Since 1979, the Luxembourg Cruising and Racing Group (Groupe Luxembourgeois de Croisières et de Régates – GLCR) has been the only rallying point in Luxembourg for enthusiasts of offshore sailing.
The GLCR was founded on 21 May 1979 by Christian Bauer, Yvan Claesen, François Collard, Guy Conrady, Jean Demaeght, Marc Engeldinger, Romain Kraemer, Gérard Tessaro, Guy Welter, and the club’s first president, Dr. François Collard.
The purpose of the GLCR was defined as follows: “The association aims to promote the practice and teaching of the sport of offshore sailing, the development of water sports and nautical tourism in general, the organization of regattas, the fostering of friendly relations among its members and with sports associations in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and abroad, as well as the examination and resolution of issues of interest to its members. It may affiliate with any national organizations whose purpose is the practice of sailing.”
Originally operating as a group of friends who met once a month in a café in Limpertsberg to talk about their passion for sailing, the GLCR has, under the leadership of its successive presidents, grown into a club with more than 500 members. Gast Neu, Gérard Tessaro, Johnny Thielen, Pieter Wies, Ern Hansen, Jeannot Krecké, Carlo Schoup, and finally the current president, Serge Courtois, since 2008, have successfully guided the club’s development.
Despite the growth of the GLCR, the “friendly relations among its members” have continued to be nurtured through monthly meetings, first at the Brasserie Siewebueren, then for many years at the Bascule in Dommeldange, and for more than a decade now at the cultural center “Am Duerf” in Luxembourg-Weimerskirch.
The name GLCR was the subject of heated discussions during the 1990s, with some wishing to change it to “Lëtzebuerger Segelclub” and others to “Luxembourg Sailing Club.” In 1995, the general assembly put an end to these debates by confirming the original name.
The club’s activities have also evolved considerably since 1979. As early as 1982, it began preparing its members for sailing certificates issued by the Luxembourg Sailing Federation (FLV). Since 1998, it has offered courses to obtain the Category 2 boating license issued by the Ministry of the Economy and Foreign Trade. In addition, it provides theoretical and practical maritime radiotelephony courses for candidates wishing to obtain the certificate issued by the Luxembourg Institute of Regulation (ILR), which is recognized worldwide.
Since 1996, members no longer meet solely among themselves to talk about their adventures at sea; the GLCR has also organized conferences open to the general public, welcoming speakers such as Loïc Peyron and Pierre Fehlmann, Alain Gauthier, Bobby Schenck, Arved Fuchs, Wilfried Erdmann, Sönke Roever, Capt. Ralf Krogmann (German Maritime Search and Rescue Service), Eric Brossier, Alessandro di Benedetto, Veit S. Hilger, Nike Steiger, Sébastien Roubinet, Guirec Soudée, Yann Quenet, Claudia Clawien and Jonathan Buttmann, Jérôme Merker, and Martin Daldrup.
And, of course, the club remains faithful to its tradition of sporting achievements accomplished by its members—memorable exploits that you can discover under the sections “GLCR Medal of Merit” and “GLCR Trophy.”