About
A home away from home With its club facilities based in the Swiss mountains and in the beginning, very often acknowledged with surprise, the GYC developed into an international club with 400 members from over 35 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 has developed into a firm force in the Swiss sailing scene, especially in Olympic sailing and on international level into classic yachts. Members enjoy a unique network, worldwide reciprocities year-round activities on the waters, in the clubhouse and in the surroundings of Gstaad. Throughout the year the club organizes 50 to 70 different occasions – for all members or with a private character. This mission will be taken further. Being a yacht club with no direct access to the waters or the sea, at the same time privileged to have its home in an intact region, the GYC is concerned and focused. Since 2011, topics relating to the protection of the oceans and waters have been an integral part of the club’s life. With sustainability being on our forefront we continue to emphasize our activities on our success on water issues. This is and will cover projects in cooperation with well-known foundations and governing bodies as well as in our valley of the Saanenland.
Contact information
Phone: +41 33 748 01 90
Gstaad, Switzerland
administration@gstaadyachtclub.com
History of The Royal Southern Yacht Club
Everything started in 1996 in St. Tropez, where Rene Fatton, one of our Founding Members, had bought a beautiful classic Riva motorboat and wanted to equip it with its own identity. Rene designed the burgee, stickers, beach towels, etc of a so-called “Yacht Club de Gstaad”. A virtual club was born! The following winter when Rene and his charming wife Christiane were walking through Gstaad, he was always proudly wearing a jacket with the “Yacht Club de Gstaad” ensign. During a lunch invitation, someone asked him how one could become member of this club. Not quite sure what to answer, later during a relaxed get together at a friend’s house, they decided to create a real club. If they were going to do this, then they would do it right. They soon arranged the articles of association and the bye-laws and brought together 10 Founding Members at the Olden hotel, which also became the initial “Clubhouse” for all meetings and events. On 28th February 1998, the Gstaad Yacht Club was founded. George Nicholson was elected Commodore and the Founders pledged to support this Club. About six months later, H.M. King Constantine kindly accepted to become Patron of the Gstaad Yacht Club, who since then has become much more than just a Patron; a friend and ambassador. In December of the same year, the first event was held. Each Founding Member was asked to invite 10 possible new members for a reception at the Olden. To mark the occasion, an Olympic Star boat was settled in the middle of…