What a showstopping spectacle! Revelling in the summery conditions, the 250 competitors racing at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez put on a thrilling display from the Portalet tower to the bay of Pampelonne and as far as the Fourmigue as they lit up the Gulf of Saint-Tropez late this afternoon. Teatime saw them all converging on the port on a delicious heel, with a wonderful assortment of craft ranging from a small.
What a showstopping spectacle! Revelling in the summery conditions, the 250 competitors racing at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez put on a thrilling display from the Portalet tower to the bay of Pampelonne and as far as the Fourmigue as they lit up the Gulf of Saint-Tropez late this afternoon. Teatime saw them all converging on the port on a delicious heel, with a wonderful assortment of craft ranging from a small sportsboat to a 40-metre gaff schooner, a set of 12mRs and the monumental Maxis. A fantastic day was had by all, resulting in some of the splendid images that make Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez such a unique event.
Two bays, two atmospheres Though the sun really made its presence felt today, the disparities between the breeze on the different stretches of water was even more marked than yesterday. A good 15 knots of wind accompanied the Maxis in Pampelonne whilst a transition zone caused the top players to stumble a little on exiting the bay of Saint-Tropez. Suffering in a nasty chop level with Basse Rabiou, the IRC Bs were caught up by the smallest classes and there was more of the same on the return leg. So much so that the ballet of finishers in the Modern fleet included both small and big boats. The Classic yachts endured the same fate, powered up in the light airs and then suddenly left floundering without a sniff of breeze despite their graceful and abundant sail area. These tricksy conditions naturally put paid to some of the aspirations of the Grand Tradition yachts, especially around Les Issambres.