate festival and counted around 205 members. In 1975 it hosted the Moth European Championship with 50 sailors from seven countries; the club’s sea shanty choir, today Shanty-Chor Spiez, made its first appearances. In 1977 YCSp organised its first world championship for the Lightning class with 53 competitors from eleven nations. In 1983 it ran the Swiss championship for Division II boards with 102 participants. In 1984 YCSp supported Tornado and Flying Dutchman at the centralised Swiss Sailing championships; membership was around 170. In 1988 the club hosted its second world championship with the Tempest class (53 teams from seven countries). In 1989 it celebrated its 25th anniversary at Seegarten. In 1992 a Trias European Championship and the first match races on Lake Thun took place. 1993 brought a record 177 boats at the day-and-night regatta. In 1994 YCSp helped set the Guinness world record «Thunersee» with 365 boats and over 2000 people; membership returned to around 190. 1996 was the darkest year: a fatality by drowning at the stormy day-and-night regatta; the club was cleared by the Federal Supreme Court in 2004, contributing later to ending that cult race. In 1997 the first Bay Match Race with Segelschule Thunersee was held. On 25 September 1998 the new clubhouse at the lakeside baths opened with good infrastructure and a crane. Floods in 1999 and 2005 forced championship cancellations. In 2004 the club celebrated its 40th anniversary with around 200 members. The clubhouse was renovated in 2006. In 2009 the third world championship (Tempest) drew a record 63 boats. In 2010 Linda Fahrni and Maja Siegenthaler became junior world champions in the 420; Christof Wilke won the 5.5 m IC world title. In 2012 the club bought the mark-laying boat «Iron Shark». In 2014 it celebrated 50 years with some 200 active and junior members. In 2016 highlights included Opti PM with over 100 Optimists and the Spiez Long-Distance Cup in the TBSV Cup. In 2018 Anja von Allmen won Optimist WM bronze in Cyprus; YCSp sailors won the Trias Euro Cup in Spiez. In 2019 the Swiss Sailing League team finished 5th in the Challenge League; Anja von Allmen became Laser world champion. COVID years 2020/2021 forced cancellations and an online AGM; in 2021 the SSL team regained Challenge League and «la vela» opened to the public. In 2022 the SSL team topped the Challenge League and rose to Super League; Swiss championships in Yngling and Dolphin 81 were held. In 2023, 102 Optimists visited for the Opti points championship, the first Heidi Cup Switzerland was hosted in Spiez, and Anja von Allmen joined the Alinghi Red Bull women’s team. In 2024 Eli reopened the clubhouse, Björn Rizzi took 2nd overall at Genève-Rolle-Genève, the club celebrated «60 years YCSp», and Spiez hosted the J/70 Swiss championship with 30 boats. The club remains in the Swiss Sailing Super League.

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