The 27th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez got under way on Monday 29 September beneath clear skies and a warm Mediterranean sun, with light winds rolling gently across the gulf. Race management from the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez wasted no time, linking five Modern fleet starts in the space of just thirty minutes. The Maxis split their programme between short courses off Pampelonne and a coastal passage towards Cavalaire, while the Traditionals held back for a day of training, their competitive debut set for Tuesday. That left the opening day's racing firmly in the hands of the Maxis and the IRC Modern fleet.
"Light airs and glorious sunshine dominated play on this first day of competition," the organisers noted, their satisfaction plain as the fleet made its way across the gulf with a festival atmosphere building on shore.
Among the big boats, it was North Star, the entry of Peter Dubens, that rose to the top of the Maxi standings on corrected time. In the light breeze, consistency and clean boat handling proved decisive as the 100-footers traded positions through the course.
Second place went to V, a Mark Mills design sailing under the guidance of navigator Jean-François Cuzon, a world 470 champion and America's Cup veteran. Cuzon offered a glimpse into what it takes to campaign a boat of that calibre: "The crew of V features 15 nationalities as well as around fifteen world championship titles. Sailing these boats at the highest level requires constant communication and the expertise from everyone's individual domain."
Tilakkhana II, formerly known as Magic Carpet³ and now campaigned by Pascale Decaux, rounded out the Maxi podium in third. Her crew counts Dee Caffari, Marie Riou, and Sophie de Turckheim among its ranks. Capricorno, Leopard 3, and My Song all finished just off the podium, a reminder that the Maxi leaderboard is far from settled after a single day's sailing.
In the Modern IRC fleet, the TP52s and newer designs set the competitive tone from the outset. Zen claimed the day's opening win with a measured, controlled performance in the variable gulf conditions. Philippe Frantz's Botin 44 Albator 3, arriving fresh from the Admiral's Cup, made an impressive showing in second, punching above its weight against bigger rivals. Denmark's King Frederik X, sailing aboard the chartered TP52 Nanoq, secured a solid third-place finish on his arrival at the event.
Raw speed belonged to Daguet 5, a Carkeek FP54 raced by Frédéric Puzin, which crossed the finish line first on elapsed time. The time correction system reshuffled the order and left Daguet 5 further back in the final standings. Six TP52s made up much of the IRC 0 class, joined by the newly debuting Wallyrocket 51s, whose Botin-designed hull forms and radical styling brought fresh energy to the fleet from their very first race.
The Wally brand made its presence felt across multiple categories this year, with no fewer than 10 Wallys lining up at the start. Galateia, Maxi world champion, and Tilakkhana II led the headlines in the bigger classes, while the Maxi 3 group included the striking Wallywind 110, the largest model currently built by the yard, alongside smaller siblings in the Wally 77, 80, and 94 ranges.
The newest chapter in the Wally story came in the form of the Wallyrocket 51s competing in the Modern IRC fleet, as well as the Wallyrocket 7X Django in the Maxi GP category. Carrying just 12 tonnes of displacement and 2.7 tonnes of water ballast, Django arrives in Saint-Tropez as a proven winner, and the gulf provides her next proving ground.
With the Traditionals joining the programme on Tuesday and the Rolex Trophy for Big Boat classics getting under way, the week is set to broaden in scope and spectacle. Classics such as Sumurun, Cambria, and Cariad are expected on the water, along with the long-awaited debut of the schooner Atlantic.
For the Maxis and Moderns, day one was only the opening move in what shapes up to be a week of intense competition. Navigator Jean-François Cuzon put it plainly: "There's precious little separating us in the races so you have to set your sights on excellence."
