To mark the publication of the 100th issue of Skippers, founder and editor Brice Lechevalier looks back on the beginnings of this adventure.
The Joy of Sharing
Where should I start? Best to start at the very beginning—with the answer to a question I’ve been asked time and again for the past 25 years: What prompted me to launch Skippers, Sailing & Ocean ? A year earlier, I had already launched the watch magazine GMT. At the time, I was working for Sunsail, the world’s leading yacht charter provider, which had its European headquarters in Geneva. Our neighboring countries had several very successful sailing magazines, but in Switzerland the selection was meager—even though the charter weeks booked through Sunsail in Switzerland could certainly hold their own against those in major sailing nations. In my view, this enthusiasm for sailing and the vibrant nautical culture deserved a high-quality national magazine. That’s how Skippers came to be. Fate smiled on us. At the same time, Alinghi —a far larger and more ambitious Swiss sailing project—was launched. From the very beginning, we were privileged to accompany this venture and were able to benefit from the extraordinary popularity that Alinghi enjoyed far beyond the sailing community.
In the wake of this historic chapter in Swiss sailing, Skippers became the media partner of Switzerland’s largest regatta, the Bol d’Or. Swiss Sailing joined in 2009, and gradually all of the country’s major sailing events followed suit. At the same time, the magazine—published in German and French—gained a strong reputation at major boat shows in France and Germany. This development was always accompanied by an unwavering passion for the sport of sailing. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all the teams who have taken the helm of the magazine over the years. Despite a challenging media landscape, they have never stopped finding new ways to inform sailors and stir their emotions. This commitment has given rise to many new adventures: in collaboration with Swiss Sailing, the only weekly Swiss newsletter dedicated to sailing; the Skippers Cup, through which we introduce our readers to the most beautiful sailing destinations on a flotilla cruise; the annual special editions “Motor” and “Travel,” which highlight other facets of water sports; as well as several thematic Skippers Guides. Our subscribers will receive one such guide after the summer break, covering the Rolex SailGP Switzerland.
For you, dear readers, no effort is too great for us. You show your appreciation through your invaluable loyalty. As RTS journalist and Skippers subscriber Patrick Delétroz recently noted, there are only three sports magazines left in French-speaking Switzerland (and likely hardly any more in German-speaking Switzerland); Skippers is one of them. This makes it all the more important to us to continue this dialogue and to keep sailing together. This 100th anniversary issue is dedicated to you. It’s a collector’s item!