The 11th edition Gstaad Yacht Club Century Trophy will take place next Thursday, September 29th during the Voiles de Saint-Tropez, where we will find very young centenarians for the first time in the company of the event's regulars.
It was in 2011 that the Gstaad Yacht Club launched the idea of bringing together century-old boats in the Mediterranean. The most elegant century-old classic yachts and the most high-performance yachts have participated in regattas over the years. The Centenary Trophy is the unmissable event for sailboats over a century old at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. The race is played according to a "pursuit race" format (boats cross the starting line according to their rank, and the first to cross the finish line is declared the winner), which allows competitors to compete on equal terms throughout the regatta.
« The Gstaad Yacht Club Centenarians' Trophy was one of the highlights of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez challenge day. More than 10 years ago, the famous Swiss club had the original idea of organizing the first regatta reserved for boats over 100 years old on Thursday during the day, and it was very fortunate that the Société Nautique de St-Tropez allowed its team to invest in this work. This event also allows you to see boats sailing together because they are often in different categories due to their size or equipment, but the format of the event – the pursuit – gives everyone a chance to find out, and the winner is known as soon as they cross the finish line. " said Pierre Roinson, president of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, noting that 2022 will also be another important anniversary for the club which is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year.e birthday.
After a successful anniversary edition last year, the "Centenary Trophy" returns this year with a growing number of centenarians.
The oldest competitor in the Centenary Trophy, MadCap will participate for the first time. The MadCap is the oldest known pilot cutter in the world, still seaworthy, built by Davis and Plain in Cardiff in 1874. In 2018, it was restored with the help of economic stakeholders in the commercial port of La Rochelle.
La Shenandoah of Sark will also cross the starting line of the Centenary Trophy for the first time. With three masts and 55 meters, Shenandoah of Sark will be the largest yacht of this edition. Designed by the American Theodore Ferris, it was built in 1902. Its history is very interesting because it was seized twice… once by the British Navy during the First World War and once by French customs in the 1960s – it changed owners frequently, including British and Italian aristocrats, but also the famous Baron Marcel Bich. Its current interior was designed by the Italian architect Gae Aulenti and even houses a grand piano!
Kismet (1898) et Sumurun (1914), two centenarians built by William Fife & Son, will once again be present for the Centenary Trophy. Organizing the Centenary Trophy is a great idea. I can't wait to participate again this year; it will be my fourth time. The organization is fantastic, and last year's welcome was perfect. Thanks to the Gsaad Yacht Club, all the conditions are in place for it to be a wonderful event. ", Alain Moatti, owner of Sumurun.
The three-time winner of the Centenary Trophy, Olympian (1913) and Véronique (1907) will be present on the line for the seventh time in a very good confrontation.
About the Centenarian Award
The annual Centenarian Award, organized by Classic Boat magazine and the Gstaad Yacht Club, was established in 2017. All vessels 100 years old and older, still sailing, are eligible. Each vessel must have made a major achievement in the past year, whether it be a long voyage, a race victory, a major restoration, or another notable event.
The winner will be announced at the annual Classic Boat Awards ceremony at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London, where the winner will receive a sterling silver cup donated by Robbe & Berking. Designed in the Bauhaus style (1919–1933), it embodies a minimalist style and a clean, modern aesthetic expressed through precious materials.
The winner of the 2022 edition was the Firefly (1922), designed by Albert Strange and modified by Harrison Butler according to the wishes of her first owner, Robert Lamb, to become a shallow draft skiff for use on the Norfolk Broads (UK). Firefly has been in the Clay family since 1934, a wonderful story of passing it down from generation to generation.
About the Gstaad Yacht Club
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 just another local yacht club near the sea." The Gstaad Yacht Club in the Swiss Alps has 400 members from over 30 different countries. Members and their guests love to meet there.
GYC supports all levels of sailing, from junior to professional sailors. The club has become a formidable force on the Swiss and international sailing scene, particularly in Olympic sailing and classic yachts.
About the Saint-Tropez Nautical Society
The Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez has over 600 members and organizes around fifteen events, including the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. It is one of the oldest clubs in France, dating back to 1862. Since 2015, the merger of the Saint-Tropez sailing clubs has greatly expanded its horizons. The club is located in two magnificent locations and includes several nautical activity centers: sailing competition, sailing school, and motor center...
André Tirlet
