Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez - Day 3
by Maguelonne Turcat 29 Sep 2016 08:17 BST
24 September - 2 October 2016
The summer continues to celebrate the presence of the most beautiful yachts in the world in Saint Tropez. The warm sunshine, omnipresent since the start of racing, was accompanied by a favourable SE'ly breeze for today's racing, from the far end of the bay for the majestic Classic yachts and as far as Cavalaire for the futuristic Wallys. The aesthetics and elegance that are inseparable from Les Voiles were also fuelled by sport and racing as the 5 IRC groups eagerly set sail at noon on a 17-mile race from the Nioulargue. Midway through the afternoon, the myriad of yachts descended on the finish line under the Portalet tower in a spectacular fusion of high-tech and traditional rigs. Among them, the Maxi yachts Rambler and Leopard, followed by the J-Class Velsheda, once again put up compelling performances at the head of the fleet of large IRC As and the latter preceded a tightly bunched fleet of the most sumptuous 15 m JIs, all battling it out for the 2016 title.
Everything to play for among the Classics
The majestic 15 m JIs are contesting the final regatta in their annual championship in Saint Tropez and they've already validated 3 races. The Lady Ann has found the flair she was lacking during the Class' previous encounters. The most modern of the Fife designs (1912) she's leading the way at the midway mark, just one point ahead of Mariska (1908), which is the current leader of the overall ranking. Securing a bullet in today's race, Tuiga (1909) has now left Hispania (1909) to bring up the rear.
Among the Grand Tradition yachts competing in the Rolex Trophy, the expected battle between Cambria and the two Moonbeams is already in full swing.
The Modern yachts get some races under their belts
The Wallys, in their dedicated round off Pampelonne, have also completed 3 races since Sunday. The imperial and perhaps untouchable Wally Cento Magic Carpet Cubed is still topping the provisional overall ranking in the quest for the BMW Trophy, some 4 boat lengths ahead of the competition. The Wally 80 Nahita is a splendid second, ahead of another 80-footer, Lyra80. Also of note is the rise in power of the new Wally Cento Galateia, author of a very fine third place today.
For the 25 competitors in the IRC C group, who are vying for the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy, today's 17-mile course once again saw the favourites clashing: the TP52s Freccia Rossa, Alizee, Conviction and Team Vision, the Botin-design Arobas and the Swan 50s Lady Killer and Genapi.
Tomorrow, we throw down the gauntlet!
On Thursday, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is celebrating the creative spirit of the original race to the Nioulargue mark between Ikra and Pride. The competitors are traditionally invited to challenge one another according to their affinities, free of any measurement logic and for the sheer pleasure of battling it out with fellow racers...
The Club 55 Cup itself perfectly sums up the philosophy of Les Voiles, which combines racing, a love for the sea and boats, and shared good humour. In this way, the very strict rules of the Club 55 – which set out a deposit of bottles of rosé from the peninsula in the event of a protest – don't necessarily tell you the ins and outs of play! The one 'must' is that the owner of the boat has to be aboard in person on the day of the formidable event. This year, it's Eugenia V (Rhodes 1968), which has been designated 'defender' by a council of wise heads. The crew of the famous 21.60m Marconi ketch has chosen to challenge Star Sapphire, the Bermudan ketch designed by Jack Laurent Giles (1957).
Meantime, the 15 m JIs will make the most of this 'non-point scoring day' to continue jousting with one another. Indeed, no fewer than three races over technical courses are scheduled in the bay between Sainte Maxime and Saint Tropez.
