yacht club cannes

The Régates Royales: Cannes’ Most Prestigious Sailing Regatta

Written By: Karen Hockney

When it comes to regattas, they don’t get much more prestigious or highly regarded than the Régates Royales.

Established in 1929 to honour King Christian X of Denmark and his 6 MJI yacht Dana, this week-long series of races attracts the world’s best yachtsmen and women to compete at IGY’s Vieux-Port de Cannes in the south of France.

Taking place this year from 24-30 September, it features the European Championship of the 12 MJI - the legendary yachts which competed in the America’s Cup between 1958 and 1987.

A true highlight of the annual classic sailing calendar, the Régates Royales attracts every level from experienced racers to regular, passionate sailors who all share the dream of competing in this incredible event.

A chequered history

To understand its popularity, you need to look back at its rich and chequered history. Kicking off at the end of the roaring 1920s, the Régates Royales enjoyed a golden age for a decade, with the Danish king winning two races and coming second in another before the event sank into oblivion, becoming largely forgotten in the 1960s.

Cannes’ nautical director Jean-Pierre Odéro resurrected the regatta in 1978, with 6 and 8 MJI racing again, continuing the closely forged bond between the city of Cannes and yachting.

In 1994, classic yachts finally entered the arena and the preservation of the passion and heritage of classical yacht craft became a fundamental part of the event’s raison d’être. Jean-Pierre Odéro remained a guiding force of the Régates Royale until his death in 2003.

A world-class sailing event

Today, as the 45 th edition, which is partnered by the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, approaches, it’s clear that enthusiasm for this iconic sailing tradition continues unabated, with more than 150 of the world’s most famous classic yachts expected to attend.  

“Régates Royales is a fantastic event on the water and probably the biggest classic yacht regatta in the world,” says Thomas Bunodière, Marine Operations Director at IGY’s Vieux-Port of Cannes, who is helping to coordinate the regatta.

“This event is one of the rare opportunities where traditional yachts, pieces of history, race together. Crossing each other on the water are yachts designed by William Fife and previous legends of America’s Cup. It’s a real part of sailing history.”  

Cannes: a yacht hub par excellence

The annual event gives an additional buzz to the already dynamic port where Thomas oversees yachting and leisure operations, and which has become a welcoming hub for cruise passengers, local fishermen, boaters and industry professionals.  Early autumn is the optimal period weather-wise for a regatta on the Côte d’Azur, according to Thomas.  

“ The atmosphere on the dock is special with all the sailors interacting with great conviviality. I sail regularly in the bay of Cannes and have also had the chance to sail during previous Régates Royales.

“This bay offers some fantastic sailing conditions in September with warm water and various wind conditions. You can have light winds, summer breezes, strong westerly winds called ‘mistral’ or south-easterly conditions generated by a low on the Genoa Gulf. All these wind conditions combined with the landscape of the Estérel mountain range are the perfect cocktail for tactical games on the water.

“When you participate in a regatta, it’s always great to have the same event-identity year to year and Cannes’ Régates Royales has its own identity and atmosphere which is beloved by sailors.   It’s an historical event and an unmissable date on the city calendar of Cannes. It’s also a key regatta at the end of the sailing season.”

Art, cocktails and talent

This year’s official street art inspired poster has been designed by French artist and filmmaker Thierry Guetta, also known as Mr Brainwash. “One of the highlights of the Régates Royales is to combine art and culture with sailing,” says Jean François Cutugno, President of the Yacht Club de Cannes. “It’s in the DNA of the event and the town. We like to ask a great artist to design the official poster and it’s a great honour to have Mr Brainwash this year.

“The 45 th Régates Royales is shaping up to be a great event, with an exceptional line-up. But I’m not forgetting that the Yacht Club continues to train future champions while supporting young crews of the highest calibre, such as Matisse Pacaud and Lucie de Gennes, world youth champions from Cannes who have just won the European Championship in Poland.”

A celebratory Régates Royales Special cocktail has been created by the Carlton Hotel, comprising curaçao, gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup, with General Manager Carlo Stragiotto expressing his joy at being part of the historic proceedings. “We are delighted to be joining forces with the Yacht Club de Cannes, further reinforcing Cannes’ status as a must-see destination for yachting enthusiasts,” he says.

This year’s event looks set to be one of the most eagerly anticipated and successful yet, with Thomas adding: “The Cannes Régates Royales 2023 edition seems to already be one of the most popular editions. It will for sure have more than 100 yachts up to 55m, including a 12 MJI European Championship which will be a peak event within the regatta. These sailing boats are just legends on the water!  

“I’m not sure I will be able to race this year but I would love to join a day race. A day on the water is always a great day. ”

With around 1,000 sailors representing 10 nationalities taking part and approximately 5,000 visitors a day on site in Cannes during regatta week, Jean Francois Cutugno is keen to emphasise the most impressive and memorable aspect of the Régates Royales.

“It’s the history and the fact that it is a real competition unanimously appreciated by the competitors,” he says. “Our competitors don’t offer courses and organization of the same quality; they’re more focused on ‘show’.”

Image credits: Carlo Borlenghi.

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2022 Régates Royales, Cannes – September 18-24

44th régates royales – a truly exceptional vintage.

