Sailing without your own boat - in Switzerland this has long been more than just an emergency solution for people without a mooring. Sailbox has been operating numerous fleets of identical sports boats on almost all Swiss lakes for years. The principle is simple: book, check in, sail. Now the successful sharing model is being expanded on Lake Zurich. Sailbox and the Lake Zurich Historical Boats Foundation, HZB for short, are joining forces. In future, qualified members will not only be able to use the modern sports boats, but also selected classic boats from the HZB fleet.
Among the boats available for classic friends are the 45 National Cruiser "Mona Lisa" built in 1926, the beautiful, open 7m keel yacht "Mormor" (built in 1944), the classic cabin cruiser "Penguin" built in 1943 and the "Alanya"a beautiful and slim classic of the Lacustre type, built in 1941.
Exercise keeps you young
The idea behind classic boat sharing is as pragmatic as it is charming: classic boats should not age in the harbour, but should be kept sailing. The HZB preserves historic Lake Zurich boats and deliberately keeps its ships in motion. The foundation currently owns 15 classic boats, including four sailing yachts. For Sailbox, the partnership is an extension of its own basic idea: access instead of ownership and utilisation instead of a waiting list.
However, the new offer is deliberately not entirely without hurdles. If you want to skipper one of the historic boats independently, you need more than just a sailing licence. An individual introduction by experienced skippers and, depending on the boat, additional tests are planned for the vintage boats. This is part of the concept. Wooden boats react differently, they require more attention and are less forgiving than a plastic boat.
For the Company Sailbox the project is also an enhancement of the organisation's own community. The organisation claims to have more than 2000 skippers and operates over 40 self-developed sports boats of the type mOcean on 13 Swiss lakes. This fleet stands for easy availability and low entry barriers.
Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
