New leaders emerge at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez maxi racing
by James Boyd / International Maxi Association 4 Oct 02:09 PDT
28 September – 6 October 2024
After Wednesday’s layday, the Bay of Pampelonne saw a complete turn of events on the third day of maxi racing at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, organized by the Société Nautique de Saint Tropez and featuring 41 maxi yachts monitored by the International Maxi Association.
In this day’s racing, the quicker boats in Maxi A and B swapped with the slower contenders from Maxi C and D; the former group tackled a 28-mile course running from Pampelonne to Cavalaire-sur-Mer, while the latter competed in two windward-leeward races. Initially, the wind came from the north, unlike two days prior, although competitors on the coastal course had to deal with a transition zone where the wind stalled before shifting directions.
In Maxi A, Peter Harrison’s 72ft Jolt faced a halt in its winning streak upon grounding while exiting the Bay of Pampelonne, resulting in some scrapes for her crew. Jolt finished in a rare sixth position and will re-enter the racing tomorrow.
With a leading competitor facing challenges, the field opened up for Remon Vos’ Black Jack 100, which triumphed both on the water and under IRC corrected time. This lightweight 100-footer, previously known as Alfa Romeo II, Esimit Europa II, and now Black Jack, has claimed line and occasional overall victories in Mediterranean races. It particularly benefits from lighter wind conditions and boasts a towering 40m mast, which was advantageous in today’s tricky circumstances.
Mark Bradford, tactician for Black Jack, remarked, “It was fun racing around the headlands. We executed good maneuvers and crew work during the wind transitions: there was a southerly breeze in the final bay while the rest experienced north or northeast winds. There were clear lines on the water, but managing them proved challenging. We navigated the last transition well while the others struggled.”
This outcome positioned Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou in fifth place, maintaining its consistent run of seconds, while Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s 82ft Django HF secured third. With initial discards applied today, Jolt stands at the top overall, leading Jethou by four points, with Django HF trailing another four points behind.
Django HF’s headsail trimmer, Alessio Razeto, reflected on the day: “There was a significant wind transition from north to south, shifting from gennaker to jibs; this can turn the tide for leaders if one is astute with positioning. It required meticulous tactical planning due to numerous maneuvers and sail changes.”
The long winning streak of Terry Hui’s Lyra concluded today as Paul Berger’s Swan 82FD Kallima pushed the matte black Wally 77 into second place, finishing 12 minutes and 18 seconds ahead under IRC.
“We had a bit of luck at times, but our boat performs well in light wind, unlike over 15 knots when Lyra accelerates faster,” explained Vincent Fertin, Paul Berger’s coach. “Our heavier weight is crucial, particularly on smooth water. In lighter winds, arriving with some momentum lets our weight carry us well compared to lighter vessels.” Previously struggling while reaching or under Code 0, they performed better today. “We noted we didn’t lose much to Lyra, and racing against such divergent boats in close competition is enjoyable.”
Overall, Lyra maintains a 4-point lead over Geist in second, Christian Oldendorff’s Spirit 111, with Kallima now just one point behind.
Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62 Yoru won both coastal races in Maxi C earlier this week and resumed its winning streak today in the second race after losing the first to IMA President Benoît de Froidmont’s Wally 60 Wallyño, the defending champion.
“Wallyño excels upwind, while we thrive downwind,” remarked a pleased Sala. “Today, we executed solid starts and effectively controlled Wallyño’s position.” Sala credits their success to a process that developed over the past 18 months: “We are finally reaping the benefits of small improvements on the boat and the team’s ability to work cohesively. We experienced some of this in Porto Cervo.”
The day’s first windward-leeward race across the Bay of Pampelonne, held with the north wind picking up to around 10 knots, was won by Wallyño by 3 minutes and 1 second, while Yoru narrowly clinched the second race by just 16 seconds under IRC. “Our crews are evenly matched, leaving no margin for errors,” de Froidmont noted. “In the first race, we had a fantastic start and went left for the shift; in the second, we went right when we should have veered left!” Their performance was notable as Wallyño experienced inoperative electronics and sustained a broken mainsheet block just minutes before the start.
Yoru now leads Wallyño by two points overall, with Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Mylius 60 Lady First III trailing by five points.
Similar to Yoru, Anthony Ball’s Swan 65 sloop Six Jaguar also faced an end to its perfect score as Luca Scoppa’s Dehler 60 Blue Oyster took the win in today’s final windward-leeward in Maxi D. Overall, Six Jaguar leads with three points compared to Blue Oyster’s seven, and CNB60 Expression of London is another point behind.
“We achieved 1-2 today, so we’re doing well,” noted Ball’s son George, who helms for a crew primarily based in Barcelona, led by top Spanish professional Iñaki Castañer. “Today’s wind was much more favorable than we anticipated, which has been consistent throughout the week. I believe our younger crew is well-trained, and we are blending effectively.”
Racing will continue tomorrow before finishing on Saturday.
Event website: www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/en