Saturday September 24, 2022 – It had to happen… the last day of the competition. After an absolutely marvelous week in terms of the weather, the rain came to the bay of Cannes, as it did to the whole country, and the crews and boats were copiously rinsed off, but were able to compete in a final race as the climax. And as the saying goes, rainy regatta, happy regatta…

“No thank you, I never take anything before lunch! »

Even if the very many British sailors present here are clearly more accustomed to this type of weather than the Mediterraneans, they have a particular affection for Cannes, and are unconditional fans of the Royal Regatta, like Sir Richard Matthews, founder of the famous cruise shipyard Oyster Yachts, but also SYS (Southampton Yacht Service), used to the waters and victories. On his 1898 Kismet Fife design, he won in the category “Gauric era under 15 meters”. With a very British humor, Sir Richard Matthews likes to recall a colorful anecdote that marked him. The “boat captain” of Britannia, then a yacht of the royal family, asks during a navigation of King George V – grandfather of Elizabeth 2 – excellent sailor, lover of the Croisette, and who loves to race there: “Majesty, would you like to take the helm?” And the king replied: “No thank you, I never take anything before lunch!” »

Lined in boxes of camembert

One thing is certain, and before eating and drinking, the 130 competitors of these 44 thRégates Royales, took on a lot of water and desalinated their oilskins during this final round, contested in an irregular northeasterly wind punctuated by squalls. Once again, the race committee wet a coastal course with small onions, launching the first start at noon sharp, with Swiss precision! In the “Epoque Aurique > 15 meters” category, the race was once again superb between the three P Class Olympian, Chips and Corinthian – all one-designs. Built in Chicago in 1913, these horn gaff cutters, admirably restored and of surreal dimensions – 16.60 meters by 3.13 meters, 12 tons and 356 square meters of sail area – have lines of absolute purity. Their architect, the American William Gardner, certainly less known in the world of “classics” than William Fife or Nathanael Herreshoff, however, also designed the schooner Atlantic, led by Charlie Barr, which broke the record for crossing the Atlantic in 12 days and 4 hours… in 1905! It is said that in the bad weather of the crossing, its formidable and dreaded skipper went so far as to have the halyards padlocked on each of the three masts, so that the watch on deck could not reduce the canvas when he was going to sleep. This phenomenal record stood for 75 years, before Eric Tabarly beat it in 1980 (10 days 5 hours), and again on a trimaran (the foiler Paul Ricard). In Cannes, however, it was Scud, a Herresshoff design skippered by the Italian Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of Prada, and helmed by five-time Olympic medalist Torben Graël, which won ahead of the American Spartan (another Herreshoff design by 22 meters). Some gossips, no doubt envious, claim that unlike the P Class, Scud is built very light “in the wood of Camembert boxes”, and manned by a 100% professional crew, notably from the America’s Cup, while tradition has it that sailors racing in classics are mostly amateurs. Nevertheless, the boat-crew duo is just phenomenal, and of a rare elegance both at sea and on land. In fact, Patrizio Bertelli and Torben Graël, logically received from the hands of Géry Trentesaux, president of the UNCL and third in Dragon, the “UNCL Jean-Pierre Champion Trophy”, the former president of the FFVoile and the Yacht Club of Cannes, who passed away last year following a long illness. Scud is built very light “in the wood of Camembert boxes”, and sailed by a 100% professional crew, notably from the America’s Cup, while tradition has it that sailors racing in classic are for the most part amateurs. Nevertheless, the boat-crew duo is just phenomenal, and of a rare elegance both at sea and on land. In fact, Patrizio Bertelli and Torben Graël, logically received from the hands of Géry Trentesaux, president of the UNCL and third in Dragon, the “UNCL Jean-Pierre Champion Trophy”, the former president of the FFVoile and the Yacht Club of Cannes, who passed away last year following a long illness. Scud is built very light “in the wood of Camembert boxes”, and sailed by a 100% professional crew, notably from the America’s Cup, while tradition has it that sailors racing in classic are for the most part amateurs. Nevertheless, the boat-crew duo is just phenomenal, and of a rare elegance both at sea and on land. In fact, Patrizio Bertelli and Torben Graël, logically received from the hands of Géry Trentesaux, president of the UNCL and third in Dragon, the “UNCL Jean-Pierre Champion Trophy”, the former president of the FFVoile and the Yacht Club of Cannes, who passed away last year following a long illness. while tradition has it that sailors racing in classic are for the most part amateurs. Nevertheless, the boat-crew duo is just phenomenal, and of a rare elegance both at sea and on land. In fact, Patrizio Bertelli and Torben Graël, logically received from the hands of Géry Trentesaux, president of the UNCL and third in Dragon, the “UNCL Jean-Pierre Champion Trophy”, the former president of the FFVoile and the Yacht Club of Cannes, who passed away last year following a long illness. while tradition has it that sailors racing in classic are for the most part amateurs. Nevertheless, the boat-crew duo is just phenomenal, and of a rare elegance both at sea and on land. In fact, Patrizio Bertelli and Torben Graël, logically received from the hands of Géry Trentesaux, president of the UNCL and third in Dragon, the “UNCL Jean-Pierre Champion Trophy”, the former president of the FFVoile and the Yacht Club of Cannes, who passed away last year following a long illness.

Jean-François Cutugno, president of the Yacht Club de Cannes, could only be overjoyed following the presentation of the trophies at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès alongside its president Jean-Michel Arnaud: “The week has been fabulous and the sporting success of the Royales not only does not decline year after year, but strengthens. Once again, the race committees have concocted magnificent and technical courses, despite two delicate days in terms of weather, and where one hell of a job was needed. The “standing ovation” addressed to Jérôme Nutte, Philippe Enel and Dider Cozic are the best example of this. I am therefore very happy for them and also for the competitors, who impressed me with the very high level of maneuvers and tactics-strategy. th edition. Finally, I am delighted with the fact that the race village is closer to downtown Cannes, with the magnificent exhibition of photos of the sea by Carlo Borlenghi, which for the past week has attracted and seduced a very large audience…”

