Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the autumn regatta and how to enjoy it
Century-old classics and modern maxis racing in the gulf at the end of September: what the regatta is, how a race day unfolds, the best places to watch from the shore or the water, and why it makes such a good week for a villa stay.
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is the big sailing regatta of the French Mediterranean, held every year from late September into early October by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. Around 250 yachts take part, from wooden classics more than a hundred years old to carbon maxis, and they race in the gulf and off Pampelonne while the old port fills with masts. Watching costs nothing: the race village on the harbour wall is free to enter, starts are often given right in front of the town, and the hills around the bay make natural grandstands. The next edition is announced for 25 September to 3 October 2027; check the official website for the final programme.
For a visitor, the regatta works on two levels. By day it is a spectacle on the water, best seen from a high point on the shore or from a boat keeping well clear of the course. In the late afternoon and evening the yachts come back to their berths and the harbour becomes an open-air museum of naval architecture, with crews, music and the village stands all within a few minutes’ walk. You do not need to know anything about sailing to enjoy either.
This guide is written for guests who would like to time a stay around the regatta. If you are still choosing where to base yourself, our luxury villas in Saint-Tropez are presented further down, and the Saint-Tropez travel guide covers the village itself, its markets and its quieter corners.
The regatta in six facts
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez was created in 1999 by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, a yacht club founded in 1862.
Source: lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr (official site)Its roots go back to a challenge between two yachts on 29 September 1981, which grew into the Nioulargue; that event ended after a fatal collision in 1995.
Source: lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr (history)Around 250 sailing yachts take part each year, from century-old classics to ultra-modern maxi yachts and racing boats.
Source: sainttropeztourisme.com (Saint-Tropez tourist office)The fleet is split into three groups, Maxis, Modern and Tradition; starts are staggered from about 11am depending on the weather, and the first boats can be back in port from 3pm.
Source: lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr (questions and answers)The Village des Voiles stands on the Môle Jean Réveille, the harbour wall, and is free to enter, open daily from 9am to 9pm during the event.
Source: lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr (programme)The next edition is announced from 25 September to 3 October 2027.
Source: lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr (official site)The three fleets and where they race
The charm of the Saint-Tropez regatta is the mix. Gaff cutters with varnished hulls and acres of cotton-coloured sail share the gulf with modern racers built to plane, and the giant maxis race on a course of their own off Pampelonne. Each group has its own start times and its own race area, chosen every morning by the race committee according to the wind. When the starts are close to Saint-Tropez, the courses can send the fleets as far as Fréjus or Cavalaire, which is why the view from a hilltop is often better than the view from the quay.
The table below follows the pattern of the 2026 programme. Race areas and days change from one edition to the next, so treat it as a guide to what each fleet looks like rather than a timetable.
| Fleet | What you see | Race area in 2026 | Best seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tradition (classics) | Wooden and vintage yachts, schooners, gaff rigs, some over a century old | Off Saint-Tropez (the Portalet area) | From the Citadelle or the harbour wall at the start, then alongside in the port from late afternoon |
| Modern | Contemporary racing yachts of many sizes, fast and close-fought | Off Saint-Tropez (the Portalet area) | Starts in front of the town, from the Môle Jean Réveille |
| Maxis | The largest yachts of the fleet, tall rigs and big crews | Off Pampelonne | From the water, on a boat keeping clear of the course |
Each fleet races on several days rather than every day; the maxis had a rest day midweek in 2026.
How a race day unfolds
Once you know the rhythm of a day, it is easy to fit the regatta around beach lunches and a slow morning at the villa. The race committee can hold boats in port when the wind is too light or too strong, so the timings below are the usual pattern, not a promise.
- Around 9am: the fleet leaves port
Crews prepare on the quays and the yachts motor out of the harbour one after another. It is the best moment to see the classics close up under way, and the village on the harbour wall opens at the same time.
- From about 11am: the starts
The Modern fleet usually starts first, with Tradition and the maxis from around midday. When a start is given in front of the town, the harbour wall and the Citadelle are the places to be.
- Early afternoon: racing out in the gulf
This is the time for the hills or a boat. From the shore you follow the sails rounding marks across the bay; on the water you see the manoeuvres and the speed. It is also a good time for lunch, as the fleet is often far out.
- From about 3pm: the returns
Boats come back through the afternoon, and some finishes can be watched from land. The returning classics, sails dropping one by one, are often the most photographed moment of the day.
- Evening: the port and the village
With the yachts berthed stern-to, a walk round the harbour is a free lesson in yacht design. Most evenings the village has live music, and in 2026 the programme also included a crew parade on the port and a challenge day.
Watching Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez from land or sea
There is no single best seat, and the right choice depends on your group. Families with young children are often happiest on land, with the freedom to leave when they have seen enough. Keen sailors want to be on the water. Many of our guests do one of each over two days.
Whatever you choose, keep in mind that the organisers publish maps of the start zones, the waiting zones and an area reserved for starts and finishes. Private boats must stay out of these and well clear of the racing yachts, which have right of way in every sense. A skipper who knows the regatta is worth having.
| Option | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Môle Jean Réveille and the old port | Starts and some finishes in front of the town, the village, the yachts at their berths | Busy at peak times; the fleet is out of sight once it heads for the far side of the gulf |
| The Citadelle | A wide view over the gulf from the heights of the town, on foot from the port | A walk uphill; you see the shapes of the race rather than the detail |
| Chapelle Sainte-Anne | A quieter high point above the town, reached on foot or by car | Further from the port, so plan the return for the evening in the harbour |
| Organised spectator outing | A seat on a boat that follows the races, with commentary | Shared boat and a fixed schedule; book ahead as places go quickly |
| A private boat with skipper | Your own timing, a picnic or lunch on board, a close view of the manoeuvres | Depends on the weather and on availability; it must keep clear of the race areas |
Why the end of September is a fine villa season
After the summer crowds have gone, the peninsula settles into a gentler rhythm. The light softens, the roads and beaches are quieter than in high summer, yet the village is more animated than at any other moment of the autumn thanks to the regatta. For a villa holiday, it is a rare combination: the sea is still part of the day, and there is an event to give the week a focus.
