The sun and the breeze were in perfect harmony this afternoon in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. At 2:00 PM, taking advantage of a thermal wind that continued to freshen while remaining friendly, the entire fleet of Modern and Tradition yachts was launched into the day’s races, reveling in their respective coastal courses. Outside the gulf, the more unpredictable wind and transitions once again required agility and enlightened choices.
Moderns and Traditions in Close Formation
The starts are a beautiful moment, but the spectacle of certain finishes is well worth the detour. This afternoon, the leading Moderns, spearheaded by Vesper and Nanoq Final Final were charging toward the line under Code Zero against a backdrop of leaden skies, while the first Traditions beat against the wind from Saint-Raphaël to cross the finish line on a tack. One could easily recognize the 50-meter spruce mast of Cambria, launched in pursuit of Elena of London, the first Tradition in the Rolex Trophy to complete its course, with Marilee, the New York 40 newcomer to Les Voiles, joining the party. In the background, the schooner Atlantic with all sails set was catching up to the P-Class yachts—a truly magnificent sight.
Pride, the legendary American Swan 44 belonging to the Graves family, arrived in turn, impeccably trimmed. She pocketed her third consecutive victory in her class, shining in real time and untouchable in compensated time thanks to her age allowance—the very boat at the origin of the Nioulargue following the challenge she issued to the 12m JI Ikra in 1981.
To Redress is Not to Play
There is a saying that brings a smile to the jury at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: ” If you want to keep a rule secret, write it in the sailing instructions! ” This year at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, boats that jump the start are automatically demoted by 5 places in the ranking for their race. This rule, initiated at the Régates Royales in Cannes, was written to avoid boats returning to the line with all the risks that entails, particularly with a heterogeneous fleet mixing boats of all sizes, some of which have inestimable heritage value.
Among the Moderns, several boats paid the price, such as Nanoq Final Final, the theoretical winner of the race in compensated time, who was demoted to sixth place. Others only discovered the text this evening, like Albator who came to perform a penalty turn at the committee boat after jumping the start. A double penalty, then, as the automatic 5-point penalty was added to a second-row start for the boat that stood in fourth place in the provisional rankings yesterday.
Still on the regulatory front, four races must be completed in the Modern class for each competitor to be able to discard their worst result.
A Profitable Day Off for All
After two races held in the Bay of Pampelonne, the traditional Wednesday day-off for the Maxis comes at just the right time. Whether analyzing data for some or changing sails in anticipation of a windier second half of the week for others, this break was also used to repair Galateia, which left yesterday for La Ciotat following Monday’s collision that deprived her of racing on Tuesday. Good news: David M. Leuschen’s Wally Cento will be back in the competition on Thursday.
The Maxi owners also made a point of meeting at Club 55 at noon to show their friendship to Patrice de Colmont, the initiator of the Nioulargue, who in 1981 welcomed the crews of Pride and Ikra to his restaurant following their race. The famous restaurant will once again be the scene of wonderful encounters tomorrow, Thursday, the day of the Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Challenges.
One Day, One Boat
Magic Carpet e: A shark whose language must be deciphered
With her XXL transom, her shimmering blue coat, and a deck line that plunges toward a full-bodied bow, Magic Carpet e wins the vote every evening from the crowds gathered on the quay. Experts or neophytes, it doesn’t matter; everyone understands that this marine animal possesses a will to break the rules. ” Lindsay (Owen Jones) is always looking for innovations. For three years, he wanted to build a new boat but hadn’t really found the trigger, until Guillaume Verdier presented this magnificent design,” confirms boat captain Danny Gallichan. The Briton, who has followed the owner for 30 years and has been the boat captain for all his Magic Carpets, will retire next year but will continue to sail aboard this boat whose entire genesis he oversaw: “We had started working in parallel with Edouard Bell on the possibility of making an electric boat to achieve autonomy for a day, at an equivalent mass, which is no simple feat!” From the transit to the starting zone, powering all the onboard hydraulics, and returning to the dock, Magic Carpet e is the only Maxi of this size (30.50 meters) capable of racing a full day without starting its backup combustion engine, which is only necessary for long deliveries.
Innovative in terms of energy, Magic Carpet e, which is competing for the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy, is also innovative in its overall architecture. The 7-meter keel cants laterally and also pivots by swinging its bulb to reduce the draft to less than 5 meters, essential for entering its home port of Saint-Tropez. The boat weighs 37 tons—10 less than a Wally Cento—with a very taut hull that is more akin to an IMOCA than a traditional Maxi. To compensate for the loss of lateral resistance, the Verdier design is equipped with a long centerline canard rather than two daggerboards, which would be too cumbersome for the interior layout. This canard pivots laterally and angles its incidence to maximize the lift-to-drag ratio. Add to this two retractable rudders, and you have an almost infinite combination of settings, complemented by the sails in an unprecedented configuration: the 46-meter mast is set very far back, creating a gigantic foretriangle.