And the winners are …

• Dragon: Powow (Michaël Zainkel/SUI)
• 5.5 MJI: Aspire (Mateusz Kusznierewicz/POL)
• 12 M JI: Kiwi Magic (Johan Petresen/NOR)
• Tofinou: Pitch (Patrice Riboud/FRA)
• Smeralda: Vamos mi amor (Charles de Bourbon/MON)
• Big boats (BB): Viveka (Gery Hatkins, GBR)
• 15 M (EAA): Scud (Patrizio Bertelli/ITA)
• Gaff era < 15 M (EAB): Kismet (Richard Matthews/GBR)
• Marconi era > 15 M (EMA): Varuna of 1939 (Jens Kellinghussen/NED)
• Marconi era < 15 M (EMB): White Wing (Michael Sparks/USA)
• Ton Cup Classic (TCC): Arcadia III (Bruno Ricciardi/FRA)
• Classic Marconi (MC): Sagitarius (Thierry Laffite/FRA)
• UNCL One Ton Classic Trophy: Clarionet (Phil Crebbin/GBR)

Complete rankings

44th Régates Royales – A little lesson in tactics in the bay of Cannes

Friday, September 23, 2022 – The “classics” were treated to another sumptuous day in the bay of Cannes, under a hot sun and in a wind blowing between 7 and 10 knots from the South-East sector. The Dragons completed their championship, with victory going to the Portuguese crew led by Michaël Zainkel, ahead of the Swiss Dirk Oldenburg and the French Géry Trentesaux, Jean Queveau, Christian Ponthieu and Sofian Bouvet. In 5.5 MJI, the double Polish Olympic medalist in Finn and world champion in Star Mateusz Kusznierewicz did not go into detail, winning by winning five of the seven rounds during this “French Open Championship”.

Competitors from all nations, as chiselled as they are happy and relaxed, have not ceased to congratulate spontaneously and in a good-natured atmosphere, both the race committees and the very many volunteers, without which the Régates Royales would not be the world’s largest gathering of “classic” boats.

After the sublime dinner offered to the owners on Thursday evening at the Ecrin Plage by Patrick Tartary, the host of the Palm Beach, the sailors found their boats and automatic systems in a lighter wind than in recent days, but just wonderful for racing, and where tactics predominate… before “doing the regatta again” on the Quai Saint-Pierre, then celebrating happily, whether with the One tonners or IGY now managing the port of Cannes. Exactly, here’s a close up leg in the regatta seen from the inside, in order to better understand what the very specific dialogue looks like between helmsman, tactician and trimmer during the race this Friday, September 23rd.

12:30 p.m. Helmsman: “The committee has just lowered the preview (*). Will soon send the departure procedure! » Tactician: « Wind at 160 (*), windward buoy at 1.8 miles. » Helmsman: « Are we going to the committee (*) or rather to the buoy? » Tactician: « Am in favor of starting under starboard tack (*) with the pin (*), then when you are clear, tack then go get some wind on the right… When it is light ponant (the wind in good weather between 160 and 180 degrees in Cannes), there are calls, but you have to stay fairly centered” Trimmer: “Yes, especially since there is this huge Norwegian cruise liner, anchored in the middle of the course. Above all, don’t stick yourself in your vent (*). 12:45 p.m. Helmsman: “I’m launching. We go to the target (*) starboard tack… then we send (*)” Tactician: “We continue. The wind seems more to the right but there is more pressure (wind) to the left. Adjuster: “Ado (*) to come! » Tactician: « The wind is very oscillating, with variations of 20 degrees on both sides ».

Helmsman: “I confirm. It’s not stable at all, but we have a good carb (*). » Tactician: « He crosses behind (his direct opponent for the victory in the general classification: editor’s note). If it’s there, that’s a pretty good sign…” Helmsman: “The buoy is in the perpendicular axis of the Barber. We edge the frame and we turn on the layline (*)? » Tactician: « No, it’s a headache! I prefer that we refocus and that we don’t go to peddle in the soft (*) near the Cap de l’Aiguille. We’re going to turn! » Helmsman: « I have a good lift (*) and teenager ». Tactician: “Those on the left are refusing (*). We’re not bad guys…” Trimmer: “Rise (*) to come! » Tactician: « We stay here. I feel that things are going wrong at the top right at the edge of the cloud…” Helmsman: “P… It’s shifty (*)” Tactician: “we calm down and we stay like that. We enter the refusal, then we turn in layline (*) to make the mark! Helmsman: “Where are they?” » Tactician: « we have uncrossed, we are good guys. Max concentration At the buoy, it will be a bear away (*). Helmsman: “And we are moving smoothly, we only have 7 knots of wind left…”

(*) For non-specialists in the regatta, small explanatory glossary:

• ​​Overview (of delay): Striped red and white flame sent by the race committee when the wind does not allow the start to be given in good conditions on time say.
• ​​160: Wind direction. A wind at 160 means that it is blowing from the South-East. A wind at 90 from the East, 270 from the West, 0 or 360 from the North…
• ​​ Committee: Boat placed to the right of the starting line facing the wind and on which the race committee officiates which directs the regatta .
• ​​Starboard tack: When the boat receives the wind from the right. In the event of crossing, it has priority over a boat on port tack, and therefore receiving the wind from the left.
• ​​Pin: Buoy on the other side and to the left of the committee boat, knowing that the starting line is between the two, and is perpendicular to the axis (direction) of the wind.
• ​​Vent: Disturbed and windless zone.
• ​​Target: Target speed to be reached, for example: wind 8 knots, speed 8.9 knots at 42 degrees from the wind, most often on a board in the cockpit and visible from all the crew.
• ​​ Send: Tacking therefore changing direction into the wind.
• ​​Ado: When the wind turns, allowing to gain in the latter compared to the next buoy.
• ​​Carb: Good speed and good heading.
• ​​Molle: Zone with less wind.
• ​​Lift: Period allowing to climb in the wind.
• ​​Rise: Rise and therefore temporary reinforcement of the wind.
• ​​Shifty: Unstable wind oscillating on either side of its nominal direction.
• ​​Layline: Virtual line on either side of the body of water, allowing you to go to the windward buoy on the same tack. In the jargon, we also speak of frame edges. Refusal: When the wind turns, forcing you to deviate from the course in relation to the next buoy.
• ​​Bear away: Maneuver consisting in passing the buoy to deviate from it while remaining on the same tack.

The partners of the 44thRoyal Regattas: Banque Populaire Méditerranée, Marinepoool, Département des Alpes Maritimes, and City of Cannes, as well as Lacaponton, Hôtel Martinez, Palm Beach, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, FFVoile and IGY Old Port of Cannes.

44th Régates Royales: Olympic sailing comes to Cannes

Thursday, September 22 in the bay of Cannes. Once again, all the planets were aligned, and the 130 crews raced in an easterly breeze of a dozen knots, the Dragons and 5.5 MJIs even ending with a magical tour of the Lérins Islands.

It is also because the Régates Royales are the largest gathering of “classic” sailboats in the world, that many sailors with sporting records covering several A4 sheets, would not miss this major event. And owners like Patrizio Bertelli, the CEO of Prada, whose passion for sailing is well known, do not hesitate to embark to lead Scud, his sublime Herreshoff plan built in Maine (United States) in 1903 , Torben Grael. The Brazilian, nicknamed “the Turbine” in racing circles, not only competed in two America’s Cup finals, won the Volvo Ocean Race (crewed round-the-world race), but won five medals at the Olympic Games – two in gold, one in silver and two in bronze! When he’s not coaching his daughter Martine, Double Olympic champion in Rio and Tokyo in 49er FX, a skiff resembling a soap bar, Torben Graël races on the best spots on the planet. He loves Cannes, because “there is play, sport and the conditions are always exceptional. On Quai Saint-Pierre, you come across Olympic medalists, those selected for the Olympic Games, European and world champions, who certainly have a little more white hair than when they shone in a dinghy, but have lost none of their touch at the helm, their tactical vision and reading of the body of water, feeling the oscillations of the wind with a formidable flair. On Jap, the Irishman Harold Cudmore, selected for the 1972 Munich Olympics in FD, the first non-American to have won the famous Congressional Cup in match racing, or the Briton Phil Crebbin at the helm of Clarionet, selected Olympic in 470 at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, are the best examples. And what about the Polish Mateuz Kusznierewicz, five participations in the Olympic Games in Finn, and a gold medal in Atlanta in 1996 and a bronze in Athens in 2004! Barely arrived from a world championship in the United States, the Pole took the helm of the 5.5 MJI Aspire, and for the moment has won all the races, and the tour of the Lérins Islands today.

The Olympic hopefuls of the Yacht Club de Cannes in Tofinou

My first is called Matisse Pacaud. With Lucie de Gennes, the two young hopefuls of the Yacht Club de Cannes, this summer won the European and World Junior 470 Championships, the new mixed Olympic format for the Paris 2024 Olympics. also was junior world champion (twice). With his new teammate, Aloïse Retornaz, bronze medalist with Camille Lecointre at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and double European champion, the member of the Yacht Club de Cannes, has just finished at the foot of the podium at the European Championships in Turkey , after finishing second in the French Olympic Week in Hyères, a sort of “Roland Garros” of sailing… and after only a few days of sailing together. Between two competitions in 470 and before the world championship in Israel in October, Matisse and Hippolyte are racing in Cannes aboard Tofinou 9.5, a one-design built in La Rochelle, both elegant and efficient, and which mixes materials such as carbon or wood. Designed for day or weekend sailing, but also for classic regattas, the class rule obliges the owner to steer while racing. “It’s a very nice boat and these are my first Regatta Royales aboard this one-design,” explains Matisse Pacaud, who manages the manoeuvres, the settings and is in charge of the tactics on board. This boy of only twenty, with a well-made head, has everything of a future great. “My ambition is to compete in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, but there are those in Paris in 2024. I have no pressure and I tell myself that if the opportunity to be selected arises, I would take” he explains almost embarrassed, before adding: “but we will already have to beat Hippo (Hippolyte Machetti) and Aloïse (Retornaz), as well as Camille (Lecointre) and Jérémie (Mion)”. With his Cannes Yacht Club buddy “Olympic Ambition” and their respective teammates, they spent 200 days on the water this year, 230 of which were away from home, criss-crossing Europe from coast to coast, at the wheel of a van towing their 470. So, racing at home at the Royales is a gift!

A tour of the islands to end the day

Jérôme Nutte, the race director and who coordinates the committees, really wanted to please the riders in Dragon and 5.5 MJI, by offering them a little getaway between the Lérins Islands, but not counting for the classification. “What matters to me is that the people who come to race in Cannes are happy… and I think they are, from what I hear. On his orange semi-rigid, he made a point of going to see his “flocks” sliding under spinnaker between Saint-Honorat and Sainte-Marguerite in a delicious zephyr, greeting VIPs who were obviously over the moon and pampered on the Thelas boat by the famous Martinez hotel. , one of the event’s partners, and which, like the Régates Royales, will celebrate its centenary in 2029. Jérôme Nutte’s days are long and busy. Renowned for listening to sailors, he gets up every day at 6 a.m., then eats breakfast, deciphers the day’s weather, and prepares a document in digital form as precise as it is complete (weather maps, forecasts, timetables, endorsements, etc.), which he sends to all competitors via WhatsApp. It’s nice to race on units from another time, the traditional morning briefing and compulsory for the crews has given way to current forms of communication.

Full Rankings

44th Régates Royales: Champagne sailing in Cannes!

Tuesday, September 21, 2022 – Contested in an easterly wind blowing between 15 and 25 knots with gusts of nearly 30, the coastal course concocted by the Yacht Club de Cannes for the Classics was as muscular as it was lively, with a breathtaking spectacle . In the eastern bay, swept by a strong chop, the Dragons sailed for three races.

