Windsurfclub Thun (WSCT)

Windsurfclub Thun (WSCT) is an association founded in 1982, one of the first windsurfing clubs in Switzerland, run on a voluntary basis by its committee. It brings together windsurfers, windsurf foilers, wing foilers and stand up paddlers, from beginners to experienced riders. The club is not a school: it focuses on sailing together and club life, and refers people looking for lessons, rental or equipment to its partner, the Honu Wassersportcenter, located on the same stretch of water.

The club's spot is in Thun, on the lake shore between the public lido (Strandbad) and the Grunderinseli, and is open to everyone. The water is shallow up to about 200 m from the shore, which suits beginners, but it is only knee-deep over this shoal and fins can break at full speed. On land there is room to rig, a lawn by the water, toilets and fireplaces for grilling on the Grunderinseli; the club has installed a webcam and an anemometer there. The wind everyone waits for is the "Ober", which comes down from the mountains when thunderstorms build there and can reach force 6 to 7. In westerly wind, often gusty, the water stays flat, which suits foiling and freeride; the bise tends to blow onshore, the foehn is rare but steady, and the south-westerly, sheltered by the Stockhorn, blows offshore in irregular gusts.

The clubhouse, with room for about twenty people, is located between the Lachen stadium and the FC Dürrenast pitches, about a hundred metres from the spot. Next to it, around 70 covered spaces store members' boards, sails, wings and hard SUPs all year round (no inflatable SUPs, for lack of space). Members can use the club's six SUPs free of charge and hire the clubhouse for private parties. The club organises a wake weekend in Estavayer, a spring clean-up followed by a barbecue and, in winter, a sledging and fondue outing.

Membership fees shown on the application form (no year given), in Swiss francs:

• Junior: CHF 40
• Active member: CHF 70
• Couple or family: CHF 110
• Passive member: CHF 40
• Storage spaces, in addition to the fee: CHF 60 for one space, CHF 105 for two, CHF 140 for three

Pupils and students send a copy of their card to the treasurer before the end of March.