The first weekend of the Challenge Interclubs 2025, which includes eight races this year, brought together nearly 30 yachts for races 1 and 2 organised by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez race committee under the leadership of Jacques Herry.
On Saturday 15 February, thirty yachts set sail in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, ready to do battle. Despite the fine conditions, under a blazing sun and sailing on calm seas, the race committee had to cancel the race due to insufficient wind.
The following day, for the second day of racing on Sunday 16 February, the weather was more wintry with greyish hues but with a little more air, giving the competitors the chance to race
In the OS1 group, Lionel Michon’s L’AUTRE FEMME (SN Saint-Tropez) takes the lead ahead of Fabrice Vachez’s OXIBIEN (YC Port Fréjus) and Christian and Françoise Fauret’s POUNENTAU II (SN Saint-Tropez).
BULLY II (CN ST Raphael) won the OS2 group ahead of ALYTE (C V Vaux/Seine) and CURIEUSE (CN ST Raphael).
In OS3, Jean-Marie Bisbal’s ALTAIR (CN ST Raphael) dominated ahead of MACAYA and Jérémy Combe’s BIM 3 (SN Saint-Tropez).
But nothing is decided yet, as at this stage, after this first result in Saint-Tropez, there are still six races to be contested during the three upcoming regatta weekends organised respectively by the Club Nautique de Sainte Maxime (22 and 23 March), the Yacht Club de Port Fréjus, which is entering the challenge (20 and 21 September) and the Club Nautique de Saint-Raphaël (18 and 19 October). Note that the Port Grimaud Yacht Club will not be organising any races in 2025.
To win, you need to be consistent and take part in as many races as possible. The overall ranking will be based on the total of the eight races before the prize-giving ceremony, which will take place at the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez at the end of the year.
Now it’s time for the Armen Festival, where the competitors will have to be as versatile as possible. As well as competing over two weekends of racing, they will have to produce a work of art for one of the crew and a skiing event in Auron for two crew members per participating boat. All of this will be enhanced by a magnificent exhibition organised by Cécile de Kock at the Salle Jean Despas in Saint-Tropez from 28 February to 9 March 2025.
