Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez – 29 September – 8 October

Winners at every level

Sunday 8th October 2023. The 25th Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, a must in the Mediterranean, brought around 3,000 sailors from all walks of life, with Classics, Moderns and Maxis totalling 250 boats including 13 flying the Yacht Club de Monaco flag.

In the Maxi class, a week of racing began at a brisk pace for the 40 Maxi Yachts in competition with five races validated. The Tropezien event is the second biggest gathering of Maxis in the world. Benoît de Froidmont’s Wallyno came 1st in the MaxiC, the International Maxi Association President winning all five races in style. Winner of the Ville de Saint-Tropez Prize, Barons de Rothschild Prize, Wally Prize and Best IMA member, Wallyno also won the 2023 season’s IMA Inshore Challenge. “It was a fantastic week that ended splendidly for Wallyno, better than expected. We were the favourites and we lived up to it. I am delighted for the crew who worked hard, sailing a lot all year round. It’s our last race of the season. It was a magnificent gathering of Maxis, with a very high level of racing,” said the owner.

In the same vein, Peter Harrison (Cannonball) clinched a superb 1st place in MaxiA and won the Byblos Trophy, a category in which Claus-Peter Offen (Y3K) finished 10th. Yacht Club de Monaco members were on a roll with a fine 6th place for Achille Onorato (Mascalzone Latino) in IRC C.

Classics roundup

In the Classics, a spectacle was practically guaranteed, particularly for the centenarian race. Twenty-three boats over a hundred years old had responded to the Gstaad Yacht Club’s invitation to race together, regardless of size, as a special rating system allows for a staggered start that ensures an exciting finish. A highlight that YCM’s flagship Tuiga participated in. In the Big Boat category, the gaff cutter emerged victorious, with the crew of enthusiastic YCM members lifting the Chateau Saint Maur Trophy, while YCM member Marc Dixon and his Elena of London came in 5th, as well as winning the coveted Schooner Class and trophy.