Crowds for EPFL open house, Geneva wines Open Day and CGN party to celebrate steamboat’s 100 years
Hands-on science lessons during EPFL open house in Lausanne
Update 18:20 Geneva / Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The first weekend after the two long spring holiday weekends are always filled with events in the Lake Geneva region, and 2010 was no exception. The crowds turned out again for the Geneva wines Open Day Saturday 29 May, with English-speakers taking part (Ed. note: the Tribune de Geneve carries an article about the number of expats present and interviews one who after eight years in the city speaks two words of French, which has prompted negative comments).
It is hard to calculate how many people turned out, says Denis Beausoleil, director of the Geneva cantonal wine office, but clearly it was in the thousands, and this year the weather was perfect, not too warm, and the small amount of overcrowding and drunkeness that marred a couple previous Open Days seems to have disappeared. “It was a day that reflected the vintage, the excellent 2009 wine!” says Beausoleil. The 2009 harvest is generally reckoned to be one of the best in years, and the Open Day provided consumers a chance to sample the goods.
This is the first year wine producers have tried a system where visitors pay CHF5 for their glass, but they can keep the same glass for the day. The feedback from wineries is that the system worked well.
EPFL packs in visitors
La Suisse, queen of the Belle Epoque fleet on Lake Geneva, celebrates her 100th birthday in style
Two out of the ordinary events took place that also attracted crowds. EPFL, the polytechnic institute near Lausanne, held its first open house in seven years to give the public an opportunity to visit its new Rolex Learning Center, but also to see firsthand the multitude of physical changes taking place on the campus, and to explore its growing number of programmes. The university estimates that some 25,000 people visited during the two days, Saturday and Sunday. Sixteen centres, with 1,200 staff and student volunteers explained some of EPFL’s strong points, such as its nanotechnology work, the Blue Brain project, work on robots and architecture. The open house brought to an end a week-long official inauguration for the Rolex Learning Center.
Nearby, in Lausanne, La Suisse, a beautiful old steamboat and one of the gems of the CGN Belle Epoque fleet that is the world’s largest, celebrated her 100th birthday Sunday, after a colourful Saturday in Geneva and an evening cruise up to the other end of the lake. Hundreds took advantage of the celebrations for short tours on the boat, which was dressed up in the outfit it wore its first day out in 1910: flags from all the cantons and 30 masts.
La Suisse will operate on the upper end of the lake from 13 June to 12 September, stopping at: Lausanne, Pully, Lutry, Cully, Rivaz, Vevey, Clarens, Montreux, Chillon, Villeneuve, Le Bouveret and St Gingolph.
A new logo, fresh coat of paint and ID as a commuter boat on Lake Geneva
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The CGN (Compagnie Générale de la Navigation) has painted its commuter boats dark blue, given them their own logo with an identity that will be used for signs on quays and elsewhere, and created a web site that also works well on commuters’ iPhones.
The four cross-border lines have been colour-coded and given numbers, like other public transport bus, train and tram lines. Welcome aboard the new NaviMobilité system!
For the more than 1.22 million commuters in the Lake Geneva region who used the seven fast service boats in 2009, the clearer focus on their needs will be undoubtedly be welcome. The new website, navimobilite.ch, offers schedules, prices and practical information far more quickly and easily than in the past, for the four cross-border routes, with up to 92 runs a day between France and Switzerland:
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – EPFL is creating a new research chair to look for solutions to the problem of long-term storage underground of CO2, or more precisely, “geological sequestration of the greenhouse gas.” The chair is being funded by a CHF2.5 million donation by Petrosvibri, a company that is studying the possibility of exploiting natural gas from Lake Geneva.
The chair will be part of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering. The post has been opened to candidates and the person who fills it will start in 2011.
Lake Geneva beach, click to enlarge
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – 24 Heures describes the village of Préverenges in canton Vaud as a victim of its own success, or at least the success of its beach. The half-kilometre stretch of sand was improved and enlarged in 2009, with the result that bathers, but also diners, came in droves. Neighbours complained of the smoke from barbecues and this week the communal council voted to ban cooking on the beach.
The newspaper points out that a number of communes have no-cooking rules on their beaches, for sanitary or forest safety reasons as well as to keep the neighbours happy, but the occasional barbecue is often tolerated.
Grill at your own risk.
