Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: Magnifique - French sailing festival for all the senses
Tatjana Pokorny
· 05.10.2023
A month ago, Saint-Tropez hosted the Formula 1 of sailing. In this first week of October, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez is hosting Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. The club has long been regarded as the centre of French sailing. The Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez is also the official challenger in the 37th America's Cup with the Orient Express Racing Team and its founders and managers Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois.
Magnificent pictures off Saint-Tropez
With Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the legendary festival for all sailing senses is in full swing. Professionals and amateurs, maxis, modern racers and classic beauties characterise the image of the popular harbour town on the French Riviera until next weekend. Around 250 yachts will provide a magnificent spectacle until 8 October, the most beautiful moments of which will be captured for the hosts by renowned French photographer Gilles Martin-Raget.
The classic boats in particular make for some stunning images in the bay of Saint-Tropez and the surrounding areas. These include legendary boats such as the "Manitou", which once belonged to John F. Kennedy and now sails its well-kept rounds in the field of Bermuda or gaff rigs. The maxi yachts form a stark contrast to this, with boats such as Peter Harrison's "Cannonball" or Peter Duben's "North Star" setting the tone in Class A and the crew on Claus-Peter Offen's 30-metre Wally "Y3K" having to stretch their legs in eleventh place after three races.
Jens Kellinghusen's "Varuna of 1939" on the road to success
In Maxi Class B, Sven Wackerhagen's "Rose" was in third place after three races, while Thomas Bscher's "Open Season" was in fourth place. In Maxi Class C, Alois Neukirchen's "Schorch" will attack from seventh place in the second half of the Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
The stars of the regatta are undoubtedly the yachts that are reminiscent of earlier America's Cup times: In the Classic Division 12B, Christophe Babule's "French Kiss" leads the series ahead of "South Australia", "Kiwi Magic" and "France". In Group 12D, "Nyala" with Italy's most passionate America's Cup chaser Patrizio Bertelli was in the lead. The team on the 60-foot yacht "Varuna of 1939" set the tone in the beautiful field of its classic group "Yawl" after two opening victories. She belongs to Jens Kellinghusen from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein.
Final at the weekend
German crews are also successfully competing in some of the modern IRC groups. Rainer Badent's "Einstein" was in seventh place after three races in the almost 40-boat strong field in Division E. At Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, all decades of impressive boat building can now be seen after a gradual entry. This is ensured by 40 fast maxis, 86 classics and 123 yachts in the "Modern" divisions. The regatta ends for the maxis with the last races and the award ceremony on 6 October, for all others with the last races on 7 October and the award ceremony on 8 October.
