A whole day of fiery challenges of all kinds A France (12m JI) Club 55 Cup! Kismet triumphs over the Centenaires Les Voiles Bleues: the birth of an environmental initiative
On Thursdays, the Nioulargue spirit mingles with the wind, and the Voiles slip into the gentle madness of sailors in search of fun and friendly nautical challenges, all marked by the fair play so dear to the teams of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. Owners, captains and crews challenge each other over a drink and a meal, or simply for the satisfaction of having enjoyed a fine day at sea on a windy and sunny course. From the Club 55 Cup to the Trophée des Centenaires, a dozen or so challenges involving 2, 3, 4 and even 6 boats set off under full sail to take on the gulf. The day also marked the launch of the ‘Voiles Bleues’ initiative. The parade of crews, always a favourite with participants with overflowing imaginations, gave the sailors a new excuse to ‘set fire’ to the little Var port in the evening.
Crazy and sometimes improbable challenges From 1pm onwards, the Portalet saw a good dozen duels between two, three or six boats, in the wake of the protagonists of the Club 55 Cup and the Trophée des Centenaires, homogeneous challenges such as the one between the magnificent Bermudian yawls Skylark (Stephens 1937), Manitou (Stephens 1937) and Blitzen (Sparksman&Stephens 1938), or the one pitting the large yachts Cambria (Fife 1929), Halloween (Fife 1926) and Mariella (Mylne 1938) against each other, or more improbable ones, such as the clash of styles between the Houari Alcyon (Scotto/Vaton 2013) and the 10 MJ Marge (Anker 1936). The Moderns were also part of this fine mix of groups, when the Grand Soleil 50 MadIV, one of the tenors of IRC B (North Sails Trophy), challenged Bernina X, a brilliant X41 entered in IRC D (Suzuki Trophy).
A France la Club 55 Cup A modified course for the 2022 edition of the Club 55 Cup, the elegant nod to the origins of Les Voiles. The heavy swell off the Nioulargue has prompted the day’s protagonists to revise the course to a loop of around 14 miles, starting and finishing in front of the Saint-Tropez jetty, via the Club 55 mark at Pampelonne and the bottom of the gulf. In France, the 12mJI signed Mauric (1970), helmed for the occasion by the President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez himself, the Honourable Pierre Roinson, was pitted against the sublime Tuiga (Fife 1909), flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco. Victory went to the President of the SNST, at the end of “an absolutely magnificent regatta, in the wind and in the sun”, as the winner was fond of recounting.
The Centenary Trophy in Kismet 21 century-old yachts competed today in the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy. A mix of rigs, sizes and styles, this original event in the Voiles programme saw the smallest yacht in the fleet, Dainty (Wesmacott 1922) at 8.20 metres at the waterline, take on the giant 55-metre Shenandoah of Sark (Ferris 1902) and all the other yachts born at the beginning of the 20th century, each one more legendary than the last. The Centenary Trophy is contested in a pursuit race format (boats cross the start line according to their rating, with the first to cross the finish line being the winner), a format that allows competitors to race on an equal footing. At the end of the 3 hours of racing, the gold cutter Kismet (Fife 1896), helmed by Sir Richard Matthews, was crowned the brilliant winner, ahead of the formidable Scud (Herreshoff 1903), helmed by Torben Grael, and Oriole, the 1905 Herreshoff gold sloop.
The Voiles Bleues initiative! The Voiles Bleues was launched today, 29 September 2022, with a screening of the film “Méditerranée, l’Odyssée pour la Vie” at the Salle de la Renaissance in front of a group of Tropéziens schoolchildren, followed by a new screening for Voiles regatiers, and a conference with well-known figures from the world of the sea and sailing. Events such as the presence of the innovative semi-submersible boat “Platypus”, which will be taking part in the Blue Odyssey Sud expedition in June 2022, clean-up operations by Stéphane Mifsud and his Odyssée Bleue and workshops to define a “blue sails charter” by sailors for sailors, will be held throughout the Voiles. A stand dedicated to the Voiles Bleues will be present in the Voiles de Saint-Tropez village, bringing together the experts and partners involved in this first edition.
They said: Richard Matthews, Kismet, winner of the Centenary Trophy “We’re delighted! A great course, a superb regatta. We resisted the return of Scud, which worked very well. The decision to hoist the gennaker was crucial. It was a new sail for us and we knew how to use it perfectly in today’s conditions. We opened up a decisive gap. The crew were fantastic. The boat has no winches and is very physical. We recently restored her from top to bottom. I’ve been sailing with this team for nearly 15 years. Our British tactician Andy Green has been remarkable. We’ll be delighted to come back and defend our title next year.”
