Cape 31s Take Over Saint-Tropez

Cape 31s from 12 nations head to Saint-Tropez next week for the first Cape 31 Gold Cup, with the biggest fleet in the class’s history.

Cape 31s are about to fill the harbour in Saint-Tropez. Just days after Les Voiles, 28 boats from 12 nations will gather at the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez for something the class has never done before: a Gold Cup. Racing starts in a week, on Wednesday 14 October, and nobody’s name is on the trophy yet.

It is the largest Cape 31 fleet ever assembled. The previous record was 26 boats, at the 2023 UK National Championship in Lymington. Teams are coming from France, Great Britain, Germany, South Africa, Switzerland, Monaco, the Netherlands, Türkiye, Italy, Hungary, Austria and Portugal.

The names everyone is watching

The 2026 Mediterranean Circuit podium will all be there: Stig, Stella Maris and La Pericolosa. Stig won the 2025 European Championship in Palma, La Pericolosa took the 2024 European title in Sanremo, and Guy Gillon’s Khumbu arrive fresh from the 2026 UK National Championship.

For August Schram, President of the International Cape 31 Class and owner of Stella Maris, the week is a milestone.

“I am incredibly proud to be part of the cutting-edge Cape 31 one-design class, and to see a record fleet come together for our inaugural Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez, one of the great centres of regatta sailing in the world,” he said.

The week ahead

The programme opens on Monday 12 October. The 2026 Mediterranean Circuit champions will be crowned at the opening reception on 13 October, before four days of racing from 14 to 17 October. On Saturday, one team will become the first name on the Cape 31 Gold Cup.

Photos: Sailing Energy