{"id":5512,"date":"2026-10-01T23:08:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T21:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr\/imagination-to-power"},"modified":"2026-10-20T17:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T15:26:40","slug":"imagination-to-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr\/en\/imagination-to-power","title":{"rendered":"Imagination to power!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Rainy Thursday, happy Thursday! On this day dedicated to informal encounters in the playful spirit started by the Nioulargue, the enthusiasm of the crews entered in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez won out over the damp weather and the breeze that kept playing hard to get. Bets were flying over Challenges launched in every direction between competitors, and the Club 55 Yacht Cup, which pitted Hallowe’en<\/em> against Mariella<\/em>. <\/strong>And 18 centenarians, who have seen it all before, engaged in a pursuit race with an intensity matching their venerable age. Meanwhile, around twenty crews were getting ready for tonight’s parade, another highly anticipated event where imagination rules.<\/strong> 18 centenarians in great shape<\/strong>These eighteen boats have vowed eternal life, and as long as they keep finding passionate owners along the way who are aware of the heritage in their hands, that vow will be fulfilled! Eighteen centenarians answered the call today from the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Saint-Tropez, which organizes the Centenary Trophy together with the Gstaad Yacht Club for the 15th consecutive year. This pursuit race has the advantage of determining the winner as soon as the finish line is crossed, since starts are staggered according to each boat’s rating. So it was the small Gaff-rigged Epoque boat Lulu<\/em>, 11.50 m long, that led the way this morning. Sumurun<\/em> the 29-meter-hull Fife design, reputed to be the fastest according to the Comit\u00e9 International de la M\u00e9diterran\u00e9e rating, set off 43 minutes later! In the meantime, the four P Class boats were also present, along with Leonore<\/em>, 101 years old and last year’s winner upon its induction into the club of these spirited centenarians. Over the 9-mile out-and-back course, it was the gaff-rigged cutter Kismet<\/em> that took the lead ahead of another Fife design, Tuiga<\/em>, skippered by Pierre Casiraghi, vice-president of the Yacht Club de Monaco and winner of the 2025 Admiral’s Cup with the team flying the YCM colors. Naturally, the longer the race went on, the more the higher-rated boats were favored. But at the finish in front of the Village des Voiles, it was indeed Kismet<\/em>, helmed by Sir Richard Matthews, already a winner of the Centenary Trophy in 2022, that came out on top. This is the fourth yacht to have its name inscribed twice on the cup, after Olympian<\/em> (2014 and 2021), Oriole<\/em> (2015 and 2023), and Thilly XV<\/em> (2017 and 2018) Club55 Yacht Cup: Hallowe’en forever<\/strong>Celebrating its centenary this year, Hallowe’en<\/em> celebrated its birthday in the finest way by challenging the defender of the Club 55 Yacht Cup, Mariella<\/em>, the Mylne-designed yawl. These two Tradition yachts have been trading places in the standings since Tuesday, and this new Challenge was a fitting nod to the regatta that pits them against each other in the BIG category. ” What better way to close out the season than with Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez and this Challenge, which ends with a friendly lunch at the Club 55?<\/em> ” said Inigo Strez this morning, the New Zealand captain and owner ofHallowe’en<\/em>, seated in the all-mahogany saloon of his Fife design. Thrilled at the prospect of this encounter, Inigo Strez has ownedHallowe’en<\/em> for 18 years now, and he is also its captain and helmsman, which is quite rare on a boat of this size. His victory today against Mariella rewards a lifetime of passion. <\/strong>Challenges, or the art of improvisation<\/strong>Traditionally at Les Voiles, Thursday is set aside for Challenges. Every competitor can challenge whoever they like (provided the challenge is accepted!), and the race committee, anchored at the Portalet buoy, is on hand all day to give starting signals and record finishes. Yesterday on the dock, crews were setting dates according to their whims and affinities for a host of informal, good-natured match races. Take Pacha, a Classic Marconi design by Camper and Nicholson, which came from Bonifacio keen to cross swords with Quatre Quarts, a Modern yacht also from the Isle of Beauty. Thibault, Pacha’s skipper and also the organizer of the Corsica Classic, had also invited Mister Fips, the handsome Marseille-built Vaton design, and Eileen 1938, ” the finest Epoque Marconi<\/em>” in his view, to come and race. Eileen 1938 is indeed beautiful, but what about the trio of three-masted schooners parading around the Gulf of Saint-Tropez this morning? Atlantic sailed alongside two surprise guests: Cr\u00e9ole, the 1927 Charles Nicholson design, and Adix, the Arthur Holgate design whose replica dates back to 1984. Some 4,500 m\u00b2 of sail aloft for a historic photo. The Maxis take on the wind <\/strong>It was the turn of the Maxis in classes 2, 3 and 4 to sail windward-leeward courses. The committee, chaired by Yvon Poutriquet, had planned to send the Maxi 1s today on the long 28-mile coastal course toward L’Escalet and then Cavalaire. The three J Class yachts stuck to the format they were built for, namely a course between three buoys. It was a chance for each of them to gain the upper hand in this tightly contested regatta, close since Monday, as every boat has won a race so far. Yesterday, the friendly sailing that brought them together in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez showed that none of these giants is immune to damage, since after Svea’s hook failure on Tuesday, Hanuman tore her genoa in two during a tack!