Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Day 4 - Challenges and regulars take centre stage
by Maguelonne Turcat 3 Oct 10:14 NZDT
27 September - 5 October 2025
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez © Gilles Martin-Raget
Schoolchildren and centenarians, challenges and music, a restaurant on one of the most stunning beaches in the world where God created Les Voiles and where that special race is re-enacted...
Thursday is synonymous with Challenge Day at Les Voiles and with it comes a crazy atmosphere with giant races for the Maxis at Pampelonne, unbridled joy on land and a Corinthian spirit out on the water, with all the participants coming together as one with a shared passion. From the children's parade this morning to that of the crews in fancy dress this evening, these are just some of the unforgettable images at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez that make the event so legendary.
A mass of Maxis in the swell
This Thursday heralded a complete set change for the Maxis. After their closed courses on Monday and Tuesday, the Maxi 1s vying for the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy and the Maxi Grands Prix tackled a 19-mile coastal course to Cavalaire, whilst classes 3, 4 and 5 were pitted against one another in a 12-mile coastal course to the Escalet mark.
On top of this, the swell made its presence felt out on the racecourse today after a disturbed system rolled through last night with a light wind, making things much trickier for the owner-helms. However, it was no obstacle for Django in the Maxi GP, which scored her third bullet in a row thanks to her ability to point upwind like the best of them and she is clearly faster with cracked sheets than Jethou, the reference in this category. In Maxi 1, Capricorno ultimately snatched the win fractionally ahead of Galateia, which returned to the racetrack this Thursday but was less than a minute short of being saved by her rating after 2 hours 40 minutes of racing!
In Maxi 4 and 5, the hierarchy established on Monday remains unchanged with Yoru, Luigi Sala's Vismara 62 and Crazy Diamond, Enzo Pelizzaro's Solaris 60 continuing to sail a flawless course again today. The situation in Maxi 3 is a lot more open however with Twin Soul B (Mylius 80 FD) securing victory this afternoon to finish tied on points in the overall ranking with today's runner-up, the Wally 77 Lyra.
Fifes and drums
Made of either bamboo or ebony, the fifes set the tone during this very special day at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Indeed, from 9 am, the Association Fifres et Tambours (Fife & Drum Association) provided great accompaniment as more than 250 kids from three local primary schools and nurseries paraded around the port, naturally ending up at the bar, which is the perfect spot for everyone to come together inside the Village des Voiles. Lined up along the jetty in a ray of light, the local youngsters were thrilled to see the first yachts leaving port and enjoy a quick snack gifted to them by the Crêperie Gourmandise de Saint-Tropez.
The crew parade from 6:30 pm tonight served as the perfect counterpoint to this sociable occasion and this time accompaniment was provided by 30 musicians right around the quayside lining the old port. The twelve competing crews came to a halt in front of the jury tasked with awarding what has become an historic prize at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, celebrating the true festive tradition of the event.
Challenges aplenty
On a Thursday at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, tradition has it that crews can challenge one another to a friendly, separate from the official racing, regardless of class or vintage. In this way, Atlantic sought out Adix, another 65-metre three-masted schooner, which is not at Les Voiles in an official capacity, but just so happened to be a great fit for some improvised match racing between the pair!
Today's impromptu challenge matches:
- Ulika (Swan 50) against Volpe (Club Swan 50),
- Lys (16.56 m Bermudan sloop) against Eileen 1938 (19.75 m Marconi sloop),
- Maxitude (Lift 45) against Spirit (Baltic 50), Bernina X (X 41) and Sirenitas (Swan 58),
- Mister Fips (16.70 m Vaton) against Eileen 1938 (19.75 m Marconi sloop), Black Legend 2 (Code 1), Quatre quarts IV (Swan 58) and Hounbonne 4 (12 m Tofinou)
- Nagaïna (16.62 m Bermuda cutter) against Briseis (12.5 m Bermudan cutter)
- TGV (First 41s5) against Sunset (First 47.7)
All the results from Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez can be viewed online at www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/en
And God created the Nioulargue at the Club 55!
