For a club nestled among the mountains rather than the sea, Gstaad Yacht Club continues to produce remarkable results on the international sailing circuit.

The latest success came at the Formula Kite World Championships in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, where Gstaad Yacht Club Racing Team member Elena Lengwiler sailed to a bronze medal in one of the most dramatic comebacks of the event.

Representing Switzerland, Lengwiler only just secured a place in the Medal Series, qualifying in tenth position. What followed was a masterclass in determination. Winning both the quarter-final and semi-final, she fought her way into the grand final and ultimately claimed third place in the world.

The result carries particular significance after last year's championships, where equipment damage denied her a stronger finish and left her in sixth place.

“I started the day in tenth place – with the mindset that I had nothing to lose and everything to win,” Lengwiler said after the race. “I was able to take my opportunities, make good decisions and avoid mistakes, which ultimately brought me to third place at the World Championships.” Lengwiler's medal was one of several highlights for Swiss sailing. In the men's Formula Kite competition, Swiss sailor Gian Andrea Stragiotti secured silver behind Singapore's Maximilian Maeder, marking his first podium finish at elite level.

Meanwhile, other members of the Gstaad Yacht Club Racing Team also impressed on the international stage. Joshua Richner and Nilo Schärer achieved a top-30 finish at the 49er World Championships in Quiberon, France, while Elia Colombo represented Switzerland at the iQFoil European Championships in Portimão, Portugal.

The busy championship season continued with the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 European Championships in Kaštela, Croatia. There, GYC Racing Team sailors Anja von Allmen and Martin Verhulst competed against some of Europe's strongest fleets, with Verhulst finishing 29th in the Silver Fleet among a field of 173 sailors.

The future looks bright, too
Junior sailor Lou Eisenhut has enjoyed an outstanding season in the Optimist class and recently secured qualification for the Optimist World Championships in Tangier, Morocco.

Her recent performances included podium finishes at regional championships in Estavayer and Thun. The regatta in Thun proved particularly memorable, as girls claimed all three podium positions for the first time in the history of the Swiss Optimist ranking series.

Tangier will host sailors from a record 73 nations, making it the largest Optimist World Championship ever staged. It will also be only the second time in the event's 63-year history that the championship has been held in Africa. For Eisenhut, the competition represents a major milestone in an already promising young career. For GYC, it is further evidence that its racing programme continues to nurture talent capable of competing at the highest international level. From kite foiling in Portugal to Optimist racing in Morocco, Gstaad Yacht Club's athletes are proving that world-class sailing talent can emerge far from the coast.