One year after the dramatic capsizing of a Lacustre caught in a violent storm on Lake Zug, which claimed the life of a crew member (see Skippers 95), the Regattaverein Brunnen paid particular attention to the safety arrangements in place for this Swiss championship. Despite the constraints imposed by the fight against the quagga mussel, 28 crews took part in Brunnen, the sailing Mecca on Lake Lucerne, including six from Germany. Increasingly regular thermal winds enabled seven races to be sailed in summer sunshine.
On the Swiss side, Enrico De Maria was the favorite. He was sailing with Beat MĂŒller and Simon BrĂŒgger, recent winner of the Congressional Cup in early May with Ăric Monnin’s match racing team. But a stolen start in the second race cost the crew dearly, and they were never able to close the gap. In the end, it was Germany’s Veit Hemmeter who took the overall victory. However, Enrico De Maria’s 2 nd place clinched the title, which is only awarded to a Swiss team.