Showcase

It’s
hard to explain what Les Voiles de Saint Tropez is all about unless
you’ve been there. Any regatta in St Tropez is special, because
the setting is so special. This is an unspoilt, pink painted ancient
port, an oasis of olde worlde charm, in the heart of the now mostly
brash French Riviera. Imagine that harbour filled with the most beautiful
of modern and classic racing boats, ready to go out into a bay surrounded
by beautiful wooded slopes and you have the perfect setting for a regatta.
It is, quite simply, a showcase that provides a fitting end to the Mediterranean
sailing season and this year’s event promises to be no exception.
Great modern yachts, like Esense and Senso One, lie close to immortals
like Lulworth and Shamrock, which look perfectly at home in this setting.
Incredibly, it is hard to find a mast of less than 40 metres! The really
serious racing starts tomorrow, in the meantime Carlo Borlenghi has
made magic in setting the scene on day one. More of his pix are here.