The fourth day of inshore races at the Loro Piana Giraglia 2024

Today marks the end of the fourth and final day of the spectacular inshore races of the Loro Piana Giraglia 2024. These four days of intense and high-level competition have featured some of the world's best crews and yachts battling in the waters of Saint-Tropez under perfect wind conditions, providing an unforgettable show for enthusiasts and the public.

Today's events culminated in the traditional award ceremony at the crew village, where the day's winning crews were acclaimed and celebrated for their extraordinary performances.

Here are today's winner:

Maxi A: Jethou – Sir Peter Ogden – Maxi 77 (1,6,3,1,1,4 in partials)
Maxi B: Walliño – Benoît de Froidmont – Wally 60 (1,1,1,2,3,1)
IRC 1: Daguet 3 – Frederic Puzin – KER 46 (7,1,3,7)
IRC 2: Expresso – Guy Clayes – JPK 10.10 (3,1,1,5)
ORC 1: Windwhisper44 – Marcin Sutkowski – GS 44 (1,1,4,4)
ORC 2: Melagodo – Luca De Luca – First 34.7 (1,1,1,1)

As the inshore races close, tension and anticipation rise on the docks among the crews for the start of the offshore race, scheduled for noon tomorrow. The competition promises to be particularly challenging and spectacular, with weather conditions set to test even the most experienced sailors.

Forecasts indicate a start with a Mistral wind of about 20 knots, increasing in the afternoon to over 30 knots in the Giraglia area. Waves between 2 and 3 meters will add further difficulty to the navigation, making the race even more fascinating and challenging. If confirmed, the weather scenario suggests a race favourable to the large maxis, which will have about 24/30 hours of sustained wind before the expected drop in the late afternoon on Thursday, potentially slowing down the slower boats. However, the situation is rapidly evolving, and the strong wind for the first 120-mile leg to the Giraglia is sure for now.

All eyes are on Saint-Tropez and the start of the 241-mile-long race, which promises to be an epic challenge. We wish all crews a safe journey and hope they tackle the challenging weather conditions with the sportsmanship that has characterized the Loro Piana Giraglia 2024.