Switzerland has one of the highest concentrations of boats in the world. But getting your own berth is no easy feat. In Geneva alone (image), there is a waiting list of over 1,000 people. Photo: Stéphane Herzog regatta in the world. For an hour, winds of over 100 km/h scattered the fleet, causing 212 of the 465 boats registered to abandon the race, but there were no victims. These conditions are reminiscent of the open sea, and many Swiss people take to the sea for the first time every year, after obtaining their sea licence. Getting a licence involves taking 14 weeks of theory lessons and passing an exam. You then need to actively sail 1,000 nautical miles, the equivalent of 1,850 km at sea, validated by skippers. Every year, around 800 Swiss men and women sit this exam, according to Daniel Rossier, former boss of the CCS. “The Swiss licence is very demanding,” states the 82-year-old sailor, who has travelled across every sea. He says he was always amazed by the number of fellow Swiss he met in ports, particularly in the Caribbean. Another challenge is finding somewhere to moor. You need a berth if your boat has a keel or if it is too large to be easily placed in dry dock in the off-season. But people’s dreams of boat ownership are being stymied by a chronic lack of these berths. In late 2025, Geneva had a waiting list of over 1,000 people, according to the authorities. Paradoxically, only a minority of boats are regularly taken out on the water. The solution would be to share boats, or even remove the ones that are permanently moored, “but we cannot hold people to a timer”, says the head of APB, Olivier von Arx, who claims he never misses an opportunity to go sailing. “I go 300 metres out, I cut the engine and I enjoy the wide-open space and the peace and quiet,” he says. Passing down a berth in the family, on the other hand, is still subject to very strict conditions. This means there is a permanent shortage of mooring berths. “And that’s a good thing,” remarks Bernard Schopfer, pointing out that Swiss lakes have only a finite area. A nation of freshwater sailors According to official data, there were 94,372 private boats registered in Switzerland in 2024, of which 63,446 were motorboats and 23,385 sailing boats. This means that Switzerland had one sailing boat for every 353 inhabitants, more than in France (380) or Italy (394). This score placed Switzerland fifth globally, with Norway (92) and New Zealand (173) arriving in first and second place. (SH) Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 18 Report
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