GYC Centenary Trophy third edition preview

by Gstaad Yacht Club on 29 Sep 2013 The third edition of the GYC Centenary Trophy is being held during the Voiles the Saint-Tropez on 3rd October 2013. With less than one week remaining to the only racing event that gathers classic yachts, 100 hundred years or more of age, the Gstaad Yacht Club is working non stop together with the organizers of the Voiles the Saint-Tropez to make sure that everything is ready to welcome the participants.

While entries keep coming, the race's management is focussing on the especially created handicap system to allow different yachts to have an even and exciting event.

'The third edition of the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy will provide the measurers with the necessary details to sharpen the handicap of all the participants. Our aim is to make the 2014 race closer, to have most of the boats together on the finish line. Imagine what a beautiful picture this would be, old ladies fighting for victory in front of the old City and harbour of St. Tropez...' said Gstaad Yacht Club Commodore Peter Erzberger.

While past winners, Italian-flagged five tonner Bona Fide (1899) and UK's fore and aft cutter Marigold (1892) that were awarded with the Trophy in 2011 and 2012 respectively, have already confirmed to be on the starting line, the good news is that there are also some yachts that have decided to come back and newcomers too.

After having taken part to the inaugural edition in 2011, fore and aft cutter Kelpie, designed by Scottish architect Alfred Mylne and launched in 1903 as one of the 11 Solent 38 One Design boats will be back. Rookie to the race, as they can be with an over centenarian history, will be the huge Shenandoah of Sark, that with her 118 feet (55 metres) will be the biggest yacht ever to compete in the race so far, and the much smaller but equally fascinating Nin, a gaff rigged 8 metre dated 1913, and debuting on the Mediterranean racing scene. Shenandoah is a three masted gaff schooner which was originally built in 1902 by US shipyard Townsend & Downey and was fully restored in New Zealand at Mc Mullen and Wing Shipyard in 1995/6.

The Centenary Trophy will take place on October 3rd, on the day that was traditionally devoted to the 'défis', individual challenges between boats, and once again be raced in a pursuit race format, a system that has been proving extremely attractive not only for sailors but for the public alike, as easy to understand and follow.

For the third time around, the winner will be awarded with the exclusive trophy, created by Wakely and Wheeler of London in 1911.

The event is organized by The Gstaad Yacht Club in co-operation with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.