Corsican anchorages hold no secrets for us, nor the labyrinths of the Cyclades, not even the passes of Martinique’s bays. Cruising is generally a story of far-off, exotic destinations, requiring a long voyage, costly in time and fuel. Sometimes we forget that the dream, the exceptional, is right on our doorstep. Let’s set course for an unusual cruise aboard a legendary boat on Lake Geneva.
Text: Quentin Mayerat
We’re not sure where to start. Which boat or which sailing area deserves our full attention. We set sail from Lausanne’s Port d’Ouchy for a three-day, hand-crafted cruise. For its guests, Maison Fert, a historic company based in Geneva – which celebrated its 150th anniversary this year – is pulling out all the stops and offering off-the-beaten-track experiences. From Lausanne to Montreux, from Evian to Geneva, we’ll be (re)discovering our lake and its heritage, and what’s more, at the helm of a racing beast cut out for cruising: the Belotti.
Speed and… good wine
Any sailor in Lake Geneva with more than 30 springs under his or her belt is bound to have come across the majestic Mysphi 47 built by DĂ©cision & Denis Menetrey. Launched in 1995, it was commissioned by Jean-Claude Fert, head of the eponymous company. The Belotti was the fruit of a surprising, even iconoclastic compromise. Its architect, SĂ©bastien Schmidt, was 32 years old at the time of the first drafts of this rather crazy project. He explains: “The specifications were very clear. We had to determine which boat in the ACVL class would perform best on a Bol d’Or-type course.” And as her future owner had no intention of giving up the comfort of a true cruising yacht, the young architect realized that weight wasn’t necessarily the enemy of performance. Traditionally, cruising and racing were opposed,” explains SĂ©bastien Schmidt. So we had some fun calculating what penalizes a cruising boat in a race. We realized that, when well positioned, weight was not a handicap for the measurement. For example, the wine cellar located close to the ballast. It was a nice discovery,” laughs the architect behind numerous racing beasts such as the D35 and the Psaros 40 and 33.
Exceptional in more ways than one, the Belotti promised fast, comfortable cruising: XXL bed, huge galley, toilet, generous saloon. The boat is capable of sailing at wind speed from 3 knots. Its horn mainsail covers almost 100 m2 and its mast reaches 22 meters. Until recently, she was the deepest draught boat on Lake Geneva. 30 years after its first sketches, this promise of sensations combined with comfort is still unequalled on the lake. After a busy career in regattas, with a Bol d’Or in its class in 1997, a 9th place overall and a solo TranslĂ©manique won brilliantly by Denis Menetrey, the Belotti is gradually leaving its hours of glory in its transom. It was only recently that the Fert agency decided to give her a second life, by offering, why not, exceptional cruises on our beautiful Lake Geneva.
Lake Geneva in three stages
At the height of summer, the wind isn’t always blowing off Lausanne. We embark at the port of Ouchy and logically sail the first few miles of our journey under motor and bright sunshine. On board, refreshments and appetizers are graciously offered. It’s worth noting that we’re pointing our bow at a region renowned for its fine food and wine: Lavaux! A few micro laughs appear. That’s all it takes to send the asymmetrical. The latter happily exceeds 200 m2 , enough to allow the Belotti’s 8 tons to move effortlessly. The boat glides. I’m still very proud of this boat’s hull,” explains the architect. She has a narrow keel with a long beam, and two fairly short rudders that leave plenty of room to slide a tender (christened the BelOpti, editor’s note) into the transom. As for the rigging, its mast is very high to get the light airs.”
To port, Lutry opens the gates to Lavaux and its vineyards, which tumble down from the heights as if plunging into the lake. Frozen by the summer heat, the landscape unfolds slowly. We adopt the rhythm imposed by the lake’s damsel tunes, like a Bol d’Or. But without the pressure of results. Past Cully, the Dent de Jaman becomes clearer, and we enter the Haut-Lac for good. We leave in our wake La Tour-de-Peilz, a charming destination, where we find ourselves at the foot of the castle, close to the town and the shops. As the sun sets, we enter the Basset harbor in Clarens, our first port of call. The island of Salagnon and its famous eponymous villa, built into the dike, are another of the lake’s wonders. It was a French engineer who created this oasis by dumping the excavations from the Meillerie tunnel built at the end of the 19th century. His name evokes the Burgundy salt that was cleared through customs in Clarens at the same time.
