Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez closed its 28th edition on a high, with near-ideal sailing conditions allowing the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez to run a packed programme across all 253 entries.
The Maxis collected their prizes the evening before the regatta's close, with the Traditions and Modernes fleets honoured on the final day. All gathered to receive trophies handed out by the event's long-standing partners.
Pierre Roinson, president of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, pointed to the 51 Maxis entered this year, including three J Class yachts that proved a major drawcard. "Chaque année, notre question est de comment faire encore mieux!" he said.
"Voir simplement un Classe J ou Elena of London sortir du port, ce sont des moments de grâce," Roinson added. The week also marked the 150th anniversary of the Gitana sailing dynasty and the 20th anniversary of the Rolex Trophy.
More than 75,000 spectators passed through over the week, with around 4,000 sailors on the water by Roinson's count, all strong characters in their own right.
Looking ahead, Roinson flagged hopes of a bigger J Class turnout in 2027, and floated something more ambitious: a head-to-head between Shamrock and Endeavour, the only two surviving J Class yachts from the 1930s. "Ce serait formidable d'avoir ce morceau de cette histoire aux Voiles," he said.
Principal Race Officer Georges Korhel described it simply as "l'édition du bonheur." Despite an easterly that held steady all week, race committees managed to run a high number of races, aided by the robotic marks off Pampelonne.
One image stuck with him: the schooner Atlantic, starting outside the line on Wednesday, "repaired" its position with what Korhel described as close to a full 360-degree turn between the buoy and the quay. "C'était magnifique," he said.
Among the names present across the week were Pierre Casiraghi, Paul Cayard, Charles Caudrelier, Loïck Peyron, Jimmy Spithill and Boris Herrmann. HM King Frederik X of Denmark also attended, his yacht Nanoq finishing third in IRC 0.
For New Zealand interest, Brad Butterworth and Kyle Langford both featured on the entrants list, while the 12 Metre class saw Kiwi Magic, skippered by Marianne Petersen, take out the division ahead of Marc Pajot's French Kiss. New Zealand had already made its mark earlier in the week, when Inigo Strez's century-old Fife yawl Hallowe'en beat Mariella in one of the standout results of the regatta's informal Défis day.
In the Maxi fleet, Jethou, owned by Sir Peter Ogden, won Maxi 1. Svea, under Niklas Zennström, took the J Class trophy and the Corinthian King's Cup for best owner-driver.
Tuiga, skippered by Jimmy Spithill, won the Grand Tradition category among the Traditions fleet, ahead of Viveka and Mariella. In the Modernes division, Spirit Of Lorina took out IRC 0.
Rolex remains the event's major partner, with BMW among the premium sponsors backing the week's programme.
