Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: Summery sunshine shakedown
by Maguelonne Turcat 27 Sep 19:52 BST
30 September - 4 October 2026
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez © SNST / Gilles Martin-Raget
A summer holiday vibe filled the air in St Tropez this Sunday. Indeed, in glorious sunshine with a lovely thermal breeze, visitors to the Village des Voiles made the most of the perfect conditions to stroll about the port and take in the flamboyant display of sails in what was a very lively Gulf of St Tropez with crews taking to the water throughout the day.
There were those who were in training in the bay, which were plentiful today among the Maxi and Modern yachts. Then there were the Traditional yachts that represent nearly a third of this year's entries, which made their grand entrance into the bay midway through the afternoon after racing from Cannes. With the port now very full, the official inauguration of the village got under way at 5:00 pm and racing is due to commence for the Modern and Maxi yachts tomorrow at 11:00 am.
The Yacht Club de France's Coupe d'Automne, the seamless link between Cannes and St Tropez
25 classic yachts set sail from Cannes this morning in the 37th edition of the Coupe d'Automne. Organised by the Yacht Club de France each year, this race links Les Régates Royales de Cannes and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Five Tofinous (ranked as Modern yachts at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez) accompanied the 20 Tradition yachts, including 4 P Classes, which will compete for the Rolex Trophy from Tuesday. Within this same group were a handful of beautiful Epoque gaffers, which are a familiar sight at Les Voiles and include Nin, Lulu and the New York 50 Marilee.
As the fleet arrived in the Gulf of St Tropez, French Kiss, followed by France, led the way. This legendary pair of 12mRs was followed by Il Moro di Venezia. Once owned by Raoul Gardini (1976), the latter ranks among the IOR Tradition yachts signed up for Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. The IOR category, which features boats measured through until 1984 in line with the International Offshore Rule, is an increasingly popular little class that this year boasts 7 entries, including the Stephens design Tarantella, which kickstarted the Nautor yard saga in Finland in 1966.
The Modern and Maxi yachts hit the stage tomorrow
51 Maxis are competing in this 28th edition of Les Voiles this year, making it the largest Maxi gathering in the world. This record attendance includes no fewer than 13 Maxi 1 entries vying for the Trophée Edmond de Rothschild. The most notable performance in this category so far goes to Peter Dubens' Northstar III, which has just posted a win in the World Championship in Porto Cervo.
Due to dock out tomorrow morning at around 10:00 am, all eyes will naturally be on the three competing J Classes. Out on the water training today, Svea, Hanuman and Rainbow lit up the gulf with their grace and speed upwind as they headed offshore. Like all the other Maxi yachts tomorrow, they'll be competing in the bay of Pampelonne, leaving the gulf to the Modern yachts, a category which boasts no fewer than 123 yachts split into 4 IRC classes, which are due to set sail from the Portalet Tower.
Also making their grand entrance will be two of the three Race Committees supported by 100 volunteers, who go from strength to strength year on year, as Georges Kohrel, Principal Race Officer, explains: "We've set several additional geodynamic buoys to provide a wide variety of courses and we intend to systematically incorporate a third turning mark so that the fleets no longer cross tacks."
This safety precaution has also prompted changes to the position of the starting lines for the Maxis in the bay of Pampelonne, which will now be outside the windward-leeward courses rather than in the middle of them. Competitive appeal is clearly central to this ethos: "Going forward, the courses will only be announced on the morning of the race to ensure they are totally in line with the weather conditions at that time and we have made provision to extend the legs where necessary to add to the intensity of the races," adds Georges Kohrel. This comes in response to a request from the fleet of Modern yachts in particular, which are the largest craft at the event (IRC 0) and will once again be battling it out for the Trophée BMW.
Weather: Thermal breeze set to colour play until Wednesday
The first races for the Modern and Maxi yachts are due to be contested in light airs on Monday and Tuesday. Though there will be light cloud cover, the high-pressure system will favour the arrival of the thermal breeze from the E to SE at midday in the Gulf of St Tropez. The perfect introduction then, whilst mid-week could be more unsettled.
Schedule
Monday, September 28: Races for the Maxis and Moderns
Tuesday, September 29: Races for the Maxis, Moderns, and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy
Wednesday, September 30: Races for the Moderns and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy Day-off for the Maxis, Club 55 Maxi Yacht Cup
Thursday, October 1: Club 55 Cup, Gstaad Yacht Club des Centenaires Trophy (staggered starts), Challenge Day for the Moderns and Classics, Wally Nano 37 Challenge
Races for the Maxis
Friday, October 2: Races for the Maxis, Moderns, and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy
Saturday, October 3: Races for the Maxis, Moderns, and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy Prize-giving for the Maxis, including the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy
Presentation of the Rolex Trophy
Sunday, October 4: Prize-giving for the Moderns and Classics, including the BMW Trophy and special trophies
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