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Les Voiles de St Tropez: A day out at the St Tropez Regatta

Les Voiles de St Tropez: A day out at the St Tropez Regatta

Les Voiles de St Tropez: A day out at the St Tropez Regatta

Where I live in the south of France, my nearest major town is St Tropez. No doubt you’ve heard of it. Once, it was little more than a quaint fishing village, but after World War Two, it became an internationally famous seaside resort on the coast that came to be known as the French Riviera. First, because of an influx of French actors and actresses and musicians. Then, once Brigitte Bardot put it on the map in the 1950s with her film And God Created Woman, because European and American jet-setters dubbed it the place to be for sun, sea, sand and celebrity spotting.  Today, the attractions remain the same, but one event in particular draws the crowds: Les Voiles de St Tropez (the St Tropez Regatta), which is held at the end of September every year.

Les Voiles de St Tropez is one of my favourite days in the French calendar, and my husband and I do our best to arrange our schedules so that we are both in France at this time of year. Because the roads become clogged with traffic, we have got into the habit of taking the bateau vert from Ste Maxime, which is a small ferry that crosses the bay every 20 minutes, going to and from between Ste Maxime and St Tropez. The journey takes 15 minutes, and the views out to sea and of the coastline are spectacular.

But it is the views of the Regatta that we are travelling to see – and what a sight! (See the photos below.) Dancing sails like feathers floating in the breeze. Immense yachts, some of them up to 50 metres in lengths. Sleek, elegant ships built for speed, and smaller crafts at the outskirts happy to drift on the waves. And the colours – blue sky, blue sea and everywhere you look white sails that call to mind angels’ wings.

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This year, my husband and I found a superb spot from which to enjoy the view: the Restaurant Lei Mouscardins. It’s a well-known restaurant in the area, and is the only one to have its own fishing boat, guaranteeing the very freshest of seafood. But food aside (and the food is wonderful), the views are to die for. The restaurant is set on the west side of Le Vieux Port and offers panoramic views of the Bay. Needless to say, we took our time over our meal, and took in the sights – it was much like being at the cinema, though with more delectable food by far than popcorn!

To get a feel for the Regatta, take a look at the following YouTube video. Already, I am looking forward to next year’s event – there is something so beautiful about the scene that I always return to home feeling buoyant and happy.

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