Torben Grael (Scud) The “turbine” is at Les Voiles. The Brazilian of Danish origin Torben Grael sails in Saint-Tropez aboard Scud, the small auric cutter signed Herreshoff and built in 1903 which belongs to Patrizio Bertelli, the boss of Prada. He learned sailing from his grandfather, who used him to sail a 6-metre JI type bowler used by the Danish sailing team at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. Torben Grael won five medals at the Olympic Games between 1984 and 2004, including four in Star. “This must be my 8th participation in Les Voiles and my third participation in the Centenary Trophy, once on Linnet and once on Scud. We are very happy to be able to race again after the Covid years. We have a great team, which is pushing hard on the boat. It’s nice. But we must take care of Scud, who is 120 years old. I learned to sail on an old boat, the 6 m of my grandfather, who is still in the family. I know how to put this type of boat, which is quite heavy, on the water. I love sailing here. I love the Classics and it’s fascinating to watch all kinds of boats. You learn something every day. I’d love to win the Centenary Trophy.”
The partners of the day: Besserat de Bellefon Partner of Les Voiles for the 4th year, the champagne house Besserat de Bellefon takes full advantage of the beautiful dynamics of Les Voiles. During the entire fortnight, she receives guests, in order to make them share, on land as on sea, the unique experience of the Sails. «We created a very «boat» atmosphere on the stand in the heart of the sailing village» explains Nathalie Doucet, President. We use the colour code of our white and blue marinière, symbol of the House. The sea meets the land in Saint Tropez. We receive many customers from all over France, as well as importers, whom we invite on the water.” Founded in 1843 on the waterfront in Aÿ, Maison Besserat de Bellefon is now based in Epernay. It has left its mark on the most prestigious tables for nearly two centuries and perpetuates a tradition of high quality by developing wines reserved for the exclusive sector of gastronomy, hotels, wine shops and delicatessen.
Suzuki For the 6th consecutive year, loyal partner of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, Suzuki Marine is at the rendezvous of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. On the water side, the brand extends its commitment by providing a fleet of twelve Marshall semi-rigid engines equipped with Suzuki outboard motors. On shore, Suzuki’s Clean Ocean Project environmental program is presented to the general public on the brand’s stand, including the microplastic collector that will now equip the new DF115B and DF140B engines. This is a microplastic collector. Directly mounted on the engine structure, this innovative system collects floating waste by filtering water for engine cooling. Suzuki’s environmental program also relies on reducing plastic packaging at the source: 11.2 tonnes of plastic have been saved since October 2020 in the Suzuki industrial process. Thanks to the mobilization of more than 10,000 people since 2010, the Clean Up Campaign makes it possible to collect waste on the shores and coasts of the world.
Programme 2022
Semaine 1 : Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Modernes et Classiques
Vendredi 30 septembre et samedi 1 octobre : régates pour les voiliers modernes et les voiliers de tradition
Samedi 1 octobre : remise des prix (semaine 1)
Week 2: Maxi Yachts and Multihulls Sunday 3 and Monday 4 October: Home of large modern units (Wally, Mini Maxis, Maxis, Super Maxis) and Performance Cruising Multihulls (from 60 feet) Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5, Friday 7, Saturday 8: regattas Thursday 6: lay day/reserve day Saturday, October 8: Awards Ceremony (Week 2)
Partners of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez ROLEX BMW NORTH SAILS WALLY SUZUKI MARINE MARSHALL MERCANTOUR BYBLOS BESSERAT DE BELLEFON TORPEZ (VIGNOBLES DE SAINT-TROPEZ) BERNARD OPTIC PEPINIERES PIERRE BASSET ESPRIT VILLAGE A SAINT-TROPEZ
VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ
PORT DE SAINT-TROPEZ
LES MARINES DE COGOLIN
FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE VOILE
YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION
Organisation :
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez
Président : Pierre Roinson
Principal Race Officer : Georges Korhel
Responsable Régates : Frédérique Fantino
Responsable technique : Philippe Martinez
Communication et Attachée de Direction : Chloé de Brouwer
Rédaction : Denis Van den Brink
Site internet : www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr
Media site : www.snst-media.com/
Facebook : les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Officiel www.facebook.com/VoilesDeSaintTropezOfficiel
Twitter : @VoilesSTOrg
Instagram : les_voiles_de_saint_tropez https://www.instagram.com/les_voiles_de_saint_tropez/
Photo : SNST/Gilles Martin-Raget
Vidéo : SNST/Guilain Grenier, 6G
Relations Presse : Maguelonne Turcat