The new YACHT 19: What to expect!

The top content in issue 19 in detail

We have a reputation for looking at the world from Hamburg and only thinking in larger dimensions when it comes to sailing. As a native Swabian, I have to firmly refute this. Firstly, because the home territory of most of the editors has only a very limited connection to the open sea. Mockers therefore speak not of the Baltic Sea, but of "the" Baltic Sea, which is of course a gross understatement in north-westerly winds of 6 and gusts of 7 at Stollergrund.

On the other hand, probably because we usually get salt air in our faces when it blows, we have a real soft spot for all inland areas, especially those in the Alps and foothills of the Alps, where the horizon is limited but the panorama is nevertheless stunning.

Nico Krauss, a self-confessed Sweden fan and owner of an old, sturdy Rassy, would never move the centre of his life to the south. For YACHT and YACHT classic, however, he has long been drawn to the mountains. This year, he went on a photo safari at high altitude for several weeks, scrambled up fallen trees on Lake Thun, met up with experts on Lake Chiemsee and Lake Traunsee, camped with Thorge, his assistant, in a van on Lake Constance and flew his drone over Lake Attersee. The essence of the pictures, all small works of art, can be found in his essay on the "Magic of the South Seas".

When asked where he would most like to go again, he found it difficult to answer. "Every area has its own special charm," he says. But then he names two personal favourites: "Lake Silvaplana grabbed him the most", even though he doesn't sail there. In the high alpine landscape of water, ice and snow, he felt "closest to the elements". He also came back deeply impressed by Lake Geneva. It's where he would most likely go on a sailing holiday. "The incredible panorama from Mont Blanc to the terraced vineyards of Lavaux is savoir-vivre for the eyes," said Krauss. You have to see his photo gallery!