I’ll say it straight out: J’aime Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Oui, I love Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (and, while I’m at it, I’m brushing up on the French I learned in high school) simply because, in my humble opinion as a sailor and as someone who’s been lucky enough to spend a good part of his life aboard and around yachts of all kinds, no other event in the world captures the magic, beauty, fun, and unique appeal of the yachting lifestyle quite like this one.
I think Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is special because it’s much more than just a sailing regatta. It celebrates yachting by bringing together thousands of sailors (and many more spectators) to compete aboard some of the world’s most beautiful, valuable, classic, and technologically advanced sailboats, in one of the most beautiful and iconic summer destinations on the planet.
From ultra-modern Maxis, Wally Yachts, and TP52s to J-class yachts and classics maintained with care and meticulous attention to detail (some over 100 years old), they all compete and represent a priceless collection of sailing history, technology, and beauty.
And the competition was as intense as a sunny day on the French Riviera during the regatta, which took place from September 28 to October 3. In fact, the intensity really ramped up in the battle for the Rolex Trophy, which the regatta’s exclusive partner for many years awarded to the gaff-rigged classic Olympian, winner over its rival Chips in the P class.
“It was a fierce battle with Chips,” said Philippe Oddo of Olympian. “We fought right up to the last moment. It’s a wonderful story that began fourteen years ago, and the competition is intense every time. But the team gets along wonderfully with each other and with all the other Ps.”
Meanwhile, in the Maxi 1 class, the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy went to Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou, designed by Judel Vrolijk. And Karel Komárek’s Wallycento V won the 2026 IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge, which recognizes the yacht with the best overall results at Palmavela, the IMA European Maxi Inshore Championship in Sorrento, the Loro Piana Giraglia Inshore, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
However, when it comes to sheer star power, few yachts can compete with the J-class yachts that participated this year: Seva, Rainbow, and Hanuman. Seva, the longest and most powerful of the J-class yachts, won three of the six races and claimed the Corinthian Kings Cup, which the J-class awards to the owner-skipper of the season’s most outstanding race. Needless to say, it is no coincidence that Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez was chosen as the standout regatta of the season.
“The J-Class returned to fleet racing for the first time in several years,” explained Louise Morton, secretary of the J-Class. “The organization of the regatta lived up to our high expectations, and we were thrilled to welcome some of the world’s best sailors aboard the J-Class boats. As always, the atmosphere ashore was unique, with the J-boats taking center stage.”
Meanwhile, the legendary flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco, Tuiga (1909), skippered by YCM Vice President Pierre Casiraghi, won the Tradition class with a talented crew that included Jimmy Spithill, a two-time America’s Cup winner; Boris Herrmann of Team Malizia, and legendary French ocean sailor Loïck Peyron. “With Boris as navigator, Loïck as tactician, and Jimmy at the helm, we couldn’t have asked for more,” said a delighted Pierre Casiraghi.
“What a crew, what a week! Everything went exactly as I had imagined. I’ve never seen a better crew on the Tuiga, not to mention that we had many Club members on board, including Jimmy, Boris, Baron Frederick Schroder, Stavros Niarchos, and our promising young Laser sailor, Louise Debeaumont, who was racing with us for the first time. She’s a great find. Always willing to help and with a great attitude, she’s a very promising young sailor for our Club. Bringing together sailors from ocean racing, the America’s Cup, and the Olympic Games was truly magical. I feel very fortunate to have shared these moments with them; they all deserved this victory. I also want to acknowledge the work of the support team, which contributed to this success.”
In another of the modern classes, the TP52 Spirit of Lorina took home the BMW Trophy in IRC 0. Formerly known as Azzura, the renamed yacht was taken over this year by the Spirit of Lorina team, led by Marcello Pica and Jean-Pierre Barjon. “Jean-Pierre has done a fabulous job with the crew on the boat. We worked very hard and stayed focused right until the end. We won three races, which is amazing given the level of competition in this class,” said an enthusiastic Marcello Pica after the race.
The truth is that there are great regattas in every class at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. And I’m pretty sure that everyone who was there this year would also say that the historic setting, the inimitable atmosphere, and the vibrant community that flourishes during the last golden days of summer in Saint-Tropez are just as wonderful as the competition itself.
The event’s success is a testament to the work of the organizers, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. Not only do they ensure that countless priceless boats, crewed by thousands of people, can safely enjoy a high-level competition, They also ensure that sailors, spectators, and friends have access to luxury accommodations at the legendary Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez and, above all, can enjoy themselves ashore with live music in the regatta village, or at various parties such as the famous Thursday-night crew parade, where a hilarious group of crews dress up in coordinated costumes, or a long lunch at the famous Le Club 55 on Pampelonne Beach on the Saint-Tropez peninsula.
That’s why I love Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez so much. It shows that you don’t have to be a sailor to enjoy the yachting lifestyle—as long as you can make it to Saint-Tropez in late September.
