As the fleets set sail this Saturday morning in brilliant sunshine and a well-established breeze, there was still pretty much all to play for in each of the 20 categories. For the last racing of the week, the E’ly breeze chased away the clouds to offer competitors and spectators a lovely summer’s day. And as dusk fell, the tension became increasingly palpable as the results rolled in. The celebrations began with those vying for the Rolex Trophy and the Maxi prize-giving, while the best Modern and Tradition yachts will be honoured tomorrow, Sunday. However, if we have to single out just one winner, it would have to be this week-long regatta itself: Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, coloured by passion, the joy of being a part of it and a celebration of yachting in all its forms, Modern, Traditional and Maxi yachts alike.
Rolex Trophy: Olympian, a resounding triumph.
There is absolutely no question that the four P Classes are four jewels of yachting. The grace of these Epoque Gaffers from America’s eastern seaboard and the historic appeal of their presence at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez had certainly not escaped the Swiss watchmaker. The main partner to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Rolex is awarding its prestigious Trophy for the twentieth year and it is this new class that takes the honours in 2026. Boasting very similar performance capabilities and honed crews, the regatta was hotly disputed throughout the past week, though the competition was particularly fierce between Olympianand Chips. The former incurred a penalty in the first race and despite following that up by two bullets, she had to post another win ahead of her direct rival again today to triumph outright. “It was an intense battle with Chips. They made a load of dummy tacks, so it really was a match race throughout. We fought all the way to the wire. It’s a wonderful story, which began fourteen years ago and the battle is intense every time, but the team gets on fabulously well with one another and with all the other Ps,” said a beaming Philippe Oddo as they arrived dockside.
A cut above the rest this year and particularly at ease in the chop off St Tropez picked up by the E’ly wind, Olympian, the narrowest of the P Classes, has succeeded in adding her name to the recipients of the Rolex Trophy. After Cambria last year, she joins what is now a long list of yachts hailed as making truly standout performances in the history of yachting, a history which they continue to write with both joy and talent.
Tradition yachts: smart and stylish
In the Big Boat category, the schooner Elena of London secured victory in stunning fashion after an epic match race with another schooner, Lelantina, as well as the ketch Sumurun, which managed to pull herself up into second place overall after a fabulous race today. In the Grand Tradition category, Jimmy Spithill at the helm of Tuiga took two days to truly realise the potential of the Fife design but his timing was pitch perfect and earned the crew outright victory despite Viveka winning the first two races. Among the Epoque Gaffers, Kismet posted a flawless performance with three out of four bullets to take overall victory ahead of the Herreshoff sloop Oriole and the New-York 40 Marilee.
In Epoque Marconi A, it was Leonore which triumphed ahead of eighteen other candidates in this the biggest class at Les Voiles. The Q Class Falcon finished second and the 8mR Carron II completed the podium. Among the Epoque Marconi Bs, Lak II sailed splendidly, followed in the overall ranking by Harlekin and One Wave. In IOR, Il Moro di Venezia had to hand over her crown to the One Tonner Resolute Salmon, tailed by the Frers 53 Encounter and another One Tonner, Ornella.
Of the 12mRs, Kiwi Magic was clearly right to take time out to repair her mast on Wednesday and Thursday since she finished the event in stellar fashion, tied on points with French Kiss but credited with two race wins.
Maxi yachts: Jethou wins the Edmond de Rothshild Trophy
On Monday, Sir Peter Ogden’s Judel Vrolijk design Jethou made a dazzling start to the competition with a victory in the light airs, holding the large 100-foot Maxis in check, along with NorthStar III, the unruly child of the series and the recent world champion no less. All week long, the black Maxi was constantly racking up some superb races, fifth place being her worst score in Tuesday’s breezy conditions. Still tied on points with V this morning, she won today’s final coastal course and hence the championship.
It’s a prime example of longevity for this 2012 yacht, originally designed as a 72-footer, before being extended to 77 feet and always maintained at the highest level, both in terms of her sail plan and the development of her appendages. As a result, the Wallycento V did not secure a double at Les Voiles, but she did win the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge 2026, which tots up the results from the Palmavela, the IMA Maxi European Championship Inshore in Sorrento, the Loro Piana Giraglia Inshore, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
Within Maxi 2, in her mano a mano with Twin Soul B, Lyra triumphed thanks to her bullet in today’s race. There was also an epic match in Maxi 3 between Why Not and Yoru, though ultimately it was Vismara 62 which was supreme thanks to a blinding last race. In Maxi 4, the crew of the Dehler 60 Blue Oyster snaffled the overall crown with ease thanks to three out of four bullets.
