Midway through the 28th Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the regatta races on in the Corinthian spirit of Patrice de Colmont, founder of the Nioulargue.
Photos Gilles Martin-Raget / SNST
Wednesday marked the midway point of the 28th Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the first edition since the death of Patrice de Colmont, creator of the Nioulargue, who passed away on 11 October 2025 after a short illness. His presence is still felt across the week, and nowhere more than in the friendly challenges he cherished.
The Modern and Tradition yachts were back on the racecourse, each category completing another race in brisk conditions, while the Maxis took time out. Only two of them sailed, the 35-metre Wallycento Tilakkhana II against the 22-metre Maxi GP Balthasar, in the traditional Club 55 Maxi Yacht Cup. Like the challenge laid down by the three J Classes, it embodies the Corinthian spirit so dear to de Colmont.
Modern Yachts: The Initial Standings
After three races, the IRC standings are starting to take shape, although every hotly contested start carries the risk of a mistake that can shake up the scoreboard. That was the case for Knutte and Albator 3, which both crossed the line early this morning and received a five-point penalty, with no chance to return and restart under the Sailing Instructions.
“It acts as a strong deterrent normally as we can ill afford having competitors turning back on themselves to recross the line and we can’t have multiple starts given the number of categories we have to get through each morning,” explained Georges Korhel, the Principal Race Officer.
In IRC 0, Spirit of Lorina took the win ahead of Daguet 5, which was first across the line but lost out on rating, with three minutes per hour of racing between the two boats. Sailing their first season on this 2012 Botin-designed TP52, the crew led by Jean-Pierre Barjon and Marcelo Pica have clearly got to grips with the boat and are regularly at the front of the fleet. Spirit of Lorina is now fighting for the overall lead after three races, with strong opposition from the German team on Knutte. The prize is the BMW Trophy.
In IRC 1, the Farr 45 Favorit won the day, but the fight for the podium looks set to be between four boats: Lisa R, Pretexte 2, Zappys and Searcher 2. In IRC 2, J Wow continues a near perfect regatta in conditions that suit the powerful Johnstone design. In IRC 3, the Jayson family’s Swan 44 Pride, the reigning champion, took her first win of this edition. In IRC 4, Iskareen found the speed she showed on Monday again, proving that the Swan 391 is very much in contention for overall victory.
Across IRC 1 to 4, the livelier conditions of Tuesday and Wednesday have largely favoured the cruiser-racers. Thursday’s Challenge Day takes the pressure off before two more races on Friday and Saturday.
Tradition Yachts: The Old Beauties
As on Tuesday, the finest start of the day belonged to the Big Boats of the Grand Tradition category. These eleven majestic yachts date back to the golden age of yachting and are its standard bearers. Among them is the timeless Tuiga, absent last year but back in 2026 with Jimmy Spithill at the helm, who finished the day in second place. Elena of London and Viveka again held their own, while Atlantic, 65 metres overall and weighing 300 tonnes, set off carefully a little astern of the fleet.
Gaff topsails stayed in their bags today, and several Marconi rigs sailed with a reef or furled sail area to stay in control in an easterly breeze gusting over 15 knots around midday.
“Yesterday, we set sail under light genoa as there was less breeze in the bay, but later on we had to hang on in there as things got a bit lively and the boat’s structure was really put to the test!” said Guillaume Wattinne, owner of Svanevit.
Svanevit is a 1939 8mR designed by the Swedish naval architect Tore Holm, who created Svea two years earlier. Holm was a master craftsman typical of his age: he designed his boats, built them in the family yard and was a brilliant helmsman on the racing circuit. Wattinne was preparing to visit the crew of the J Class Svea to present them with a biography of the architect.
Svanevit is one of three 8mRs racing in the Classique Marconi category, where the Q class Leonore, an Anker design, leads ahead of another 8mR, Carron 2, a multiple world champion.
Among the P Class yachts, Tuesday’s fierce battle ended in victory for Chips, just seven seconds ahead of Joyant on corrected time. The crews’ commitment at the marks shows how much they want the prestigious Rolex Trophy. Olympian cannot afford another mistake after her disqualification on Tuesday while leading. The green P Class still has everything to play for after a dazzling win today, carrying full mainsail and J2 from the start while the other P Classes had a reef in and began to struggle as the breeze died at the finish.
In the IOR fleet, Il Moro di Venezia was supreme in 2025, though largely on her own. This year she faces a real test against the One Tonners, half her size and owed 15 minutes per hour of racing. The class of 2026 has seven boats. The lowest rated is the charming Tarantella, built of polyester with a timber rubbing strake, the first racer-cruiser from the Nautor yard. This 1966 11-metre Sparkman and Stephens design launched the Swan series, built in Finland beside a sea that freezes for four months of the year. The company remains in Pietarsaari to this day, despite the temperature challenges of carbon construction and some of the highest labour costs in the world.
Club 55 Maxi Yacht Cup
The Wallycento Tilakkhana II, helmed by Pascale Decaux, won the first of the Club 55 Cups against the Maxi GP Balthasar. It was a friendly match raced on elapsed time with no handicap calculations, just as Patrice de Colmont intended when he created the Nioulargue in 1981.
The owner of the famous Club 55 likely thought regatta racing was too serious a matter to be left to racers. He was not a competitive man, and preferred small camps on the islands aboard Cocotte, the little mahogany sports dinghy built by Matonnat that he had sailed as a child. But he loved the sea, beautiful boats and the people who sailed them.
A master of improvisation and a shrewd manager, an extraordinary storyteller and a great listener, a host to the stars and a friend of writer, farmer and environmentalist Pierre Rabhi, whose produce he used in the kitchens of the Club 55, de Colmont kept a light touch and a bold vision as he organised and grew this week-long festival of racing, unlike any other in the world. He continued to host the crews on Wednesday and Thursday’s challenge days, a tradition that began in 1981 with the Swan 44 Pride and the 12mR Ikra.
This 28th Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is the first without Patrice, and yet his spirit lives on.
2026 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Schedule
Thursday, October 1: Club 55 Cup, Gstaad Yacht Club Centenarians’ Trophy (staggered starts), Challenge Day for the Moderns and Classics, Wallynano37 Challenge, races for the Maxis
Friday, October 2: Races for the Maxis, Moderns and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy
Saturday, October 3: Races for the Maxis, Moderns and Classics, including the Rolex Trophy. Prize-giving for the Maxis, including the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy. Presentation of the Rolex Trophy
Sunday, October 4: Prize-giving for the Moderns and Classics, including the BMW Trophy and special trophies
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Partners
Major Partner: Rolex
Premium Partners: BMW, Edmond de Rothschild
Privileged Partners: Wally, Suzuki Marine, Brig
Associated Partners: VSC Corporate Recovery Consulting, Port des Marines de Cogolin, North Sails
Suppliers: Mercantour Events, Byblos, Pépinière du Golfe, Champagne Barons de Rothschild, Château Saint-Maur Cru Classé, Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu’île de Saint-Tropez, Tikamoon, L’École du Luxe
Institutional Partners: Ville de Saint-Tropez, Port de Saint-Tropez, Saint-Tropez Tourisme, Esprit Village à Saint-Tropez, Fédération Française de Voile, Yacht Club de France, International Maxi Association, Comité International de la Méditerranée
Organisation
Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, President: Pierre Roinson. Principal Race Officer: Georges Korhel. Registrations: Frédérique Fantino. Marine Safety: Gilles Doyen. Logistics and Procurement: Alice Coquant. Communications and External Relations: Chloé de Brouwer.
