A Magic Carpet3 The Club 55 Cup Maxi version Race update It was at the suggestion of Pierre Roinson, President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, that the great idea of the Club 55 Cup duel, usually held on the Thursday of the first week of the Voiles for Classic and Modern Yachts, was renewed today as part of the Maxi yachts week. The Wally Tango and Magic Carpet 3 took advantage of the ‘lay day’, the rest day between regattas, to challenge each other in the friendliest of spirits, on a course towards Pampelonne beach and Club 55, Patrice de Colmont’s stronghold. Magic Carpet3 came out on top after a superb tacking duel. The other crews, like the two 12m JI Kiwi Magic KZ7s and French Kiss, were also invited to enjoy the gulf and the Tropézien summer, which, it is clear, is here to stay. Pierre Roinson, President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez: “The Maxis owners wanted a day off in the middle of the week. After consulting with Patrice de Colmont, we suggested the idea of a Club 55 Cup, Maxi version. They accepted enthusiastically and Tango, up against Magic Carpet3, gave it their all, racing like a match race towards Pampelonne. These friendly challenges could be extended to other boats next year.
Regatta update Since Tuesday, each of the four groups in the running has been able to complete two races on courses of around fifteen miles or so, which have been singularly complicated by the vagaries of an often evanescent wind, which has left strategists, sailors and trimmer scrambling to find the right fuel. If, as the saying goes, good sailors are also measured by their ability to perform in light airs, then the 800 sailors competing are truly the best in the world. This evening, the McKeon Pattoo design is the one that has best managed the pitfalls at the start of the week. At the halfway point, she is tied on points in the Maxi 1 group, North Sails Trophy, with Morgana (Reichel Pugh) and is just one point ahead of the immense Jasi (Swan 115 Frers). Spirit of Malouen X, the French Wally 107, has remarkably moved back into fourth place thanks to its success yesterday. The Trophée Galeries Bartoux will be awarded to the best boat in the Maxi 2 group. 13 boats, each more remarkable than the last, are in this category, from which the fast 72-foot Maxis emerge. North Star (Vrolijk design) is in the lead this evening, thanks to its victory yesterday and its second place on Tuesday. Cannonball (Botin 72) is hot on his heels, with similar performances. Jethou, Sir Peter Ogden’s Judel Vrolijk design, is just 3 points behind. The Maxis 3 are racing for the Besserat de Bellefon Trophy. There are 12 racers between 18 and 33 metres in length battling it out on sight. It is the astonishing and venerable Capricorno, launched in 1995, which is doing better than resisting the highly feared Wally 77 Lyra. Nothing is certain in this group, where the Swan 601 Les Amis has already made a name for itself with a fine heat victory on Tuesday. Lastly, the Groupe Maxi 4, which supports the Trophée Torpez, is also slow to find its winner. The beautiful ketch Saïda, a Swan 65 built in 1973, is battling it out with the 12 m JI Kiwi Magic KZ7, swapping places under the envious gaze of French Kiss, the other 12 m JI in the group.
Light in light airs Luca Bassani, the visionary founder and Chief Designer of Wally, has created an iconic brand and shaped a specific spirit of boats with a pure aesthetic. He sums up the philosophy behind his industrial approach as follows: “Wally has always been synonymous with innovation, combining the latest technologies with contemporary design, and constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience on the water through performance, comfort and style”. A regular and passionate visitor to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez and this second week dedicated to Maxis Yachts, he readily shares the following thoughts on the boats’ behaviour in the light Mediterranean breezes. “We are now able to build boats weighing less than 50 tonnes for a length of 100 feet, with every possible comfort on board, thanks to the use of the most modern materials, such as carbon, used in aeronautics. The weight saving compared with a traditional fibreglass boat, for example, is between 40 and 50%. As a result, the power-to-weight ratio is very favourable, and these boats are very fast in light airs. They can make between 8 and 10 knots in 4 to 5 knots of wind, or double the wind speed. 90% of the time, the wind is very light in the Mediterranean, and we include this notion of sailing in light airs in our specifications, in line with the major racing programmes in the Mediterranean. Our boats are light, and the development of the class rules means that we can now consider adding ballasts, so that we can continue to perform well in breezy conditions, while still being able to lighten the boat in light airs.
Focus on : The indestructible Capricorno Built as a racing yacht by McConaghy in 1995 to a Reichel/Pugh design, Capricorno is one of the most successful boats of the last 20 years. She is owned by Alessandro Del Bono, CEO of the famous Italian company Mediolanum Farmaceutici. The 25-metre yacht’s brilliant results include victory in the ARC 2006 (Atlantic Rally for Cruiser), setting a record that stood until 2013 with a time of 11 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes. She also won Sydney-Hobart and Cape Town-Rio.
A Mod 70 in the Gulf The characteristic silhouette of one of the big trimarans in the Mod 70 class is tacking in the Gulf. At her helm is Antibes-based sailor Alexia Barrier, who is fine-tuning her Ultim round-the-world project. The Mod 70, formerly Spindrift, serves as a training platform for a crew that she wants to be 100% female, and which already includes Marie Tabarly, Elodie-Jeanne Mettraux and Dee Caffari.
Partner of Les Voiles Fabrice Boyer, Marshall Marshall is an Italian semi-rigid boat brand, founded in the 1980s. It is one of the European leaders in the sector and enjoys a strong reputation, particularly in Northern Europe, with over 2,000 boats sold each year. “This is the third year we’ve partnered Les Voiles. We are providing 12 boats for the race, all powered by Suzuki engines. They are robust, simple boats, and very well suited to assisting the races at Les Voiles. We’re expanding into Northern Europe as well as the Mediterranean.”
Programme 2022 Week 2: Les Voiles Maxi Yachts Friday 7, Saturday 8: regattas Saturday 8 October: prize-giving ceremony (week 2)
Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez ROLEX BMW NORTH SAILS WALLY SUZUKI MARINE MARSHALL MERCANTOUR BYBLOS BESSERAT DE BELLEFON TORPEZ (VIGNOBLES DE SAINT-TROPEZ) BERNARD OPTIC PEPINIERES PIERRE BASSET ESPRIT VILLAGE A SAINT-TROPEZ
VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ
LES MARINES DE COGOLIN
FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE VOILE
YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
Organisation :
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez
Président : Pierre Roinson
Principal Race Officer : Georges Korhel
Responsable Régates : Frédérique Fantino
Responsable technique : Philippe Martinez
Communication et Attachée de Direction : Chloé de Brouwer
Rédaction : Denis Van den Brink
Site internet : www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr
Media site : www.snst-media.com/
Facebook : les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Officiel www.facebook.com/VoilesDeSaintTropezOfficiel
Twitter : @VoilesSTOrg
Instagram : les_voiles_de_saint_tropez https://www.instagram.com/les_voiles_de_saint_tropez/
Photo
SNST/Gilles Martin-Raget
Vidéo
SNST/Guilain Grenier, 6G
Relations Presse :
Maguelonne Turcat