Les Voiles de Saint Tropez - Day 3
by Denis van den Brink 2 Oct 2014 10:53 BST
27 September - 5 October 2014
On Wednesday the big circus of Les Voiles de Saint Tropez played host to the stars with names that reflected the golden age of yachting, often dating back to before the two World Wars, such as Marigold, Phoebus, Silhouette, Partridge and Véronique... 130 Classic boats, lively creations echoing 140 years of creative naval genius, cut quite a dash as the white foam combined with the blue sea under the beating sun. Yesterday's stormy interlude gave way to a totally soothed race zone, and all it took was the westerly wind to kick in to fuel the passions of the sailors. From midday, the Race Committee for the Classics released the eleven classes on a pretty little coastal course bathed in light. Marconi, gaff and Gunter rigged, these sublime boats were really able to show what they were made of from 8 to 10 knots of breeze, once again highlighting the fact that beneath their marvellous elegance and style they have some exceptionally seaworthy qualities.
The Classics enchant the bay
The ten Classes, which make up the so-called 'traditional' fleet in Saint Tropez, all have the utmost respect for sporting equity, enabling the skippers and owners to race within compact and particularly coherent groups of 12 to 15 craft. The 'little' Marconi rigged yachts (large triangular sail), were the first to set sail at midday in a gentle westerly of around ten knots; perfect when the sea is flat to get the best out of their slender hulls as they slice through the waves. The 12 mJIs, which were raced in the America's Cup from 1958 through to 1987, were really able to strut their stuff in today's conditions. Quite naturally then, Wings, (12 MJI 1937) and Vim (1939), were leading at Portalet after a little over two hours of racing, accompanied by the still quick Manitou, the former Bermudan yawl belonging to the Kennedy family. The last to leave, the large gaff cutters and schooners had a ball, linking together a series of close-contact tack changes before doing a horizon job on exiting the bay. In this way, onlookers were able to witness the magic of the formidable battle between the giants Elena of London (Herreshoff 2009), Mariquita (Fife (1911), Altaïr (Fife 1931) and Moonbeam IV (Fife 1914). Orphans of the fine Tuiga (Fife 1909), the 15 m JIs, which are competing in the final race of their Annual Trophy at Les Voiles, were all gunning for glory. The domination of the Britons on The Lady Anne (Fife 1912) at the start of the week, really stung their adversaries, and Mariska (Fife 1908) and Hispania (Fife 1909) were particularly keen for revenge.
Loïck Peyron graces Les Voiles
The skipper of the maxi-trimaran Banque Populaire VII, who is competing in the next Route du Rhum, is at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, an event which he has often taken part in and greatly appreciates for a number of reasons: "I've been an admirer of Les Voiles from the start. I'm here with my friends from BMW, for which I'm ambassador. They see me as a pilot/designer, a member of a top-flight team with Artemis for the America's Cup and Banque Populaire. BMW's approach is very reminiscent of the marine environment and notably the America's Cup, in which BMW has long been involved, with Oracle in particular. The research domain is very similar to the high technology you find in sailing, relatively speaking... They are interested in tomorrow's major challenges and envisage synergies, with research carried out in motorboating in relation to the Cup. In my line of work, being a good sailor is essentially about not just knowing how to sail. As such, I'm delighted to be able to converse with such brilliant minds as those who work on tomorrow's ecological mobility engines."
The Challenges or the Memory of Les Voiles; Club 55 Cup, Dick Jayson/Jean Laurain Day
Given that back in September 1981 it was the first event of the Nioulargue and since 1999 Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, the Club 55 Cup, by celebrating the spirit of racing, is a genuine high point in the week's sailing in Saint Tropez. Each year, the challenge launched in 1981 by Jean Rédélé on Ikra and Dick Jayson on Pride is revived in the form of a duel, which is contested on the 'historic' course from Portalet to the Club 55 mark in Pampelonne against a "defender", its "Challenger". Patrice de Colmont still presides over the destinies of this high point of the week. Relaunched in 2003, this unique midweek duel is more than a commemoration. Indeed, it is a veritable homage to the spirit of racing, as it was practiced in the last century. Back in the day, in a single friendly competition, two captains set themselves a challenge for the love of the sport, with the only stakes being the enjoyment of competing against and comparing the performances of a fellow yacht and her crew on the water. The rules are perfectly simple: two boats launch a challenge on the Thursday along a 15-mile course - Portalet Tower, Nioulargue mark, Club 55. The boat that finishes ahead of the other wins and challenges a boat of her choice the following year, the whole thing ending in an unmissable luncheon beneath the tamarisks of Club 55 for both crews.
The Club 55 Cup, tomorrow Thursday 2 October, will thus see Altaïr (Fife 1931) challenge Halloween (Fife 1926), and Moonbeam III (Fife 1903) against Lelantina (Alden 1937).
In order that those, "the old hands", who knew it, continue to remember it.
In order that those who join us, "the youngsters", learn.
Dick Jayson/Jean Laurain Day
Thursday is Challenge Day, where skippers and yachtsmen can challenge one another at will, whether or not the yachts are from the same class, with or without stakes, over a single course set by Race Management. It is the quintessence of the spirit that colours Les Voiles, which is celebrated in the midst of this week of sailing in Saint Tropez. Taking inspiration from Patrice de Colmont, its traditional title of "Jean Laurain Day" has, since last year, been associated with the name of the late Dick Jayson. In 1981 Dick was at the helm of Pride, challenger to Jean Rédélé and his 12 mJI Ikra, in what was to become the founding race of the Nioulargue, then Les Voiles de Saint Tropez. Among the numerous challenges launched this week, we note... Rowdy (Herreshoff 1916) vs Chinook (Herreshoff 1916), Ikra (Robertson 1964) vs Sovereign (Robertson 1963), Trivia (Camper and Nicholson 1937) vs Emilia (Costaguta 1930) and Mariska (Fife 1909) vs Hispania (Fife 1909)...
lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/en