The championship, hosted by Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, runs from 12 to 17 October, with four days of racing starting Wednesday. The 28-boat entry is the largest in Cape 31 class history, surpassing the previous record of 26 boats set at the 2023 UK National Championship in Lymington.
The event also marks the first time the class's UK and Mediterranean fleets have come together on one start line, reflecting the continued international growth of the 31-foot one-design keelboat.
Germany has the largest representation, with eight boats, followed by Great Britain with five and France and Italy with three each. The 212 declared crew members represent approximately 23 nationalities.
Mediterranean Champions Set for Gold Cup Battle
The championship follows the five-round Mediterranean Circuit, where Stig secured the 2026 overall title with 10 net points. The team opened its campaign with victory in Porto Cervo before adding podium finishes in Bonifacio and Hyères.
August Schram's Stella Maris finished second overall on 12 points, following victories in Bonifacio and Scarlino, while Christian Schwoerer's La Pericolosa completed the podium on 14 points.
All three teams will now challenge for the inaugural Gold Cup alongside Guy Gillon's Khumbu, the reigning UK National Champions.
Stig also arrived as the 2025 European Champions, while La Pericolosa won the European title in Sanremo in 2024.
Title Contenders – Christian Schwoerer's La Pericolosa, the 2024 Cape 31 European Champions and winners of the recent Hyères finale, will challenge for the inaugural Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez after finishing third in the 2026 Mediterranean Circuit. Photo: Sailing Energy
La Pericolosa underlined its credentials by winning the Mediterranean Circuit finale in Hyères earlier this month, where Turkey's Eker Süzme finished second overall on countback after winning the final two races.
Six teams won races at Hyères, including Chisum, Stig, Eker Süzme, Give Me Five, Django and La Pericolosa, underscoring the strong competition expected in Saint-Tropez. Home contenders include Adrien and Robin Follin aboard Give Me Five, the 2024 Corinthian European Champions.
The Saint-Tropez team also recorded a race victory in Hyères, while Adrien Follin played a leading role in bringing the Gold Cup to the French venue.
Olympic Champions and America's Cup Sailors Join Fleet
The Gold Cup has attracted an impressive collection of international sailing talent, including Croatian Olympic champions Šime Fantela and Igor Marenić. The pair won gold together in the men's 470 at Rio 2016 but will compete on rival Cape 31s in Saint-Tropez.
Fantela sails with Mediterranean Circuit champions Stig, while Marenić joins Christian Zuerrer's Black Star.
Australian Olympic champion Will Ryan, who won silver in the 470 behind the Croatians in Rio before taking gold at Tokyo 2020, will race aboard Marcus Brennecke's Hatari. He joins British sailors Nic Asher and Elliot Willis, winners of the 2008 470 World Championship.
Other Olympic medallists include Hungary's Zsombor Berecz aboard Black Battalion, Argentina's Mateo Majdalani on La Pericolosa, France's Xavier Rohart on Chocolate and Nicolas Charbonnier on Black Star.
Italian America's Cup sailor Francesco Bruni, who co-helmed Luna Rossa during the 2021 America's Cup, will sail aboard Lennard van Oeveren's Motions. Bruni is the team's only professional sailor, making Motions a contender for the Gold Cup's Corinthian category, which permits one professional crew member.
Spinnaker Spectacle – Cape 31 teams race downwind in close formation, demonstrating the competitive international fleet that will contest the first Gold Cup, with a record 28 boats entered for Saint-Tropez. Photo: Sailing Energy
Several teams are also travelling from the UK circuit, including Tony Dickin's Jubilee, making its first Mediterranean appearance, and Ben Pritchard's Akheilos, which has SailGP and America's Cup sailor Paul Campbell-James aboard.
Christian Zuerrer's Black Star returns to Mediterranean competition, while Germany's Max Augustin makes his Cape 31 debut aboard H.E.A.T.
Johannes Wackerhagen's lil'Desna also returns to the fleet for the first time since the 2025 European Championship.
Four Days of Racing to Decide First Gold Cup Winner
Preparations began on Monday with equipment inspections and the weighing of five randomly selected boats. Registration and sail measurement continue on Tuesday, alongside a practice race at 13:30 and an opening reception to recognise the Mediterranean Circuit champions.
Championship racing begins on Wednesday, with the first warning signal scheduled for 10:30 each day. The schedule includes three races daily, for a maximum of 12 races over the four-day series, with umpired fleet racing under Appendix UF.
Racing concludes on Saturday, with no warning signal after 14:30, followed by the presentation of the inaugural Gold Cup.
International Cape 31 Class Secretary and Mediterranean Circuit Manager Tor Tomlinson Cheney said the record turnout reflected the class's rapid expansion.
"We've arrived in Saint-Tropez, and I'm so proud to see a record fleet here. Just two years ago we started the Mediterranean Circuit with six boats, and now 28 Cape 31s are lining up for the first Gold Cup," he said.
"The atmosphere on the dock is fantastic, and we couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting. All we need now is wind!"
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez president Pierre Roinson welcomed the fleet and said favourable weather was expected for racing in the bay.
"The Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez is very honoured to host the first edition of the Cape 31 Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez, thanks in particular to the involvement of Adrien Follin, member of our Club and a Cape 31 competitor," he said.
Gold Cup organiser and Give Me Five owner Adrien Follin said the event represented an important milestone for the class.
"It's really special to see the first Cape 31 Gold Cup coming together here in Saint-Tropez. We're proud to have the whole fleet here and we're looking forward to getting racing. I think it will be a really special week, both on and off the water."
