Mmmm St Tropez

News of this year's Voiles de St Tropez and a unique gathering of Tabarly's Pen Duick yachts

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is an unmissable rendez-vous initiated precisely twenty-five years ago by the author of the challenge set by Ikra and Pride in 1981, Patrice de Colmont.

This legendary encounter gave rise to the Nioulargue, which has since become Les Voiles de Saint Tropez; a race like no other that gathers together the most extraordinary modern sailing boats alongside the most beautiful traditional yachts during the first week of October.

A host of racers and sailing enthusiasts come from all the corners of the globe to do battle in the special light and the wind synonymous with the first days of autumn in the bay of Saint Tropez. The event will once again be orchestrated by the team from the Société Nautique of Saint-Tropez presided over by André Beaufils, loyal guardian of the unique spirit of this extraordinary event. Legendary French sailor Eric Tabarly said of this event that he loved it so much that he had the feeling whilst strolling along the quayside of Saint-Tropez that he was "walking in an open book", a book that tells the story of both old and new alike. This year homage will be paid to both the man and the genius with the exceptional participation of the Pen Duick yachts, reunited in this corsair town. The 2006 edition will also honour several ‘series’ boats making up the modern contingent, whilst the recently restored Lulworth, the largest gaff rig cutter in the world dating back to 1920 alongside Eleonora – a replica of the 41 metre schooner Westward, designed in 1910 by Herreshoff – perfectly reflect the glory days of the large craft of traditional yachting.

Safety is as much a priority for the organisers as it is for public authority and this year will see heightened restrictions around the start line in particular and the race zone in general. The principal behind this is that the Race Committee will lay a second line of marks 150 or 200 metres ‘downwind’ in order to determine a safety perimeter. This year the organisers have decided to increase the number of boats provided to signal and clear the zone, as well as improving their means of identification. This measure comes as a complement to the order governing the whole event. In this way, the starts for the ‘modern’ boats have been given off the Salins beach for a number of years, in order to make the bay sailing run more smoothly as well as benefiting from a wind that is inclined to be more stable.

As far as the course is concerned, the organisers wanted to provide each size of boat with a specially adapted race; enabling some high quality confrontations for both large and small craft and taking into account the weather conditions and the varied performance of each class.

It’s a quite unique gathering. The five Pen Duick yachts that belonged to Eric Tabarly and are still sailing will be in Saint-Tropez for the first time following an initiative from Jacqueline Tabarly. A treasured moment for racers out on the water as well as for the public, who will be able to see the boats from the quayside opposite the Harbour Master’s Office (Capitainerie). The first Pen Duick is the gaff rig cutter with an LOA of 15m designed by William Fife in 1898. Pen Duick II, measures 13.60m and was originally ketch rigged. Eric entered into the history books with her by winning a race back in 1964, known today as The Transat. Pen Duick III, a 17.45m aluminium schooner launched in 1966, is most recognisable by its clipper bow which gives it a very elegant sharp nose. She ended her career in 1989 in the Vendée Globe round the world race in the hands of Jean-François Coste. Pen Duick V, 10.65m, was one of the first sloops equipped with ballast tanks. Eric Tabarly shattered the Transpac Record aboard her in 1969. Finally Pen Duick VI, a large 22 metre ketch, was designed by its skipper for the crewed round the world race in 1973 and went on to take a less foreseeable victory in the 1976 single-handed race known as The Transat. Due to its deep draught Pen Duick VI will be moored at the Jean Réveille jetty.

The only absence will be Pen Duick IV, lost at sea in 1978 during the first edition of the Route du Rhum under the name of Manureva skippered by the late Alain Colas.

Continuing to blend sport and conviviality, the organisers wanted to support what is already a noticeable trend within the event by honouring 4 one design series. Amongst the modern fleet are the First 40.7, the A 40, the Tofinou and the Swan 45. Racing in their respective classes as usual, these boats will benefit from a specific ranking as well as being grouped together in the port of Saint-Tropez.

Created in 2004 and traditionally held on a Thursday, La Grande Classe Trophy brings together the most beautiful traditional ‘racers’, in the spirit of the English races from 1880 to 1930,. Raced in real time along a 25 mile course which sends them off round the Nioulargue, the most famous shallows in the Mediterranean, the Grande Classe Trophy saw Mariquita take victory by just half a boat length over Eleonora in 2004. In 2005, the trophy, a half model of Valkyrie II, the English Challenger in 1893, was back up for grabs again and will remain so until three wins are obtained. It was Cambria which won it last year and this year the Trophy will be a remake of the Big Series since Lulworth, the largest gaff rig cutter in the world, is back after dominating this type of racing from 1925 to 1933!

At the end of the 75th anniversary of the Dragon class, a prestigious event organised jointly by the class and the Société Nautique and gathering together 250 monohulls in October 2004, numerous participants expressed a desire to return to the bay of Saint-Tropez at the same period. It is in response to this request that the Société Nautique decided to create a new event at the end of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez to host the first edition of the Dragon Saint-Tropez from 11th to 14th October. The event will notably comprise a coastal training course on the Wednesday, prior to the traditional ‘windward leeward’ races in the bay of Saint-Tropez

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez will once again play host to an exceptional reception area ashore with a marquee village set up near the Harbour Master’s Office. The 2006 zone has been revamped and now totals nearly 1000 m2 with the bar and terraced area forming the central hub. The Race Committee will be located all the way around the edge while the public will be able to mingle with some 3000 crew participating in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez as well as benefiting from the stands selling nautical clothing, books, aerial shots and embroidery. The event’s partners will benefit from a 300 m2 zone and it should be noted that this year’s Press HQ is situated under canvas in the heart of the village, with a specially dedicated zone of over 100 m2.

As far as the entertainment is concerned, all the usual rendez-vous remain on the programme: anchoïade (‘aperitif’ comprising anchovy puree on toast) on the port, a French bowling competition, musical accompaniment in the village, street entertainment, a ‘sardinade’ (sardine grill), fireworks and a picnic at the citadel for the prize-giving. In a return to the schedule of times gone by the crew procession which will take place on Thursday evening with a podium on the port followed by a crew soirée organised at La Ponche.

Thanks to the various partners to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, golf and polo will also be on offer to those participants wishing to try something a little different...

Added to the list of partners who have renewed their trust in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, like BMW, Gaastra, the Gassin Golf Country Club and Wally – present since the event began – as well as The Town of Saint Tropez, the Semagest, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Var and the Udacs – Rolex now joins the ‘partners club’ for the 2006 edition.

Traditional Yachts
Saturday 30th – Monday 2nd October: Welcome and testing
Sunday 1st: Arrival of the Yacht Club de France’s Coupe d’Automne from Cannes
Tuesday 3rd, Wednesday 4th, Thursday 5th (J. Laurain Day, Challenge Day, Trophée Mer et Bateaux (La Grande Classe), Club 55 Cup), Friday 6th and Saturday 7th: Coastal course, 1st start 1200 hours GMT

Modern Yachts
Saturday 30th – Sunday 1st October: Welcome and testing
Monday 2nd, Tuesday 3rd, Wednesday 4th, Thursday 5th (J. Laurain Day, Wally Day, Challenge Day), Friday 6th and Saturday 7th October: Coastal course, 1st start 1130 hours

General prize-giving
Sunday 8th October, from 1100 hours

Dragon Saint Tropez
Monday 9th, Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th: Welcome, launching and testing
Wednesday 11th: Training race (coastal)
Thursday 12th, Friday 13th, Saturday 14th: Racing around the bay
Saturday 14th: Prize-giving, 1630 hours