Les Voiles de Saint Tropez - Day 2
by Denis van den Brink 1 Oct 2014 13:17 BST
27 September - 5 October 2014
A fine breezy race for the Modern yachts
The open seas on home waters! Strong wind, heavy seas, a truly crazy setting for this second day of racing in the unique environment that is the Bay of Saint Tropez and its gathering together of the most beautiful boats in the Mediterranean... The Modern craft signed up immediately, lapping up another day of boisterous, spectacular sailing. The virulence of the seas kicked up by the powerful easterly wind, where the waves exceeded two metres at times, did prove crippling to the traditional yachts however. Indeed the Classics wisely remained in port, their keenness to get the ball rolling put off until tomorrow. Meantime the 180 Modern yachts were deployed across the various race zones on courses spanning twenty miles or so, resulting in a dazzling spectacle of race boats of all shapes and sizes, skilfully helmed by some of the best sailors on the planet.
The Modern craft attack the bay
Once the morning gale had swept through, Race Management at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez was eager to launch a race for all the Modern yachts. The five IRC groups, starting with the smallest first, were preceded on the start line off the Portalet tower from 1330 hours, by the impressive Wallys, then the four massive J-Classes. In this section of the bay, the sea was slightly choppy, but it was actually on exiting the bay, between the Sèche à l'Huile and Le Rabiou marks, where the sea bed rises several hundred metres in the space of just a few dozen metres, that the race zone proved to be particularly unruly. It was nothing of any substance to dampen the enthusiasm of the sailors though and clearly they were delighted to be able to make the most of Les Voiles' setting, where the bracing conditions meant that they could get the very best out of their steeds. In this way, the Wallys, J Classes and large prototypes, toyed with the day's obstacles at very high speeds and it what was surely the ultimate reward, after some very wet beats, as they barrelled downwind towards the finish line below Portalet.
Magic Carpet3 from the off
Twelve Wallys are competing in Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, an unbeaten record. They're racing alongside the four J Classes on what is a dedicated round set offshore of Pampelonne beach under the leadership of their very own Race Committee. Alongside the familiar forms of Magic Carpet3 (Reichel Pugh 2013), Magic Blue (German Frers 2002), Y3K (Frers 2009) and J One (Frers 1997), it is wonderful to rediscover the immense Angel's Share (Soto Acebal 2009) and her 40 metres of elegance, as well as Galma (Frers 2003). The latter, a winner of numerous Mediterranean trophies (Giraglia Rolex Cup, Hublot Palmavela, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Palmavela, Zegna Trophy and Wally Class Hublot Trophy...) is showing herself to be a serious contender against the superb Magic Carpet3, as is evident in their first two races at Les Voiles. Though the big blue Wally, the second Wally Cento to be developed, immediately took control of the class by securing two victories in as many races, the differences in terms of corrected time are so minimal that a leaderboard upset is perfectly possible between now and when the curtain falls on Saturday.
Three J Classes within two minutes
It took less than two hours for the J Classes to devour today's 19-mile course. The finally run under spinnaker was particularly epic and the top three, Ranger (mirroring her victory yesterday), Velsheda and Lionheart, finished within a 2-minute time slot at the Portalet finish line. Velsheda got the better of Lionheart to secure second place and Shamrock V brought up the rear.
Centenarians
No fewer than nineteen yachts competing at Les Voiles have reached or far exceeded their 100th anniversary. The prize for the most ancient boat unquestionably goes to Partridge, a 22-metre gaff cutter launched in 1885 by Camper and Nicholson, according to a John Beaver-Webb design, which is the oldest yacht still sailing in the Mediterranean. Also worth a mention are Lulu (Rabot Caillebotte 1897), Marigold (Nicholson 1892), Morwena (Linton Hope 1914), Owl (Shepherd 1909), Veronique (A. R. Luke 1907), Mariquita (Fife 1911), Moonbeam IV, (Fife 1914), Bonafide (Sibbick 1899), Folly (Nicholson 1907), Nan of Fife (Fife 1896), Nin (Quernel 1913), Olympian (Gardner 1913), Oriole (Herreshoff 1905), Phoebus (Godinet 1903), Silhouette (Fife 1910), Tigris (Mylne 1899), Viola (Fife 1908) and Jap (Fife 1897)...
lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/en