Following on from the success of the new two-week format, which won widespread approval during the unforgettable 2021 edition, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, which is consistently in the vanguard of development, is opening up its 2022 start lines to a new class of competitor: Performance Cruising Multihulls.
As a result, this gathering of the most beautiful boats in the world now boasts an all-new multihull category to complement the famous fleets of modern, classic and Maxi yachts.
The ‘Big Cats’ on the prowl
The Wallys and Maxis unquestionably attract a great deal of attention at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the only French leg of their racing programmes outside the Rolex Giraglia. Indeed, the second week of Les Voiles has been entirely dedicated to them for the past two years in a bid to ensure they have all the space they need, both in port and out on the racetrack, with a programme perfectly suited to their sizeable crews, their impressive performance and their development capabilities. It is within this second ‘giants-only’ chapter that a fleet of multihulls will be invited to make their event debut in 2022. Very much part of the current climate, this development remains absolutely true to the original ethos of the SNST, which has proudly played host to some legendary multihulls on the sidelines of the Nioulargue. Having already welcomed Dennis Conner’s catamaran, winner of the America’s Cup, Alain Thébault’s very famous Hydroptère, devised by Eric Tabarly and Stève Ravussin’s MOD70 Race for Water, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez also began co-organising the French leg of the SailGP last year, which is raced on stunning F50s. As for the Performance Cruising Multihulls category, sailing fans everywhere recognise the contours of these honed catamarans, which measure in excess of 55-feet and combine the irreplaceable stability – comfort and fun – of sailing on two hulls capable of posting dazzling speeds. An invite-only affair (as is the case for all those competing at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez), this uniform fleet has now been cordially requested to race from 2 to 8 October, with the starts hosted immediately in front of the town of Saint Tropez
Confirmation of the all-new format
Last year’s major development required all the classic yachts to compete in the first week, from Saturday 24 September to Saturday 1 October 2022, alongside the fleet of modern boats measuring up to 18.28 metres. This new set-up ensures there is a sense of continuity in the classic yacht programme. From Sunday 2 October, the remainder of the larger modern craft – this year fleshed out by the multihulls – are then invited to take centre stage. With the racing now spread over two weeks rather than the original one, more boats can reap the benefits of being moored within the port of Saint Tropez during their week of racing, the number of competitors signed up for Les Voiles far exceeding the port’s berthing capacity. For safety reasons, all those participants who don’t have a berth in Saint Tropez, must find safe shelter in the surrounding ports in anticipation of the vagaries of the weather in the Mediterranean. The two-week format also enjoys another benefit, which is appreciated by competitors and spectators alike: it enables all the classes to take their race starts directly in front of the port’s jetty, beneath the Portalet tower and before the Bailli de Suffren’s legendary bell tower. To guarantee everyone’s safety, the race zone is specially laid out with ‘waiting’ areas enabling each start zone to be kept clear for each of the series according to a predetermined order.
Programme 2022
Week 1 : Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Modern and Classic
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September : registration for all the classic with no size limit and modern yachts measuring up to 18.28 metres
Monday 26 September : racing for the modern yachts
Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October : racing for the modern and classic yachts
Thursday 29 September : Challenge Day
Saturday 1 October : Prize-giving (week 1)
Week 2 : Les Voiles Maxi Yachts and Multihulls
Sunday 3 and Monday 4 October : registration for the large modern yachts (Wally, Mini Maxi, Maxi, Super Maxi) and Performance Cruising Multihulls (in excess of 60-feet)
Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5, Thursday 6, Friday 7, Saturday 8 : racing
Saturday 8 October : Prize-giving (week 2)
Partners to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
- ROLEX
- BMW
- NORTH SAILS
- WALLY
- SUZUKI MARINE
- MARSHALL
- MERCANTOUR
- BESSERAT DE BELLEFON
- TORPEZ (VIGNOBLES DE SAINT-TROPEZ)
- BERNARD OPTIC
- PEPINIERISTE PIERRE BASSET
- INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
- PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ
- LES MARINES DE COGOLIN
- FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE VOILE
- YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE
Organisation
- Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez
- President: Pierre Roinson
- Principal Race Officer: Georges Korhel
- Race Secretary: Frédérique Fantino
- Technical Manager: Philippe Martinez
- Communication and Management Attaché: Chloé de Brouwer
www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr
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@VoilesSTOrg
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Photo credit : SNST/Gilles Martin-Raget
Press Relations : Maguelonne Turcat