J Class at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Day 2: Rainbow tops fleet after Svea suffer tech problem

by J Class Association 29 Sep 12:48 PDT 28 September - 3 October 2026

J Class on Day 2 of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez © Lloyd Images

With three races sailed by the J Class at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez all three teams have now won one race each and Rainbow leads the regatta, but only on countback.

A technical problem for the Swedish flagged Svea, favourites to win the event, meant they had to retire from both today's breezy races. Aggregating eight points for their two DNFs means Monday's race winners Svea are now third overall on five points, after discarding one DNF.

With the winds puffing up to 16 or 17 knots at the first start with a lumpy, choppy sea, Svea had started well but were only seconds into the race before the headsail slid to the deck after their halyard lock system failed. The team tried in vain to effect a repair on the water to be competitive in the second race but could not manage it. But they fully expect to be back at full strength when regatta points racing resumes Thursday after the huge regatta's statutory, traditional lay day Wednesday.

Rainbow won the first race. After leading around the top mark first time up, once again Hanuman were on terms by the leeward gate, in fact with a small lead at the turn. But a sheet override on a subsequent tack cost them, and Peter Harrison's team - with Ed Baird calling tactics, Ben Saxton strategy and Andy Green navigating - gained to score their first winning gun of the event.

With the wind having eased back slightly, Rainbow were then called over the start line at the beginning of the second windward-leeward. Having to re-cross, they gave away time and distance against Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's Hanuman which lost no time in capitalising, going on to take the crew's first victory.

Not unexpectedly Rainbow's British strategist Saxton could not conceal his satisfaction after docking in to the heart of the busy Vieux Port where hundreds of fans line the harbour to see the Js return, "We had a great day. Second day at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, racing on Rainbow in really beautiful conditions, starting in 15 knots with three J Class yachts coming off the start line next to each other it was pretty amazing. Unfortunately, Svea had that technical problem, but we had what turned into a match race with Hanuman and I think maybe set a record for the number of times we have tacked a J. It was just amazing. And we had really close races with them. We came out on top on the first one and they came out on top on the second one. And it is nice to be leading, nice and consistent with two seconds in a first. We're going a little quicker upwind than we were in Palma. I think our crew work's pretty good. Some of our hoists yesterday, I thought, were particularly great. We try and learn one or two things a day and just try and incrementally get better."

Hanuman's hard driving tactician Vasco Vascotto was pleased to have put their first win on the board but is realistic enough to know it will take time, step by step, to make the required improvements and eliminate the small errors which are costing them against the established benchmark Svea especially.

Vascotto said, "It's good to be competitive, that's what we feel. Obviously, we are not brilliant, but we are learning every day. We're getting closer and closer to these guys that have a lot more experience compared to us. The list of what we are learning is very long. For sure, I make mistakes in positioning at the start, the first start especially. Obviously, if you are pinging the pin too late, then suddenly you don't have many options to choose whether to start on the right or on the left. The second start was a little better, still not perfect. I need to watch more the videos of when I make mistakes. But I'm very happy about the crew work. We had a little issue on the override on the jib sheet, the first race that we were leading. And we lost a lot. After the leeward gate when we tacked, unfortunately we had an override. We were ahead at the time, but it's all good. That's three races up to now and we were leading all the three times at the bottom gate. So that means that we have potential. We're making progress."