Some Challenges to watch out for from noon:
- The three 12 mJIs: Ikra (Boyd 1964) - Emilia (Costaguta 1930) - France (Mauric 1970)
- Aile VI (Arbaut 1928) - Harlequin (Nilson 1948)
- Ratafia (Mauric 1967) - Palynodie II (Olin Stephens 1962)
- The 3 Swan 50s: Cuordileone, Genapi and Ladykiller
- Moonbeam III (Fife 1903) - Eva (Fife 1906)
- Althane - Tupaï - Kismet - Nina (Modern yachts)
- S (VOR 70) - Moonbeam III (Fife 1903)
Centenary Trophy
The Centenarians also benefit from their own trophy tomorrow, Thursday, which was set up in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez by the Gstaad Yacht Club in 2011. 20 sublime yachts, built before 1916, will hit the start line from noon. The 'youngster', Eva, a gaff cutter designed by Fife in 1912, is owned by one Pete Townsend, who has made a name for himself on and off the water, most notably as guitarist and founder of the famous band, The Who.
The competing Centenarians:
Lulu (Rabot Caillebotte 1897)
Chinook (Herreshoff 1916)
Esterel (Sibille 1912)
Eva (Fife 1906)
Kelpie (Mylne 1903)
Marga (Liljegren 1910)
Nin (Quernel 1913)
Olympian (Gardner 1913)
Phoebus (Godinet 1903)
Silhouette (Fife 1910)
Spartan (Herreshoff 1912)
Tigris Mylne 1899
Viola (Fife 1908)
Marigold (Nicholson 1892)
Morwenna (Hope 1914)
Nan of Fife (Fife 1896)
Owl (Shepherd 1909)
Veronique (Luke 1907)
Rowdy (Herreshoff 1916)
Mignon (Plym 1905)
Special guest:
Folly (Nicholson 1907)
Winners' list:
2011: Bonafide (1899)
2012: Marigold (1892)
2013: Race cancelled due to poor weather
2014: Olympian (1913)
2015: Oriole (1905)
Folly with the Centenarians...
The 8-Metre gaff rigged Folly launched in 1907 will be a guest entry at the Centenary Trophy. A Camper and Nicholson design, she was helmed in 2014 in Saint Tropez by German Frers. Folly is the first 8-Metre created and built by Charles Nicholson according to a Fife design. The 8-Metres were represented at the Olympic Games from the summer of 1908 and through to those of 1936. From 1907 to 2008 around 500 boats were built in line with the measurement, of which some 177 are still sailing today according to the International Eight Register.
A yacht of distinction: Fjord III
Worth a special look in the Epoque Marconi C group, Fjord III, a 15m German Frers design from 1947 skippered by...German Frers junior! This boat established Frers' reputation. The inspired Argentinean created this boat to take up the challenge between the Argentinean and Brazilian sailors racing between Rio and Buenos Aires. In this way, he penned a simple, uncluttered yacht made from a wood local to the North of Argentina. And so it was that the Fjord III came into being and she has just spent the past eight months being restored in a shipyard in Piriápolis.
Thursday's weather forecast: A beautifully warm, sunny day, with 10 knots or so of breeze set to clock round from the S to SW.
Today's partner: Edmond de Rothschild Group
The values of sailing, inshore racing and offshore racing, which are expressed on a daily basis within Gitana Team, are shared by the 2,800 representatives of the Edmond de Rothschild Group in over 30 offices around the world. At the heart of the Rothschild's family culture, these values convey humility and authenticity, team spirit and also expertise and innovation, not to mention a taste for excellence and transcending one's abilities.
"Sailing has been a tradition for 140 years among the Rothschilds and it's a natural sponsorship theme for our Group. This is particularly true at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, an event that was the follow-up to the Nioulargue, which Baron Edmond de Rothschild won in 1984 on Gitana VIII. In 2000, his son Benjamin de Rothschild transformed the family passion into a school of excellence by creating the Gitana Team, a racing stable that ranks among the most competitive on the French offshore racing circuit. On a personal level, as a sailing enthusiast, I'm very happy that our Group is part of the racing tradition at Saint Tropez, whilst also accepting the challenge of offshore competition by taking the start of the Vendée Globe on 6 November with French skipper Sébastien Josse. As President of the Group in France, I join all our representatives in proudly supporting the sailors who sport our colours while continuing the family saga."
Vincent Taupin, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Edmond de Rothschild Group (France).
At Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy rewards the winning crew among the 'modern yachts' in the IRC C category.
www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr