Vive les Voiles

HELEN FRETTER WENT ON BOARD AT LES VOILES DE ST TROPEZ TO DISCOVER THE APPEAL OF THE ICONIC SEASON FINALE

Les Voiles de St Tropez has the reputation for being a spectacle, but in truth it is more of an immersive experience. The event thrives on its contradictions: from the mornings when classic crews set out to race in the smartest white and buff outfits, to evenings ashore where there is little in the way of restraint. Crowds from bars and restaurants spill onto the pavements until the small hours as pipers and drummers loudly parade the streets, leaving the immaculate grande dames of the town stepping over emptied magnum bottles on their morning errands. Yachts that would normally eschew all but the most private anchorages clamour for a coveted space on the quayside, where crowds line a dozen deep to watch their return at the end of every day.

On the water, there is little respite for the senses.