47th Régates Royales de Cannes - Day 1: the Dragons and the 12 Metres opened the ball with a bang
by Yacht Club de Cannes 23 Sep 07:16 UTC
21-27 September 2025
After four exceptional editions, the 47th Cannes Royal Regatta promises to be under the best auspices again this year. The storms that raged this weekend are now behind us, and the weather looks superb, typical of Cannes on this first day of autumn.
On Monday 22 September, the 32 Dragons launched the hostilities in the eastern harbour in a breeze slowly but surely climbing to 20-25 knots and raising a good chop under a bright sun. This heavy 9-metre keelboat with a tapered hull designed in 1929 by the Norwegian Anker, nicknamed "the sailboat of Kings", is very technical to adjust, and rises upwind like a spider climbing the wall. It has been attracting the cream of the regatta for ages, as well as a number of former Olympic medallists and European and world champions.
At the end of two superb rounds, the German Dirk Pramanin climbed to the top ahead of the British Dragon led by Klaus Diderichs and Martin Westerdhal, with the tactics of the Italian Diego Negri, former world and European champion of Star... Gérard Blanc, president of the international Dragon class... and treasurer of the Yacht Club de Cannes, is delighted: "Not only do we have a very international fleet, but "champagne sailing" conditions with wind and warm seas for this 1st day of racing. It is not surprising to see that many sailors love to come and compete in the Royal Regattas. They are welcomed like royalty at the YCC... and I'm delighted! "
For the 12 Metres, legendary America's Cup yachts in the 80s, which raced in the western harbour, the match was exciting in a "shifty" wind, oscillating from northwest to southwest around 20 knots. The Dane Jes Gren Hansen on Kiwi Magic, finalist of the Louis Vuitton Cup in 87, is in the lead after two races, ahead of South Australia led by Yann Deplace and French Kiss - Christophe Babule, Marc Pajot - and who recently celebrated his 40th birthday in Hyères with the majority of the crew at the time.
Tomorrow, the other nine Big Boat series will enter the competition at the Tofinou. Jean-François Cutugno, president of the Cannes Yacht Club, is understandably satisfied. The village on the quay is already crowded for a Monday, and "sailing" from one point to another looks like leaving a match in a stadium: "We have nearly 140 boats among the most beautiful." He is tapping into his weather app: "The week promises to be exceptional once again with dream weather. I only see suns and a moderate wind ideal for racing.
Institutional partners: AFYT Association Française des Yachts de Tradition, Cannes Sports, Department 06, FFVoile, Région Sud, City of Cannes, Yacht Club de Cannes. Official partners: HighField, Hotel Carlton Cannes, IGY Marinas - Vieux Port de Cannes, Marinepool, Palais des Festivals, Champagne Taittinger. Technical partners: DAB Beverages, Palm Beach Hotel Cannes, ICOM France, Key4events, SNSM Société Nationale Sauvetage en Mer, Trans Côte d'Azur. Media partners: Cannes Radio, France TV.
For more information visit www.regatesroyales.net.