Saint Tropez Super Yachts

Tour Leader: Serge Krouglikoff

Les Voiles de St Tropez is an amazing rendezvous of yachts gathering together the most extraordinary modern sailing boats alongside the most beautiful traditional wooden yachts, sea spray flying during the exhilarating and competitive Regatta.

A host of racers and sailing enthusiasts come from all the corners of the globe to do battle in the iconic bay of Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera.

Exclusive up-close access from a chase boat, shooting this fleet of both modern and legendary yachts – including some from the 30s America’s cup. Brass and varnished wood in abundance, accompanied by our expert photographer and sailing professor, you will capture breath-taking sailing action, stunning scenery and street-life photography, glamour and yachting culture – yet leaving the leading role to the ‘ladies of the sea’.

Day 1.

Arrivals Nice, Cote d’Azur airport. We will meet you at the airport at 3pm for transfer to your charming hotel in Sainte Maxime where you can take time to unpack, settle in or enjoy a swim in the pool.

Late afternoon, we meet for a briefing meeting and we will take you through the itinerary with tips for the days to come and advice on camera settings.

Day 2.

We meet after breakfast and set off in the RIB for St Tropez in advance of the race that starts at approximately 11am (depending on weather and wind) and we shoot from the RIB for the morning session. We will break for lunch when the yachts are at their furthest away from shore and we resume for another session in the afternoon as they approach the shore again and shoot until the end of the race.

You will capture all the action from the RIB, expertly piloted by our skipper, Francois who, because of his sailing expertise, is always able to put us in just the right spot for the best shots. There are lots of craft on the water all jockeying for a good position, but Francois is skilled and experienced and knows exactly what’s about to happen next and makes sure we get there first!

You will get plenty of close-up action shots of the crews up the masts, raising and bringing down the spinnaker & sails and working during their manoeuvres but you will also capture stunning landscape shots from a distance. During your 4 days on the water, you will cover most of the fleet from the smallest to the biggest yachts as they leave the harbour, during the regatta and as we follow them back to the harbour at the end of the day.

We return to the hotel to download your pictures and will meet for a review/critique session (time permitting) to ensure everyone is happy with their settings and confident ahead of the second days’ shooting.

Day 3.

We set off early for the sunrise shoot. After the shoot, we have breakfast in Saint Tropez and you can capture atmospheric pre-race ‘street photography’ as the crews wake up and the harbour comes to life. Today on the water is the challenge day of the Regatta for both traditional and modern yachts. This is where two yachts in the same category can challenge each other to a two-boat race.

In the afternoon we return to the hotel and will meet for a review/critique session (time permitting).

Day 4.

We set off to capture the race with both traditional and modern yachts. After the race, we capture some atmospheric photos as the boats return to the harbour. Fantastic for ‘people’ shots and ‘street photography’ in the post-race buzz.

We enjoy an aperitif at one of the famous harbour-side cafes, soaking up the atmosphere, before enjoying dinner at a charming bistro in Saint Tropez, returning to the hotel after dinner.

Day 5.

We set off for an early start, so we can reach the Wally boats racing – furthest out from the harbour, before returning to the main regatta later in the day.

We return to the hotel to download your photos and for a final review/critique session.

We meet for an aperitif at the hotel before setting off for the group closing dinner (optional).

Day 6.

After breakfast, transfer to Nice airport, arriving around 12h00, for your afternoon flight home.

Please note that itineraries are subject to change, due to unforeseen circumstances

Create Away is based in the South of France and being in the vicinity, gives us access all year-round to the best local contacts to plan, prepare, try and test all our workshops, ensuring you are in the right place at the right time for the best possible photography opportunities.

You will be guided by our expert professional photographer, Serge Krouglikoff
4 full days on the water for up-close access to the yachts & regatta, accompanied by our experienced sailing professor
Fabulous opportunities for people-watching, glamour & street photography, soaking up the race Regatta atmosphere
Group dinners arranged every evening at delightful local bistrots (optional)
B&B in charming 3-star hotel with pool
Airport transfers to and from Nice airport on arrivals/departures days, as per the times specified on the itinerary (other transfers are not included but can be arranged by us)

What’s included in the price:

B&B in charming 3-star Hotel with pool (no single supplement, all rooms with private bathroom)
Airport transfers to and from Nice airport (on arrivals/departures days of the workshop)
All transportation during the workshop
Experienced sailing professor & professional photographer/s

What’s excluded:

Flights
Meals, snacks & drinks (except breakfast
Insurance

Single occupant (en-suite): £3100 per person
2 people sharing room: 5% oﬀ the workshop price
Discounts available for group bookings. Please enquire to ﬁnd out more
A deposit of 25% is payable at the time of booking

This workshop requires a minimum number of 4 participants to be able to go ahead.

*To join this workshop, you need to have a good understanding of how your own camera works (how to set it up in Manual, Aperture and Shutter priority) and understand about exposure.

FLIGHTS IMPORTANT NOTICE

Please note we sometimes run this workshop back to front. Also, there is a minimum number of people required, so please do not book your flights until you have checked with us.

Pre-workshop course (subject to availability)
Cost including hotel, tuition, airport transfers (outside the workshop dates) £370 pp.

The action on the water can be full-on so you need to know what you’re doing before you set off. If you would like to arrive a day early to benefit from a half-day course on your camera, settings, techniques and how to obtain the best out of your photo tour, please let us know.Please note that shooting from a RIB can be bumpy, depending on the weather & wind, so if you are of a fragile physical disposition, we don’t recommend this tour

What is included in the price:

5 nights B&B in charming 3-star Hotel, with pool, in Sainte Maxime
Airport transfers to and from Nice airport on arrivals/departures days, as per the times specified on the itinerary (other transfers are not included but can be arranged by us)
4 days up-close action shooting the Regatta on the Bay of Saint Tropez
All transportation during the workshop
Guidance throughout by two expert professional photographers

Before you book your flights, you might like to consider arriving a day or two earlier or staying a day or two after the workshop to make the most of the beautiful region and sunshine – we also offer an amazing horse riding experience and can recommend other excursions & activities – just ask Ros for further details.