Which open water swimming event in 2022 is for you? — Lake Geneva Swimming Association

Planning your open water swim events for 2022 is something we would love to help you with.

We have divided our events for 2022 not on distances but on the type of swimmer you are and the things you want to reach.

For the open water swimmer that wants to have a story to tell

Every good story starts with an adventure. And for some swimmers, an open water swim event is all about the adventure of going to a new place and swimming in waters unknown to them.

Now, the whole world has been discovered and everybody can imagine swimming in Lake Geneva. But how many can tell the story of the time they jumped of a boat in the middle of Lake Geneva?

That’s what the Escape Léman event is all about stories. The Escape Léman is held on 17 July 2021. This event starts at starts on a boat which is situated in the middle of the Lake, the Franco-Swiss border from which you swim back to shore

The boat which we use for the event is not just any boat. It is the largest lateen sailing boat in the world, the Savoie. The original Savoie was built back in 1896. The boat we will be using for the Escape Léman (open water swimming event in 2022) is a replica registered under the name Savoie 513.

How’s that for a story?

For the open water swimmer that wants to inspire friends and family

Challenging yourself by setting yourself a goal to go for, is something that inspires others to act. For those serious open water swimmers that hope that their passion will be picked up by family and friends, the best option is our Classique event.

What do you take home after swimming the Classique? Just like the Escape Léman, it gives you a story to tell. You will have proven that you can swim from Switzerland to France in a border crossing swim. The Classique begins at Lausanne, Switzerland and finishes at Evian-les-Bains, France. Although this may be reversed or altered (depending on the weather)

And who wouldn’t be inspired or interested in hearing how you crossed a border swimming? There might even be a few that would love to try it for themselves! Read all about the Signature Swim.

For the open water swimmer that wishes to do the impossible

Do you know how many people have been to the moon? 12. But only 8 swimmers have finished our Signature Swim event because it is the ultimate challenge in open water swimming.

As first completed by Alain Charmey in 1986, the Signature Swim is twice as long as the English Channel. It traverses the length of Lake Geneva from Chillon Castle in Veytaux to Bains des Pâquis in Geneva.

It is that though that we ask swimmers to first complete a self-assessment test. We require that you have a certified self-assessment swim consisting of a ten-hour swim, followed by a seven-hour swim the next day, in water that is 17ºC/64ºF or colder.

This by all means doesn’t mean that you will make it, but if you can swim this distance, you at least have a chance to complete this ultimate challenge in open water swimming.

Do note that for this swim we have only 3 spots left early in the season of 2022. In June the water temperature can be between 17 and 25 degrees and should be something to take into consideration if you wish to make it to the other side.

Sign up for an open water swim event in 2022

We have listed the 3 events we have lined up, at this moment, for the next year. We will update this blog as soon as we have more to tell you about other possible events.

Do you have questions about our events? Not sure if an event is right for you or not? Reach out to us at any moment and we will help you to find the event that fits your needs and skills.