Every year, 253 of the world’s most spectacular sailing yachts, spanning more than a century of maritime history, come together to race in the late Mediterranean summer. From September 26 to October 4, 2026, the Gulf of Saint-Tropez was the heart of global yachting for the 28th Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
This year’s regatta, organized by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez (SNST), held special significance. It was the first event since the passing of Patrice de Colmont, founder of the original La Nioulargue in 1981. His famous “Corinthian spirit” was everywhere, from the friendly competition on the water to the lively shore celebrations, which drew up to 75,000 spectators each day. With a fleet divided among advanced Maxis, high-performance Moderns, and a beautiful group of Tradition yachts, the 2026 event highlighted elegance, heritage, and top-level racing.
The Giants Take Center Stage: Maxis and the J Class
The Maxi divisions brought fierce competition to the Bay of Pampelonne. With 51 Maxis, including three J Class yachts, the races were a memorable sight that filled the horizon.
The J Class races revived the spirit of the 1930s America’s Cup. The fleet featured Svea, Hanuman, and Rainbow, but Svea—a 2017 yacht inspired by Tore Holm’s 1937 designs—stood out. Led by Niklas Zennström’s Rán Racing team, Svea, the largest and most powerful J, won both the Trophée Voiles de Saint-Tropez and the Corinthian Kings Cup. The crowd was amazed watching these 180-tonne yachts battle through close finishes and tough tactical moves.
The rivalry between the Js was intense and took a toll on the boats. Svea faced the newly purchased Rainbow, owned by Peter Harrison with Ed Baird as tactician, and Hanuman, sailed by Giovanni Lombardi Stronati. The heavy loads on these classic yachts were pushed to the limit in the easterly breeze. Svea broke a genoa hook early in the week, while Hanuman tore her genoa in two during a gybe. This set up some thrilling match racing, ending with Svea overtaking Rainbow just above the layline and finishing half a boat length ahead after a perfect gybe.
In the Maxi 1 division, teams raced for the Trophée Edmond de Rothschild, showing off very different design styles. Peter Dubens’ Northstar III, a lightweight and innovative 76-foot Judel-Vrolijk yacht with a canting keel, no ballast tanks, and a deck layout similar to a sports dinghy, dominated the fleet in the early light winds. But as the week went on and the courses changed to 28-mile coastal sprints, Sir Peter Ogden’s well-prepared 2012 Judel-Vrolijk Jethou took the overall Maxi 1 title. Jethou is a great example of racing longevity; she started as a 72-footer, was carefully extended to 77 feet, and continues to be improved.
Karel Komarek’s Wallycento V finished second overall, took the top spot in the coastal races, and won the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge for the season. The division also featured legendary tacticians, including Paul Cayard on the 25-meter ClubSwan 80 My Song. Cayard skillfully guided the large 100-footers like Magic Carpet 3, which earned her first elapsed time race win since 2025, against the faster, purpose-built Maxi GPs.
In the other Maxi divisions, Lyra won her close duel against Twin Soul B to take Maxi 2, while Yoru claimed first in Maxi 3 after a thrilling last race against Why Not. The Dehler 60 Blue
Oyster dominated Maxi 4, winning three out of four races and earning the Coupe de la Ville de Saint-Tropez as the overall Maxi champion. The smaller Maxis also provided memorable moments, especially the contest between the two Swan 65s: the sloop-rigged Saida and the ketch-rigged Evrika, which had just finished the Ocean Globe Race and included offshore legend Lionel Péan, who helped the family crew.
The Club 55 Maxi Yacht Cup added to the Maxi excitement with a friendly, elapsed-time match-racing challenge. The 35-meter Wallycento Tilakkhana II raced against the 22-meter Maxi GP Balthasar, celebrating the playful, Corinthian spirit that the regatta’s founders valued.
Modern Marvels: Precision and Power
The Modern fleet competed for top prizes like the BMW Trophy in IRC 0, showing the latest in grand-prix racing. Eleven IRC 0 prototypes, including seven TP52s and the Wallyrocket51 Kilara 2, raced closely together out of the gulf.
The Botin-designed TP52 Spirit of Lorina (formerly Azzura), sailed by Marcello Pica and Jean-Pierre Barjon, had an almost perfect regatta. After strong challenges from Gwen
Fragomen’s Botin 44 Interlodge IV and King Frederik X of Denmark’s Nanoq, Spirit of Lorina won the BMW Trophy. In other IRC classes, the Ker 46 Lisa R won IRC 1, the J133 J Wow dominated IRC 2, the Farr 30 Topas took IRC 3, and SNST’s Overdose Neo won IRC 4.
A Century of Grace: The Tradition Yachts
While the Maxis brought excitement, the 77 Tradition yachts added character. With more than 20 yachts over 100 years old, the fleet was like a living museum of maritime history.
In the Grand Tradition category, the Yacht Club de Monaco’s flagship, the 1909 Fife cutter Tuiga, had a standout performance. YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi led the crew, supported by America’s Cup veteran Jimmy Spithill, offshore sailor Boris Herrmann, and tactician Loïck Peyron. Tuiga won her class.
Philippe Oddo’s Olympian won the closely contested Rolex Trophy, which was dedicated this year to the P Class. Even after an early penalty, Olympian raced against Chips all week and won the trophy for the third time in the regatta’s history.
Thursday’s racing featured the Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy, a special pursuit race for yachts over 100 years old. In light winds, Sir Richard Matthews’ 1898 Fife design Kismet found the breeze and won the 15th edition, taking the trophy for the second time. In the Big Boat category, the schooner Elena of London won, finishing ahead of the 34.8-meter Sumurun.
The Enduring Spirit of La Nioulargue
Beyond the trophies and race results, the 2026 edition showed that the spirit of Les Voiles is still strong. On Challenge Day, Halloween, celebrating her 100th year, beat the Mylne yawl Mariella for the Club 55 Yacht Cup, capturing the friendly and spontaneous racing that started the event 45 years ago.
As SNST President Pierre Roinson said, the regatta keeps moving forward while honoring its history, with a possible 2027 race between the 1930s J-Class yachts Shamrock and Endeavor. For now, the 28th edition ends on a high note. This event brought together both modern prototypes and century-old yachts, all sharing the same wind, water, and passion for sailing.
Photos: Gilles Martin-Raget - Words: Gabriel Parra