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The best endurance rowers, the bravest and the most adventurous will meet on Saturday September 27 at the Société Nautique de Genève for the 53rd edition of the famous BCGE Tour du Léman à l’Aviron.

Geneva, September 25, 2025 – Every year at the end of September, Lake Geneva becomes the stage for a sporting challenge that is unique in the world: the Tour du Léman à l’Aviron. Created in 1972 by the Société Nautique de Genève’s rowing section, this endurance competition is considered the world’s longest non-stop rowing regatta on a closed basin. Fifteen crews set off at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning from the North Pier of Geneva’s Port Noir, for a circular, clockwise course of 160 kilometers. Depending on weather conditions, boat equipment and crew experience, the lake crossing can take between 12 and 17 hours. This demanding and prestigious challenge attracts international teams every year to test themselves and the lake.

The 53ᵉ edition of the BCGE Tour du Léman à l’Aviron will take place this Saturday, September 27, 2025. It promises to be an edition of renewal, since a large proportion of the crews entered are “novices”, i.e. rowers who have not yet taken part in more than three editions. For Stéphane Trachsler, President of the Organizing Committee, this is excellent news, testifying to the dynamism of the new generation and the continuing appeal of the competition. This vitality is also reflected in the marked diversity of the participants, with the presence of teams from Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Malta and Austria, as well as a crew bringing together rowers from the North and South of Ireland, a symbol of the fraternal spirit that reigns over the event. Four all-female teams will also enhance the regatta’s inclusive dimension.

Since the 50ᵉ edition in 2022, weather conditions have prevented a complete circumnavigation of the lake, so one of the major objectives of this edition is to be able to complete the entire course again. To ensure that the race runs smoothly, Laurent Perriard-Plumettaz will be in charge of coordinating the accompanying boats and ensuring the safety of all competitors. As every year, the success of the event also relies on the involvement of numerous volunteers, as well as the active collaboration of the SISL and rowing clubs from the Lake Geneva region such as CA Nyon, FRC Morges, Lausanne Sports and CN Montreux, not forgetting the logistical support of the Société Nautique de Genève restaurant and secretariat.

The Tour du Léman à l’Aviron also owes its strength to solid partnerships. Since 2022, Banque Cantonale de Genève (BCGE) has been the regatta’s title sponsor. Attracted by the exceptional nature of the event and the human values it embodies, BCGE has entered into a partnership of at least three years with the Société Nautique de Genève. The aim of this partnership is to raise the profile of rowing and reinforce the aura of the Tour du Léman as an emblematic sporting event for Geneva and its lake.

And so, between tradition and modernity, heritage and renewal, the Tour du Léman à l’Aviron remains an extraordinary human and sporting adventure, combining endurance, team spirit and passion in the grandiose setting of Lake Geneva.