A harbour transformed
Saint-Tropez is never a quiet place, but the last Sunday of September has a rhythm of its own. With the gates of the Village des Voiles flung open and sails filling the gulf, the town shifted into regatta mode. More than 3,000 sailors and 245 yachts have converged on the port, from varnished classics and schooners to carbon-fibre Maxis.
Sunday carried the feel of a festival rather than a race day. Tradition, Modern, and Classic crews busied themselves with final tweaks, while visitors lined the waterfront in warm sunshine, soaking in a foretaste of the spectacle that will dominate the coming week. Against the backdrop of terracotta rooftops, the horizon bloomed with colour, from the crisp black sails of the Maxis to the multicoloured spinnakers that recalled a Jacques Cordier painting.
Autumn Cup arrival
The day’s centrepiece was the finish of the 36th Yacht Club de France’s Autumn Cup, linking the Régates Royales de Cannes to Les Voiles. Thirty-two classics raced in from Théoule-sur-Mer under light upwind conditions, delivering a display that delighted onlookers and fellow competitors alike.
Line honours went to Flica II, the stately 1930 12-metre class (12mR), with Il Moro di Venezia—the famed 1976 Maxi IOR—close behind. In corrected time, Matrero and Maria Giovana topped the Classic division, while Anne Sophie claimed victory in the Marconi class. Oriole was first gaffer and Circé in the Esprit de tradition category rounded out a fleet that reflected the eclecticism of this event: yachts spanning eras, rigs, and philosophies, yet sharing the same gulf.
Adding to the sense of occasion, the Swan 651 Evrika, fresh from a vintage round-the-world race, joined the celebrations with Yacht Club de France President Catherine Chabaud aboard. The navigator and former journalist was effusive: “Rediscovering these classic yachts was magical. This afternoon it was just buzzing out on the water! Between the schooner Atlantic, the Maxis out training, and all the spectator boats, we really had our work cut out pinpointing the finish line.”
Fleet structure and organisation
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is often described as a festival afloat, but beneath the theatre lies a structure of surgical precision. Race management has divided the 245-strong fleet into five Maxi classes, five Modern IRC categories, and nine Tradition groups. At one end of the scale stands the 65-metre schooner Atlantic, the flagship of this year’s event, while at the other lies Aramis, a Dutch design measuring just 11-metres.
The Rolex Trophy will once again shine a spotlight on the classics, this year focusing on the Big Boats, while the Maxis compete for the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy and the Modern IRC 0 yachts for the BMW Trophy. With three race committees and 70 volunteers in play, the race zone will be split between Pampelonne, where the Maxis line up, and the Portalet Tower, where Traditionals and Moderns start within sight of the jetty.
Organisation stretches well beyond the water. More than 200 volunteers join the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez’s permanent staff to keep everything running smoothly. The Village des Voiles, rebuilt in 2023 on the Jean Réveille jetty, has been refined again this year with a focus on sustainability, reusing flooring and structures and favouring recyclable materials. Exhibitors, from rope makers to sailmakers, add to the bustle, while bars and open spaces give the harbourfront its trademark buzz.
Racing to come
From Monday 29 September the serious business begins. Maxis and Moderns will kick off the action, with Classics joining on Tuesday as the Rolex Trophy gets under way. Wednesday is a layday for Maxis, but the programme continues for the rest of the fleet. Thursday brings some of the week’s highlights—the Club 55 Cup, the Gstaad YC Centenary Trophy, and the new Wallyrocket 51 match racing—before all divisions return for racing on Friday. Prizegivings wrap things up over the weekend, with the Maxis awarded on Saturday and the Classics and Moderns on Sunday.
The early forecast suggests light easterly to south-easterly thermal breezes through the opening days, with more pressure expected later in the week. That should make for close contests on the short windward-leeward courses for the smaller Maxi classes, while coastal races will showcase the larger fleets. The presence of giants like Atlantic ensures both drama and complexity on the start lines, with Principal Race Officer Georges Korhel noting that traffic jams are part of the Saint-Tropez charm.
Corinthian spirit
Despite the scale and the spectacle, Les Voiles remains a Corinthian regatta. There is no prize money—only trophies and honour. The emphasis is on fair play, camaraderie, and the joy of sailing. As organisers put it, “The regatta is a game, and it must remain so.”
Sunday offered a vivid reminder of that ethos. Crews swapped greetings, visitors mingled with locals, and the town pulsed with anticipation. With the harbour dressed in colour and the gulf alive with sails, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez once again reminded the sailing world why it is the Mediterranean’s most theatrical and beloved regatta.
