The official opening of the first week of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez will be on Saturday, September 26th with the team from the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez ready to welcome competitors to the 22nd edition, different in many ways.

Still in keeping with the traditions of the original event the Nioulargue, the Voiles marks at the end of each summer its emblematic attachment to the town with celebrated patron the Bailli de Suffren, the sea and its rich maritime history, this year the organisers take full measure of the current pandemic in the organisation of the event.

All necessary procedures have been put in place to meet the health requirements and to reinforce them for competitors, the media, and the public a like.

Week 1, September 26th – October 3rd: don’t change a winning formula

Opening the event on the water, the arrival of the Yacht Club de France Autumn Cup, feeder race open to classic yachts sailing from Cannes, is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday 27th. As usual, the modern yachts will open the show with races starting on Monday. A novelty this year is that only boats up to 20 metres (depending on their category) will be racing during the first week.

From Tuesday, classic boats less than 24 metres will enter the competition, with a programme of coastal races on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday is reserved for the challenge races and the Centenary Trophy in partnership with the Gstaad Yacht Club. The only notable change is that prize-giving has been moved from Sunday morning to Saturday evening.

Week 2, October 6th to 9th: tailor-made for the super yachts

It’s the big novelty of this year: a second regatta week for the largest boats will allow the race committee to offer a race course and programme perfectly suited to the size and potential of the bigger yachts, whilst allowing them – as with all classes this year – race starts at the foot of the village, in front of the Portalet Tower. Sunday 4th and Monday 5th October are reserved for the changeover of the entire fleet moored in the port, for the benefit of the largest racing yachts, both modern and classics.

This second section is open to Wally, IRCA, Maxi and Mini Maxi, big Classic and big Schooner classes. For these larger boats, four days of regattas are planned from Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th October, the prize-giving being scheduled for Friday evening. Given the health situation, the physical presence of the crews will be limited during prize-givings, both for the first week and the closing ceremony.

Measures put in place by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez (excluding those for competitors):

Staff and volunteers

• Testing of everyone before and during the event

Voiles Race Village

• Reduction of village size to 400 m2 (instead of the usual 1 500 m2), 400 people maximum
• Exhibitors limited to partner areas, no bar, no boutique inside the Village (direct access to the official North Sails store), no entertainments: boules competition, crew parade, sardinade etc,…
• Wearing of mask, taking of temperature at the entrance to the Village, hydroalcoholic gel: compulsory
• Presence of the ARS and Cerbaliance laboratory for testing of people wishing to do so

Media

• No physical reception or press service: removed registration formalities
• Meeting point for boat boarding outside the Village
• Wearing of mask compulsory

Programme 2020:

Week 1: The Voiles de Saint-Tropez

• Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September: registration for boats up to 20 meters (except for certain classes)
• Monday 28th September: racing for modern yachts
• Tuesday 29th, Wednesday 30th September, Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd October: racing for modern yachts and classic yachts
• Thursday 1st October: Challenge Day
• Saturday 3rd October: prize-giving (week 1)

Week 2: The Voiles Super Boats

• Sunday 4th and Monday 5th October: big boat registration (Wally, IRCA, Maxi yachts, big Classic, big Schooner)
• Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th, Friday 9th: big boat racing
• Friday 9th October: prize-giving (week 2)

www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr

by Maguelonne Turcat