Jean-François Cutugno, president of the Yacht Club de Cannes, and distinguished sailor, smiles: “it’s a day like the club, where the crews had a great time. In Cannes, it’s a house tradition, even when there’s a breeze like this Wednesday, September 21, we race at the Régates Royales! Here, it’s not a parade of classic sailboats. But beware, the race committee is not oblivious and has a job. We attach great importance to the safety of the sailors, and we have a dedicated Safety PC at the club…” Apart from a few abandonments due to breakage or for fear of breaking, there is nothing to report.

When the One Ton Classics delight!

In Cannes, there are not only the sublime Fife or Herreshoff plans, but also an impressive skewer of classic sailboats measuring a little over eleven meters, and all having in common to be One Tonners. Lined up on Quai Saint-Pierre in front of the village of the 44thRégates Royales, they may be in their fifties or even older, but they are gleaming because they have been lovingly cared for. They are called Resolute Salmon, Optimist, Clarionet, Arcadia, Sandra or Maria-Giovanna… were designed by legendary architects: Stephens and Sparkman, Britton Chance, Dick Carter… and implemented by real wood artists. This is the case of Arcadia III, born in Nice in 1969. This Stephens and Sparkman plan in mahogany, was built by Félix Silvestro, considered by the sailing world as one of the geniuses of naval cabinetmaking, and whose discretion reflected his talent. Moreover, an anecdote not lacking in salt is the best example. During a trip to the United States, Jacques Médecin (father), then mayor of Nice, met his counterpart from New York, who said to him: “How is Felix? An embarrassed response from the city councilor of Nice, who has never heard of any Felix. He discreetly asks his advisers to find out about this Mr. Silvestro, held in high esteem by the mayor of New York and the naval architect Rod Stephens, who says of him that he is a true artist of wood. Arcadia III confirms this. The mahogany planked hull on stainless steel varangues (a sort of backbone) resembles marquetry, using the master’s technique, baptized “mili Silvestro”. When he talks about his boat, Bruno Ricciardi, its owner and skipper, has eyes that shine. Member of the Board of Directors of the Yacht Club de Cannes, organizer of the Régates Royales, he is in charge of the village, is therefore in the oven and in the mill, specifying: “there was no way that I was not racing at the Royales, and so I organized myself so that everything was in place before…” It must be said that this former double French 420 champion won the Voiles d’Antibes and the Imperia regattas last weekend. On this boat he dreamed of and which he ended up buying a few years ago, Bruno Ricciardi, who sails in particular with his daughter, won the first race on Tuesday, ahead of Optimist and Resolute Salmon, who had won the One Ton Cup in Marseille in 1976. Her neighbor on the pontoon is pulling on her moorings, responding to the pretty name of Clarionet. Designed in 1966, it was completely restored this winter, and fitted with an electric motor. Phil Crebbin, her British skipper, is a former 470 champion. As for Clarionet, there are countless victories in the famous Fastnet race. But to come to Cannes to compete in its first Régates Royales,

A privileged few were able to follow this crazy day aboard Thelas, a classic 67-foot motor-yacht, designed by the Englishman Norman Hart, built in 1936 in Amsterdam, and chartered by the Yacht Club de Cannes for its partners and guests. . This unique boat belongs to Corrado Lopresto, a car enthusiast, who has an extraordinary collection of cars and prototypes, the most important in Italy. It’s hard not to make the connection between this Italian architect and the owners and sailors of the Régates Royales, unearthing and restoring legendary sailboats that have marked the history of international sailing.

Régates Royales: the Dragons open the ball for the 44th edition

Monday, September 19, 2022 – As usual, the Dragons are the first to start the competition each year, competing in the Coupe de France, one of the flagship events on the international circuit. And we can say that they were spoiled, thanks to exceptional weather and an easterly wind blowing between 12 and 20 knots.

At the antipodes of the all-carbon “barb dishes” and with foils, in particular those which compete in the Vendée Globe, a solo round the world trip by the three capes without assistance or stopovers, the Dragon is an “antique” figure. However, this 9-meter jewel, designed by the Norwegian Johan Anker in 1929, is pursuing an exceptional career, attracting the European elite to Cannes, starting with Nordic sailors, too happy to sail in shorts and T-shirts in a temperature summer, and still lukewarm water…

Before designing this sailboat as slender as it is narrow, Johan Anker competed in the Olympic Games of 1908 and 1912. Olympic sailboat therefore, he saw the greatest sailors on the planet pass at his helm, and even today, and in particular in Cannes, attracts crews who have won everything… but who are madly in love with this boat, which is super complicated to adjust, and which upwind (against the wind), makes a bewildering course.

The Sailboat of Kings

When the Dragon appeared at the Régates Royales, it was simply nicknamed “the kings’ sailboat”! Why ? Because many crowned heads loved coming to race in this “long keel weighted corridor”, which at the helm in the wind is just a delight, but of a rare requirement. As a former Olympic sailing champion says, and who has dabbled in everything starting with the America’s Cup, “with the Dragon, it’s a constant questioning as the level is so high and the boat difficult to operate. with its dozens of fine adjustments… That’s also why we love it…” In Cannes, 32 crews from 12 nations, mostly from Europe but also from Australia, come to battle in the harbor of Cannes. This year, they are staying at the superb Cannes Yacht Club, at the Pointe Croisette, the organizer of the Royal Regatta, where the water is as transparent as in Bora Bora, Les Saintes or the Seychelles. The French are necessarily present here, like Géry Trentesaux, president of the Union Nationale de Course au Large (UNCL), the sailor with the best track record in habitable racing in the RORC, in the world top ten in Dragon and who fell in love with this sailboat after decades in habitable offshore racing. Defending champion with Sofian Bouvet, former European 470 champion and local of the stage, Jean Queveau or Christian Ponthieu, he obviously comes back for the double, and was quick to shine in the first rounds. But Jean Breger, “the tricolor pope” of the Dragon, equipped by Christian Gout and Jean-Paul Roux, who no longer know where to store the trophies won in dinghy and habitable, is not on the Croisette to appear. Everyone will also undoubtedly have a thought for the Rochelais Michel Briand, a great precursor of yachting, selected for the Olympic Dragon in Mexico in 1968 with Bertrand Chéret and Pierre Blanchard, who recently passed away at the age of 91.

