A new generation on the move

Founded in 1998, the Gstaad Yacht Club has seen a steady rise in youth membership over the past two years. This new generation is eager to organise annual events for their peers. Their aim is to bring life to the values that inspire them: the exchange of ideas, authenticity, and friendship, while also introducing the region to friends, expanding networks, and potentially attracting new members. Their initiative will take shape this winter with a ball scheduled for February. We set sail and met three of them.

Elie M’Boyo
25 years old, Elie spent part of his childhood in the Pays-d’Enhaut, Fribourg, and the Lausanne region. After carving his way across the ice with Switzerland’s elite youth ice hockey teams, he chose the entrepreneurial path once he obtained his Swiss Federal Maturity Certificate.

How did this dynamic among young members arise?
When I joined the Gstaad Yacht Club in 2022, I had the chance to meet wonderful people like Dila, and shortly afterwards, a few of my friends also became members. Back then, although there was a structure for younger members and some of us already knew each other, the group lacked a real spirit of unity – it wasn’t truly connected or cohesive within the club.

Today, we’ve found the right opportunity to bring everyone together and create real momentum around the event. We’ve also been fortunate to receive support from long-standing members of the club, whose experience and encouragement helped us turn this energy into something cohesive and meaningful.

Dila Sahin
Dila divides her life between Gstaad, Istanbul and Zurich. The 26-year-old studied at a hospitality school in Lausanne and spent time in Japan as part of an artistic residency. She joined the Yacht Club three years ago and works as a travel advisor. In this role, she notably promotes Gstaad.

What makes Gstaad attractive to young people?
Gstaad is an appealing destination for young people, especially those who do not want to party at all costs. It attracts people looking for the same things we are trying to promote among the Yacht Club's young members, not just prestige. With this new impulse, we aim to embrace both tradition and modernity.

Lucas Batista
For Lucas, the Gstaad Yacht Club is a family story. Now 22, he has celebrated many birthdays there since childhood. Born in Madrid and raised in Geneva, he studies philosophy, politics, and economics, with a minor in entrepreneurship. Several of Lucas’s family members have been members of the Gstaad Yacht Club since his grandmother’s midlife years.

One might think that the Yacht Club’s social life can feel intimidating for young people. How does the new generation find its place?
I would advise any young person to cultivate a philosophical outlook. Seek a genuine sense of belonging when you go out. Be yourself, bring your ideas, your curiosity and your own grace above all. Focus on virtue, love, familiarity and what Odyssey truly is.

Many of us love to embrace sparks of character and curiosity, turning them into genuine openness. Among friends, we share, debate, and nurture connections. We can build networks while keeping our warmth, nuance, and respect, qualities the world sometimes lets slip. It’s about familiarity, having lots of fun, and building meaningful connections.

While it is often assumed that younger generations shape their social relationships primarily through social media, this renewed interest in the Gstaad Yacht Club may suggest the opposite: a desire for real connections, shared experiences and meaningful encounters. The presence of a new generation signals continuity rather than change. Membership remains a discreet matter, approached with the same restraint and consideration that have long defined the Yacht Club.

MARY MEYER