Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: Photo Essay

Words BILL SPRINGER, photography GILLES MARTIN-RAGET AND PATRICK SIKES

Please forgive me if I wax a bit more poetic than usual. I just can’t share my love for this chic and soulful celebration of sailing at the end of the Mediterranean season any other way.

Simply put, no other sailing event I know of combines classic glamor, elegant history, impossible beauty, celebrity sailors, cool wealth, pure fun, AND hot competition quite like Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. And you don’t even need to be into sailing to appreciate the glorious spectacle of it all.

Set in what is arguably one of the most famous and exclusive waterfront destinations in the world, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is also one of the largest and most prestigious regattas in the Mediterranean that attracts many of the world’s largest and most recognizable classic yachts, along with turbo-charged maxis, and other modern yachts too.

But when it comes to appreciating the pure elegance and emotional power of sailing yachts, nothing can really compare with Les Voiles' massive traditional fleet that features yachts such as Cambria that was designed by William Fife & Son and launched in 1928. Spartan, an extremely rare and well-loved N.G. Herreshoff-designed New York 50, and the William Fife III-designed Kismet, that was first launched in 1898 along with the 212-foot replica of the schooner Atlantic, among many others.

I know it's a cliché, but I really do believe all the classic yachts that compete in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez deserve a special mention. So...I've curated this photo essay to try to capture the essence of this one-of-a-kind event. And to maybe inspire a few of you to come enjoy way too much tarte tropézienne with me there later this year!

Restez à l'écoute!

This article first appeared in FRANK Issue 11. Experience the digital edition below, and get the FRANK Newsletter delivered to your inbox every month.