The most beautiful images of Carlo Borlenghi to discover in the Régates Royales village

He’s Italian, doesn’t look like much, just carrying two cameras with big telephoto lenses in a beach bag including a bath towel to hold the equipment during shocks in the sea. Carlo Borlenghi is without a doubt the best photographer in current sea of ​​the world. He is an artist, who has an incomparable and unparalleled eye, is always looking for a new angle, has a rare mastery of light. It is also often said that for the sea photo, the pilot of the speedboat or the helicopter who must be well placed, is for more than half of the success of the image. It’s totally true. Nevertheless, Carlo Borlenghi knows how to capture the most beautiful images, because he also knows how to demand that the drivers be at the right time and in the right place.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 20, the Classics will enter the fray and in particular the gigantic Shenandoah of Sark built in 1902 and measuring 54 meters, or even Manitou (CYR) , the former sailboat of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, whose legend claims that it sometimes embarked Marilyn Monroe for romantic cruises. Finally, on this day of the funeral of Queen Elisabeth 2 in London, a minute of silence was observed at 10 a.m., in particular by the British crews, many of whom attend these Royal Regattas.

Seven Days of Regattas in Cannes

The Régates Royales has now become one of the world’s leading annual classic sailing events in terms of the quality of the participants and the wide range of categories represented. All the yachtsmen and women in the world, whether simple sailors or seasoned sailors, have heard of the Régates Royales. All of them, without exception, dream at least once in their life of attending it or even better, of participating in it.

The Régates Royales – September 18 to 24, 2022 – Banque Populaire Méditerrannée – Marinepool – Cannes Town Hall – with a fleet of fifty Dragons and an armada of more than eighty classic yachts, an event not to be missed!

A week of regattas in La Côte d’Azur. A magnificent fleet divided into eight categories according to the size, age and rigging of the sailboats. An exceptional gathering of the largest and most famous yachts of the last century come to do battle such as the following vessels:

• Elena of London (55m, Nathanaël Herreshoff design built in 2009)
• Cambria (40m, William Fife design built in 1928)
• Sunshine (38m, William Fife Junior design built in 2003)
• Aschanti IV (34.67m, Henry Gruber design built in 1954)
• Moonbeam of Fife (30m, William Fife design built in 1903)
• Moonbeam IV (35m, William Fife plan built in 1914)
• Mariska (27.00m, William Fife plan built in 1908)

The Cannes Yacht Club is also one of the oldest in France since it was in the spring of 1859 that Messrs Béchard, Tripet Skrypitzone, de Colquhoum and Bucquet created the Société des Régates with, as the first meeting, a race in the bay of La Napoule where Léro, Olga, Jeannette, tourists and small local sailing or rowing boats of Cannes fishermen crossed paths.

The Regates Royales de Cannes, a true world championship of classic yachting where Classics, Metrics, Tofinou, Dragon, Star and One Tone meet.

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• America’s Cup Yacht “Reliance”
• William Fife “Mikado”

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Marinas and moorings in Cannes

Discover the top Cannes moorings

If you’re looking for a wonderfully glamorous place to dock your boat on the French Riviera, then you have found it. The marinas in Cannes are a focal point in this small Mediterranean city of palm-lined boulevards, grand art deco hotels and glitzy superclubs.

So berth your boat in Cannes and put on your dancing shoes, for you have arrived in the sparkling playground of the super-rich.

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Moorings & marinas

A Cannes marina in July or August is the kind of place that you’re most likely to see celebrities like Rihanna swanning about on their superyachts. There are two large marinas in Cannes proper, Port Pierre Canto and Port of Cannes , or the Vieux Port (Old Port) as it is also known. There are also two small marinas-Port de la Pointe Croisette and Port Mourré Rouge, both for smaller vessels.

If you can’t find a berth in Cannes itself, you have several nearby options, the closest ones being the decent-sized marinas at Golfe Juan and La Napoule, and a very large one at Antibes with thousands of berths. Of course, if you don’t want to shell out berthing fees at all, there are some great anchorages just offshore at the Isles des Llerins (Cannes Islands). These islands are almost uninhabited, and their quiet forests and tranquil coves prove a calming respite from the lights and action of Cannes

Port Pierre Canto The most sought-after marina in Cannes, Port Pierre Canto has 600 berths and accepts yachts up to 70 metres. Located on the Croisette Boulevard on the Pointe Croisette it is a very pretty marina with good amenities. With all the facilities of a large modern marina, including WIFI, water, electricity, and amenities, as well as a fuel dock. There are plenty of dining and drinking establishments within a short walk. For Cannes restaurants , bars and nightclubs , check out our local guides.

Port of Cannes/Vieux Port Also called the ‘Old Port’ because of its location in the Old Town, Port of Cannes/Vieux Port marina offers 650 berths for yachts up to 65 metres in size. The largest yachts are moored on Albert Edward Pier and Quay Saint Pierre, and there’s a pontoon network for smaller yachts extending to the north.

The many classic sailboats that call this port home are lined up right on the edge of the street in the old town and a walk along the waterfront in the late afternoon when the buildings shine pink and gold in the sunset and the port is clustered with wooden masts vis a must. It’s a beautiful sight, particularly during the Panerai Classic Regatta series in September when the most gorgeous sailing yachts in the world gather here.

