NORTHSTAR III Wins Saint-Tropez Maxi 1 in 15–20-Knot Breeze

NORTHSTAR III has strengthened its opening-week position at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez by winning the Maxi 1 race on 29 September in a 15–20-knot breeze. The 76ft Judel/Vrolijk Maxi GP moved into the lead after the first lap and remained ahead to the finish in real time, according to the official Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez race report.

Stronger breeze tests the new Maxi GP

The result is notable because the official report describes the stronger conditions as less naturally favourable to NORTHSTAR III than the lighter airs seen earlier in the event. Even so, the boat was able to sail lower and faster downwind, take command after one circuit and stay in front of larger-rated rivals.

Capricorno, another Judel/Vrolijk design, finished second in the Maxi 1 contest. The organiser reported three races completed during the day, with the 13-boat Maxi 1 group competing for the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy as part of the wider Saint-Tropez programme.

Canting keel and aero package shape the approach

Strategist Wouter Verbraak attributed the yacht's performance to a combination of features rather than a single design element. In the organiser's account, he highlighted a canting keel used at a relatively small angle, a rotating mast and an aerodynamic deck arrangement as parts of the overall package.

Those features are intended to generate useful righting and aerodynamic effects while avoiding some of the weight and drag associated with additional appendages. The race result is an event performance, however, not an independent engineering test of the yacht's individual systems or a universal comparison with every Maxi configuration.

Larger Maxis remain part of the tactical picture

The Saint-Tropez fleet includes much longer and heavier yachts, including 100-foot designs, alongside the more race-focused Maxi GP boats. That mix creates tactical differences because outright speed, rating and manoeuvring around dissimilar designs all influence how crews position themselves on the course.

The official report notes that the larger Wallycento V still finished ahead of the other Maxi GP entries apart from NORTHSTAR III. The result therefore adds another data point to the developing comparison between the newer 76ft concept and the established big-Maxi fleet rather than settling the broader contest.

Maxis pause before racing resumes

Wednesday 30 September is scheduled as a day off for the main Maxi racing programme, apart from the Club 55 Maxi Yacht Cup. The Maxis are due back in competition on Thursday 1 October, with further racing scheduled through Saturday before the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy presentation.

That leaves several race days for the standings to change before the Maxi prizes are decided. NORTHSTAR III's 29 September win follows its strong opening appearance, but the overall Saint-Tropez result will depend on the remaining races and the official scoring across the week.

Official sources: www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr; www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr. Historical delivery milestones and existing yacht-design features are identified as such, not presented as new events today.