Lake Geneva boats connect France with Vaud and Geneva in Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Boat trips on Lake Geneva will go up by 5.5 percent in 2011, the CGN (Compagnie Générale de la Navigation) has announced, with smaller price increases on the Lausanne-Thonon line starting 1 June 2010. The 2011 ticket prices go into effect 12 December 2010, when Swiss public transport companies put new rates into effect. The Swiss federal government ordered public transport companies to delay price hikes in 2009, with the result that in 2010-11 they will be steeper than usual. The CGN says its increase is slightly under the average for Swiss public transport companies.
The CGN distinguishes between its tourist boats and public transport, with plans to develop more public transport in the next few years. The company’s traffic on the lake has grown steadily since 2002: from 1.37 to 1.85 million in 2009.
Car-gazing, sailing on Lake Geneva or skiing this weekend: you choose
We’ll start with some photos, to help the choice
click on images to view larger
Iced-up boat in Versoix near Geneva, 10 March 2010 (photo Peter Brodbeck)
Geneva Motor Show 2010 (image: Mr Kio)
Jura near Geneva, 10 March 2010 (photo: Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The sun is shining, slopes are gleaming, the ice around the edge of Lake Geneva is melting and the wind has finally died down after a week’s drubbing. Skiing beckons, all the more so with Swiss skier Carlo Janka putting in a spectacular performance in Germany Friday morning, winning the World Cup’s Crystal Globe for the most points all season.
Weather forecast
Pull out your skis, but keep the warm clothes, including that rarity in the Swiss Alps, thermal underwear, handy. Friday and Saturday mostly sunny with highs of 5C on the plain and 7C in canton Valais, -8C at 2,000 metres. Sunday sunny to partly cloudy, temperatures the same.
Good news once you’re off the slopes: it should warm up to 10C Tuesday and 15C Wednesday. Welcome March spring weather!
Alpine resorts
It’s the winding down season, but the slopes are in good shape with recent snow and cold weather keeping it powdery.
Events in Alpine resorts this weekend: Read more…
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Police in Geneva were busier than usual Tuesday 9 March, thanks to the high winds that swept through the Lake Geneva region and the coat of ice they left, especially along the lakefront.
Geneva police say the navigation police were called out when a 10-metre sailboat boat sank. They responded to another 40 calls for boats that looked at risk.
Two boat annex buildings sank under the weight of the ice and three more boats look close to sinking due to the weight of the ice accumulating on them. Police are asking boat owners to check on them.
Police warn that the lakefront has a solid coat of ice along the following quais: Wilson, Pâquis, Eaux-Vives, as well as all mooring areas. Pedestrians are warned to dress appropriately, in particular wearing adequate boots.
Ed. note: see the GenevaLunch photo gallery, 36 images of Tuesday’s ice along Lake Geneva, by Peter Brodbeck
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The high in Geneva was -3C Tuesday 9 March, but the wild wind made it seem colder and the waves froze wherever they landed. If you weren’t brave enough to go out, here is what the Quai de Cologny looked like (photos: Peter Brodbeck).
Cologny, Geneva, ice storm 9 March 2010
Waves big enough to surf on near Cologny, Lake Geneva 9 March
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Commuters who take CGN boats between Nyon in Switzerland and Chens or Yvoire in France are out of luck Tuesday, with high winds on Lake Geneva forcing the boats to remain docked. The Thonon-Lausanne line is also not operating, although Evian-Lausanne is, with bus service between Thonon and Evian. The winds, gusting up to 100kph, are not the problem for the boats, but docking properly is, according to the company.
Weather forecast: high winds are expected to continue until Thursday, when they will die down to low to moderate. Cold temperatures will continue, with the high in Geneva expected to be -1C and -14C at 2,000 metres altitude. MeteoSwiss
To check for updates: CGN
Title: Montreux Christmas market
Location: Montreux
Link out: Click here
Description: One of the region’s largest, liveliest and most famous Christmas markets has a new feature in 2009: the village of Caux, high above the town of Montreux, is participating. Note that the market ends 24 December this year, rather than the day after Christmas. Consider public transport, as parking can be very tight.
Start Date: 2009-11-26
End Date: 2009-12-24
Recently renovated La Suisse paddleboat, Ouchy-Lausanne
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The CGN (Compagnie 
Générale de Navigation) has fully subscribed the additional capital it wanted to raise, CHF2 million, to ensure the renovation of one of its Belle Epoque boats, the Simplon. The money allows it to also set aside a provision for work on another paddleboat, the Italie.
