The Bcge Tour du Léman rowing race sets off saturday

On Saturday morning at 8:00 am, eleven crews will set off from the North Jetty of Geneva’s Port Noir on a 160-kilometre clockwise circuit of Lake Geneva. Depending on weather conditions, boat configuration and crew experience, completing the course can take between 11 and 17 hours. The outright record, set in 2011, stands at 11 hours, 43 minutes and 30 seconds.

Founded in 1972 by the rowing section of the Société Nautique de Genève, the BCGE Tour du Léman Rowing Race is considered the world’s longest non-stop rowing regatta held on a lake.

One of the distinguishing features of this 54th edition is the significant number of “novices” – rowers who have competed in no more than three previous editions. The international dimension of the event also remains strong, with competitors from Great Britain, Turkey, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Switzerland. Several crews are mixed, while crew No. 1 will be entirely female. It will, however, compete with three rowers and a coxswain after one of its members was forced to withdraw due to illness.

From a sporting perspective, one of the particular features of this year’s race will be the participation of the AVIRON ROMAND ZURICH/LAUSANNE-SPORTS AVIRON crew in a coxed four using sweep rowing, a configuration not seen in the event for around twenty years. Unlike a quadruple scull, where each rower uses two oars, sweep rowers each handle a single oar, alternating between port and starboard. The technique requires particularly precise coordination.

Another unusual feature will see Bonne crew No. 3 complete the course in a double scull with a coxswain. Matthias Auer, one of the event’s emblematic figures, a multiple winner – including last year – and holder of virtually all its records, will once again be on the starting line aboard crew No. 2.

As always on Lake Geneva, weather conditions will be one of the key factors influencing the race. “Our objective, and our greatest hope, is that every crew will be able to complete the full circuit of the lake, and we will do everything we can to make that possible,” says Stéphane Trachsler, President of the Organising Committee. “The weather forecast looks fairly favourable, with thermal breezes during the day and possibly some south-westerly wind in the evening.”

Last year, only five crews managed to cross the finish line, as the Bise – the region’s characteristic northeasterly wind – made conditions considerably more challenging for the remaining competitors. Between 2022 and 2024, weather conditions had also forced the Organising Committee to shorten the course.

Competitor safety will be handled by members of the Société Nautique de Genève’s safety team, under the supervision of Laurent Perriard-Plumettaz. The success of the event also relies on the commitment of numerous volunteers and the active collaboration of the SISL and rowing clubs around Lake Geneva, including CA Nyon, FRC Morges, Lausanne-Sports, BN Sciez and CN Montreux. The Société Nautique de Genève’s administrative team and club restaurant also play an active role in organising the event.

Since 2022, Banque Cantonale de Genève (BCGE) has been the title sponsor of the Tour du Léman Rowing Race. The partnership aims in particular to increase the visibility of rowing and contribute to the profile of a competition deeply rooted in Geneva and Lake Geneva’s sporting heritage.

Combining tradition with renewal, the BCGE Tour du Léman Rowing Race remains above all a unique human and sporting adventure, bringing together endurance, teamwork and the ability to adapt to the elements.

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