10 days to go before the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy

The countdown has begun for the centenary yachts !

In ten days, on Thursday, October 3rd, they will meet in Saint-Tropez during the Voiles de Saint-Tropez for the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy. More than twenty competitors are expected for this 13th edition, which promises to be majestic. A spectacle and magic of yesteryear are guaranteed for this day when the centenarians will be in the spotlight.

On land, the festivities will also be part of the celebration on Wednesday, October 2nd. For the third year, the Gstaad Yacht Club will honour Switzerland at Place des Lices with the" Swiss Night."

Since 2011, the Gstaad Yacht Club, in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, has organized the Centenary Trophy, held on the traditional Challenger day of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Over the years, the Centenary Trophy has become the must-attend regatta for magnificent century-old yachts. The Centenary Trophy is raced in a "pursuit race" format (where boats start based on their rating, and the first to cross the finish line is the winner), allowing all competitors to race on an equal footing.

« The Gstaad Yacht Club is very proud to organize in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez this beautiful and unique regatta with a uniqueness similar to our yacht club without water but with over 400 members from more than 40 different countries. The Centenary Trophy is an event eagerly awaited by all of them present at the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. I hope that this 13th edition will once again be magical and magnificent on the water. What a pleasure it is to admire these magnificent boats deploying their splendid sails in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez," declares Manrico Iachia, Commodore of the Gstaad Yacht Club.

A début

Three yachts will cross the starting line for the first time in 2024.

The Bermudian sloop Arrow, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was designed by H.G. May in 1924 and built by Berthon Boat Co shipyard in the United Kingdom.

Lona II, a 1905 gaff-rigged cutter, was designed by John Pain Clark and built by William King & Sons shipyard. The brand-new Class P Joyant, designed by Nathanael Herreshoff in 1911, measures 58 feet, making it the longest Class P yacht ever built.

Former Winners

The three-time winner (2014-2019-2021) of the Yacht Club Centenary Trophy, the Class P yacht Olympian (1913), will be at the starting line for the ninth time, eager to claim a fourth victory. The winner in 2015, NY 30 Oriole (1905), will also take part for the seventh time.

Appache (1918), Barbara (1923), Chips (1913), Corinthian (1911), Dainty (1922), Dione (1912), Gaudeamus (1914), Lulu (1897), Marga (1910), Mariska (1908), Nin (1913), Rowdy (1916), Silhouette (1910), Sky (1890), Thea (1918), Tuiga (1909), and Veronique (1907) will also be participating in the Centenary Trophy.

Swiss Crew Night, place des Lices

For the third year, the Gstaad Yacht Club will showcase Switzerland at Place des Lices in St. Tropez on Wednesday, October 2nd. All competitors are invited to take part in festive and fun activities. On the agenda : a tasting of Alpine specialties and some typically Swiss activities... a 'cow milking' competition and a unique ski race.

The Centenarian Award

The "Centenarian Award" of the year, organized by Classic Boat magazine and the Gstaad Yacht Club, was created in 2017. All boats 100 years and older that are still sailing are eligible. Each boat must have accomplished something significant in the past year, such as a long cruise, a race victory, a major restoration, or any other remarkable event. The winner is announced at the annual Classic Boat Awards ceremony held at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London. The winner receives a sterling silver cup offered by Robbe & Berking. The cup, crafted in the Bauhaus style (1919-1933), embodies simplicity expressed through precious materials with a clean and modern aesthetic. The 2023 winner is Barbara (1923), designed in 1923 by Charles Ernest Nicholson and built at Camper & Nicholsons shipyard in Gosport, UK, currently sailing under the Italian flag.

For all nominees for the Centenarian Award, visit: Classic Boat Awards

The Trophy itself

The Centenary Trophy, awarded each year during the Trophy Giving Owners dinner, is also a centenarian, created by Wakely and Wheeler in London in 1911, exactly 100 years before the first edition of the regatta.

Find more information and a gallery of stunning photos from previous editions on the Centenary Trophy website: GYC Centenary Trophy.