{"id":5288,"date":"2026-09-28T22:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T20:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr\/?p=5288"},"modified":"2026-09-29T22:30:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T20:30:46","slug":"sun-sails-and-smiles-at-les-voiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr\/en\/sun-sails-and-smiles-at-les-voiles","title":{"rendered":"Sun, sails and smiles at Les Voiles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

After two days sizing up the competition and getting in some final training, it is showtime out on the racetrack! In a light breeze, a first race was run and validated in each of the ten competing categories. A gentle introduction to proceedings then for the Maxi and Modern yachts, with the Tradition fleet set to join the fray tomorrow. Already the racing has been hotly contested, and all the favourites are making their presence felt<\/strong>

The J Classes in action<\/strong>
There were America\u2019s Cup vibes in the bay of Pampelonne this afternoon with weather conditions reminiscent of Newport in the 1930s, when these giants battled it out for yachting\u2019s ultimate silverware. The three J Classes,\u00a0Svea<\/em>,\u00a0Hanuman<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Rainbow<\/em>\u00a0competing in this year\u2019s Voiles de Saint-Tropez are really creating a stir in this 28th edition. Their clashes are few and far between and their one race today did not disappoint. Of this enchanting trio,\u00a0Svea<\/em>\u00a0(pronounced ZVAYA!) is the favourite and true to form she scored a bullet in the 6-mile windward-leeward race just ahead of\u00a0Rainbow<\/em>.\u00a0
The Tore Holm design, discovered in the archives of the Swedish naval architect after his demise, with her exterior styling by Andrew Hoek, was built in 2017 at Vitters in Holland. She is the longest and most powerful of the J Classes! Her world-class crew hail from Niklas Zennstr\u00f6m\u2019s R\u00e1n Racing team and she has been constantly optimised since her launch.\u00a0
Today and throughout the coming week though, they will have to contend with the expert team brought together by the new owner of\u00a0Rainbow<\/em>, Peter Harrison, who finished less than two minutes astern after an hour-long sprint. Harrison also just so happens to be the owner of the Maxi\u00a0Jolt<\/em>, winner of Les Voiles in the Maxi A category in 2024, with none other than Ed Baird calling tactics. As for\u00a0Hanuman<\/em>, a replica of the 1937\u00a0Endeavour II<\/em>, she has been newly purchased by Italian Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, who delivered an absolute masterclass in Maxi 2 at last year\u2019s Voiles de Saint-Tropez on his Wallyrocket 71\u00a0Django<\/em>.\u00a0
It\u2019s safe to say then that there are some real movers and shakers on these boats and the rapturous applause they received as they docked out this morning revealed that they were a firm favourite among spectators. Indeed, it\u2019s hard to remain indifferent in light of the seemingly endless overhangs of these slender hulls and the elegance of the 30-strong crews eager to give their all on these jewels of history.