The group is 80 percent owned by 10,000 small investors, with 40 communes who use its services making up the difference. Cantons Geneva, Valais and Vaud provide loans for major renovations of the fleet and they contribute an annual fee for the services CGN provides.
Hydroptere © Gilles Martin-Raget
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The world speed record for a sailboat was claimed by Hydroptère in Hyères, on the the Mediterranean coast, 12 November. The boat, a hydrofoiled trimaran reached 50.17 knots over a nautical mile, 8 November. At one point it reached 55.5 knots (102.78km/h). The boat will be tested on Lake Geneva in 2010, as part of trials for the Hydroptère Maxi, the boat that will attempt to go round the world in 80 days.
Links to other sites: Hydoptere.com
Background: “Hydroptere lab boat moves to shipyards: 2010 for flying boat on Lake Geneva“, 18 April 2009, GenevaLunch
A little less water than usual in Lake Geneva near Lausanne
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The fire that began in Lausanne Thursday 23 September in the storage space of an archiving firm was finally under control late Tuesday, but it continues to smolder, say officials. More than 300 firefighters from around the region have been involved in the battle against the flames and smoke, with the army called in over the weekend to provide relief and more equipment.
Forty-five soldiers from the catastrophe division put in 48 hours, providing a 1.5 km waterhose from Lake Geneva up the hill to the Rue de Provence, to ensure an adequate water supply to douse the fire. The hose delivered 8,000 litres of water a minute for 27 hours straight.
Alinghi 5, warming up to the America's Cup 2010, in Genoa, Italy 17 August 2009 (© 2009 Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi)
Geneva, Switzerland/New York, USA (GenevaLunch) - The details of the boat BMW will be sailing in the 2010 America’s Cup race do not have to be divulged until two weeks before the race, a judge in New York has said.
The New York Supreme Court announced a verdict 22 September that went against the Société Nautique de Genève, home to the Alinghi team, and holder of the America’s Cup sailing trophy. It rejected Alinghi’s claim to disqualify the Oracle team from the 2010 America’s Cup race because, Alinghi told the court, the Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle, had not provided, by the deadline, the required technical details concerning Oracle’s boat. The court agreed with Oracle, which had argued that a boat undergoes constant technical modifications until the moment it begins to compete.
In her ruling, Supreme Court Judge Shirley Kornreich nevertheless scolded the Oracle team for “unsportsmanlike behaviour” which “resulted in substantially reducing SNG’s (Société Nautique de Genève) advantage as originally contemplated by the Deed of Gift.”
BMW Oracle 90 foot trimaran, sea trials in Washington, USA, 13 August 2009. Photographer: Gilles Martan-Raget
Both teams remain committed to begin the race in February 2010.
The judge’s decision comes on the heels publication of a previously confidential agreement between SNG and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
CGN - no need for life boats
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN), which operates pleasure boats and regular boat service on Lake Geneva is not close to bankruptcy, says its managing director, Luc-Antoine Baehni. There is, he states, no reason to suggest the company is going through financially difficult times. “There is no crisis”, he told GenevaLunch, when asked about a report in Le Matin Dimanche 13 September that suggests CGN might be going under, as Swissair did.
The newspaper bases its conclusions on an audit of the company made at the request of the three cantons that subsidize CGN operations: Geneva, Valais and Vaud. The audit was an investigation of the company’s administration.
Title: Historical hike around Lake Geneva
Location: Nyon-Prangins, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: Discover how Lake Geneva has helped develop the Nyons and Prangins region. A guided historical hike for all!
For more info: +41 (0) 22 365 66 00.
Start Date: 12 Sep 2009
End Date: 13 Sep 2009
Title: Special cruise from Lausanne to Thonon
Location: Lausanne and Thonon
Link out: Click here
Description: Attend the oldest fair in France and get there by boat. This is the 532 edition of the Thonon fair. CGN offers a cruise from Lausanne to Thonon and back.
Date: 03 Sep 2009
Alinghi 5 flies away, Photo ©Carlo Borlenghi's/Alinghi
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The giant catamaran Alinghi 5 took to the skies and bid farewell to Lake Geneva. A Russian military helicopter Mi26 took the catamaran towards Genoa, Italy where it will continue its training towards the America’s Cup.
Alinghi “flew” along the Rhone River before gaining altitude at the Great Saint Bernard Pass in the border with Italy. The helicopter and sailboat landed safely in Genoa at 14:30.
