Right in the thick of it, rather than just watching from the sidelines: Experience it all from aboard the “Sea Cloud Spirit” Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez up close – a regatta with a rich history. This year, we’ll be on board for two voyages.
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez began as a light-hearted regatta born out of a moment of champagne-fuelled whimsy. It originated from a private bet between two sailors in 1981. The event, initially known as the ‘Club 55 Cup’, was named after the beach bar situated not far from the finish line. The loser, an American sailing the Swan 44 ‘Pride’, had to treat the winner, a Frenchman sailing the Zwölfer ‘Ikra’, to sea urchins and champagne. Patrice de Colmont, the owner of the ‘55’, was not entirely uninvolved; he took the lead in organising the event and donated the trophy in the form of a silver serving bowl. In 1982, the American owner called for a rematch, and as many as 23 yachts turned up, including Herbert von Karajan’s ‘Hélisara’, at the spectator-friendly starting line next to the ‘Portalet’ – the remains of a tower from the medieval fortress.
Old and new: classics meet Maxis
By the third year, the event had already begun to take on a more professional character: 56 entries were recorded and the event was renamed ‘La Nioulargue’. The reason: the organiser and Club 55 owner, Patrice de Colmont, did not want the regatta to be seen as direct advertising and chose a name given to the nearby shoal by local fishermen. In its third year, following some persuasion on de Colmont’s part – which involved a fair bit of revelry – the Maxi fleet, along with business leaders and aristocrats from Porto Cervo, made the journey directly to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez for the first time. Nowadays, the carbon-fibre speedsters are also drawn northwards after the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, with the difference that since 1999 the event has been called ‘Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez’ and, since 2020, has lasted for two weeks due to steadily rising entry numbers.
The Vieux Port was packed to the brim for Les Voiles
Alongside the Maxis, which were divided into Groups A, B, C and D according to their ratings, the Modern (IRC) and Classic classes will take to the course, in some cases on the same day. As early as 2023, the organising club, the Société Nautique de Saint Tropez, moved away from the strict division into two separate regatta weeks. However, the 160 berths in the Old Harbour remain the limiting factor. Over 3,000 sailors are expected to take part in the 2026 edition.
Expert on board
YACHT editor Fabian Boerger will be on board the “Sea Cloud Spirit” to provide insights into the world of the Maxis and the history of Les Voiles.
Option 1
Itinerary (SCS 2633) Nice–Monte Carlo
24 September – 1 October 2026
7 nights from €5,500 per person in a guaranteed double outside cabin, from/to port
Option 2 Itinerary (SCS 2634) Monte Carlo – Catania 1–10 October 2026
9 nights from €7,210 per person in a guaranteed double outside cabin, departing from and returning to the port
As a YACHT reader, you’ll receive 250 euros in on-board credit per person. Please direct any enquiries to: mail@yacht.de
The main services included:
- A culinary treat featuring regional specialities – from buffets on the Lido Deck to a four-course dinner in the evening
- Fine wines and beer with lunch and dinner
- All soft drinks
- All non-alcoholic coffee and tea specialities
- Welcome champagne
- Water sports equipment (snorkelling gear and stand-up paddleboards)
- Gym with sea views
- Zodiac Tours
- All tips on board
That’s the “Sea Cloud Spirit”
It took twelve years to complete the the 138-metre-long ‘Sea Cloud Spirit’, whose keel was laid in 2008 at the Factoria Naval Marin shipyard in Vigo, Spain. Two years later, the shipyard went into administration and construction was halted. It was not until 2018 that construction resumed, after Sea Cloud Cruises awarded the contract for completion to the shipbuilders at Metalships & Docks, also based in Vigo. The “Sea Cloud Spirit” was finally completed on 29 April 2021, more than a decade later than originally planned.
The ship has four decks offering a wide range of facilities for passengers: the main deck, the promenade deck, the Lido deck, and the captain’s deck and sun deck. The 69 guest cabins are spread across three decks. On the Promenade Deck, alongside the reception and the elegant restaurant with a 270-degree view over the stern, there are 25 suites with private balconies. One deck below, on the main deck, there is an infirmary, a boutique and the wellness and spa area, including a steam room, sauna, hairdressing salon and relaxation area. On the starboard side here, a bathing platform can also be lowered, from which water sports activities can be enjoyed.
On the Lido Deck, the Hamburg-based design firm Partner Ship Design has created a library at the bow, from which one can enjoy a fantastic view of the foredeck. There’s no more elegant setting in which to read a book. Behind this lies the lounge, complete with a grand piano and bar, whilst at the stern an open bar with a bistro rounds off the facilities. Here, snacks, coffee and drinks are served at regular intervals. The captain’s and sun deck above is largely open-air; in the superstructure at the forward end, alongside the bridge and the captain’s cabin and office adjacent to it aft, there is also a gym for guests.
Unlike similarly sized superyachts such as Jeff Bezos’ 127-metre-long three-masted gaff schooner ‘Koru’ or the 143-metre giant ‘Sailing Yacht A’, which set their similarly large sail areas hydraulically at the touch of a button, every sheet, every halyard and full-rigged ship features such as geitaue (yard sail halyard) and gordings (yard sail reefing lines) are operated manually on board the “Sea Cloud Spirit”. It takes time. It takes the crew between 30 and 45 minutes to get all 28 sails up in the wind.
To ensure that everything runs smoothly on board during complex manoeuvres, there are clear procedures and a hierarchical structure. The captain decides when to set sail and passes the order to his boatswain – the master of three masts and a rigging crew of 18 sailors. He decides which sails to set depending on the wind strength. Each mast, in turn, has its own mast captain, who is responsible for carrying out the instructions.
Technical specifications of the Sea Cloud Spirit
- Overall length: 138 m
- Width: 17.20 m
- Draught: 5.65 m
- Displacement: 4,835 t
- Gliding close to the wind: 4,165 m²
- Number of sails: 28
- Height of the main mast: 57.90 m
- Passengers: max. 136
- Crew: 85
- Shipyard: Factoria Naval Marin, Metalships & Docks
- Year of manufacture: 2021
