While registration requests pour in, heralding a great edition, the organisers of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez continue to develop the event with the same philosophy: the most beautiful regattas on water, the best atmosphere ashore.
A formula which, for 23 years, has confirmed the success of this incredible gathering of the most spectacular classic and modern boats in the world, while keeping in the spirit of the original race: the Nioulargue.
On the water: a reinvented course management
Adding to the constraints of the underwater topography around Saint-Tropez, is a growing concern for the preservation of the environment. ‘’ A few years ago, we were anchoring buoys at a depth of 900 meters’’ summarizes Georges Korhel, the Principal Race Officer of Les Voiles ‘’It’s a little problematic, as one would put down an anchor at the beginning of the week, it would need to be found in order to place a buoy on it, potentially not in the ideal position and leaving a mark on the seabed’’ This geological particularity impacts possible course options: the order in which the buoys are rounded can be changed but the course layout remains fixed. Added to this are the defined perimeters of the anchorage ban, off the beaches of Pampelonne for example, which also limits the playing field of the regatta. Today the Principal Race Officer of Les Voiles is pushing the bar in the direction of innovation with the implementation of dynamic geopositioned electric buoys which do not have an impact on the seabed. He wishes to offer competitors each morning, via an application that can be consulted on the phone, courses that are more respectful of the marine ecosystem and perfectly in line with weather conditions. This change will affect all competitors in Les Voiles, the classics and moderns in the first week, as well as those over 18.28m in the second week, and in particular the new category of Performance Cruising Multihulls, recently integrated into a class never before seen in the International Maxi Association (IMA).
On land: bienvenido a la hacienda!
Another big novelty is an entirely redesigned race village which will welcome participants and public to the Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2022, a resized space whose spirit will evoke the vast dwellings typical of the great estates of Latin America. But beyond the new decoration, it is the whole circulation of this space, lengthened for more comfort, that has been reviewed, with the positioning of the bar area at the back, allowing a fluidity and a better communication between the multiple zones. Regarding the different stands, Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez president, Pierre Roinson, wishes to reinstall the original spirit of the event by grouping within the village exhibitors directly related to the world of the sea and the protection of its environment. To allow sailors and visitors alike to find souvenirs of their time at Les Voiles, a range of derivative products such as glasses, water bottles, USB keys, etc will be available in the SNST shop located at the entrance to the Village, including the official poster. To this end, the Ville de Saint-Tropez, which owns the brand, has granted a license to the Société Nautique for a year, an arrangement that is intended to be renewable.
Programme 2022
Week 1 : Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Modern and Classic
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September : registration for all the classic with no size limit and modern yachts measuring up to 18.28 metres
Monday 26 September : racing for the modern yachts
Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October : racing for the modern and classic yachts
Thursday 29 September : Challenge Day
Saturday 1 October : Prize-giving (week 1)
Week 2 : Les Voiles Maxi Yachts and Multihulls
Sunday 3 and Monday 4 October : registration for the large modern yachts (Wally, Mini Maxi, Maxi, Super Maxi) and Performance Cruising Multihulls (in excess of 60-feet)
Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5, Thursday 6, Friday 7, Saturday 8 : racing
Saturday 8 October : Prize-giving (week 2)
Partners to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
ROLEX
BMW
NORTH SAILS
WALLY
SUZUKI MARINE
MARSHALL
MERCANTOUR
BESSERAT DE BELLEFON
TORPEZ (VIGNOBLES DE SAINT-TROPEZ)
BERNARD OPTIC
PEPINIERISTE PIERRE BASSET
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ
LES MARINES DE COGOLIN
FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE VOILE
YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez
President : Pierre Roinson
Principal Race Officer : Georges Korhel
Race Secretary : Frédérique Fantino
Technical Manager : Philippe Martinez
Communication and Management Attaché : Chloé de Brouwer
www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr
www.snst-media.com
les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Officiel
@VoilesSTOrg
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Photo credit :
SNST/Gilles Martin-Raget
Press Relations :
Maguelonne Turcat