Because this port is public and run by the Chamber of Commerce, you can’t buy a long-term lease here; you can only rent one for a maximum of one year. For more information about buying or renting boat berths, contact Mooring Spot . This port has fuel, water, electricity and amenities, as well as a ramp, shipyard and medical services. There are bars and restaurants within a few steps of the port. F

Port de la Pointe Croisette Port de la Pointe Croisette is a very small port accommodating up to 260 small vessels. Lying just near Palm Beach and within 200 metres of Port Pierre Canto, it is a well-positioned port for enjoying the town, as well as the lovely views across the bay to the Cannes Islands and the Esterel Mountains. This marina is the departure point for regattas organised by the Yacht Club de Cannes . Here’s a time lapse of the port in the summertime.

Port Moure Rouge The small historic port of Port Moure Rouge was built in 1911 and recently celebrated its 100 year anniversary. It has 450 berths for small vessels. The port is also the home of the sailing school of Youth Cannes (Cannes Jeunesse).

Marinas to the West of Cannes

Cannes- les -Bocca There is a small port near Cannes called Port Abri du Beal , with 350 places and 54 dry dock/hanger spaces. Port Beal has a maximum draught of 1.5m and has water, electricity, waste and a slip. You can hire boating and sports equipment from the port, including paddle boards, jetskis and small boats.

Mandelieu-la-Napoule This town has a good-sized port called Port la Napoule , with 200 spaces in the public port catering for vessels between 6m and 35m. In the private port there are 717 ports between 6m and 52m. 6m draught. Facilities include water and electricity on the quay, telephone lines in some berths, security surveillance and Wi-Fi.

Mandelieu-la-Napoule also has a river port called Cannes Marina that is located a little way upriver, but it is purely private- they do not accept visitors. If you can rent a berth there off a private owner, there are 1790 berths vessels up to 12 metres and with a maximum draught of 1.5m. There’s a fuel dock, electricity and water, and the marina has shops and restaurants with a supermarket nearby. You can buy berths here; for more information contact Mooring Spot .

Between Mandelieu la Napoule and Theole sur Mer Port de la Rague offers 560 berths for boats with a maximum length of up to 30 metres, as well as a diving and sailing club.

Theole sur Mer A little further down the coast you’ll find Marina La Galere , with 170 berths for yachts up to 16 metres.

Marinas to the East of Cannes

Antibes Antibes has the biggest luxury yacht marina in Europe, with thousands of berths catering for almost any size of vessel. See our Antibes marina guide , which also covers the Juan-les-Pins marinas.

Golfe Juan Golfe Juan has two popular marinas, the Port de Golfe Juan and Port Camille Rayon , which lie side by side. Port Camille Rayon has 833 berths for boats from 6 m to 75 m. Restaurants, bars and yachting suppliers line the docks of these busy ports. There’s also a sizeable shipyard here.

Availability

Cannes is an exceedingly popular yachting destination, and berth rates in this glamorous Riviera town certainly aren’t cheap. You’ll sometimes come up against the spending power of superyachts for a berth, meaning that you should definitely book ahead in the summer months.

The marinas are generally a lot quieter and cheaper in the shoulder seasons and winter months, but be aware that it can also be difficult to get a berth at Cannes at certain times outside peak season, given the high number of industry events and conferences that take place at the Palais des Festivals throughout the year. The most famous by far is the glittering Cannes Film Festival in May, but there are many other high profile events including MIPIM , MIPCOM , MIPTV and Cannes Lion s. These events are very popular for corporate yacht charters , so berth prices skyrocket during these times.

More inspiration...

As you can see, the Cannes area has a great range of marinas for boats of all sizes, from the little dinghy to Rihanna’s (rented) superyacht. We do recommend booking as far in advance as possible in this incredibly atmospheric and exciting part of the world.

See all our Cannes marinas , or for marinas further along the coast visit our port listings on other Riviera sites: SeeMonaco.com , SeeNice.com , SeeAntibes.com and SeeStTropez.com .

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Guide to Cannes

Its beauty once an enticing muse for Picasso and Cocteau

Backed by gentle hills and flanked to the southwest by the rugged cliffs and wild rivers of the Corniche d’Esterel, the exuberant seaside town of Cannes has become a sybaritic haven for those looking to escape in unrivalled luxury. Famed for its Fifties status as a millionaires playground and the glittering annual film festival, it still retains the charm, glamour and allure of its heyday. 

Synonymous with the high life, few spots better symbolise the opulence of the  South of France  than La Croissette, with its boutique studded promenade that lines the shores. Bordered by contrasting beauty, on one side the glistening sea laps enchanting narrow beaches back-dropped by towering cliffs in the distance. On the other intimate restaurants, chic café-bistros and luxurious hotels lure in the crowds departing their superyachts for evenings full of extravagant revelry.

La Croissette is best viewed from the highest point of Cannes’ Old Town, Le Suquet, where the remains of the fortified tower still stand, along with the 12th century Chapel of St Anne. The warmth of the Mediterranean sun beats down on the ever brassy and vibrant streets with a fantastic choice of restaurants along the steeply winding Rue St Antoine. Explore the leafy Quartier des Anglais, see the contemporary art set in a 19th-century mansion at La Malmaison or take a trip to the nearby island of St Honorat.

There is more to Cannes than style and glamour - seeing the magnificent red hills of the Esterel mountains rising up dramatically in the distance as you approach its dazzling coastline is a scene to behold. In calm conditions, it is the perfect place to moor, swim, dive, and soak up the sun before stepping ashore to enjoy the hedonistic atmosphere of this iconic location on the French Riviera .

Each year Cannes plays host to world-renowned events like the International Cannes Film Festival , Palais des Festivals, and esteemed antique shows which are held twice a year.

For a perfect day out, anchor in the shelter of the Lerins Islands, land near the Palm Beach Casino and walk in the Croisette beachfront towards the old harbour and sample some fresh seafood from any of the bistros for lunch. Spend the afternoon at the colourful Saturday market in the Bocca district and stock up on the local products including olive oil, Provencal herbs and lavender, honey and olive oil soaps, which you will find along the narrow Rue Meynadier.

