Les Voiles de Saint Tropez - Day 4
by Denis van den Brink 3 Oct 2014 13:37 BST
27 September - 5 October 2014
Moonbeam and Halloween secure the Club 55 Cup
Thursday was particularly special and one not to be missed on any pretext. Indeed Les Voiles de Saint Tropez has been an opportunity to rekindle the links with the Nioulargue era and the founding spirit of yachting, when owners and captains launched friendly challenges from boat to boat with the shake of a hand, a meal or just for the sake of it. In this way, in each edition of Les Voiles the organisation puts the race programme to one side for a brief moment, sets a start line, and leaves the competitors to enjoy their race, their challenge, their original 'remake' of the creation of the Nioulargue and Les Voiles, by leaving Portalet bound for Pampelonne and its Club 55. The soothed bay, still bathed in sunshine, witnessed a number of yachts from all classes and eras, rushing to set sail, in the wake of the competitors in the Club 55 Cup, embroiling themselves in a series of jousts contested as if the America's Cup depended on it.
The Club 55 Cup and the Centenary Trophy race
By way of an opener for the 20 challenges listed in this anniversary edition of Les Voiles, the Club 55 Cup saw Altaïr (Fife 1931) vying with Halloween (Fife 1926), whilst Moonbeam III (Fife 1903) challenged Lelantina (Alden 1937). After some three hours of close-contact racing in the sunshine, it was Moonbeam of Fife, which got the better of Lelantina, whilst Halloween outpaced Altaïr. And so it is that Moonbeam and Halloween, closely adhering to the rule, which makes it mandatory to have the owner sail aboard, will be next year's two challengers for the Club 55 Cup.
The Centenary Trophy of Gstaad Yacht Club gathered together some 13 yachts aged 100 plus on a course between the large Rabiou and Sèche à l'Huile marks. Each yacht in turn set sail from Portalet in the wake of the little Fife one-design Jap (1897), according to a timing determined by the rating of each boat. In this way, it was the large gaff cutter Mariquita, who brought up the rear, crossing the start line some 31 minutes 12 seconds after Jap. The American P-Class Olympian (Gardner 1913) secured the win, ahead of the 8m Fife (1910) Silhouette and Viola, the La Rochelle-based gaff cutter (Fife 1908).
Traditional craft; the newbies get their bearings
The Classic yachts really went in at the deep end in Saint Tropez yesterday, Wednesday, following Tuesday's gale, which wasn't very favourable for racing. A newcomer to Les Voiles, Olympian, a superb American P-Class gaffer designed by William Gardner and helmed by Bruno Troublé, dominated from the off ahead of the formidable Chinook (Heresshoff 1916) and another 'blue', centenarian Folly (Nicholson 1907) helmed by German Frers.
Among the 12 m JIs, the battle was fierce between the circuit's hotshots and for now it's Sovereign, expertly helmed by the Béranger brothers, which is holding out on Philippe Monnet on Lys and Pierre Yves Moreau on Ikra. The pretty sloop Encounter is lying in ambush. The venerable and venerated group of hundred-year old gaffers are being utterly dominated by Partridge (Beavor Webb 1885), which boasted an advantage of over 10 minutes on the other gaff cutter inspired by the English fishing boats, Marigold (Nicholson 1892). In the new Rolex Trophy catagory - open to the Epoque Aurique B class - the ultra-light Jap (Fife 1897) and Lulu (Rabot Caillebotte 1897) could well benefit from the medium breeze expected later this week to confirm their velocity.
The group of 'large' Marconi rigs is certainly one of the most coherent and most competitive of Les Voiles. Each sloop, yawl and 12 m that is racing here is a legend in its own right. The first race validated saw the 12 m JI Seven Seas of Porto (Clinton Crane 1935) masterfully impose in real time. She has since been relegated to 3rd place in corrected time behind the large sloop Eileen (Jensen 1938) and the supersonic Rowdy (Herreshoff 1916), which certainly hasn't had her final say.
This evening we note the fine success of another familiar medal winner in Saint Tropez, the Q-Class Jour de Fête (Paine 1930), which is leading her group (Marconi B). The largest craft competing in Les Voiles have come together in a category entitled "Grand Tradition". The legends of Les Voiles, Mariquita, Elena, Eleonora, Moonbeam IV and Altaïr... let their cathedrals of elegance and majesty fly, keen to let the battle of the giants really commence. For now Mariquita (Fife 1911) is leading this prestigious fleet, having relegated Moonbeam IV (Fife 1914) to over 10 minutes astern along with the large schooner Elena (Herreshoff 2009).
Modern craft: the Mini Maxis take flight
It comes as no surprise that the Maxi 72s are having a ball in Saint Tropez. Robertissima III (ex Ran), a Judel Vrolijk design, is all too familiar with the road to victory and has been excelling at it through the three races already validated by the Modern yachts. Her rival Jethou tumbled heavily down the leaderboard yesterday after two second places and it's My Song, the Nauta 84 by Reichel Pugh which has the tough task of worrying the Maxi 72.
Twelve Wallys are doing battle each day on their dedicated round off Pampelonne. The superb Magic Carpet3 (Reichel Pugh 2013) had a bit of rough ride during today's third race as Magic Blue (Frers 2002) gained supremacy after superbly erasing her rating. It's another 94 footer, Galma (Frers 2003), which completes this very provisional podium. Another merciless domination, that of the J Class Ranger, has led to Lionheart and Velsheda thrashing it out for second place. Indeed Ranger appears to be invincible whatever the point of sail and the strength of the wind.
lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/en