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A Record-Breaking Fleet for the First Gold Cup
This week, the Bay of Saint-Tropez is hosting an unprecedented Cape 31 regatta. With 28 boats registered, the inaugural Gold Cup has surpassed the class?s previous participation record of 26 boats, set at the 2023 British National Championship in Lymington.
Organized by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the event brings together the British and Mediterranean fleets for the first time. The 212 crew members participating represent approximately 23 nationalities.
Germany provides the largest contingent, with eight ships, followed by Great Britain, which has five. France and Italy each have three ships.
This participation reflects the growth of the Cape 31, a 31-foot one-design racing yacht whose development has accelerated in the Mediterranean over the past few seasons. In two years, the Mediterranean circuit has grown from six boats to a fleet capable of bringing together nearly thirty crews for this inaugural Gold Cup.
Stig, La Pericolosa, and Khumbu are among the favorites
The competition is shaping up to be particularly intense.
Stig, led by Alessandro Rombelli, comes into the race having won the 2026 Mediterranean Circuit title by a clear ten-point margin. The Italian crew also claimed the 2025 European Championship in Palma.
Christian Schwoerer's La Pericolosa is among its main rivals. The German boat, which won the 2024 European Championship in Sanremo, is coming off a victory in the Mediterranean final held in Hyères in late September.
Guy Gillon's Khumbu, meanwhile, is one of the top British climbers, having won the national title in 2026.
Stella Maris, skippered by August Schram and currently in second place on the Mediterranean circuit, and Eker Süzme, which stood out in the most recent race in Hyères, could also be contenders for the top spots.
Olympic medalists spread across the crews
The Gold Cup also brings together several sailors with international achievements.
Croatian sailors ?ime Fantela and Igor Mareni?, who won Olympic gold in the 470 class in Rio in 2016, are competing on different boats this time around. Fantela is sailing on Stig, while Mareni? is sailing on Black Star.
Australian Will Ryan, the 470 Olympic champion in Tokyo, is competing on Hatari alongside Nic Asher and Elliot Willis, the 2008 470 world champions.
Other Olympic medalists are competing in the event: Zsombor Berecz on Black Battalion, Mateo Majdalani on La Pericolosa, Xavier Rohart on Chocolate, and Nicolas Charbonnier on Black Star.
Francesco Bruni of Italy, a former co-helmsman for Luna Rossa in the America's Cup, is sailing on Motions, Lennard van Oeveren's team. His presence further enhances the tactical level of a fleet that brings together specialists from a wide range of disciplines.
Give Me Five is playing at home
Of the three French boats competing, Give Me Five enjoys special status.
Adrien and Robin Follin?s Cape 31 is competing on its usual sailing grounds. The crew, which won the 2024 European Corinthian Championship, also won a race during the most recent Mediterranean leg in Hyères.
Adrien Follin helped with the class's arrival in Saint-Tropez and with the organization of this first Gold Cup.
For Give Me Five, the challenge will be to turn its knowledge of the Gulf into an advantage against some particularly experienced crews. Coastal effects, shifting winds, and course-side choices can play an important role, but they won?t make up for the quality of the starts and maneuvers.
Twelve races are scheduled through Saturday, October 17
Measurement checks and technical inspections were conducted prior to the first races, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 14.
The race committee plans to hold up to three races per day, for a total of twelve. The races will be fleet races, with on-water judging in accordance with Appendix UF of the racing rules.
The first warning signal is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. each day. On Saturday, October 17, no new starts will be allowed after 2:30 p.m.
At the end of this final day, one crew will add its name to the list of winners of the very first Cape 31 Gold Cup.
Beyond the results, this edition will serve as a test of the class?s ability to bring its various national fleets together on a lasting basis for a major international competition.
