Record fleet to Malta in the 600 mile C&N Trophée Bailli du Suffren

The 600 mile Trophée Bailli du Suffren - www.bdsrace.com - actually takes its name from a famous 18^th century French admiral, Pierre André de Suffren de Saint-Tropez who spent his early career in Malta and while here received the title of "Bailli de Suffren" from the Knights of St John. 

The third son of the Marquis de Saint Tropez, head of a family of nobles of Provence, Pierre André was known by his sailors and his enemies (particularly the British) as "Admiral Satan". His exploits as a warrior earned him a reputation in his native France comparable to Horatio Nelson's in Britain. To date, seven ships of the French Navy have borne the name of Suffren in his honour while his statue still dominates the quayside in Saint-Tropez.

The Trophée Bailli de Suffren is known as "The Mediterranean's Most Beautiful Yacht Race" not only for the beauty of the very special yachts taking part but also for its unique  "gentlemen's race spirit" and the exotic ports marking the race course.

Now in its 12^th Edition, it is the longest off-shore race for classic yachts over 11-metres. The start from Saint-Tropez this year is on Saturday, 22 June finishing about ten days and 600 nautical miles later in Malta's Camper & Nicholsons Grand Harbour Marina after stop-overs in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia and Trapani, Sicily.

The race was originally the brainchild of three friends who shared a vision: Henri-Christian Schroeder now "Commodore" of the Trophée Bailli de Suffren, Christian Benoit co-founder of the race and President of the Marenostrum Racing Club and Pierre Hugo "Admiralissimo" of the Bailli de Suffren and Vice-President of the Marenostrum Racing Club. 

Ben Stuart, General Manager, of Grand Harbour Marina joined the race's executive team last year when Camper & Nicholsons Marinas signed on as lead sponsors for the next five years, creating an association between a famous race of classic yachts and one of the oldest and most prestigious names in the yachting industry.

"Our goal when we took this on last year as headline sponsor was not only to raise the profile and number of yachts taking part in this special race but as importantly confirm Malta as a sophisticated yachting destination," said Stuart, "I am gratified that the fleet this year not only has almost doubled but includes four yachts, each over 30 metres."  

Coordinated by the Marenostrum Racing Club, the Organising Authority for the race is made up of yacht clubs in the host ports: the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo and the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

In the Trophee Balli de Suffren yachts race in two classes, "Vintage" with a CIM rating and "Classic" or "Spirit of Tradition" under IRC rating. 

The overall prize of the Trophée Bailli du Suffren is the Sword of Honour of Admiral Satan.

The prize for the first 193 nautical mile leg from Saint-Tropez to Porto Rotondo is the La Coppa dei Quattro Mori; the winner of the second 230 nautical mile leg from Porto Rotondo to Trapani receives the La Coppa dei Gattopardi and victory in the final 169 nautical mile leg from Trapani to Grand Harbour Marina earns The Corsairs' Cup.

This year's record fleet of 25 classic yachts ranging from the 12 metre Palynodie II (1965) to the majestic 69.24 metre, 3-masted classic schooner Atlantic (2010) who will be taking on 55 metre Elena (2009), promising an exciting and highly competitive race.

Four past winners of the Bailli are looking to recapture the "Sword of Honour of Admiral Satan". 25 metre schooner Lelantina (1937) won the 2001 Prologue race as well as the first full race in 2002; Havsörnen, a 16 metre Bermudan cutter first launched in 1931, sailed to victory in 2006; the 32 metre Fife cutter Moonbeam IV (1914) was the 2008′s winner and the Herreshoff-designed 20 metre Rowdy (1916) achieved back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010.

The 'oldest' yacht in this Edition is the 31 metre classic sailing yacht Moonbeam III.  A regular at classic yacht regattas for decades, she was built at Scotland's Fairlie yard in 1903 to a design by the famed William Fife.

The "largest" yacht, Atlantic, was built in 2010 in the Netherlands by Van Der Graaf B.V. and is recognised as the largest classic racing schooner ever to be recreated. Atlantic is a faithful replica of William Gardner's classic winner of the transatlantic 'Kaiser's Cup' in 1905.

"Atlantic is legendary on today's classic yacht racing circuit," said Ben Stuart, "With 18,500 square feet of sail she is truly a magnificent sight."

Ironically, two centuries ago Admiral Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez represented a figurative link between the ports of St Tropez and Birgu.  Then in October 2012, against the backdrop of the Camper & Nicholsons Trophée Bailli de Suffren, historic links between the Mediterranean two ports were formalised when Saint-Tropez was twinned with the city of Birgu to join forces in promoting sustainable tourism, particularly in the maritime sector.

On Wednesday evening, 3 July, Camper & Nicholsons Marinas will host the race prize-giving ceremony at a "Corsairs' Dinner" beneath the walls of the  UNESCO World Heritage site of Fort St. Angelo at Grand Harbour Marina in Birgu.