Modern yachts: Pr\u00eat \u00e0 porter and haute couture<\/strong>
The extravaganza of Modern \u2018haute couture\u2019 yachts set off down the runway at the Portalet mark at 1pm today. The eleven IRC 0s vying for the Troph\u00e9e BMW got off to a showstopping start. Always poised for action on the starting line,\u00a0Nanoq<\/em>, which has already won three editions of Les Voiles, led the fleet for two laps of a course comprising three geostationary buoys, \u201ca new device designed to avoid the return legs and overlapping of the fleet of years gone by,\u201d according to Principal Race Officer Georges Korhel. The code zeros on\u00a0Daguet 5<\/em>, Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Puzin\u2019s awesome Carkeek design, competed against the genoas of the TP 52s and Botin 44s. Geared up for inshore racing, these prototypes showcased their agility as they hotfooted it out of the gulf.\u00a0
Next up, it was over to the three other IRC classes to nail the start phase on the same course, albeit with just a single lap of the racetrack. Trading prototypes for beautiful fleets of superbly optimised production boats, IRC 3 boasted the largest fleet with 35 participants. In IRC 0, it was\u00a0Daguet 5<\/em>\u00a0which took line honours, but the TP 52\u00a0\u00a0Spirit of Lorina<\/em>\u00a0secured the win in corrected time.\u00a0
Results for IRC1, 2, 3 and 4 can be viewed at\u00a0www.lesvoilesdesainttropez.com<\/a>
\u00a0<\/strong>
Newcomers among the Maxis<\/strong>
A fresh contender is gatecrashing this year\u2019s party in the Maxi family. The newbie,\u00a0Northstar III<\/em>\u00a0owned by Peter Dubens, strutted into St Tropez on the back of a resounding victory at the recent World Championships in Porto Cervo, just three months after her launch:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s rare to see a new boat perform so well so quickly,\u201d acknowledged James Dadd, head of the International Maxi Association\u2019s Technical Committee. \u201cNorthstar III<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t reinventing the wheel and she\u2019s not exploiting any measurement loopholes, but she does have a highly innovative way of making use of the performance tools. They\u2019ve clearly got something special!\u201d
In essence, the Judel Vrolijk design is equipped with a canting keel, seen on boats like\u00a0Magic Carpet e<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0My Song<\/em>, but rather than using it to maximise her righting moment, the focus is on sailing with less heel angle (between 10 and 15\u00b0), which enables her to maintain excellent leeway for minimal drag. There are no canard or ballast tanks on this boat, emphasising her lightweight design and particularly refined aerodynamics, with a deck layout akin to that of a sports dinghy.\u00a0
Despite her excelling in light airs on flat seas today, ultimate victory went to another Maxi GP, Sir Peter Ogden\u2019s famous\u00a0Jethou<\/em>, which was always in the match and has maintained a supreme standard since her launch in 2012. The third spot on the podium on this very closely fought triangular course (7 boats within two minutes of one another on the finishing line after an hour of racing) went to\u00a0Balthasar<\/em>. Suffice to say that the three Maxi GPs, which form part of the Maxi 1 class, made a clean sweep of the prizes in this first race. In conditions such as these, where lightweight designs and smooth manoeuvres are a prerequisite, the largest craft were never in a position to make the most of their waterline length, a fact that was reflected on the scoreboard. As a result, last year\u2019s winner Wallycento\u00a0V<\/em>, only managed sixth place today, while\u00a0Magic Carpet e<\/em>\u00a0was tenth.
With regards the Maxis 2, 3 and 4s, they were able to complete an 18-mile coastal course to Cavalaire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/strong>
2026 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Schedule<\/strong>\u00a0
Tuesday, September 29:<\/strong>\u00a0Races for the Maxis, Moderns, and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy
Wednesday, September 30:<\/strong>\u00a0Races for the Moderns and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy.\u00a0\u00a0Day-off for the Maxis, Club 55 Maxi Yacht Cup
Thursday, October 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Club 55 Cup, Gstaad Yacht Club des Centenaires Trophy (staggered starts), Challenge Day for the Moderns and Classics, Wallynano37 Challenge
Races for the Maxis
Friday, October 2:\u00a0<\/strong>Races for the Maxis, Moderns, and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy
Saturday, October 3:<\/strong>\u00a0Races for the Maxis, Moderns, and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy.\u00a0\u00a0Prize-giving for the Maxis, including the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy
Presentation of the Rolex Trophy
Sunday, October 4:<\/strong>\u00a0Prize-giving for the Moderns and Classics, including the BMW Trophy and special trophies
\u00a0<\/strong>

LES VOILES DE SAINT-TROPEZ PARTNERS<\/strong>
\u00a0<\/strong>
Major Partner<\/strong>
ROLEX

Premium Partners<\/strong>
BMW
EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD

Privileged Partners<\/strong>
WALLY
SUZUKI MARINE
BRIG

Associated Partners<\/strong>
VSC CORPORATE RECOVERY CONSULTING
PORT DES MARINES DE COGOLIN
NORTH SAILS

Suppliers<\/strong>
MERCANTOUR EVENTS
BYBLOS
PEPINIERE DU GOLFE
CHAMPAGNE BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD\u00a0
CHATEAU SAINT-MAUR CRU CLASSE
MAITRES VIGNERONS DE LA PRESQU\u2019ILE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
TIKAMOON
L\u2019ECOLE DU LUXE

Institutional Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez\u00a0<\/strong>
VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ\u00a0
SAINT-TROPEZ TOURISME
ESPRIT VILLAGE A SAINT-TROPEZ
FEDERATION FRAN\u00c7AISE DE VOILE
YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
COMITE INTERNATIONAL DE LA MEDITERRANEE

Organisation\u00a0
<\/strong>Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Saint-Tropez, President: Pierre Roinson
Principal Race Officer: Georges Korhel
Registrations: Fr\u00e9d\u00e9rique Fantino
Marine Safety: Gilles Doyen
Logistics and Procurement: Alice Coquant\u00a0
Communications and External Relations: Chlo\u00e9 de Brouwer

Websites and Social Media\u00a0<\/strong>
www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr<\/a>
www.societe-nautique-saint-tropez.fr<\/a>
Instagram: les_voiles_de_saint_tropez
Facebook: les Voiles de Saint-Tropez officiel
X formally Twitter: @VoilesSTOrg
YouTube: Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Officiel

Media Production\u00a0<\/strong>
Editorial: Pierre-Marie Bourguinat\u00a0
Video: Guilain Grenier, Images 6 G Production\/SNST
Photography: Gilles Martin-Raget\u00a0
Press Relations<\/strong>: Maguelonne Turcat<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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