Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez starts tomorrow
by Maguelonne Turcat 26 Sep 17:31 BST
27 September - 5 October 2025
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2024 © Gilles Martin-Raget
Saturday 27 September heralds the start of the 27th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. A great many of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez's 245 guests have already made the famous port in France's Var department, poised to show off the capabilities of their Modern, Maxi and Tradition yachts, which have come together for the largest race meet on Mediterranean shores.
The Village des Voiles will fling open its doors to locals, racers and the public alike at 9:00 am. Don't miss it!
245 competitors vying for 19 trophies
For those keen to go out for a stroll, admire the spectacle and above all go racing, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez has it all. The competition itself gets under way on Sunday with the arrival of the classic yachts from Cannes within the context of the Yacht Club de France's Autumn Cup. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (except for the Maxis which have a day off), Friday and Saturday are devoted to fleet racing for the 19 categories, the winners of which will all take home a Trophy.
Three of them hold extra special prestige:
- The Rolex Trophy will be awarded to the best Tradition yacht in the Big Boat category. Of particular note in this class is the event debut for the 65-metre schooner Atlantic.
- The Edmond de Rothschild Trophy will reward the best Maxi 1; exceptional yachts whose giant proportions can exceed 30 metres and which are veritable jewels of elegance and technology.
- The BMW Trophy will honour the best Modern yacht in IRC 0, synonymous with high-performance craft like the TP52.
The Thursday special
Devoted to Challenges, Thursday is always a symbolic day and harks back to the Nioulargue, a competition born from a friendly clash between the Swan 44 Pride and the 12mR Ikra in 1981. A Corinthian spirit will continue to permeate Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez this year with Il Moro di Venezia (1976 Maxi IOR) pitted against Mariella (1938 Bermudan yawl) in a bid for the Club 55 Cup, as well as some eagerly awaited match racing between the two new Wally Rocket 51s.
Finally, the battle for the Gstaad Yacht Club Trophy, an extraordinary race reserved for the fleet of centenarians and organised by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez's Race Committee, is also hosted on Thursday with staggered starts from 12:30 pm onwards. An exciting new addition to the fleet this year will be Leonore, an Anker design Q Class built in 1925.
Spotlight: Numbers and letters
81 Tradition yachts, 125 Modern yachts and 41 Maxi yachts have been invited to compete by Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez this year. A dense fleet, its class codification has changed to conform to the other championships contested in the Mediterranean and elsewhere.
Among the Modern yachts, we now refer to IRC 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 to distinguish between the highest and lowest ratings. Meantime, the Maxis will be split into five classes this year: Maxi 1, Maxi Grand Prix, Maxi 3, Maxi 4 and Maxi 5, in line with the International Maxi Association rules.
2025 Voiles de Saint-Tropez Programme:
Saturday, September 27: Registration
Sunday, September 28: Registration. Arrival of the Yacht Club de France Autumn Cup (Cannes Saint-Tropez)
Monday, September 29: Racing for Maxi and Modern yachts
Tuesday, September 30: Racing for Maxi, Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
Wednesday, October 1: Racing for Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy. Day off for Maxis
Thursday, October 2: Club 55 Cup, Wally Rocket 51 Match Race, Gstaad YC Centenary Trophy (Pursuit race), Challenge Day for Modern and Classic yachts, racing for Maxis
Friday, October 3: Racing for Maxi, Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
Saturday, October 4: Racing for Maxi, Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy, Prize giving for Maxis
Sunday, October 5: Prize giving for Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
Find out more at www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr