Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: Sunshine vibes, obviously
by Maguelonne Turcat 28 Sep 05:02 AEST
27 September - 5 October 2025
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez © Gilles Martin-Raget
The Village des Voiles opened its doors wide to the public this morning at 9 am and it was officially inaugurated on Sunday at 5 pm.
At the same time, the participants have been honing their weapons with some of the Tradition yachts preparing to race to St Tropez on Sunday within the context of the Yacht Club de France's 36th Autumn Cup. Some major in-port manœuvres have also been required to get the other yachts nicely in position in the wonderful harbour setting. Today's glorious sunshine is set to accompany the 245 sailboats throughout the coming week too. Alongside the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez's excellent full-time staff, over 200 volunteers are busily checking every detail to ensure Les Voiles is an exceptional social extravaganza for both the locals and the 3,000 crews doing battle over nearly 10 days of competition.
'Twixt land and sea, the Village des Voiles
Carving out a brand-new path in 2023 with a completely redesigned race village, Les Voiles de Saint Tropez has returned to its base on the Jean Réveille jetty once again, where the public can enjoy stunning views across the port and the Gulf of St Tropez, in which all the race starts for the Modern and Tradition yacht categories will take place. "It's a marvellous spot where people can move about with ease amidst the multiple public and private spaces to create a welcoming, high-end event," explains Pierre Roinson, President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. "Each year, we try to take it to the next level by ticking off what works and by making improvements where necessary."
As such, for 2025, the reception stand and the registration chain have been transformed in line with the successful device used for the Giraglia Loro Piana and the lounge area has also been remodelled. This has all been done with a strong emphasis on making it environmentally friendly, explains Sylvain Bretagne, Vice-president of Sailing at the SNST: "From one year to the next, we try to reuse equipment. Flooring and metal structures are stored by our service provider and for all the partitions, we favour fabrics rather than materials that are less easy to recycle," he says. Sylvain is also a private exhibitor: "Our company SKX has been here for the past four years selling ropes and splices to the racers. We have noticed that the stands have become increasingly professional with themes more centred around boating and the sea. It has to be said that for an exhibitor, the location looking straight out over the port and the gulf is just magical!"
Invited to stroll around the race village prior to its inauguration tomorrow, Sunday, at 5 pm, the event officials will doubtless be able to witness this first-hand.
A wonderful week punctuated by races and entertainment
From 6:30 pm this evening, the Village des Voiles will be transformed into a dance floor with live music from DJ Rich Taylor. This exciting set will be followed by a number of different groups taking the stage all week long, including Pashang, Les Phacochères, Kaaz, Bleu Mon Jules Java Bleu and AMX. These vibrant performances can be enjoyed from the Bar des Voiles, the beating heart of this extraordinary week of racing, and a fabulous social venue. The event boasts a number of highlights, starting with the epic 'sardinade' (sardine feast) organised by the SNST on Tuesday 30 September. Naturally, Les Voiles would not be what it is without the traditional boules (French bowling) competition organised by the local Boule Tropézienne on the famous Place des Lices on Wednesday and then the crew procession on Thursday 2 October. Also of note is a fireworks display put on by the town of St Tropez on Friday 3 October at 8 pm. Let festivities commence!
2025 Voiles de Saint-Tropez Programme:
Sunday, September 28: Registration. Arrival of the Yacht Club de France Autumn Cup (Cannes Saint-Tropez)
Monday, September 29: Racing for Maxi and Modern yachts
Tuesday, September 30: Racing for Maxi, Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
Wednesday, October 1: Racing for Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy. Day off for Maxis
Thursday, October 2: Club 55 Cup, Wally Rocket 51 Match Race, Gstaad YC Centenary Trophy (Pursuit race), Challenge Day for Modern and Classic yachts, racing for Maxis
Friday, October 3: Racing for Maxi, Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
Saturday, October 4: Racing for Maxi, Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy, Prize giving for Maxis
Sunday, October 5: Prize giving for Modern and Classic yachts, including the Rolex Trophy
Find out more at www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr