A very "show" autumn at the Yacht Club de Cannes

Cannes Bay - 2024 Finn Open European Championship © Robert Deaves / www.robertdeaves.uk

Following the 48th Royal Regatta from 20 to 26 September, which are in the starting blocks and always attract the most beautiful classic yachts in the world for this global event, which is once again playing to a sold-out crowd, the Yacht Club de Cannes is expecting an autumn that is as busy as it is exciting!

From 5 to 12 October, the second edition of the Cannes-Malta Race between these two twinned clubs will see the arrival of IRC yachts, Class40s and Cookson 50s from Slovenia, the United States, Switzerland, Malta and France. This event, like the Fastnet, Sydney-Hobart and the Middle Sea Race, is now part of the small circle of these legendary 600-mile crewed races.

From 11 to 17 October, the Cannes Yacht Club will also organise the Tempest World Championship. This sports keelboat of nearly 7 metres and more than 400 kilos, with a crew member on the trapeze, was an Olympic race at the Munich Olympics in 1972, then in Montreal four years later. The greatest sailors such as the Russian Valentin Mankin, or the American Dennis Conner - five-time winner of the America's Cup - wore out their oilskins on this very technical boat, winning medals. Designed by Ian Proctor in 1965, it still attracts a number of former champions, most of them from Northern Europe and the United Kingdom.

Finally, from 28 to 31 October, the RS 21 World Championship will be held in the bay of Cannes, again organised by the YCC. This 6.34-metre sports keelboat with chines, built in England by RS Sailing and designed by the Englishman Jo Richards, accommodates between 3 and 4 crew members, is a one-design accessible to beginners as well as high-level sailors. The British, and in particular the members of the national Olympic team, who are fond of this high-performance sailboat, are expected in large numbers in the harbour of Cannes. There is no doubt that the regatta will be exceptional on this stretch of water, which is very popular in autumn with the Anglo-Saxons, with its dreamy thermal breezes, and sometimes a good mistral inviting itself to the party in the western harbour.

Jean-François Cutugno, President of the Yacht Club de Cannes, is delighted with this attractive programme: "We have had a rather exceptional season with our young YCC sailors, both nationally and internationally. This autumn is an opportunity for us to once again confirm the club's know-how and expertise in the organisation of these four major events, and to welcome the crews in the best possible way. All the teams - permanent and volunteer - are already in the starting blocks!"

Find out more at www.yachtclubdecannes.org