Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy: The centenarian yachts meet in Saint-Tropez on Thursday

Press Release, Wednesday 30 September 2026

Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy: The centenarian yachts meet in Saint-Tropez on Thursday

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.
This Wednesday, 30 September, the Gstaad Yacht Club will open the celebrations ashore with the fourth edition of the Swiss Night, held on the Place des Lices.
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: https://gyccentenarytrophy.com

Swiss Night: a Swiss breeze over Saint-Tropez

Before the spectacle on the water, it will be time to celebrate. On Wednesday, 30 September, the Gstaad Yacht Club will welcome competitors and guests to the traditional Swiss Night, held on the Place des Lices.

The programme will include a tasting of alpine specialities, a cow-milking contest and the unmissable ski race. A warm and festive atmosphere guaranteed.

 

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

 

Winners of the Centenary Trophy:

2011 : Bonafide (1899)

2012 : Marigold (1892)

2013 : Due to unfavourable weather conditions, the race could not take place and the trophy 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)

2024 : Oriole (1905)

2025 : Leonore (1925)

  

 

Notes to Editors:

Gstaad Yacht Club

The Gstaad Yacht Club was founded in 1998 by a group of passionate sailors with the mission to “create a unique global yacht club away from the water, rather than another local yacht club by the sea”. Located in the Swiss Alps and initially met with some surprise, the Gstaad Yacht Club has grown into a club of 400 members from more than 40 different countries and a place where members and their guests enjoy coming together. Its reciprocal club network now extends across all continents. The annual events calendar includes a wide variety of social, sporting and sailing events, organised by a dedicated team of three, together with ten volunteer members of the Board and Committee, who organise up to 90 event days each year.

The GYC supports sailing projects at every level, from juniors to professional sailors, and has become an important player in Swiss sailing, particularly in Olympic sailing and classic yachting.

Since 2011, topics relating to the protection of oceans and waters, as well as other sustainability and environmental well-being themes, have become an integral part of Club life, enriched by collaborations and events with figures and organisations such as Sylvia Earle, the Blue Marine Foundation, IUCN Ocean Ambassador William Winram and the Gstaad Cultural Encounters.

Notes to Editors:

Gstaad Yacht Club

The Gstaad Yacht Club was founded in 1998 by a group of passionate sailors with the mission to “create a unique global yacht club away from the water, rather than another local yacht club by the sea”. Located in the Swiss Alps and initially met with some surprise, the Gstaad Yacht Club has grown into a club of 400 members from more than 40 different countries and a place where members and their guests enjoy coming together. Its reciprocal club network now extends across all continents. The annual events calendar includes a wide variety of social, sporting and sailing events, organised by a dedicated team of three, together with ten volunteer members of the Board and Committee, who organise up to 90 event days each year.
The GYC supports sailing projects at every level, from juniors to professional sailors, and has become an important player in Swiss sailing, particularly in Olympic sailing and classic yachting.
Since 2011, topics relating to the protection of oceans and waters, as well as other sustainability and environmental well-being themes, have become an integral part of Club life, enriched by collaborations and events with figures and organisations such as Sylvia Earle, the Blue Marine Foundation, IUCN Ocean Ambassador William Winram and the Gstaad Cultural Encounters.

Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez

Founded in 1862, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez has been organising nautical events for more than 160 years. Some of its members have left an enduring mark, including Guy de Maupassant in 1887 and Paul Signac in 1897, President of the SNST from 1908 to 1911, who were 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 guiding principle of remaining open to modernity and innovation while respecting tradition. Supported by a passionate team, including 15 members of the Board of Directors, three permanent staff, 500 members and many volunteers, the Club organises major events such as Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the Festival ArMeN, Les Dames de Saint-Tropez, Les Voiles d’Automne and the Mediterranean offshore race Paprec 600 Saint-Tropez. It also co-organises events such as the Loro Piana Giraglia in Saint-Tropez. The Club regularly hosts exceptional international events, including TP52, Swan and Dragon regattas, the French stage of SailGP and, in 2026, the Cape 31 World Championship. The Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez was the challenger club for the French team in the 2024 America’s Cup and will again hold this role for the 2027 America’s Cup in Naples.

Press Contact:

Soazig Gueho
– Mobile +33 6 62 08 75 44
– Email: soazig@palolemcom.com

Photographer: Jürg Kaufmann
– Email: juerg@go4image.com
– Copyright: Jürg Kaufmann / Gstaad Yacht Club

Event Website: http://www.gyccentenarytrophy.com

Sailing Officer: Daniel Heine

Managing Director: Cindy Schoenrich
Administration & Events: Nina Onzehskaya / Alberto Almeida

Email: events@gstaadyachtclub.com

Tel: +41 33 748 0190 www.gstaadyachtclub.com