All parameters are controlled via a push-button console that Danny wears on a shoulder strap during races, communicating with the helmsman and trimmers to find the best compromises. ” We have sailed 120 days since the launch, but we still have everything to learn, ” says the boat captain. “The margins for progress are enormous. I don’t think there’s anything fundamental to change on the boat, but everything has to be re-learned. Of course, the architect presents shifts, but then you have to verify what happens in reality. “. This Maxi day-off was therefore used for a new data analysis, a task the 21-man crew performs daily. Back to the competition tomorrow.
Loïck Peyron: I’m more Herreshoff than Fife!
Visiting Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez as an ambassador for BMW, one of the event’s partners, Loïck Peyron arrives as a neighbor, having raced just last week in Porto Cervo on the TP 52 Paprec. Memories and confidences from a true enthusiast.
Your first memory of the Nioulargue?
It was in 1985, with my little catamaran Lada Poch; we had just finished the first Tour de l’Europe which ended in Porto Cervo. That was exactly 40 years ago! We arrived in the port under sail like beatniks in the middle of the Maxis. I was already involved with cars through Lada, and I met Didier Pironi here, who towed me with his offshore boat on a windless day with the ‘girelles’ in garter belts handing out champagne galore. It was the 80s, you know! In any case, I immediately understood that there was one week in the year when Saint-Tropez was very bearable!
The next day, we were invited to race. Everyone started at the same time. I found myself on the line just downwind of Jim Kilroy’s Maxi Kialoa, foaming at the mouth. This world of professional yachting didn’t really like us. There was a huge gap between multihulls and monohulls.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge, and in fact, among the Maxis today, some are calling for a multihull class in major events. What do you think?
Honestly, it doesn’t seem essential to me. We can see with the Gunboats, which are built like Formula 1 cars yet are very comfortable and luxurious—so right on target—that we have a lot of trouble integrating them. The clients are asking for it, but they are cruising all over the world, and when the organizers—the IMA, Porto Cervo, or Saint-Tropez—open the door, there aren’t really any clients. I believe multihulls can play amongst themselves. Before Covid, there were some very nice gatherings in the BVI (British Virgin Islands). But let the Maxi races remain a monohull affair; I find that perfectly fine in the end.
Which boats move you the most at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez?
I have a weakness for the classics, especially those that were a bit ahead of their time. I remember a small Swedish boat a few years ago built like a small airplane, riveted, with a tubular interior structure. A little marvel! In short, I’m much more Herreshoff than Fife!
And then what also moves me is the passion of the owners, along with a concern about transmission. I notice that the heirs don’t always have the passion of their ancestors, even if they have the means. And in the clubs, the kids are more passionate about wing foiling than hoisting or dousing 300 m2 spinnakers!…
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2025 Program
Thursday, October 2: Club 55 Cup, Wally Rocket 51 Match Race, Gstaad YC Centenary Trophy Regatta (staggered starts), Challenges Day, and for Modern and Classic yachts, Maxi Regattas
Friday, October 3: Maxi, Modern, and Classic Regattas, including the Rolex Trophy
Saturday, October 4: Maxi, Modern, and Classic Regattas, including the Rolex Trophy, Prize Giving for the Maxis
Sunday, October 5: Prize Giving for Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
The full program for Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is online at
https://www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/fr/decouverte/le-programme-des-voiles-de-saint-tropez
Main Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
ROLEX
BMW
EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD
WALLY
SUZUKI MARINE
BRIG
Official Partners and Suppliers of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
NORTH SAILS
PORT DES MARINES DE COGOLIN
MERCANTOUR
BYBLOS
EKLE
VSC
PEPINIERE DU GOLFE
CHAMPAGNE BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD
CHATEAU SAINT-MAUR CRU CLASSE
DOMAINE BERTAUD BELIEU
Institutional Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ
ESPRIT VILLAGE A SAINT-TROPEZ
SAINT-TROPEZ TOURISME
FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE VOILE
YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
Organization:
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, President: Pierre Roinson
Principal Race Officer: Georges Korhel
Regatta Manager: Frédérique Fantino
On-water Resources: Gilles Doyen
Communication and Executive Assistant: Chloé de Brouwer
Editorial: Pierre-Marie Bourguinat
Websites: www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr; www.societe-nautique-saint-tropez.fr
Facebook: les Voiles de Saint-Tropez officiel
X formerly Twitter: @VoilesSTOrg
Instagram: les_voiles_de_saint_tropez
Video: Guilain Grenier, Images 6 G Production/SNST 2025
Photos: Gilles Martin-Raget
Press Relations: Maguelonne Turcat