Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Day 1 - A dazzling start
by Maguelonne Turcat 30 Sep 04:59 AEST
27 September - 5 October 2025
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Day 1 © Gilles Martin-Raget
Light airs and glorious sunshine dominated play on this first day of competition in the 27th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
It proved to be the golden ticket for the inspired Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez's Race Management team, who managed to link together five starts for the Modern yachts within the space of thirty minutes! The slightly more sustained breeze off Pampelonne meant that the Maxi 1s and Maxi GPs were able to contest a closed course, whilst the other classes set sail on a coastal course bound for Cavalaire. Tomorrow is crunch time for the Tradition yachts, which were shaking themselves down in the gulf today to the great delight of spectators.
IRC 0, a very high standard!
The quickest out of the starting blocks, Nanoq Final Final, the American TP52 skippered by His Highness Frederik of Denmark, got off to a regal start at 12:10 pm. However, with this IRC 0 class boasting numerous professionals, there is never a good time to rest on your laurels. Swiftly picking off the fleet on port tack to the right, Albator 3 came off best from a slightly complex gulf, before latching onto more air on the outside of the bay.
Whilst the fleet as a whole excelled, six TP52s stood out, along with a few exceptional craft like Frédéric Puzin's Carkeek design Daguet 5, the first across the finishing line in elapsed time this afternoon, and the two Wally Rocket 51s, a one-design launched this year by Wally, which made quite a name for itself this summer in the revived Admiral's Cup. This trio also features the highest rating though, owing Philippe Frantz's new steed, the Botin 44 Albator 3, nearly 7 minutes per hour at the other end of the spectrum in this class. The ninth boat over the line, the latter secured second place in corrected time today, just astern of the TP52 Zen.
The Wallys out in force
No fewer than 10 Wallys are taking part in this 27th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. This year, alongside Galateia, the Maxi world champion in Porto Cervo this summer, is another Wally Cento. Indeed, the ex Magic Carpet Cubed, rechristened Tilakkhana II by her owner Pascale Decaux, boasts a stellar crew that includes Dee Caffari, Marie Riou and Sophie de Turckheim.
The Maxi 3 category includes a Wally 77, an 80, a 94 and the Wallywind 110, which is the largest yacht in the current range at some 33.42 metres, though a second one was launched by the yard in July.
However, the very latest news about the brand created by Luca Bassani in 1994 and acquired in 2019 by the Ferretti group is the arrival in the Modern fleet of two Wallyrocket 51s (IRC 0) and their big sister Wallyrocket 7X, christened Django (Maxi GP). Following on from Frers, Reichel Pugh and Judel-Vrolijk, this time around Wally has called on Botin and Partners, who are making quite a mark with their extremely radical models entirely geared towards racing. The 7X is particularly distinctive thanks to her light displacement of just 12 tonnes, coupled with 2.7 tonnes of liquid ballast. After a stunning start to the season, with victory going to Django in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez may well confirm that the concept is a force to be reckoned with.
Results for all the day's races can be viewed at www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr (official scoreboard)
Three questions for Jean-François Cuzon, navigator on the Maxi 'V'
Renowned in the offshore racing world thanks to his company Pixel sur Mer, a leader in data acquisition and processing, Jean-François Cuzon just so happens to be a top-level racer. World 470 champion in 1999, crew for Michel Desjoyeaux and a key player in several America's Cup challenges, he is also the navigator aboard the Mark Mills design V competing in Maxi 1.
Q: What is a navigator's role on a Maxi during very short race formats like those at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez?
I begin my day carefully studying the weather forecast for our racing area, which is particularly important when choosing which sails to carry on board. Out on the water, I'm in charge of making sure the electronics work well and that the data is accurate, which is essential for sailing the boat at her true potential. The tactician and I are in constant communication to discuss the start phases, the triggering of manoeuvres and positioning ourselves on the lay line.
Q: The crew of V is very international...
Yes, it's a real asset. The crew of V features 15 nationalities as well as around fifteen world champion titles! Sailing these boats at the highest level requires constant communication and the expertise from everyone's individual domain. There are 25 of us aboard, everyone has a job and there's an excellent atmosphere!
Q: What is your approach for this edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, which comes on the back of the world championship in Porto Cervo?
We're here to perform well. We are particularly evenly matched with Galateia and Leopard 3. In Porto Cervo, a mediocre last day with a few hydraulics issues aboard was enough to lose our lead in the ranking to Galateia. There's precious little separating us in the races so you have to set your sights on excellence, especially as the boats are constantly evolving from one championship to the next.
2025 Voiles de Saint-Tropez Programme:
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