Coming into Nyon, surrounded by small craft (Photo: © Dinah Roberts)
Click on images to view larger
Nyon, Vaud, and Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The crowds lined up along the shores of Lake Geneva to see the giant catamaran that represents the America’s Cup holder, Alinghi 5, Saturday 1 August.
The small boats that were invited to accompany it as it sailed from Lausanne to Geneva before it moves on to the open seas, struggled to keep up whenever it put on speed.
Its destination: Geneva, where Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey had just stepped off the plane from a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC.
Alinghi tears away from Nyon, heading for Geneva (photo: ©2009 Dinah Roberts)
The Swiss cabinet member welcomed the new boat to its home base, the Société Nautique de Genève.
Di Roberts, who lives near Nyon, said watching the boat was “fantastic” but the crowd in Nyon groaned as one of the large steamboats came into port just as as Alinghi sailed past their ready cameras. And as it sailed out, picking up speed and leaving smaller craft behind, the lake police had to come to the rescue of people on small paddleboats who were unprepared for the enormous wash Alinghi 5 leaves in its wake.
Background: “Alinghi 5, ahhh, what a beauty of a boat!”, 26 July, GenevaLunch feature
Alinghi 5 in Geneva, jet d'eau fountain, image ©2009 Guido Trombetta/Alinghi
Alinghi 5, Ernesto Bertarelli, president of Alinghi, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss foreign minister and Fred Mayer, vice-commodore of the SNG in Geneva, image ©2009 Guido Trombetta/Alinghi
Alinghi 5, image ©2009 Guido Trombetta/Alinghi
A GenevaLunch feature on the new sailing marvel, Alinghi 5: the boat, the technology, the view for Lake Geneva area viewers
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Alinghi 5, 90-foot catamaran - photo, E Wallace
Alinghi 5 sailing first time, 20 July 2009 - photo, © Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi
Le Bouveret, Valais, and Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - There are sailboats, and then there is Alinghi 5: at 90 feet (27 metres) far larger than anything else on Lake Geneva, technologically astonishing and a delight to the eyes, but also exciting in terms of the sailing challenges it presents. The catamaran, built at great expense and specially for the next America’s Cup race in 2010, was presented to a mostly-charmed group of international journalists Thursday 23 July, but the weather was not cooperative. “We took it out into the harbour Wednesday and hit 31-knot winds,” said Alinghi’s president, Ernesto Bertarelli. It was forced back to shore, where the Alinghi team then kept busy with shoreline duties for the next two days. “Lake Geneva is a challenging place to sail. Yesterday was a real test for us,” he said of the failed outing.
Alinghi 5, a giant among sailboats at Le Bouveret, Lake Geneva - photo, E Wallace
A heavy mix of high winds, hail, thunder and lightning made it impossible to hoist sails, but the weekend weather was decent Saturday and is predicted to be beautiful Sunday 26 July: sunshine and good breezes on Lake Geneva. (Ed. note: Twitterati can follow Alinghi on the water via Twitter at alinghiteam)
Lake Geneva area: Alinghi 5 now on the lake
For the next two weeks people who live along Lake Geneva or who are visiting the area will see the new America’s Cup Swiss boat as it runs tests and the team gets used to handling it, working first from the base in Le Bouveret, at the Valais/Vaud end of the lake, then from Geneva.
The Alinghi team will sail the length of the lake, from Lausanne near Le Bouveret to Geneva and its home port at the Société de Nautique de Genève for the first of August Swiss national holiday.
Bertarelli and his team are inviting all interested sailors in the region to accompany them in a public flotilla of pleasure boats, which should create a spectacular sight (cameras ready!).
Schumacher home in Gland
Gland, Vaud, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Formula 1′s former champion Michael Schumacher, had grandiose ideas about the dock he wants to install at his new lakefront estate on the shores of Lake Geneva in Gland, according to the Tribune de Geneve, quoting Michel Cosendai of the Vaud cantonal water service. The final solution, posted for public consultation until mid-August, will allow docking space two motor boats and the option of an offshore anchor for a sailboat. One group that is likely to oppose the new construction is the Association Rives Publiques, which has been fighting for open public access to the shores of Lake Geneva. According to the Tribune, the group plans to file its opposition.
Montreux Jazz Festival 2009
Lake Geneva region (GenevaLunch) – It’s a gorgeous summer day, the temperature is sitting around 27 degrees and I am dreaming of jumping in the bracing waters of Lake Geneva as I skirt the shoreline on the train from Geneva to Montreux.
