Angie Audretsch rounds up all the action from this month's Rolex Switzerland SailGP in Geneva and discovers a city where high-octane action meets heritage.
Encircled by Alpine peaks and bordered by the deep blue of Lac Léman, Geneva may be best known as a financial hub, horological hot spot and jumping off point for ski season – but this city comes into its own in summer, when it plays host to the Rolex SailGP.
Marking its second year in Geneva, this stop is one of the most distinctive on the championship’s circuit. As the only freshwater tour venue, the narrow, crescent-shaped lake forms a natural stage for the foiling yachts to battle it out on the racecourse. Winds here are shaped not by the open ocean, but by thermals, valley effects and the mountain geography, all producing unpredictable shifts that keep crews on their toes. The courses are short – a hundred metres can decide who catches the breeze – and a single wrong call is hard to recover from.
“Geneva being on a lake inland means there is typically a lighter breeze, and it's quite changeable,” says Natalia Fortier, Global Communications Director at SailGP. “From a sailor's perspective, it's shifty and extremely dynamic. And for the sailing fan, this is a really amazing venue.”
A fast, furious new generation of sail racing
Founded in 2019 by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and legendary yachtsman Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP brings a next-generation approach to sail racing. Traditional sailing often feels remote – its dramatic skirmishes vanishing beyond the view of the shore. But SailGP flips the script. By bringing the action directly to the waterfront, it offers fans a high-stakes experience in true Grand Prix style.
Each SailGP event – known as a Sail Grand Prix – brings a two-day spectacle to 13 iconic venues worldwide, from Auckland to Bermuda to Geneva. Races are fast and furious, with identical F50 catamarans flying around tight, stadium-style courses in roughly 15 minutes. Teams feature co-ed crews racing strictly calibrated boats. Unlike the America’s Cup, there are no design secrets or budget-driven performance edges – victory hinges purely on strategy, skill and seamanship.
Across seven fleet heats, teams compete for a place in a winner-takes-all final to decide the victor. With daily racing wrapped into a pithy 90-minute TV window and digital reach exceeding one billion views last season, the series has redefined modern sailing into a global must-see. Unsurprisingly, as the circuit charts a course through some of the world’s yachting havens, superyachts are increasingly becoming a platform for spectators, bringing an F1-style atmosphere to the water’s edge.
The Lake Geneva race
Set directly on the curved waterfront near the Yacht Club de Genève, Geneva’s iconic 140m Jet d’Eau towering in the background, the race area offers an incredible front-row experience. Spectators line the shorelines, settling in along the grassy promenades or public beaches just metres from the action, while official grandstands create an intense, arena-like atmosphere. For a premium experience, guests can take in the racing from the Adrenaline Lounge – the top-tier hospitality space reserved for VIPs – or the vibrant Vela Beach Club, complete with live DJs and bespoke refreshments.
The lake certainly lived up to its fickle reputation this year. Winds were light and unpredictable, dropping as low as three knots at times. The volatile shore breezes compelled crews to constantly adjust mode and hunt for tiny puffs of pressure rather than remaining on the foils.
“The conditions on Lake Geneva were really difficult,” says Sebastien Schneiter, driver for the Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP team. “It was very hard to predict what was going to happen, and there were a lot of changes of position around the course.” Despite such challenges for the racing crews, the local fans had plenty to celebrate on day one as the Swiss team secured its first win on home water, with cowbells echoing through the grandstands to mark the victory. “The highlight was really the support of the crowd,” said Schneiter. “We could hear the screams from the boats.”
Ultimately, it was Spain’s Los Gallos team that retained the edge in Geneva this time. While the SailGP events usually comprise seven heats, the format shifts for venues like Geneva where the on water “stadium” is tighter, in order to accommodate all 13 teams. In these cases, teams are grouped into A and B categories, and each group gets its own set of five distinct qualifiers, resulting in a total of 10 qualifying group races. At the end of 10 qualifying races across the weekend in Geneva, Los Gallos pulled a winning move in the last seconds of the three-boat final, snatching victory from the Australian Bonds Flying Roos. The teams now set their sights on two final events this year: Dubai and Abu Dhabi, taking place the end of November 2026, where the ultimate winner will be declared.
Setting the stage
Geneva serves as a winning backdrop to first-class racing action. When the hydrofoils drop and racing concludes, there is still so much more to experience. Geneva’s inland location may make it an unattainable superyacht destination, but there’s certainly an overlap in clientele. For discerning travellers you’d be hard-pressed to find a city with more allure, as I soon discover.
Geneva mastered the art of discreet luxury long ago. Beyond the world-class watchmakers and designer boutiques lies a city that prizes peace and privacy. Nowhere is this more felt than in the Old Town – a national heritage site where century-old architecture frames narrow passageways, hidden courtyards, and cobbled streets. Take the climb to the top of Saint-Pierre Cathedral, originally built in 1150, for matchless panoramic views stretching across the city and out over the lake.
Down below, head to Restaurant Les Armures for authentic Swiss fare in a 17th-century setting. Their fondue moitié-moitié – a velvety blend of Gruyère and Vacherin cheeses – is exceptional, paired best with a local bottle of white. In true Swiss style, the region keeps its winemaking prowess mostly to itself (it only exports one per cent of what it makes), yet Geneva is Switzerland’s third-largest wine-growing canton, spanning more than 1,400 hectares of vineyards. Driven by the microclimate of the lake and surrounding mountains, the region produces world-class viticulture – the picturesque village of Satigny is the go-to destination for private estate tours and guided tastings.
Geneva is also the perfect urban base for nature lovers. Enjoy a private yoga session lakeside, head to one of the city’s swimming spots like Bains des Pâquis or take a paddleboard out and marvel at the lake’s glassy water. Adventure seekers don’t need to stray very far from the city centre either: less than a fifteen-minute drive takes you to Geneva’s wilder side where visitors can embark on a different sort of waterborne adventure, whitewater rafting down the river Arve to La Jonction, where this mineral-rich glacial waterway meets with the clear blue Rhône, or jump on mountain bikes and explore forested trails.
When I’m not watching the SailGP, visiting a historic watchmaker or setting sights on the city and its surrounds, I am welcomed in boho-chic bliss at Hotel N’Vy. Just a stone’s through from the lake and steps away from the city centre, it’s the ideal location to rest and restore after a busy day. The property delivers 153 rooms with chromotherapy lighting to set the mood, seamless Bluetooth connectivity and all the essentials one expects from a discerning urban retreat. Meanwhile, The Trilby Restaurant and N'vY Bar provide the requisite culinary credentials.
Whether you come for the adrenaline of the F50s carving through Lac Léman or the quiet indulgence of a sunset fondue, Geneva delivers rare duality of thrills and chills.
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