Barely time to disembark, the Fert teams take care of everything! We’re whisked away in a cab to discover the best wine cellars, before ending on a high note with a superb table set against a splendid view: the Deck. Without doubt one of the most Instagrammable restaurants in Switzerland!
The wonders of Haut-Lac
The first day of the cruise got off to a great start, and it was hard to imagine that the second day would be any better, yet… After a good night’s sleep in the hotel, we left the area around Montreux. Just a stone’s throw away is the ChĂąteau de Chillon – a former stronghold of the Dukes of Savoy, and later of the Bernese. It’s possible to tack flush with the walls, as the bottom drops off steeply. Few anchorages are possible in this area, except on the stretch of coast between the RhĂŽne and Les Grangettes, a nature reserve, one of the last truly unspoilt corners of nature around Lake Geneva.
We set off on the long traverse towards Meillerie. We’re surrounded at over 270° by mountains, a veritable alpine lake where the wind struggles to settle. We encounter numerous thermals and site effects. Overlooking the little French village, we see Grammont – the highest mountain in the area – which, like the Dent de Jaman, has a thermal to its name! After a flat calm start, a few breezes settle in towards the center of the water. With barely 5 knots of wind, the boat heeled over. The helm is surprisingly responsive and fine. SĂ©bastien Schmidt has left nothing to chance: “I applied the method I’ve always used on my boats. Namely, the one described in Jean-Marie Finot’s book ĂlĂ©ments de vitesse des coques. We kept the shape symmetrical so that the hull doesn’t deform when heeling. When you heel, you hold the helm with two fingers, which is the opposite of a truck,” argues the man who now supervises the construction of Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s AC75.
French coast
A few light breezes later, our boat is on French waters, off the coast of the spa town of Evian. Here again, the pleasure of fine dining and exclusive leisure activities awaits us. Once moored, we embark for a short stay at the Evian Resort, which includes landmark hotels such as the Hermitage and HĂŽtel Royal, and even a Michelin-starred restaurant. When it comes to leisure activities: golf, tennis, paddle, you’re spoilt for choice. For aperitifs, our mixologists are on hand to help you discover subtle and surprising blends. After a memorable evening in this exceptional complex, with a bird’s-eye view of Lake Geneva wherever we are, we set sail again for our third and final day of cruising on Lake Geneva, heading for Geneva.
At the entrance to Petit-Lac, ChĂąteau d’Yvoire reveals its majestic silhouette. Here again, a stop is in order. It’s an opportunity to explore this authentic village, which has won several awards for being one of the most beautiful in France… and the one with the most flowers! For horticultural pleasures, plan a detour to the Jardin des Cinq Sens.
Back on the Belotti, the magic of Petit-Lac is at work. Its magical thermal, the sĂ©chard, which graces it with 5 to 10 knots of wind on fine summer days, gets underway. A perfect setting for Fert & Cie’s thirtysomething boat, which takes advantage of the opportunity to unfurl its canvas and return downwind to its home port, SociĂ©tĂ© Nautique de GenĂšve. At the end of the voyage, guests were generally satisfied. The combination of cruising and the pleasures of high-performance sailing is a rare commodity, especially on Lake Geneva. With the revival of the Belotti, Fert distinguishes itself not only with an exclusive offer, but also with a real slice of the dream to offer its customers.
Fert: 150 years of history
Maison Fert celebrated its 150th anniversary in style this year. The company’s history actually began in 1871, and its founders could hardly have imagined that subsequent generations would see the opportunity to start organizing tailor-made trips. At the time, the aim was to transport wines from southern Europe to supply the north of the continent. A logistical headache that was solved by rail. Fert revolutionized the situation with the “lightning wagon”: two large barrels installed on a wagon to criss-cross Europe! Then, in 1921, a turning point. Following in the footsteps of other transport companies, Fert mobilized its logistical resources and customs know-how and began organizing trips. At the time, it was hard to imagine what a 6- to 8-week escapade in Egypt could entail… Thanks to its many years of experience, the company now specializes in “hand-crafted” travel.
The company has a dedicated yachting travel department. Whether the trip is for a family or a group, for business or for a special event, the Fert team is on hand before, during and after to ensure an exceptional stay. More info on fert.ch
Rent the Belotti for an event or cruise?
The Belotti is available on request to organize a one-day or multi-day outing, as described in this article. Further information from yachting@fert.ch.