Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy – 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 3^rd, 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 13^th 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 2^nd. For the third year, the Gstaad Yacht Club will honour Switzerland at Place des Lices with the “Swiss Night.”

The countdown has begun for the centenary yachts !

In ten days, on Thursday, October 3^rd, 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 13^th 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 2^nd. 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 13^th 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

**More information can be found at the Centenary Trophy website: gyccentenarytrophy.com
** A gallery from past editions here: www.juergkaufmann.com/centenary-trophy

Centenary Trophy Winners:
2011: Bonafide (1899)
2012: Marigold (1892)
2013: due to adverse weather conditions the title was not awarded
2014: Olympian (1913)
2015: Oriole (1905)
2016: Spartan (1913)
2017: Tilly XV (1912)
2018: Tilly XV (1912)
2019: Olympian (1913)
2021: Olympian (1913)
2022: Kismet (1898)
2023: Spartan (1913)

Editors’ notes 

The Gstaad Yacht Club

The Gstaad Yacht Club (GYC) was founded in 1998 by a group of sailing enthusiasts with the vision of creating “a unique, global yacht club off the water, instead of another local club on the water”. Located in the Swiss Alpes, and initially often met with astonishment, the Gstaad Yacht Club has developed into a club with 400 members from over 40 different countries and a place where members and their guests enjoy meeting. The network of reciprocal clubs has extended over all continents.

The GYC supports sailing projects at all levels, from juniors to professional sailors, and has become a permanent fixture on the Swiss sailing scene, particularly in Olympic sailing and classic yachting.

Since 2011, topics relating to the protection of the oceans and waters as well as other topics relating to sustainability and the well-being of our environment have been an integral part of club life, enriched by collaborations and events such as with Sylvia Earle, the Blue Marine Foundation and IUCN Ocean Ambassador William Winram.

Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez

Founded in 1862, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez has been organizing regattas for over 160 years. Some of its members have left an indelible mark, such as Guy de Maupassant in 1887 and Paul Signac in 1897 (President of the SNST from 1908 to 1911), who are among the pioneers of French yachting. Affiliated with the FFVoile and an allied club of the Yacht Club de France, the SNST has continued to grow with the motto of always being open

to modernity and new ideas while respecting tradition. With a team of enthusiasts, including 15 board members, 3 permanent staff, 500 members, and many volunteers, the club organizes major events such as Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the ArMeN Festival, Les Dames de Saint-Tropez, Les Voiles d’automne, and the Paprec 600 Saint-Tropez offshore race, and co-organizes other events like the Loro Piana Giraglia in Saint-Tropez. The SNST hosts exceptional events, including various world championships and since 2021, the French leg of the Sail GP, as well as a leg of the 52 Super Series circuit for the TP 52, which will return to Saint-Tropez in 2025. The Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez is the supporting club of the French Orient Express Team for the 37^th America’s Cup, which will take place in September and October 2024 in Barcelona.

Media liaison:

International:

Carla Anselmi
mobile  + 39 347 46 32 757
email: [email protected]

France:

Soazig Guého
mobile  + 33 6 60 08 75 44
email: [email protected]

Photographer:

Jürg Kaufmann
email: [email protected]
Copyright: Juerg Kaufmann / GYC
juergkaufmann.com

Gstaad Yacht Club contact details:

Cindy Schoenrich
Managing Director
Email: [email protected]

Nina Onzehskaya / Alberto Almeida
Administration & Events
Tel: +41 33 748 0190
Email: [email protected]

Gstaad Yacht Club-web:
http://www.gstaadyachtclub.com