Many of the clubs in the ICOYC have warm weather and sailable waters all year around. This is not the case for the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) based in Stockholm, Sweden. Many have visited and sailed in our beautiful archipelago during the summer, but the conditions can be quite different during winter. Short days, snow, and icy waters prohibit sailing even for the most dedicated.

What happens at KSSS during wintertime?

February 7, 2023, saw our 193^rd Annual General Members Meeting. It closes the past season with multiple awards and celebrations and kicks off the 2023 season in sparkling fashion. The meeting is held at the Vasa Museum, dedicated to a ship with a short but intriguing maiden journey back in 1628 during which it sank shortly after launching.

Our elite team gathered for some teambuilding and cross-country skiing in Orsa, some 300 km north of Stockholm. Our elite coordinator, former Olympic sailor Cecilia Jonsson, is very satisfied with the team, a blend of really seasoned sailors and newcomers. “A group of people with common values improves so much faster than a ‘training group’ where everyone is jealously keeping ‘secrets’ and taking little wins and losses personally. It is also just much more fun to be in a community of competitive respect and competitive sharing,” says Cecilia.

Some keep up their skills up through e-sailing, which has rapidly become more and more popular since its introduction during the pandemic. Right now teams are competing in the the Swedish Championships campaign, where KSSS sailors are paving the way holding prominent positions.

Of course, we are already looking forward to summer and are making preparations for the coming big regatta events, like “Gotland Runt” and the “29er European Championship,” to name just a couple of the 16 races planned for 2023.

The club’s summer camps were sold out in minutes, with the demand for youth sailing during summer increasing every year while the Club endeavors to increase the number of available spots to include all who are interested.

All in all, a sailing club in the Nordics is keeping itself very busy, although we can’t be out sailing!