47th Régates Royales de Cannes - Day 2: A dream day!
by Yacht Club de Cannes 23 Sep 23:23 UTC
21-27 September 2025
If we had to give a score for the entry of the "classic " and 5.5 m on Tuesday 23 September, we would hesitate between an 18 and 19/20... knowing that you never put a 20/20!
The 140 competitors raced on the two race rounds to the east and west of the Yacht Club de Cannes in a fresh south to south-westerly wind to reach more than 20 knots by mid-afternoon.
The day began in meditation, with a minute's silence during the morning briefing led by Jérôme Nutte, the PRO (Principal Race Officer), then the tribute of Jean-François Cutugno, the president of the Yacht Club de Cannes to one of the most loyal competitors of the Royal Regattas, Yvon Rautureau, one of the many owners of Viola, who died suddenly at the age of 78 of a stroke, while he was supposed to join his friends in Cannes to race on the sublime William Fife III design. For this team of epicureans who never go unnoticed between their purple polo shirts, sideburns and sometimes good cigars, there was no question of cancelling their participation "because he would have been right to yell at us... says one of the co-owners of this wonderful sailboat dating from 1908. After applause, a cannon shot fired from Viola, and a long black flame hoisted at the head of the rigging, the crew set off on a course of about fifteen miles, finishing sixth.
For the regulars of the "Royales", the return of the NY 50 Spartan (United States) was eagerly awaited after a few years of infidelity. The sublime Nathanel Herreshoff design, nicknamed "the wizard of Bristol", crushed the race in real time, winning it by more than one tack. Seeing his crew gybe (change tack downwind) in the breeze with diabolical precision and hallucinatory brilliance, it's not surprising that he dominated in this way.
Nevertheless, year after year, the general level continues to climb, and observers who have experienced the highest level continue to be impressed by the quality of the manoeuvres. Beer in hand, an Australian colossus, who is competing in his first "Royales" and who has nevertheless travelled all over the seas of the world, could not believe it: "I understand better why friends have been telling me for a long time, that in Cannes, it's not because you sail on traditional sailboats, that you don't race with a knife between your teeth, by torching the canvas! I love it... "
It should be served again tomorrow Wednesday when an even stronger south-westerly wind is forecast.
All the results can be found here.
47th Royal Regatta of Cannes: Institutional partners: AFYT French Association of Traditional Yachts, Cannes Sports, Department 06, FFVoile, Southern Region, City of Cannes, Yacht Club de Cannes. Official partners: HighField, Hotel Carlton Cannes, IGY Marinas - Vieux Port de Cannes, Marinepool, Palais des Festivals, Champagne Taittinger. Technical partners: DAB Beverages, Palm Beach Hotel Cannes, ICOM France, Key4events, SNSM Société Nationale Sauvetage en Mer, Trans Côte d'Azur. Media partners: Cannes Radio, France TV.