Maxi Classes Wide Open Going Into Final Day of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

Maxi classes at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez stand wide open heading into the final day of racing following a schedule disruption caused by failing winds off the Baie de Pampelonne. Two boats are tied at the top of both Maxi 1 and the J Class after discard rules took effect.

Coastal Routes and Windward-Leewards Shape Maxi 1 Standings

However, Karel Komárek’s 100ft V secured its second consecutive bullet on corrected time. Sir Peter Ogden’s 77ft Jethou finished second, leaving Jethou and V tied for the overall Maxi 1 lead racing for the Edmond de Rothschild Trophy.

Wendy Schmidt’s 85ft Deep Blue finished third after sailing an unusual starboard weather mark rounding, which tactician Rob MacMillan noted added some spice and required them to set up at the weather end of the line to give themselves a little protection on starboard tack. MacMillan highlighted the heavy demands placed on crew execution during the complex sail changes, stating, Today, the stars definitely are the crew, and praising Schmidt’s handling of pressure up and down and close crosses, while adding that Saint-Tropez is a wonderful place with great sailing, great competition and some of the most stunning scenery. North Star III and the Lizz Flowers-steered 100ft Galateia experienced costly spinnaker drops during gear transitions after drop string breakage, taking North Star III five minutes to recover and dropping Galateia to 12th in an incident that became her discard following intense post-race debriefs. North Star III’s tactician Nick Rogers explained that they had a really good start by winning the pin and tacking relatively early on the left shift because a massive 30° right shift was forecast and playing on everyone’s minds, crossing and staying ahead at the top after leading boats came from the right-hand side.

Tight Margins Define Battles in Maxi 2, 3, and 4

In Maxi 2, Terry Hui’s Wally 77 Lyra holds a one-point lead over Luciano Gandini’s Mylius 80 FD Twin Soul B after the latter scored a 1-2 finish compared to Lyra’s 2-1 on the day, with Twin Soul B tactician and former America’s Cup skipper Francesco Bruni commenting, We had a very good battle. Marcos Vivian’s Wally 94 Astra 1 sits two points further back in third, with Lyra ahead by a point after discards and Peter Wibroe, a match racer and round the world race sailor for Lyra, noting that staying clear of traffic and doing simple manoeuvres was key.

Races Provide Enough Discards for All Classes

Adequate races have been sailed for discards now to apply across the classes.