By Yusuf Bangura
We had an enjoyable treat at Quay de Cologny in Geneva this afternoon (20/09/25). We were invited by an ex-UNRISD colleague, Angela, to watch the Sail GP (Grand Prix) or boat race—the first of a two-day global sailing competition. She also invited a retired English dentist friend of hers, Carla. Quay de Cologny is at the foot of the richest neighbourhood in Geneva—the place where celebrities and other affluent individuals live.
Angela’s son, Thomas—a vibrant, enthusiastic and sociable young man—is a top official in the Sail GP competition, which was launched in 2019. He invited four of us as his guests.
Teams compete in multiple rounds across countries to determine a winner. This year’s event started in Dubai and will end in Abu Dhabi later in the year. New Zealand, Australia, the US, Brazil and France have already been hosts.
The open stands overlooking the lake were packed full with enthusiastic nautical buffs. It would have been great fun to sit with them and enjoy the banter and atmosphere. However, today’s temperature was in the high twenties and the air was stuffy. We dreaded the thought of sitting in the open stands and absorbing the humidity and full power of the scorching sun.
We felt like we were being roasted when we arrived and stood by the stands waiting for Thomas to usher us in. We were pleasantly surprised when he took us to the cool, airy and covered VIP lounge where we were welcomed with glasses of champagne at the entrance.
We secured a table for four and two extra chairs, and had a close and clear view of the boats, the magnificent Lake Geneva and the Jura mountain. A live band played high energy and alluring music. There was a limitless supply of champagne as well as light and delicious finger food for the entire four hours we spent there. We very much enjoyed Angela’s and Carla’s company. We talked about dentistry, Carla’s UN clients, experiences at UNRISD, aging challenges and childhood years. We really had a wonderful time, even though the boat race itself was complicated for first timers or novices like us.
We expected to see a straight line contest and dramatic finish like the Oxford versus Cambridge annual boat race in England or the boat races in the Olympics. However, the boats kept going round in circles without any clear pattern until a winner was announced, followed by wild screams from the audience, most of whom, surely, understood the sport.
There were four competitive rounds, and another three to be held tomorrow. The atmosphere was truly electric, but all four of us were completely lost. It seemed like we were out of our league. We didn’t understand the rules that determined the winner of a round.
Thomas came round after the first round and explained the rules to us. There are two outposts or buoys that are set far apart from each other. Each team of sailors has to decide which buoy it will sail towards and make three rounds of circular sailing, ending close to the VIP lounge. The wind greatly affects the speed and direction of the boats. The sailors have to be skilled in guessing the direction of the wind, maneuvering the boat, and preventing the boat from drifting away. A wrong guess is a huge disadvantage.
Ten countries participated in the race—Switzerland, France, Germany, USA, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Canada. And there were three sailors on each boat. The sailors move back and forth between the bow and the stern of the boats in trying to steer the boats in the right direction. We could see that the lake was very windy, although we were completely shielded from it in the lounge.
Australia won the first round and France the second. Rows of hanging monitors helped the spectators to track the positions of the competitors. The VIP lounge went wild when the Swiss secured the second position in the second round.
Towards the end of the race, Thomas came round and asked us to move to the Adrenaline Lounge, which had a disco feel and was full of young people. We were served multiple rounds of desert and more champagne. We left the show at around 6pm.
Our last treat was when we came out of the lounge and saw a young SailGP usherer leading us to the VIP private shuttle, which was supposed to take us to the English Garden (Jardin Anglais), from where we could walk to the Geneva main station for our train back to Nyon.
When I heard the word private from the usherer I thought we were going to pay for the ride. I politely told him that we would wait for the public bus. It was impossible to call an Uber taxi because most of the roads had been blocked. The usherer had obviously seen the VIP bands on our wrists. He gently informed us that the private shuttle was for VIP invitees and led us to the shuttle. Only four of us were on it.
Our 10 minute walk from where we got off to the English Garden was leisurely. It was a warm and delightful day, with many people, some with kids, strolling around the Garden and along the lake coast.
The SailGP show gave us a window into one of the ways the rich enjoy themselves. We have VIP tickets for the final show tomorrow. But one day of indulgence in the pastime of the leisure class is enough.
The author wrote in from Nyon, Switzerland and is accessible via Bangura.ym@gmail.com
