Strong Opening for Maxi Contenders at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
by James Boyd / International Maxi Association 1 Oct 02:21 PDT
28 September – 6 October 2024
Peter Harrison on his modified Maxi 72 ‘Jolt’ celebrating two victories today at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Race Day 1 © Gilles Martin-Raget / www.martin-raget.com
Although early autumn conditions on the Cote d’Azur can be unpredictable, today the 41-boat maxi fleet began Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez at the famous Plage de Pampelonne under sunny skies and a moderate southwesterly breeze, as predicted.
For the opening races of the concluding event of the International Maxi Association’s 2024 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez race committee set a coastal course that took the smaller Maxi C and D classes to Cavalaire-sur-Mer and back, while the larger Maxi A and B yachts raced two windward-leeward legs in the Bay of Pampelonne.
In the relatively steady yet shifting wind that fluctuated between 11 and 18 knots, most predictions played out as expected.
In Maxi 1, Peter Harrison’s 72ft Jolt clinched two wins, taking the first by 1 minute 48 seconds on IRC corrected time from Sir Peter Ogden’s 77ft Jethou, with Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s 82ft Django HF finishing third. Remarkably, these results were mirrored in the second race despite Jolt being called OCS, which slightly reduced her winning margin to 57 seconds. Harrison’s crew was likely motivated by having renowned cyclist Sir Mark Cavendish on board today.
While Jolt made few errors aside from the OCS, Jethou’s tactician Ian Walker noted that they had a strong start but faced some challenges. “In the first race, we had an issue with our spinnaker on the second downwind leg, necessitating a replacement. In the second, we were neck-and-neck with Jolt but struggled with our drop, leading to a chaotic second place. Despite our strong start, we found ourselves entangled with the larger boats in the second race.” The North Sails UK General Manager and Volvo Ocean Race champion reflected on an otherwise thrilling day: “We were always close to other boats at mark roundings, with the 70-90ft yachts all maneuvering – it was exhilarating.”
Jolt is not only the defending champion in Maxi A, but Terry Hui’s sleek black Wally 77 Lyra is also the reigning champion in Maxi B, finishing last year with a flawless record. This trend continued today as she achieved victory over Paul Berger’s Swan 82 Kallima and Christian Oldendorff’s Spirit 111 Geist in the first race, and then again against Maurits van Orange’s Wally 80 Sud and Geist in the second race.
“We performed well,” Hui noted, sharing that Saint-Tropez serves as his second home, apart from Vancouver. “We capitalized on a favorable shift in the second race. Nicolai [Sehested, tactician] did an outstanding job. An understanding of the boat was essential. This year we feel faster and more coordinated.” Hui is also in Europe as his firm, Concord Green Energy, supports Canadian teams in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup and the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup taking place in Barcelona.
Lyra’s main rival today was Peter Dubens and tactician Nick Rogers aboard Spectre, especially when the Frers 60 managed to get on a plan downwind. Lyra’s tactician Nicolai Sehested expressed that they could face challenges from Dubens’ team if they can extend their lead during the longer downwinds in this week’s coastal races.
Another defending champion, IMA President Benoît de Froidmont’s Wally 60 Wallyño, faced a competitive coastal race in Maxi C, ultimately finishing behind Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62 Yoru by 2 minutes 16 seconds under IRC corrected time, with Jerome Bataillard’s Shipman 63 Sao Bernardo coming in third. During the coastal course, the southwest wind was recorded at 9-15 knots.
“We were fortunate to race in Pampelonne, where the wind was stronger than in the Golfe de Saint-Tropez. Although we were slightly late to the start, we managed well afterward,” de Froidmont commented with his first glass of rosé at Café de Paris, a known hotspot in Saint-Tropez. Wallyño had no electronic instruments during their race.
“We had a solid start, which was beneficial, and we remained cautious,” Wallyño’s tactician Cedric Pouligny added. “The boat performed admirably, and we navigated well to the first shift. At times, pressure differed depending on whether we were closer to shore or out further, but we frequently relied on the headlands and small accelerations.”
Maxi D was the only category where the favorite did not secure a win; the day’s coastal race went to Anthony Ball’s vintage Six Jaguar, a 1979 model and one of only four Swan 65 sloops built by Nautor. “We opted to sail closer to the shore,” Ball shared. “The wind angle favored us there, allowing us to reach the layline ahead of the others. We sailed without mistakes, encountered no traffic, and didn’t push too hard. When coming in, I believed we must have at least placed third, so I was thrilled to win.” Their success followed two days of practice, during which Ball noted, “We broke everything during the dress rehearsal!”
Tomorrow’s forecast anticipates conditions akin to today’s, with more 10-15 knot southwesterly winds and a start scheduled for 1200.
Event website: www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr/en
