Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy 2026 - Preview

14th Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy © Juerg Kaufmann for GYC

Tomorrow, Thursday 1 October, the centenarian yachts will take centre stage in the bay of Saint-Tropez. Close to twenty yachts will start the 15th edition of the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy, organised with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez as part of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

On the programme: a pursuit race in which the crews will have to make the most of a north to north-easterly wind forecast at 3 to 6 knots. In these light conditions, every gust can change the picture and reopen the battle right to the final metres, in front of the Tour du Portalet.

Organised since 2011 by the Gstaad Yacht Club in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the Centenary Trophy brings together yachts of more than one hundred years old for a race run in pursuit race format. Each yacht starts at a time determined by its rating. The first to cross the finish line in front of the Tour du Portalet wins the trophy.

With the light wind forecast for Thursday, the crews will have to make the most of the slightest gust. That promises suspense between these yachts steeped in history, right to the final metres of the race.

Winner of the last edition on board the 49-foot Q Class Leonore (1925), the Italian Mauro Pelaschier will be there to defend his title: "We are happy to return to the Centenary Trophy after our win last year. We want to be competitive, but we also come for the pleasure of racing in Saint-Tropez. The atmosphere is magnificent, and it is always a spectacle to see the centenarian yachts sailing. Last year's pursuit race was incredible. We hope for another wonderful edition!"

Tuiga (1909), the flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco, will also be on the water - Pierre Casiraghi, Vice-President of the Yacht Club de Monaco: "The Centenary Trophy is a rather special regatta. The format means staying focused from start to finish, always wanting to chase down the boats ahead while giving nothing away behind. On Tuiga, the differences often come down to small details: a well-executed manoeuvre, a good trim setting, well-coordinated crew work. This year, bringing together around twenty centenarian yachts on the water, including several magnificent Fife designs, is something quite exceptional.

We are here to enjoy this unique gathering and to celebrate this living heritage, but as soon as the start is given what we really want is to make the boat go well, to sail cleanly and to get the best out of Tuiga"

At 34.8 metres overall, Sumurun will be the last to cross the start line. "Sumurun is a magnificent Fife design built in 1914 in Fairlie, Scotland. I find it remarkable that boats more than one hundred years old still sail today with such vitality. This race is of course a regatta, but also a symbol and a spectacle. With Sumurun, the largest boat in the fleet, we will start behind the others and try to catch them. But seeing these centenarian yachts ahead of or behind us is always a pleasure!" Jean-Pierre Dréau, owner of Sumurun.

A two-time winner of the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy, Oriole (1905) will also be on the start line: "It is a great honour for us to return to Saint-Tropez and to sail alongside this fleet of centenarian yachts. Oriole, designed by Nathanael Herreshoff in 1905, has already won the Centenary Trophy twice. We will do everything we can to be in contention for victory again this year!" Ignacio Eguiagaray.

The first boat will start on Thursday 1 October at 12.30.
Sky (1890) will once again be the oldest of the centenarians on the start line, while the newly centenarian NY40 Marilee (1926) will be the youngest.

Swiss Night, Place des Lices

On Wednesday 30 September, the Place des Lices will take on a Swiss air for the Swiss Night, the festive gathering of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. For the fourth year, the Gstaad Yacht Club will put Switzerland centre stage in a convivial atmosphere. Crews will be able to enjoy alpine specialities and take part in entertainment as unusual as it is playful: a cow-milking contest and an offbeat ski race in the heart of the village of Saint-Tropez.

The Trophy
The Centenary Trophy itself, presented each year during the owners' dinner, is also a centenarian: it was created by Wakely and Wheeler in London in 1911, exactly 100 years before the first edition of the regatta.

Further information and a gallery of beautiful photographs from previous editions can be found on the Centenary Trophy website: gyccentenarytrophy.com