A gentle breeze, warm sun, blue skies. One couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions for the fourth edition of the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy, the true rendez-vous for the oldest boats of the classic yachts circuit and the focal point of classic racing at the Voiles the Saint-Tropez, hosting event of the regatta.
For the fourth consecutive year the Centenary Trophy gathered one hundred years and more old yachts that competed with an especially created handicap system in a pursuit race. The Race Committee set the race area on a 7 mile long costal course, with the first start signal fired at around 12:30 in 8 to 10 knots of wind. After some three hours, the first boat to cross the line, just off the St Tropez breakwater, crowded with hundreds of spectators, was Philippe Oddo’s Olympian skippered by Bruno Troublé. The very competitive P Class gaff cutter, at her first participation to the Centenary was then declared the winner of the Trophy, to the utmost delight of her crew.
“This Centenary Trophy is a very special regatta, the pursuit format is great. We had to start late due to our rating and sailing among the fleet of centenarians was simply wonderful. One after the other, we managed to take over our competitors and got in front, crossing the line in first.” Said Bruno Troublé as he docked in the St Tropez harbour.
Yet, Olympian was not the only newcomer to display excellent speed performance. Second placed Silhouette, was also participating to the regatta for the first time, but as her owner Daniel Heine declared she will be back in the future: “We were told by our Commodore, that there is no second so we have to come back next year. Many thanks to all who made this fantastic race possible – we look forward to the 2015 edition.”
During the prize-giving ceremony Peter Erzberger, Commodore of the Gstaad Yacht Club announced an important initiative. The Club has in fact decided to launch the Centenary Trophy Register© of the centenarians with the aim of gathering information, details and news on the existing fleet.
Results
1 OLYMPIAN P14
2 SILHOUETTE H8
3VIOLA CAG 7
4 PHOEBUS 17
5 ORIOLE NY 11
6 PARTRIDGE CAG 37
7 MOONBEAM IV 8
8 NAN OF FIFE 15
9 NIN 8
10 JAP C4
11 MARIGOLD CAG 4
12 OWL CAG 59