There are honest drawbacks. Saint-Tropez is busy on race days, the car parks in town fill up (several paid car parks operate during the event) and traffic into the village can be slow, so staying a short drive away and arriving by driver or by boat makes a real difference. Accommodation is in demand for the regatta dates, so the villas best placed for them tend to be reserved early. Weather can also postpone a day’s racing; with a villa base rather than a hotel room, a calm morning at the pool is no hardship.
A week of the regatta pairs well with the rest of the gulf: a lunch in hilltop Ramatuelle, a crossing to Port Grimaud on a non-racing day, or a long walk on the coastal path. If you would like to be on the water yourselves, our page on combining a Saint-Tropez villa with a yacht charter explains how the two fit together.
Building a regatta week around the villa
The regatta runs for about nine days, which is more than most guests want to spend watching sails. A shape that works well, based on the 2026 programme, is to arrive on the first weekend and leave after the second.
- First weekend: the yachts arrive and berth in the port, and crews register. A first evening walk round the harbour, before the racing starts, is one of the quietest ways to see the fleet.
- Early in the week: the Modern and maxi fleets race first. A morning at the Môle Jean Réveille for the starts, then lunch and the beach.
- Midweek: the classics join the racing. This is the day for the Citadelle or a private boat.
- Challenge day: in 2026 a whole day was given to challenges between yachts and a regatta for yachts over a hundred years old, followed by the crew parade on the port in the evening.
- Final weekend: the last races and the prize-givings (several are by invitation only), then a last dinner at the villa while the fleet prepares to leave.
Villas in Saint-Tropez for the regatta weeks
Villas on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, chosen for an easy run into the port on race days and space to unwind once the racing is over.
The villas side by side
Guests, bedrooms, bathrooms, living space and highlights at a glance.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa VittoriaSaint-Tropez | 16 | 8 | 9 | 460 m² | Heated Pool, Sea View, Massage Room, Gym |
| Villa CalistaSaint-Tropez | 12 | 6 | 6 | 400 m² | Heated Pool, Wine Cellar, Gym, Gated Estate |
| Villa SolaraSaint-Tropez | 12 | 7 | 7 | 451 m² | Heated Pool, Sea View, Tennis Court, Wine Cellar, Massage Room |
| Villa EvaraSaint-Tropez | 10 | 5 | 5 | 368 m² | Heated Pool, Wine Cellar, Gym, Gated Estate, Garage |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
Regatta week, arranged for you
What our concierge takes care of when a stay coincides with the regatta.
Close to the port
On race days the village is busy. Villa Vittoria in Saint-Tropez is about six minutes from the Place des Lices by car, and Villa Calista, Saint-Tropez, about twelve; both estates also have a private helipad for arrivals by air.
A boat on the right days
Our concierge can arrange boat hire with a skipper for the days your favourite fleet is racing, and book places on a spectator outing when you would rather share the experience.
Drivers, not car parks
We arrange a chauffeur for the run into the port and back, so nobody has to circle the paid car parks in the evening.
Dinners at home
After a long day on the quays, a private chef at the villa is often the best table in town. At Villa Vittoria and Villa Calista a private chef is part of the service.
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamWhen are Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez in 2027?
The organisers have announced the next edition for 25 September to 3 October 2027, keeping the regatta’s usual slot from late September into early October. The detailed programme, with the race days of each fleet and the village events, is published on the official website closer to the date, so check it before you book flights, and tell us your dates early if you would like a villa for the regatta.
Where is the best place to watch Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez?
Some starts are given right in front of the town and the Môle Jean Réveille, where the race village stands, so the harbour wall is the obvious place for starts and some finishes. For a wide view of the gulf, the organisers point to the Citadelle and the Chapelle Sainte-Anne, both above the town. On the water, a spectator outing or a private boat with a skipper gets you closest.
Is the regatta village free to visit?
Yes. The Village des Voiles on the Môle Jean Réveille is free to enter and is open every day of the event, from 9am to 9pm in 2026, with a shorter final day. It has exhibitors’ stands and live music most evenings. Some prize-givings and receptions are for participants or by invitation only.
Can you follow the races by boat?
Yes. Several providers offer outings that follow the racing, and the organisers mention one partner service with a commentator on board. A private boat with an experienced skipper gives you more freedom. In every case spectator boats must keep clear of the start and finish areas and of the racing yachts; our concierge can arrange the boat and the skipper.
What time do the races start?
Starts are staggered from about 11am depending on the weather, with boats leaving the port from around 9am. The first yachts can be back in port from about 3pm, and returns continue through the afternoon. The race committee can delay or cancel a day when the wind is unsuitable, so keep the morning plans flexible.
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Plan your Voiles stay with us
Tell Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad your dates and the fleets you most want to see, and they will suggest the villas that suit your group, with the boat, the driver and the chef arranged around the racing. Some residences are available without being published online. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or contact@lutetia-group.com; the team usually replies within the day.