\u2026After a long wait in the bay, the committee ultimately decided to cancel the day’s races for lack of wind at 2:30 PM. See you tomorrow under the sun to try again. Spotlight on: <\/strong>P\u00e9tanque: <\/strong>At the competition held last night on Place des Lices, the crew of Grand Soleil Mad IV took the win against Code 2, Black Legend IV 3 questions for Stephan Kandler<\/strong>Back from the second preliminary regatta of the America’s Cup, sailed in AC40s in Naples, where the French team finished third, St\u00e9phane Kandler stopped by Les Voiles yesterday to greet the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the supporting club of the D\u00e9fi Orient Express<\/strong> <\/strong>What brings the head of the French Challenge to Saint-Tropez in the middle of America’s Cup preparations?!<\/strong>I came from Naples, practically like a neighbor! This will be our second campaign with the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Saint-Tropez as our official yacht club, since the America’s Cup is first and foremost a challenge between yacht clubs. President Pierre Roinson believed in us a great deal three years ago, when we were somewhat the underdogs of the competition, and we owe a debt of gratitude for that trust today. So coming to greet our club during Les Voiles is a meaningful symbol. And the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Saint-Tropez represents France very well, symbolically, in this highly international competition \u2014 it’s a source of pride for all of us.<\/strong> <\/strong>All the more so since you know the event well, having taken part in it yourself?<\/strong>I came to sail at Les Voiles back in the 1980s, when it was still called the Nioulargue. The first time was aboard the family’s First 51. After that, we had an ILC 40 and many other boats. Those were the early days of the Kandler family in racing. What’s great here is that within five minutes, you run into plenty of former crewmates, friends, and familiar faces. I had the chance to stop by the Club 55 today, somewhere I hadn’t been in over 30 years, and it really struck a chord\u2026 <\/strong>Let’s get back to Naples \u2014 despite a few dramatic moments, the results are good, with that nice third-place finish\u2026<\/strong>We were really pushing hard on the AC40s! A capsize on the first day, another while we were leading the regatta, but we finished third behind the two favorites, Luna Rossa and New Zealand. What I’ll remember is that we were very solid toward the end of the competition, winning three out of five races. That’s the key takeaway \u2014 the ability to score points and always stay in the leading group. We’ve built up a lot of confidence and sent a strong signal to the other challengers. It’s also good news for the team, which gave a great deal throughout September. We’re in the middle of moving from Lorient to Naples, with a large 3,000 m\u00b2 base under construction, alongside the SailGP races running in parallel and this preliminary regatta in Naples\u2026 <\/strong>Speaking of which, how is the French AC75 coming along?<\/strong>It already arrived in Naples last week, and it’s in the yard where it will be prepared; we should start sailing it in two weeks. We had planned to launch it in early October, so we’re on schedule, and we’ll be the first team to sail an AC75 on the waters of Naples around October 19th, which is significant. Teams that get started early are generally the ones that perform well, and I hope that proves to be a good omen. 2026 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Program<\/strong>Friday, October 2<\/strong>: Maxi, Modern, and Classic Regattas, including the Rolex TrophySaturday, October 3:<\/strong> Maxi, Modern, and Classic Regattas, including the Rolex Trophy, Awards Ceremony for Maxis, including the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy Rolex Trophy PresentationSunday, October 4<\/strong>: Awards Ceremony for Moderns and Classics, including the BMW Trophy and special trophies. PARTNERS OF LES VOILES DE SAINT-TROPEZ<\/strong> <\/strong>Major Partner<\/strong>ROLEX Premium Partners<\/strong>BMWEDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD Preferred Partners<\/strong>WALLYSUZUKI MARINEBRIG Associated Partners<\/strong>VSC CORPORATE RECOVERY CONSULTINGPORT DES MARINES DE COGOLINNORTH SAILS Suppliers<\/strong>MERCANTOUR EVENTSBYBLOSPEPINIERE DU GOLFECHAMPAGNE BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD CHATEAU SAINT-MAUR CRU CLASSEMAITRES VIGNERONS DE LA PRESQU\u2019ILE DE SAINT-TROPEZTIKAMOONL\u2019ECOLE DU LUXE Institutional Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez <\/strong>CITY OF SAINT-TROPEZPORT OF SAINT-TROPEZ SAINT-TROPEZ TOURISMEESPRIT VILLAGE \u00c0 SAINT-TROPEZFRENCH SAILING FEDERATIONYACHT CLUB DE FRANCE INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATIONCOMIT\u00c9 INTERNATIONAL DE LA M\u00c9DITERRAN\u00c9E Organization <\/strong>Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Saint-Tropez, President: Pierre RoinsonPrincipal Race Officer: Georges KorhelRegistrations: Fr\u00e9d\u00e9rique FantinoSea Safety: Gilles DoyenLogistics and Supplies: Alice Coquant Communications, External Relations: Chlo\u00e9 de BrouwerInternet <\/strong>www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr<\/a>www.societe-nautique-saint-tropez.fr<\/a>Instagram: les_voiles_de_saint_tropezFacebook: les Voiles de Saint-Tropez officielX (ex-Twitter): @VoilesSTOrgYoutube: Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Officiel Media Production <\/strong>Editorial: Pierre-Marie Bourguinat Video: Guilain Grenier, Images 6 G Production\/SNSTPhoto: Gilles Martin-Raget Press Relations: <\/strong> Maguelonne Turcat<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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