Classic: Crossing the finish line in style at Mediterranean regattas
YACHT
· 03.02.2024
Text by Thomas Madsen
It's the end of May. The blue waters of the Bay of Cannes reflect the hulls of countless small and large classic boats under gigantic clouds of white sails. A marvellous sight, reminiscent of the early days of sailing.
The history of sailing regattas on the Côte d'Azur dates back to the late 1850s. Today's classics experienced their greatest heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. One hundred years later, their races are once again attracting large crowds and enthusiastic sailors to the Mediterranean coast. Like here to Antibes for Les Voiles d'Antibes.
The magical atmosphere in the harbour is accompanied by the sound of bagpipes and suddenly drowned out by the firing of a cannon. It was fired on the deck of a large schooner, whose crew was announcing its return to Port Vauban, the harbour basin of Antibes, where the imposing ship would moor amidst the fleet of participants, directly in front of the picturesque backdrop of the old city walls.
With 60 to 70 yachts taking part, it is the largest regatta of the spring season in the Mediterranean and also the first organised by the International Mediterranean Committee CIM and the Vintage & Classic Yacht Club (VCYC). The CIM is a time-honoured association for the promotion of ocean racing in the Mediterranean, which was founded in 1926 and has organised, regulated and harmonised offshore races from the very beginning.
Vintage & Classic Yacht Club strongly represented in the Mediterranean
The VCYC, which was only founded at the end of 2019 and organised its first classic regatta on the Mediterranean in 2021, is now an integral part of the classic sailing season in France, Spain and Italy with five events every year. "In 2018, watch manufacturer Panerai withdrew from the scene after many years as the main sponsor of several classic regattas in the Mediterranean. At that time, we decided to form a club to develop a series of regattas for classic yachts in the Mediterranean," says Jonathan Greenwood, co-founder and president of the VCYC. "While the late 1990s saw a real renaissance of large yachts, over the last two decades we have seen increasing numbers of smaller classics taking part. And there are still more every year," says Greenwood.
Here in Antibes you can enjoy the sight of such breathtakingly beautiful yachts as the legendary "Moonbeam of Fife", Olin Stephens' famous "Stormy Weather", the schooner "Cambria", which is considered the masterpiece of William Fife III, as well as the prominent "Manitou", which once belonged to the then American President John F. Kennedy, or the "Lulu", the oldest French sailing yacht, which was built in 1898 and took part in the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900.
Cannes lays the foundation for classic regattas
The first yacht sailed on the Bay of Cannes as early as the 1850s. When the first regatta took place in 1859, the Cannes Regatta Society was also founded. This was the foundation stone for a tradition that still lives on today in the Régates Royales, which takes place every September. In the years that followed, the society regularly organised races on the bay off Cannes.
They attracted sailors from all over Europe in the wild 1920s, and in 1928 the Danish King Christian X asked for a regatta to be organised in which he could compete with his 6 mR yacht "Dana". They didn't need to be told twice and organised an entire regatta week in September of the following year and called it the Royal Regatta.
Today, the whole of Cannes shines in the splendour of the classics when they populate the harbour. The Quai Labeuf is bustling with activity. Sailors have breakfast alongside locals in the cafés, while everything in the harbour prepares for the next race.
Regatta without wind
A hire is easy to find. A beer on the quay, a quick question to the skipper, and you have the opportunity to sail aboard the "Tuiga", a very successful 15 metre R yacht built in 1909 by the legendary William Fife III and the flagship of the Monaco Yacht Club since 1995.
We set sail on Friday, get "Tuiga" ready for the regatta and wait for wind. But it doesn't come and the start is cancelled. It is also calm on the last day of the regatta. It is so hot on the deck of the "Elena of London" that some crew members jump into the water to cool off. But then there is a little wind, at least enough to set most of "Elena's" sails and go to the final start of the race.
Just a few days later, Saint-Tropez, another town on the Côte d'Azur, becomes the stage for the classics. Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the most nationally recognised of the Mediterranean regattas, takes place there. The history of the event began around 40 years ago with a private race between the Swan 44 "Pride" and the twelve-man "Ikra".
Classics arouse enthusiasm in the Mediterranean
At that time, there were no regattas for classic or maxi yachts in France. Gradually, the Saint-Tropez races - which were then called La Nioulargue - sparked great enthusiasm for the restoration of classic sailing yachts. Today, the former fishing village is packed when around 250 boats and their crews come here, attracting 50,000 visitors every day.
Just like in all the other places on the Mediterranean when the classics arrive. And they do so throughout the summer, from the beginning of May to the beginning of July. After a summer break, the regattas are back in full swing at the end of August, starting with the Corsica Classic, followed by the Régates Royales at the end of September and concluding the season with the magnificent Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
The French Circuit in 2024
3-5 May DAMES DE SAINT-TROPEZ - Saint-Tropez info@snst.org - www.snst.org
10-12 May LES VOILES DE CASSIS - Cassis www.portdecassis.com
20-25 May LES REGATES NAPOLEON - Ajaccio www.corsica-classic.com
29 May-2 June LES VOILES D'ANTIBES - Antibes www.voilesdeantibes.com
6-9 June PORQUEROLLE'S CLASSIC - Porquerolles www.yachtclubporquerolles.fr
10-12 June COUPE DE PRINTEMPS DU YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE www.ycf-club.fr
14-16 June CALANQUES CLASSIQUE - Marseille www.lanautique.com
22 June-6 July TROPHEE BAILLI DE SUFFREN - St.-Tropez - Alghero - Bizerte - Malta; www.tropheebaillidesuffren.com
21-29 August CORSICA CLASSIC - Corsica www.corsica-classic.com
23-28 September REGATES ROYALES - Cannes www.regatesroyales.com
29 September COUPE D'AUTOMNE DU YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE Cannes - Saint Tropez; www.ycf-club.fr
30 September-6 October LES VOILES DE SAINT-TROPEZ Saint-Tropez; www.snst.org
