What a spectacle! In summery conditions, the 250 competitors at Voiles de Saint-Tropez spread their passion from the Portalet tower to the Bay of Pampelonne and as far as La Fourmigue, setting the Gulf of Saint-Tropez ablaze at the end of the afternoon. By tea time, everyone was converging on the port, heeled over as they pleased, from the small sport boat to the 40-metre schooner, via the 12-metre JI and Maxis. It was certainly a beautiful day, with some splendid images, the kind that make the Voiles de Saint-Tropez a unique event.

There was a great deal of excitement this morning in the offices of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez and in the Village des Voiles, as the three race committees were mobilised to concoct the best possible programme for the three classes, which met for the very first time on Tuesday.

The big Maxis in classes A and B will be competing in two banana races, as they did on Monday, while classes C and D will be competing in a long 32-mile coastal race towards the Fourmigue buoy, to the east of Cap Bénat. The programme will be reversed between the fleets for the end of the week, allowing them to take advantage of tomorrow's day off to make the appropriate sail changes.

In the Moderns, the four classes set off on an 18-mile coastal race at 12.40pm after waiting a good hour for the wind to settle in the gulf. A slightly longer wait for the Classics, for which the committee chaired by Philippe Enel launched no less than five well-paced starts at lunchtime.

In contrast to the Modernes, the biggest of the Classics - the Grand Tradition and Big Racer classes - set off last to mingle with the fleet as the day progressed and hope for a grouped finish at the end of the afternoon in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. ‘You have to bear in mind that these are complex yachts to manoeuvre. Some of them are over 40 metres long, and they need open water, which is essential at the start. In fact, we give them a warning ten minutes before the start to give them time to settle in,’ explains Georges Korhel, Principal Race Officer of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

Two bays, two different atmospheres

Although the sun reigned supreme today, the wind differences on the race course were even more marked than yesterday. A good 15 knots accompanied the Maxis to Pampelonne, while at the exit from the Bay of Saint-Tropez, a transition zone made the best sailors struggle. The IRC Bs had to put up with a nasty chop off Basse Rabiou and were caught up by the smaller classes, and the same thing happened on the return leg, so that the Modernes had to contend with a ballet of arrivals, mixing big and small. The same punishment befell the Classics, who were launched into the light airs, but quickly ran out of wind despite the grace and profusion of their sails.
In these conditions, there was no need to sail along the seaside cemetery at the risk of being buried, nor to hang around Issambres where a light sun mist diluted the hopes of some of the Grand Traditions.

A good thermal at the end of the day

With the exception of Jolt and Lyra, who were still untouchable today in their respective classes (Maxis A and B), as well as Swan 65 Six Jaquar in Maxi D, yesterday's winners weren't always at their best. In the Maxi C, Wallyño, neck and neck with Lady First 3, let Yoru win.

In the Modern class, the TP 52s were unable to save their time in IRC B and it was the Swan 42 Lagherta that won. In the BMW Trophy (IRC C), the A 40 Ad-hoc won. In the IRC D (Suzuki Marine Trophy), the JPK 10.10 Expresso made no bones about it and, like yesterday, finished ahead in both the real and compensated races, while in the IRC E, it was the Dufour 40 Lady that took victory. No complete classification for the Moderns without mentioning Pippa's victory in the Tofinou class.

As the thermals kicked in from 4pm onwards, the arrivals followed one another with a few sail and rigging problems, particularly among some of the Classics, but also some great images. Like the match racing between Tuiga and Mariska. Setting off abreast at the line at 2pm, the two 15m JI Fife boats never left each other's side for the whole race and it almost took a photo on the line to separate them. In the end, the advantage went to Mariska, in real time, but the corrected time should reverse the respective positions of these two... Tomorrow is another day!

In the Rolex Trophy, which kicked off today, Chips scored a first point in the P Class, which is engaged in a real competition within the competition.