This 2021 Swiss championship showdown took place in Zurich lake basin. In the previous year, 2020, blu26 became the first Swiss-based sailing class to have a Swiss Championship. Although the 2021 season had mishaps because of Corona, the competition held between 1st and 3rd October was a huge success. After some thorough training sessions at Zug in April and May, the sailors met in August, September, and October for the competitions. The traditional Fleet Race at St. Moritz in August, blu26 Bayern Cup at Tegernsee in Germany for September, and the last major event at Zurich lake basin, Switzerland. The last event at Zurich was a success, with the Denmark team sealing the 2021 Bluboats cup.
The president, blu26 sailing class, Thomas Grob, remarked that the event went well and that the weather was friendly for the sailing competition. He further added that the Zurich Yacht Club committee did a commendable job in planning for the event. This championship was launched cheerfully at the Yacht Club on the evening of Thursday, with an annual general meeting for the blu26 class after that.
On Friday, 1st October, the wind was continuous but gentle, from the Beaufort wind force scale, a mere 1 to 2 Beaufort, complemented by graceful sunshine. The 14 teams, including Marco, a rookie team, completed four races on this day, and the Zug-based team, Wyuna, got into the lead. The conditions of the second sailing competition day were ideal, with the steady south wind ranging from 2 to 3 Beaufort. The umpire teams were all eyes and near the boats to aid the sailors' fair and square race. Four different lively races took place, and by this time, the Engadin-based Giachen Duos and GoSail had tied, with both teams bagging 18 points each. Finally, the GoSail team won the blu26 Cup Bayern, encouraging them to focus on the Swiss Championship prize.
On Saturday evening, the teams and blu26 comrades converged for a hospitable evening sail at the Zurich yacht club after having the traditional "dock beer" ready for the final day.
On the last day, Sunday, 3rd October, the wind was calm. The teams from Engadin and Denmark had 18 points each. GoSail eventually won the blue26 Swiss Championship under their captain Soren Laugesen, with Giachen Duos coming in second captained by Christa Kuster; the third was Wyuna with their captain, Michael Adamczyk.
The blu26 class thanked the Zurich Yacht Club for their unique, friendly hospitality, the group of organizers for a grand event and didn't forget to commend the judges and all the other stakeholders that made the event a big success. The season was unpredictable as tables turned for some teams. This is because the teams that had been winning received a shock from developing teams that proved to be tougher than presumed. With the next season far off and the winter closing in, teams have ample time until next season to improve and regroup.
Photography Sébastien Rohner www.sebastienrohner.com
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