22 centenarians awaited for the 13th Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy

Mariska © Juerg Kaufmann / GYC

They've all arrived in Saint-Tropez for the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. On Thursday 3 October, for the traditional Voiles de Saint-Tropez challenge day, twenty-two competitors will cross the start line of the 13th edition of the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy.

The spectacle promises to be exceptional once again for this unique race that everyone is looking forward to. Tomorrow, Wednesday 2 October, all the crews will be on the Place des Lices for a Swiss night full of surprises.

The Gstaad Yacht Club is proud to be organising the 13th edition of the Centenary Trophy once again in partnership with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez during the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Throughout the year, we have worked hard in collaboration with the SNST (Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez) to make this regatta, which brings together the finest centenary boats, an event in the friendly spirit of Les Voiles', said Daniel Heine, Gstaad Yacht Club sailing officer.

Beautiful centenaries for a unique race

As it has every year since its creation in 2011, the Centenary Trophy will be contested under the 'pursuit race' format: the boats cross the start line at a specific time according to their rating, and the first to cross the finish line is the winner. This race format allows competitors to race on an equal footing.

'We love being here in Saint-Tropez and taking part in the Centenary Trophy, and if we could, we'd come back every year,' added Jan Peter Andersen, who sails Thea.

The two magnificent 15m JI, Mariska (William Fife III 1908), and the flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco, Tuiga (William Fife III 1909) will once again be on the starting line of the Centenary Trophy.

'For the crew of Mariska, taking part in the Centenary Trophy is a must. We're also in Saint-Tropez to take part in this challenge organised by the Gstaad Yacht Club,' says Manon Bajart, captain of Mariska.

'We're very happy to take part in this regatta every year with all the hundred-year-old boats. The fact that we're starting according to our rating is really a great idea, it's a format that we don't have in other races. For Tuiga, it's good because we've got all our rivals ahead of us and we have to do everything we can to catch them. Often it's the other way round for us,' adds Daniel Pereira, skipper of Tuiga.

The start will be given on Thursday 3 October at 12:30 for the first boat. Lulu (1897) will once again be the oldest centenarian at the start, while Arrow (1924) will be the youngest.

'Swiss Night, Place des Lices

On Wednesday October 2, all the competitors will gather at the Place des Lices for 'Swiss Night'. For the third year running, the Gstaad Yacht Club is putting Switzerland in the spotlight in Saint-Tropez. On the programme: tasting of Alpine specialities and very Swiss activities... a 'cow milking' competition and an original 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