If you want to discover any of these highlights, or explore Cannes and see what else the town has to offer, begin planning your next yacht charter vacation by viewing the entire fleet available for Cannes yacht charters .

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KEIJU OKADA / MIHO YOSHIOKA WINNERS OF 2024 470 JAPAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

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LARA VADLAU AND LUKAS MAEHR PUT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR LIVES TO WIN GOLD IN THE MIXED DINGHY

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470 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AT YACHT CLUB DE CANNES - PREVIEW

European 470 Championship from 4 to 12 May 2024. The Yacht Club de Cannes is hosting the last major international event before the Olympic Games.

With 90 days to go until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - the sailing events will be held in Marseille - the Yacht Club de Cannes is hosting and organizing the 470 European Championship, one of the ten Olympic series in the running. Suffice it to say that all the international elite (European of course, but also worldwide) preparing for the Olympics, are present for this last major event on the Côte d'Azur after the Trofeo Princessa Sofia in Palma de Mallorca and the French Olympic Week in Hyères which ended at the end of last week. More than fifty crews are expected in the Bay of Cannes from 4 to 12 May.

Designed by the Frenchman André Cornu in 1963, built first by Jean Morin in Pessac, then by the largest shipyards on the planet, the "quat' sept" is often referred to as the "dinghy of the golden mean". Both technically and physically affordable, whether you are a beginner or experienced amateur sailor, or a yachtsman on holiday, it remains very popular with champions who started in Optimist and then Laser before an obligatory passage most often in 420. This dinghy measuring 4.70 metres has been an Olympic series since the Montreal Olympics in 1976. While many French crews have won many European and World Championships, Thierry Péponnet and Luc Pillot remain the only French sailors to win gold medals in Seoul in 1988. Mixed for the first time after twelve Olympiads, the 470 has not aged a bit. As proof, he is the Olympic "veteran" with more than 60 years of age.

It is no coincidence that the Cannes Yacht Club, founded in 1860, was chosen by the International 470 Class Association. Its reputation is well established. In addition to the famous and unmissable Royal Regattas every year in September, where the elite of the "Classics" meet, the club based at the Pointe Croisette, does not only train future champions, but organizes both the IRC European Championship, the International Finn Week, or the biggest international Dragon events...

While the latest Olympic medalists and other European and world champions are present in Cannes, we will be particularly interested in the French duo Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion, selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, untouchable this season because they won in Palma and Hyères, but also the young Cannes Matisse Pacaud and Lucie de Gennes (23 years old), two-time European champions and three-time junior world champions. Currently in the top nine in the senior world, the two YC Cannes licensees, who are aiming for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, are privileged to have been selected as "sparring partners" by the Lecointre Mion crew, Camille having won two bronze medals at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. Racing at home on a stretch of water they know like the back of their hand, they are clearly among the favorites.

But they are not alone, starting with the Spaniards Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman, 2024 world champions and their runners-up, the Englishmen Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube, the Swedes Anthon Dhalberg and Lovisa Karlsson, 2023 European champions, or the Germans Malte and Anastasiya Winkel, second in the Paris 2024 Test Event behind Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion. Finally, the young Frenchmen Manon Penneac'h and Pierre Williot as well as Lomade Valade and Julien Brunel, are not lacking in talent or ambition, and have the opportunity to shine.

Jean-François Cutugno, president of the Yacht Club de Cannes and a former high-level 470 sailor, does not hide his satisfaction at organizing this European Championship: "We are very proud to host this event, for several reasons. It's an honor. The club was completely renovated this winter and is getting a makeover for the occasion. It's been a long time since we've organized a major international championship with an Olympic series, and we're also fortunate to have wonderful ambassadors who are as successful as they are involved in the club - Matisse Pacaud and Lucie de Gennes. Finally, and on a personal level, it is all the more important to me as I am very attached to this dinghy on which I have raced for a long time. I can count on our remarkable team of permanent and volunteer staff and our loyal partners to offer the competitors a superb championship... "

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Yacht Club de Cannes will host the IRC European Championship 2023

From Monday 29th May to 4th June 2023, the IRC European Championship will be sailed in Cannes. The event will be organised by the Yacht Club de Cannes, with the partnership of UNCL – Pôle Course du Yacht Club de France.

The Notice of Race will be published in the beginning of 2023 and the entry portal will be open in the website of the Yacht Club de Cannes. There will be an early bird discount for entries registered and paid in advance.

The rating bands will be as shown in the Règlement du Championnat Méditerranée IRC en Equipage 2023 and the event will be open to boats with a valid IRC ENDORSED certificate. Alternately organized in the North (Channel) and South (Mediterranean Sea), the IRC European Championship is a key event of the IRC 2023 season and it aims to bring together more than 60 boats. As an ideal playground of our Championship, the bay of Cannes and its surroundings offer wide options in terms of race courses.

The program will consist of 2 days dedicated to confirmation of registrations, IRC measurements and safety checks, then 5 days of races with various types of race courses (windward-leeward, coastal races and a long coastal race).

As a tourist hotspot of international renown, the Cannes region offers all the facilities for reception and logistics, both for the boats and their crews. All maritime and port services and infrastructures are available on site and such as to meet the expectations of the most demanding crews.

The Yacht Club de Cannes, the City and the Marinas of Cannes are delighted to welcome the sailors to the IRC European Championship 2023, and work in close collaboration with the IRC Rating, the YCF and the RORC.

Yacht Club de Cannes   [email protected]  Tel : +33 (0)4 93 94 71 69 www.yachtclubdecannes.org

UNCL – Pôle Course du YCF [email protected] Tel : +33 (0)1 47 04 10 00 https://ycf-club.fr

December, 2022

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