From 12 to 17 October 2026, Saint-Tropez will host the first-ever Cape 31 Gold Cup — an international regatta for the Cape 31 class. Organised with the involvement of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the event will be the final major competition of the season for this rapidly developing class of racing sailboats.
Just after Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the Gulf will almost immediately become a venue for international sailing again — but in a very different format.
Illustrative image created using AI. What is the Cape 31 Gold Cup?
The Cape 31 Gold Cup is being held for the first time and is set to determine the first international champion of the Cape 31 class.
Cape 31 is a one-design class: participating yachts compete under the same class rules, meaning results depend primarily on crew performance, boat setup and tactics on the racecourse rather than differences between the boats themselves.
Organisers have announced capacity for up to 30 teams. The official event page already features an international entry list with crews from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Türkiye and other countries.
For the Cape 31 class, the Saint-Tropez event will be the culmination of the season. It follows a Mediterranean circuit with rounds in Porto Cervo, Puntaldia, Bonifacio, Scarlino and Hyères. The final regatta in Hyères, held from 24 to 26 September, served as the official warm-up event before the Gold Cup.
Regatta programme in Saint-Tropez
The overall Cape 31 Gold Cup period runs from 12 to 17 October 2026, although racing does not take place on all six days.
According to the latest information from the Cape 31 Class:
- 12–13 October — registration, inspection and measurement of yachts, preparation and training;
- 14–17 October — race days.
Racing will take place in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. The exact daily schedule and race programme may depend on conditions on the water, so visitors should check the organisers’ official notice board before attending.
Illustrative image created using AI. How the Gold Cup differs from Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
Despite taking place close together and sharing the same location, the Cape 31 Gold Cup and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez are fundamentally different events.
Les Voiles brings together classic and modern yachts of different types and sizes and is one of Saint-Tropez’s largest annual sailing events.
The Gold Cup, by contrast, focuses on a single racing class — the Cape 31. The emphasis is on close competition between comparable boats and on the results of professional and Corinthian teams.
This is why the new regatta complements rather than continues Les Voiles: after the large-scale gathering of classic and modern yachts, Saint-Tropez hosts a more specialised international competition.
How to follow the Cape 31 Gold Cup
The main event base is the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, located in the port of Saint-Tropez. The competition itself takes place on the water, so the possibility of watching individual races from shore will depend on the position of the racecourse.
Anyone planning to be in Saint-Tropez during the Gold Cup should check the official website and the Cape 31 Class notice board shortly before visiting, as these publish the latest information for participants, schedules and regatta documents.
Mid-October offers a chance to experience Saint-Tropez after the main summer season has ended, while international sailing activity is still continuing.
Illustrative image created using AI. A new addition to the Saint-Tropez sailing calendar
The first Cape 31 Gold Cup adds another international competition to Saint-Tropez’s autumn sailing calendar. After the final round of the Mediterranean series in Hyères, the first-ever Cape 31 Gold Cup winner will be decided here.
For fans of modern competitive sailing, it is an opportunity to see another side of Saint-Tropez — not only as a venue for famous classic regattas, but also as a stage for dynamic international one-design racing.
