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Posted on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 |
 Les Voiles de Saint Tropez is celebrating its 30th year this year, 2011, and with nearly 300 boats competing in this modern and traditional sailing boat regatta, it is showing strong signs of continuing for another 30.
Originally called La Nioulargue, after a marker buoy denoting the Nioulargo shallows off Cap Camarat, the regatta grew from a simple bar room bet between two visiting boat owners over a cold drink at the famous Club 55 on Saint Tropez beach in 1981. The boats in question, 12 metre Ikra skippered by Frenchman Jean Laurin and Pride, a Swan 44, owned by touring American Dick Jason were challenged to race between St Tropez and Club 55 on Pampelonne Beach.
The regatta has since grown to showcase not just the older traditional sailing yachts but also the modern high performance racers. It takes in such ports of call as Monaco, Antibes and Cannes before the Grand Finale in Saint Tropez. The Ikra continues to compete to this day and, in 2010, won the Rolex Trophy, under the competent hand of Yves-Marie Morault.
Les Voiles des Saint Tropez 2011 commences on 25th September and will conclude on Sunday October 2nd with a prize giving ceremony at La Citadelle over looking the picturesque fishing village.
It is a wonderful time of year to visit Saint Tropez, when the heaving streets of this popular resort town have returned to some semblance of the quiet lanes of a small fishing village, the raging August heat has diminished to a sweet September glow and the classic yachts remind you of what Saint Tropez port looked like in days gone by.
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