I am headed to the Montreux Jazz Festival with great anticipation, but little expectation as I am largely unfamiliar with the music of the lineup this evening. This will be my first of three or four forays into the musical smorgasborg that is Montreux the first two weeks of July each year.
Road to Montreux
In addition to well known acts including George Benson, The Blind Boys of Alabama, the Earth Wind & Fire Experience, John Fogerty and Seal, I will be sampling the musical talent present at the festival, including free concerts staged in Montreux’s Parc de Vernex each afternoon.
If you haven’t been able to steal away this year to Montreux, or just want to see more of what’s on hand, check out GenevaLunch for updates through Friday July 17th.
© Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi 2009
Villeneuve, Vaud, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The 90-foot catamaran that Alinghi has spent 100,000 manhours building for the next America’s Cup race was unveiled in Villeneuve 4 July. The boat now goes through a de-bugging process before it will be launched by helicopter into Lake Geneva this week for its first time out on the water. Alinghi, as the winner in July 2007 of the last race, one of the sailing world’s top events, is the Defender of the America’s Cup. This gives it the right to set the rules, including those for the boat type, for the next race, and the new boat’s design has been a tightly-guarded secret.
The race, says Alinghi, is scheduled for February 2010, but a series of court battles Read more…
Going nowhere fast, Bol d'Or 2009 (image: P Gaechter)
Lake Geneva, 10:00 starting time, view from Montreux: little wind
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The wind failed to show up for the Bol d’Or (“Golden Bowl”) race which goes from Geneva to the other end of the lake at Le Bouveret and back.
The record for the race was set in 1994, at 5h01’51″ but this weekend the winner, Alain Gautier, for team Foncia, took 19h33’51″ and arrived at 5:00 in the morning, having inched along all night. The Alinghi team came in ninth.
Details, RSR, Fre
Lake Geneva, afternoon 26 May: storm lights warn sailors
Bern, Lucerne, Zurich, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Several areas in eastern Switzerland were hard hit by heavy thunderstorms and winds Tuesday afternoon 26 May. A man was killed when a tree blew down and landed on the car he was driving in Romanshorn, Thurgau and a woman is in stable condition at a Bern hospital after she was hit by a falling branch. Lucerne was hit by flash floods that swamped cellars and Zurich had several minutes of hail. Fribourg suffered heavy damage from falling trees.
The Lake Geneva area had gusting winds and rain, but was spared the strength of the storm that hit further east.
La Suisse, renovated steam paddleboat, Lake Geneva 17 May 2009
Lake Geneva (GenevaLunch) - La Suisse, the flagship of the Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN), was officially presented to an enthusiastic public Saturday and Sunday 16-17 May after 18 months being completely overhauled. La Suisse transported 3,500 passengers around the lake Saturday from Ouchy and Sunday from Geneva. The excellent weather contributed to the fun.
La Suisse originally entered service in May 1910, built by Sulzer Bros in Winterthur as a coal-fired paddle boat with 1,400 horse power engines.
Evian, France, viewed from Switzerland, across Lake Geneva
Evian, France (Le Dauphine, Fre) – Evian bottled water company announced it has hired 50 part-time workers and its production lines are working on weekends. The bottling plant in the lake-side town of Evian has seen unexpected demand since April and is boosting production ahead of the summer, says CEO Jean-Baptiste Bachelerie.
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Title: “La Suisse” returns to Lake Geneva
Location: Lake Geneva region
Link out: Click here
Description: “La Suisse” a traditional steam boat first put into service on Lake Geneva in 1910, returns to Ouchy-Lausanne and Geneva. Special discounts apply for the inaugural cruise.
Start Date: 16 May 2009
End Date: 17 May 2009
Title: Swiss navigation day: unlimited boat travel
Location: Lake Geneva region
Link out: Click here
Description: Sunday 26 April is Swiss navigation day and the CGN is offering unlimited boat travel in Lake Leman. For one day only adults will pay CHF30 and children CHF10. You could depart from Geneva, visit Vevey, hop to France and be back in one day!
The noon cruises offer a sit-down lunch for CHF19.
A great offer to spend your Sunday.
Date: 26 Apr 2009
Kitesurfing on Lake Geneva, not for the fainthearted, 21 April 2009
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Weather is shifting into springtime in the Lake Geneva region, with variable temperatures and winds. Tuesday 21 April the wind blew wildy for a while on Lake Geneva, sending many people indoors, but a few brave souls headed onto the lake. Sunny skies and highs of 22C are expected in the region today.
