We talked to St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the hosting club of this year’s Semifinal 2 which takes place from 3 to 6 August in St. Petersburg, Russia.

SCL: Which abilities do the sailors/clubs need to win in St Petersburg?
SPBYC: This is a really tricky place to sail. Neva river with its famous 3-knots current surrounded by the city walls – the wind is changing both force and direction. The teams have to look around 360 degrees all the time to seek for any chance to gain speed. Two years of SCL racing here show that even after a bad start you can still win a race or lose it after a good one.

What has SPBYC prepared for the semifinal?
SPBYC: This is definitely the smartest race course of the season. Also, St Petersburg is the largest city in the SCL calendar. The city offers unique attractions for the visitors like keeping an eye on the clock at night to not miss crossing the bridges! Besides, based on the crews’ feedback, we strongly believe that the clubs seek for the SCL qualification only to visit our beautiful and fun city.

What is for SPBYC the “magic formula“ of SAILING Champions League?
SPBYC: In year three of SCL in St Petersburg, SPBYC is more than happy and proud to host such an event with amazing guests. As usual, the club will do its best to treat its esteemed guests to the highest standards!

Photo credits: Anya Semeniouk