Les Voiles d'Antibes - Day 0
by Alexander Panzeri 17 Sep 2020 03:06 PDT
16-20 September 2020
Finally, after three and half months of waiting, the 25th edition of the Les Voiles d'Antibes has opened. With the Canicola breeze, abnormal for the coast, and an Indian summer light, the old ladies are flying on the water.
The atmosphere is unique, with everyone ready to jump and go, but the masks on the faces (I hope also the app on the smartphone) and the shadow of Covid-19, with France currently having nearly 10,000 new cases daily, cuts down the mood.
The entries are the usual number of around 50, but some boats were still missing (Il Moro do Venezia is reported to be on the way back from Genova to her home in Sanremo and Marga F-3 hasn't docked but the support van is parked here.
The main missing are some of the big boats, Mariska D-1 and Moonbeam IV 8 in particular, however some new smaller yacht entries like P-5 Corinthian with the blue hull will battle the green and red of Bruno Troublé.
Also many new faces under the masks, like on Tuiga D-3; the Monégasque yacht has docked with a full new young crew and has practised all day. Many were out to sail like Viola and the artistic Ojala' II that was under spinnaker between the megayacht "Le Grand Bleu" and the classic motor boat Atalanta J.
www.voilesdantibes.com