18

Host: Nicks WellenfieberTarget not accessible

The Alinghi successes turned Switzerland, a country of many lakes, into a proud sailing nation. At a time when Marmi wasn’t even in his Alpine world yet. Now he’s building himself a cockleshell canoe.

Marmi wants to cross the mountain lake. So now he’s looking for wood and tying it together. He plans to use a handkerchief as his sail. Off we go into the wind! One with the forces of nature. That’s what makes sailing so fascinating. It also combines the experience of nature with sporting elements. You need all your muscles for sailing, as well as mental fortitude.

The Alinghi crew’s victories go back more than 20 years now. With a new boat and a new crew, the sailing nation of Switzerland is set to come to life again at the America’s Cup in August 2024. The landlocked country of Switzerland has frequently produced outstanding sailors. But sailing is also a grassroots sport. There are around 30,000 sailing boats registered in this country, and the Swiss Sailing association has 60,000 active sailors and 143 sailing clubs.

If you can’t afford your own boat, you can share one with other recreational skippers. It works like car sharing. You can book berths for a specific period with an app. If you want your own berth, you will need connections and 15 to 30 years of patience. There simply aren’t enough of them. And which boat should you use to get started? That depends on your budget and your ambitions.

Attending a sailing school in your preferred sailing area and sailing on other boats can help you quickly gain experience with different boats. At a minimum, you need a class D licence for inland waters – and 15 hours of one-to-one tuition.

Marmi isn’t worried about any of that, and he now puts his cockleshell out on the water, hoists his handkerchief and soon the wind picks up. Marmi draws himself up, spreads out his marmot arms and, channelling Leo DiCaprio back then, shouts: “I’m the king of the Alps!”