Swiss Yacht clubs

The SNG was founded in 1872 by local and foreign members of the upper classes who enjoyed sailing on the Lake Léman. In 1876, Baronness of Rotschild registered by the SNG her steamship "Gitana I". In 1907, the International Yachting Racing Union (IYRU) was created, and the SNG, then the only Swiss yacht club of international reputation, was appointed "the National Authority for Racing Yachting in Switzerland". Due to the development of yachting in Switzerland, the SNG dropped its title in 1939 and founded with other yacht clubs the Swiss Yachting Union.

The SNG is now the biggest Swiss yacht club. It has more than 3,000 members and its private port, located close to the famous Geneva fountain, has more than 600 moorings. The SNG is divided into four sections:

• The "Section de l'Aviron", founded in 1872 along with the SNG, is dedicated to rowing
• The "Cercle de la Voile", founded in 1903, is dedicated to ballast sailing boats
• The "Section du Yachting Léger" is dedicated to dinghies and multihall boats
• The "Section Hélice et Ski Nautique" is dedicated to the motor boating and water skiings.

image by Ivan Sache
The SNG has one "generic" burgee, which is the base for the burgee specific of each section. This burgee is horizontally divided in seven horizontal blue and white stripes. Two vertical yellow and red stripes are placed in canton, and stretch out vertically over the first two horizontal stripes. Yellow and red are the colours of Geneva.

image by Ivan Sache
Pennant of the Section de l'Aviron.The charge is a black stylized rower.

image by Ivan Sache
Pennant of the Cercle de la Voile. The charge is a blue V letter placed inside a red ring in the middle of the burgee.

image by Ivan Sache
Pennant of the Section Yachting Léger. The charge is made of stylized yellow YL letters stretching all over the burgee.

image by Ivan Sache
Pennant of the Section Moteur. The charge is a yellow three-bladed propeller.
Ivan Sache, 7 April 2003