Born from the challenge from the Swan 44 Pride to the 12mR Ikra, the Nioulargue, ancestor to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, originated in 1981 at the Club 55, Patrice de Colmont's famous restaurant, where Roger Vadim filmed 'And God created woman' in 1955 with Brigitte Bardot and Jean-Louis Trintignant.
Set back slightly on Pampelonne beach, the Club 55 is celebrating its 70th birthday this year. Everyone hankers for a table here in this natural setting and since 2003, every edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez has hosted one or several '55 Cup' matches at the venue. It went back to its roots this year, with a single challenge between last year's defender Il Moro di Venezia (Maxi IOR), and her challenger Mariella, a 1934 Bermudan yawl and, as ever, a Corinthian spirit reigned again.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in St Tropez
Today hosted the 14th edition of the Gstaad Yacht Club's Centenarian Trophy pursuit race. The format could not be simpler. The boats set sail in order of their rating and the first to cross the finishing line is declared the winner!
At 12:30 pm, Viola (1908 Fife) was the first of the fleet of 18 centenarians to set off, followed by last year's winner, Oriole (1905 Herreshoff). Featuring an LOA of 34.30 m, Sumurun brought up the rear with the mission of completing the 9-mile course 31 minutes faster than Viola to stand a chance of pocketing the win.
After around 1 hour and 40 minutes of racing, Leonore, the newbie to this year's competition was first to the finish. This 1925 Q Class designed by the Norwegian Johan Anker could not have had a more fitting celebration of her hundredth anniversary, a point driven home by Cariad sounding her horn in tribute in front of the Village des Voiles.
One day, one boat: Sumurun's one thousand and one nights
"On a boat like this, everyone's eyes are smiling," says Jean-Paul Mouren, who has a record 28 Solitaire du Figaros to his credit and is ecstatic to be aboard Sumurun this week, even if it's only to "trim one of her three jibs." Sat in the saloon, it is easy to understand his sentiment: the extremely accomplished cabinetwork, the combination of distressed leather, oxidised brass and oak panelling, enhanced by the soft lighting filtering through the skylights, creating a warm and intensely authentic ambiance...
Sumurun dates back to 1914 and was commissioned by Victoria Sackville-West for her fickle husband as a reconciliation gift! William Fife designed and built her incredibly elegant hull at the yard in Fairlie. Her hull measures 28.70 m long, extending out to 34.30 m with her bowsprit and bumpkin, and just 5.10 m wide.
The name Sumurun hails from the tale of One Thousand and One Nights and the yacht has certainly lived more than one life herself, some of them not as happy as others. However, in 2016, the Swiss art dealer Alain Moatti bought her and funded a truly exemplary restoration. The rig was altered along with her keel and to rediscover her original architecture and balance, the new owner took on the services of Juan Kouyoumdjian and the legendary Guip yard in Brest. Its manager, Yann Mauffret, in attendance at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez this week, required the assistance of science and a 35-strong workforce to transform Sumurun: "The boat was very distorted. We replaced the entire bow section in particular, positioning formers to hold the hull in place according to her theoretical lines. The reinforced soft iron flooring had also suffered a great deal. We had to remake the brass fittings which had slipped into the bilge under the fit-out and couldn't be dismantled!" Wonderfully documented by the photographer Michel Le Coz, himself a sailor, he visited the yard at regular intervals over a lengthy period to record every stage of this rebirth. The album can be viewed on the website sumurun-1914.com
Following Alain Moatti's death in 2023, Sumurun has remained safe and sound in La Seyne-sur-mer. Her new owner, Jean-Pierre Dréau, a familiar face at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, which he competed in again last year on his Maxi Mylius 60, took her on in tip-top condition: "I've had as much pleasure looking at Sumurun as sailing her. I don't know how far our journey together will be but I'm convinced that she needs preserving."
2025 Voiles de Saint-Tropez Programme:
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