J Class: Svea shoots to the top of the Js
The J Class named after the patriotic emblem of Sweden, wins Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez in indomitable spirit. Built in 2017 according to some long-forgotten plans drawn by the Swedish architect Tore Holm and helmed by Niklas Zennström’s crack team, the longest and most powerful of the J Classes won three of the six races she completed. Rainbow and Hanuman were never far behind her, the latter winning today’s race and both of them raising their game throughout the week according to Tony Rey, Svea’s tactician. “The races are increasingly close. Our problem is that we have to keep slightly ahead of Rainbowand Hanuman, whilst continuing to up the ante as that will be key in future matches next season. Each new upwind or downwind leg in close contact with our rivals is a further opportunity to learn, even though we’ve been sailing together aboard Svea for years. That’s what prompted us to compete in Les Voiles!”
This evening, Svea was awarded the Corinthian Kings Cup. This trophy, first presented in 2012 by the J Class, annually rewards the owner-helmsman in the season’s most noteworthy regatta. And it is no coincidence that Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez was selected on this occasion: “The J Classes returned to fleet racing for the first time in several years here, explained the secretary of the J Class, Louise Morton, this evening. The organisation of the race really lived up to our high expectations and we were thrilled to welcome some of the best sailors in the world aboard the Js. As ever, the atmosphere on shore was unique with the J Classes the centre of attention.”
Indeed, it is fair to say that the public was treated to a sublime feast for the eyes by the Js during this edition of Les Voiles and their crews clearly had an absolute ball. So set a date for 2026, when the fleet could well be fleshed out even more.
Modern yachts: The sparkling Spirit of Lorina wins the BMW Trophy
Despite a fantastic start by the TP 52 Nanoq at 11:00 am this morning, it is Spirit of Lorina that takes home the BMW Trophy in IRC 0 by finishing second today behind the Wallyrocket51 Kilara 2. Spirit of Lorina, the Botin design TP 52 has still got it. Formerly known as Azzura (2012), Marcelo Pica and Jean-Pierre Barjon’s team took over the yacht this year and have sailed brilliantly, bagging two bullets and making virtually no mistakes in this fleet of very high-level performers. “Jean-Pierre has done a fabulous job with the team on the boat. We worked very intensely and remained very focused right to the wire. We won three races, which is amazing given the standard of this class,” enthused Marcello Pica at the finish.
Interlodge IV, the Botin 44 owned by American Gwen Fragomen, nudged into the second spot ahead of Nanoq, proving that a superb team can still reach for the stars on a smaller boat amidst a class made up predominantly of TP 52s and Wallyrocket51s.
In IRC 1, the Ker 46 Lisa R came out victorious ahead of the Nacira 47 Pretexte 2, which was quite a way ahead of the third placed Searcher 2, another Ker 46. In IRC 2, the Ukrainian J 133, J Wow, utterly dominated the competition with first and second places throughout the week. In IRC 3, the Farr 30 Topaz held off the Swan 44 Pride all week long to finally topple her, whilst another Farr 30, Letto di Plettocompleted the podium.
Lastly, in IRC, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez’s Sun Fast 3200 Overdose Neo triumphed in this 28th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez ahead of the Swan 391 Iskareen and the First 34.7 Corto Maltese.
Spotlight on:
The Comité International de la Méditerranée presented a Trophy this evening within the context of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the venerable institution, it rewards the top boat in the season’s five events, which span three different countries (France, Spain and Italy).
Hallowe’en, Eugenia V, Ojala, Rowdy and Varuna 2 each managed to secure victory in their respective categories.
Three special prizes were also awarded to Benoit Couturier for creating Team Fife, to Steve MacLaren, former captain of Elena of London, and to the yacht Eileen 1938.
2026 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Schedule
Sunday, October 4: Prize-giving for the Moderns and Classics, including the BMW Trophy and special trophies
LES VOILES DE SAINT-TROPEZ PARTNERS
Major Partner
ROLEX
Premium Partners
BMW
EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD
Privileged Partners
WALLY
SUZUKI MARINE
BRIG
Associated Partners
VSC CORPORATE RECOVERY CONSULTING
PORT DES MARINES DE COGOLIN
NORTH SAILS
Suppliers
MERCANTOUR EVENTS
BYBLOS
PEPINIERE DU GOLFE
CHAMPAGNE BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD
CHATEAU SAINT-MAUR CRU CLASSE
MAITRES VIGNERONS DE LA PRESQU’ILE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
TIKAMOON
L’ECOLE DU LUXE
Institutional Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ
SAINT-TROPEZ TOURISME
ESPRIT VILLAGE A SAINT-TROPEZ
FEDERATION FRANÇAISE DE VOILE
YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
COMITE INTERNATIONAL DE LA MEDITERRANEE
Organisation
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, President: Pierre Roinson
Principal Race Officer: Georges Korhel
Registrations: Frédérique Fantino
Marine Safety: Gilles Doyen
Logistics and Procurement: Alice Coquant
Communications and External Relations: Chloé de Brouwer
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www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr
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Instagram: les_voiles_de_saint_tropez
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Media Production
Editorial: Pierre-Marie Bourguinat
Video: Guilain Grenier, Images 6 G Production/SNST
Photography: Gilles Martin-Raget
Press Relations: Maguelonne Turcat