Gstaad Yacht Club's Racing Team trio for Rio 2016

by Gstaad Yacht Club on 26 Jul 2016 Pre-Olympic Brunch at the GYC clubhouse – members, guests and friends gave a Brazilian farewell to the GYC Racing Team on their way to the Olympics.

The trio for Rio welcomed Nathalie Brugger and Will Ryan – two out of the four GYC sport members who depart today, 10 days prior to the event for the final preparations.

The Gstaad Yacht Clubs sport members are: the Nacra 17 team with Matías Bühler and Nathalie Brugger who qualified for Switzerland, the 470 sailor Will Ryan, who starts with his helmsman Matthew Belcher for Australia and Billy Besson, who starts in the Nacra 17 class too, together with his crew Marie Riou for France. Each sport member has as well another home club originating their sailing activities.

Nathalie and Matías are chasing their goal now for eight years. Already 2008 both attended Peking and 2012 in Weymouth, by then in their own classes and since 2012 in a common project.

Nathalie Brugger graduated in sport and kinesiological science. Recognised as the most experienced and successful Swiss Female Olympic sailor she belongs to the physically fittest females amongst the Nacra17 Circuit.

Matías is a talented sailor since young age when he started his sports career at the age of 14 as Optimist Vice World Champion. The Argentinian-Swiss trained sail maker came to Switzerland after the Olympics in 2008, trained the Swiss windsurfer Richard Stauffacher for the Olympics 2012 and since then aims for a medal in Rio together with Nathalie. “After four years of hard work, it is time for us to fly to Brazil and represent Switzerland and the Gstaad Yacht Club at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It is exciting and we can't wait to go out on the sea and do our best!” said Nathalie before leaving.

Team Bühler / Brugger achievements are constant and fingers shall be crossed:
Will Ryan was first introduced to the waters of Sydney Harbour at two days old. Growing up on the waters of Lake Macquarie - he progressed quickly through a range of junior classes including State and National Championships.

Since 2009, Will has focused purely upon the 470 class, with an Olympic medal firmly within his sights. Following the 2012 London Olympics, Olympic Gold Medallist Mat Belcher and Will teamed up to campaign towards Rio 2016, with the pair having immediate success winning the Worlds in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The connection to Gstaad came through Will’s family. His mother spent winters ago the school season of the international school here in Gstaad. As a regular visitor in recent years, he joined the GYC in December 2015.

'It is exciting to be in the final countdown towards my first Olympic participation! It is such a truly unique opportunity to compete for your country, but also a daunting task! So it is very special to hear stories from the likes of Peter Erzberger and Nathalie Brugger about their past Olympic experiences, while being able to share my journey with the members of the GYC,' commented Will during his recent visit to Gstaad.

The long list of victories looks promising for a medal. Billy Besson, a two top French sailor, joined the GYC in 2015. Together with Matthieu Vandame, he represented the GYC in the Littlecup 2015 both of them being multiple world champions in various catamaran classes. With his teammate Marie Riou, Billy Besson became three-time world champion in the Olympic Nacra 17 catamaran class; he is a training partner of Matías Bühler and Nathalie Brugger.

Billy will start at the Olympics for France. “I am very happy and excited to be a part of the Gstaad Yacht Club,” said Billy when he joined last spring.

A proud GYC Commodore, Peter Erzberger states: “He is delighted that GYC members are starting in the sailing Olympics for the fourth time in a row since Athens 2004, this time even out of three different countries.