An exceptional cast at the 25th anniversary Of Boats and Of Men, such as could be the base line of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez which as well as offering a marvellous spectacle every autumn, is the scene of exceptional encounters and jousting at the highest level. Scouring the list of entrants reveals a unique mix of crowned heads, industry leaders, rock stars, stars of the big and small screen, Olympic medallists,.
An exceptional cast at the 25th anniversary Of Boats and Of Men, such as could be the base line of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez which as well as offering a marvellous spectacle every autumn, is the scene of exceptional encounters and jousting at the highest level. Scouring the list of entrants reveals a unique mix of crowned heads, industry leaders, rock stars, stars of the big and small screen, Olympic medallists, America’s Cup experts, world regatta champions and prodigies of the greatest ocean races. Maxime Sorel, who has just returned from his Ultra-trail du Mont Blanc and seemingly can’t get enough of fresh air and competition, will be lending a hand to the crew of Nacira 47 Swell , just one month before the start of his second Vendée Globe! He will be alongside sailing legends such as Lionel Péan on Hermitage to Philippe Monnet aboard Lys , both of whom are racing in the Classics, to Marc Pajot, who will be helming the 12m JI French Kiss , 37 years after his Australian epic. Racing in the Modern Class Jean-Pierre Dick, will be on the start line with his JP 54 Notre Méditerranée – Ville de Nice , the boat with which he won the latest edition of the Route du Rhum in the Rhum category. But the passion for regattas and yachting extends far beyond the circle of pros, with the discrete and valued presence of British guitarist Pete Townsend of The Who, a regular at Les Voiles, lining up this year on a 1938 Marconi sloop, as well as lead singer from the group Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon, regularly leading on another Marconi A, also dating from 1938.
Aurics in the spotlight After the Marconi yawls in 2023, it is the Epoque Aurique class that will take pride of place racing in this year’s Rolex Trophy . This prestigious prize will be awarded for the nineteenth time by the watchmaking brand, which has been a partner of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez since 2006, a loyalty which testifies to its unfailing passion for classic yachting in all its forms. The ‘Epoque Marconi A’ yachts form a colourful class of fourteen yachts, all over a hundred years old, ranging in size from 11 to 20 metres, notably four yachts in the P Class. This category, launched by Nathanael Herreshoff on the basis of his universal rule in 1903, all built on the east coast of America will be reunited for the first time on the water in a regatta in Saint-Tropez. Joyant is the last of them to have been restored in Camden, Maine, and will cross swords with Chips , Corinthian and Olympian . These 16-metre yachts are well equipped and at ease in light airs, but they will have their work cut out against the likes of Lulu , listed as a historical monument, Rowdy and the formidable 10-metre JI Marga . Noteworthy is that all these classic yachts, which require a great deal of skill to be sailed in a breeze, race on corrected time.