Some regattas are about trophies. Les Voiles d’Antibes is about community and tradition. Since 1996, the Société des Régates d’Antibes has opened the Mediterranean classic sailing season with this gathering of époque, classique, and Spirit of Tradition yachts in the Bay of Antibes — that luminous stretch of water framed by Cap d’Antibes on one side and the old Vauban ramparts on the other. Neighbouring to the left and right: Cannes, Monaco, St Tropez, the beautiful cities and etapes of the classic racing circuit. Thirty editions in, it remains the first major rendezvous of the circuit, the moment the season officially begins.

The 2026 edition carried extra weight. Billed as the 30th anniversary, the event returned to the Bastion Saint-Jaume at Port Vauban with a redesigned village concept capped at 2,500 visitors at a time — a deliberate move to recapture the intimacy of the early editions. President Thierry Piel succeeded. The harbour felt alive rather than overrun. All seventy competing yachts in the nine different classes were berthed along the same pier, open to the public — no velvet ropes, no distance. One more beautiful than the next. All full of stories of races, adventures of brave owners and famous guests. You could walk alongside these extraordinary vessels, peer into cockpits, and talk to the people who sail them.

The fleet brought its own anniversaries. Two icons of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge circuit celebrated its centenary_ the Irish Hallowe’en – and its 90th birthday – the Irish Eilean – this year, both born from the drawing board of William Fife III. Hallowe’en, the 24.7-metre cutter launched in 1926, set a Fastnet record that year which stood for thirteen years and has been winning classic regattas ever since. Eilean, her fleet-mate and near-contemporary, is the 22-metre Bermudan ketch designed in 1936 — the same year Panerai produced its first watch — and now sailing under Officine Panerai’s flag after a meticulous restoration. Her name means “little island” in Gaelic, and she carries it with grace.

Seeing both yachts on the start line of the Big Boat category, along with Mariska 1908, Viveka 1930, and the 40 m Black Swan 1899 under full sail, with Cap d’Antibes in the background, was exactly the kind of moment this circuit is made for. 

On the water, the Mediterranean offered its characteristic unpredictability. Wind conditions were moderate through most of the week — enough to race, not enough to be entirely comfortable about it. One race was cancelled when conditions failed to reach the minimum threshold; courses were shortened on other days. Adding a thoroughly modern complication, the bay was thick with fancy superyachts at anchor in numbers that exceeded all expectations — a forest of superyacht hulls in the racing course that sent the fleet weaving between them. With the old town of Antibes rising behind the anchored giants and the hillsides of Cap d’Antibes as backdrop, the scenery was absolutely stunning. The final day rewarded everyone’s patience: a clean northwesterly settled in, and racing was everything a classic regatta should be.

I had the privilege of racing aboard stunning 15 Metre class Mariska 1908, a William Fife III gaff cutter. Mariska is oldest of the last three surviving 15 Metres still actively racing: Tuiga 1909, flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco, and Lady Anne 1912.

At 27 metres overall, Mariska is as much an architectural statement as she is a racing machine—defined by her long overhangs, impeccable pedigree, and a presence that turns heads in any harbour. In the Big Boat category, she performed exactly as her palmarès would suggest, by winning every single race. And I enjoyed every second racing on Mariska at this exceptional 30th anniversary regatta.

Then came the Concours d’Élégance: If the racing belongs to the stopwatch, the Concours d’Élégance belongs to the soul of the event. The crew had decided, that winning it would require something more than simply looking smart on deck. A classic Riva was arranged to tow us slowly past the judges’ platform and two of our sailing girls climbed the spreaders. The rest stood on deck in matching kit, French music playing, the whole crew cheering to the crowds lining the quay. The audience cheered back. It was one of those moments a regatta programme cannot manufacture — it either happens or it doesn’t. It happened. The judges agreed. We won. 

Ashore, the evenings matched the days. One night, a long table was set up dockside for a white paella dinner — one of those easy going Mediterranean meals that starts at sunset and ends well after the stars are out. Crews from different boats, owners, guests, and organisers mixed together without hierarchy. That ease is one of the things that sets Les Voiles d’Antibes apart from more gilded events. The atmosphere is genuinely inclusive — live music drifted across the village, the old town was minutes away, and the quays glowed with the warm light that the Riviera does so effortlessly in late May.

Thirty years in, Les Voiles d’Antibes has earned its place as the season’s defining preamble. The racing is real, the classic yachts are irreplaceable, and the setting does not get old.

Looking very much forward to the 31st edition. Save the date: June 2 to June 6, 2027

2026 RACE RESULTS — CLASS OVERVIEW

LES VOILES D’ANTIBES — AT A GLANCE

Founded: 1996, Antibes, France

2026 Edition: 30th anniversary • 27–31 May • Port Vauban, Bastion Saint-Jaume

Organiser: Société des Régates d’Antibes

Panerai title sponsor: Part of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge circuit

Classes: Époque (pre-1950) • Classique (pre-1976) • Classic IOR • Spirit of Tradition • Tofinou

Notable anniversaries: Hallowe’en (1926, Fife, 24.7m cutter) • Eilean (1936, Fife, 22m ketch, owned by Panerai) Falcon (1926, Herreshoff,Q-class)

Big Boats winner: Mariska (1908, William Fife III) — all races + Concours d’Élégance

Admission: Free to the public

Accueil – Les Voiles d’Antibes