Forget everything you may have heard or read about Saint-Tropez
as the noted—and notorious—summer playground of the famous, the almost famous,
the wannabes and the inevitable camp followers that attach themselves to the
above. This time we are going to take a sailor’s perspective and approach
Saint-Tropez as it should be approached, from the sea. It started, after all, as
a shipping and fishing port—the tiny old fishing harbor is still visible on the
gulf side of town—mentioned in the eleventh century as Ecclesia Sancti Torpetis.
The Thermidoriens of 1793 renamed it, more classically, Athenopolis, but the
original name is the one that stuck, corrupted into its modern version,
Saint-Tropez.
 The 90-foot Fife ketch Sumurun sailing the gulf in light air. (Click image to enlarge)
And so from the sea we approached it, aboard the 80-foot Mylne classic yawl
Mariella, beating into the gulf in a 40-knot mistral,
spray flying, decks awash, right up to the finish line, set up as always
between a buoy and the town’s historic landmark, the red-and-yellow
clock tower. The event was the annual sailing pageant closing the Mediterranean
regatta circuit, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Two hundred and eighy-four yachts
flying the flags of dozens of nations had gathered for the 2005 edition.
Significantly more interesting than the number of nations represented, however,
was the incredible variety of yachts participating. A few of the gaff-rigged
sloops dated back to the 1890s, joined by a remarkable assembly of vintage
designs from such luminaries as William Fife, G.L. Watson, Charles Nicholson,
Alfred Mylne, as well as more contemporary classics from Olin Stephens, Philip
Rhodes and Bjarne Aas—the list is a compendium of classic yacht designers.
Top photo: The Fife dragon flies proud. Bottom photo: Watching the fashion
parade in front of the Hotel de Sube is a great way to enjoy the
day. (Click images to enlarge)
While the sweeping grace of the classics dominated the
waterfront, more modern cruising and racing yachts (175 of them, to be exact)
were hotly competing for line honors on the race course. Divided into five
classes, they ranged from 30-foot production boats to the outrageously fast
140-foot schooner Mari-Cha IV.
Rounding out the ultra-modern
fleet were eight Wally yachts.
Since the classic yachts were given a lay day to recoup from
the mistral, we decided to trade our deck shoes for walking shoes and explore
the town. Other than the remains of the fishing harbor breakwaters, there is no
evidence of the nineteenth-century ship building, which took up most of the
waterfront that now comprises the Old Harbor, New Harbor and, regrettably but
necessarily, parking lots and other support facilities—these latter a worthwhile
sacrifice, as you can walk around town, especially Old Town, in streets and
alleys remarkably free of traffic. The town was substantially damaged during the
Allied landing of August 1944, although you’d never know it, so successfully has
it been rebuilt along its original lines.
Fraise de bois at the vegetable market. (Click image to enlarge)
The main obstacle to exploring the town is the waterfront
itself. As you step down the passerelle onto shore, you are faced with an
uninterrupted array of outdoor cafés, bars and restaurants, all surveyed by the
bronze statue of Le Bailli de Suffren (an eighteenth-century French Admiral who,
as was explained to us somewhat humorously, enjoyed the distinction of "not
having lost a naval battle to the British"). And while during Les Voiles the
town is not as crazily mobbed as it is during the summer, one of the most
enjoyable and well-deserved indulgences you can give yourself is a seat at any
one of them; a pearly, translucent pastis to get into the
local mood; and the time to savor the endless "fashion parade" of people
strolling by, gawking at the yachts and being scrutinized in turn.
Top photo: High-tech racing aboard Tiketitan. Bottom photo: Well, Saint-Tropez is, after all, a fishing village. (Click images to enlarge)
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is organized and managed by La Société Nautique de
Saint-Tropez, which efficiently coordinates the week-long activities on land and
water. Its most visible effort, other than the races themselves, is exemplified
by the numerous and hard-working port crew, who provide inflatables to assist
yachts in docking, catch docklines on shore and offer helpful information about
just about anything to the polyglot sailing crowd. In addition, the
behind-the-scenes logistics are equally well run, with countless thoughtful
details to make the entire experience memorable for all. The spirit of the event
was summed up by Société Nautique President André Beaufils in his preamble to
this year’s program: "The time has come for us to meet again, for the pleasure
of us all—those who sail and those who remain on land, the volunteers, professionals and
spectators who would not miss the spectacle you are about to provide for
anything in the world." Of course, there are few yachting venues that can offer so much
to both "those who sail and those who remain on land." Inspired by your pastis,
a stroll through the winding alleys and cobblestoned streets of Old Town is in
order. The layout of Saint-Tropez offers three distinct gathering places.
Besides the waterfront, a short walk takes you to the Place des Lices, where on
non-market days (more about this later) boules players enjoy
the natural arcades of its rows of plane trees. A short uphill climb takes you
to La Citadelle, with its commanding overview of the gulf and the town. Even if
starting out with good intentions, you may never get to the latter two
destinations; there is something to tempt everyone on every street: fashion
boutiques, bakeries, bars, booksellers, butchers, restaurants, well, you get the
idea. Send your yacht’s chef to one of the many vegetable markets, and he may
well come back with a new pair of shoes. A must-visit is the fish market and
vegetable and fruit stalls just behind the tourist bureau on the port. It’s
marvelous enough to make one forego those shoes.…
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