Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez begins with record maxi yacht fleet

The Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the concluding event of the International Maxi Association’s 2026 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge, commenced with a record fleet of 51 maxi yachts. The competition features a diverse range of vessels, including the return of three J Class yachts: Svea, Hanuman, and Rainbow.

In the J Class windward-leeward racing, the Swedish-flagged Svea secured its first-ever race victory at this event during light wind conditions. The race saw a close contest where Hanuman briefly took the lead before Rainbow secured second place.

In the Maxi 1 class, light winds favored smaller yachts. Under IRC corrected time, the Maxi Grand Prix yachts, including Jethou, performed well, alongside Maxi 100s such as Deep Blue and Capricorno. In the Maxi 2 class, Lyra led the field, finishing 1 minute and 21 seconds ahead of the defending champion, Twin Soul B. Meanwhile, in Maxi 3, Yoru emerged as the leader, narrowly beating Why Not by 40 seconds.