Crowds packed the Saint-Tropez waterfront within hours of the Village des Voiles opening its doors at 9am on the Jean Réveille mole, proof that the shore side of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez draws almost as much attention as the racing itself. Registration and training sessions are now underway ahead of the main event.
Up to 3,500 crew members will compete through to Sunday 4 October, with visitor numbers on the port peaking at 75,000 people a day. Organisers have made changes this year to keep that volume of foot traffic moving smoothly.
"Since we anchored it on the Jean Réveille mole four years ago, the village has enjoyed enormous success. It's an exceptional place where everyone feels at ease. But together with our partners we felt the need to improve certain aspects, such as the welcome at the village entrance, and under the guidance of an artistic director we've reviewed and standardised all the signage," says Pierre Roinson, president of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.
New information points have been set up to guide visitors, and a partnership with the nearby Ecole du Luxe means trained hosts and hostesses are now stationed permanently at the village entrance, the Club des Voiles guest and partner area, and the press zone. Around thirty students will rotate through these posts all week.
The village will be officially opened on Sunday at 5pm, when Saint-Tropez mayor Sylvie Siri will tour the exhibitor stands as she does every year. Among the newcomers this time is Broderie Minute, offering crew clothing embroidery, alongside art and photography stalls from Dominique Perrotin, Antoine F. and Laurent Rabé, marine-themed jewellers Bellessoeur and Oz Tahiti, and Maui Jim x Afflelou sunglasses.
Regulars are back too. North Sails' clothing store, Brig's inflatables, Suzuki Marine, SKX Yachting, Bernard Optic, Neptunia and 727 Sailbags, which crafts one-off bags from recycled sailcloth on site, will all have stands. North Sails, a partner of the regatta, is also running a pop-up sail loft for repairs in the harbourmaster's car park.
The week's racing, though, will hinge on the wind.
"La météo, c'est la clef" (the weather is the key), says Roinson, who has sailed every edition of the event and knows exactly how much the regatta's relaxed rhythm depends on it. He and principal race officer Georges Korhel have been checking forecasts closely. Early signs point to summery conditions with moderate easterlies to start the week, before a change expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
More than 250 yachts are entered this year, racing across the Maxi, Modern and Classic divisions for a suite of prizes including the Rolex Trophy. Whatever the forecast delivers, Saint-Tropez's waterfront carnival looks set to run at full tilt regardless.
