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Doyle-powered yachts win three out of four divisions at the 2022 Les Voiles de St Tropez

Doyle-powered yachts win three out of four divisions at the 2022 Les Voiles de St Tropez | The final day of the 34th Les Voiles de St Tropez ended slightly earlier than expected after the race committee called off racing due to the lack of wind. After four days of racing in one of the most spectacular parts of the world, it was Doyle-powered yachts that secured the victory in three out of four divisions.

It was SPIRIT OF MALOUEN X, who proudly showcased a Doyle inventory during the week who was crowned the winner in the Maxi 1 division. The yacht carries the unmistakable Wally pedigree, highlighting the high-performance nature she was built to deliver.

In Maxi 2, it was Dario Ferrari’s CANNONBALL who secured the win, 2 points ahead of Peter Duben’s North Star. Cannonball has chosen to take advantage of the world-renowned Doyle Sails technology and showcased pure class. Cannonball and crew have had a successful season heading into the Les Voiles de St Tropez after finishing third place in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo last month.

Finally, in Maxi 3, Wally 77 LYRA took first place, only one point ahead of Capricorno. Doyle Sails Grand Prix expert Luke Molloy was onboard and commented, “A light wind week made racing tricky, so the focus went on consistency and minimising any mistakes. The hard work and focus paid off with a 2,2,2 score line resulting in the overall win. We’ve done plenty of work on the Cableless Code Zero for the yacht, so it’s great to see the sail become a crucial contributor to Lyra’s performance”.

With more Doyle sails on the water and amongst the high-performance fleet, it is no surprise that these yachts begin to climb the leader board. Doyle Sails International’s Design Director, Richard Bouzaid, who is no stranger to high-performance yachting, is the lead sail designer for this fleet, supported by Jordi Calafat, Justin Ferris, Dario Motta and Stefano Nava. This week, Richard was onboard Wally Cento Galateia as mainsail trimmer. He commented, “The last time I did this event, we only managed one race during the week, so the race committee did a great job navigating what were very light conditions and completed three races. It’s not often that you get a regatta that is sailed entirely under 10 knots! On the last day of racing, Galatiea was sailing away from the fleet and had a 1.5-mile lead over the second Wally Cento at the top mark before the race was abandoned. Galatiea has previously struggled against the others in lighter conditions, but I was pleased to see the yacht going really well with the new sails we’ve put on this year and making considerable speed gains in the light conditions. It was a great week, especially seeing the number of yachts with either full or partial Doyle inventories at the event. The teams are really happy with how their sails are performing, and that shows with Doyle yachts winning three out of four divisions”.

Tracking parallel with a continuous process of technological development, Doyle Sails has made a substantial human investment in sailing expertise and achievement, which in turn, has earned a seat at the top table when significant new projects are planned.

This investment pays dividends and is showcased when we look further afield through the fleet – at this year’s event, Doyle Sails had more than 10 Grand Prix and Superyacht experts on the water across various yachts: each an integral part of the race crew and offering sail performance advice.

ABOUT DOYLE SAILS // Around the world, Doyle Sails has over 500 sailmakers in 46 different locations, all equally passionate about sailing – living and breathing our ethos ’Global Leaders and Local Experts.’

As sailors, our obsession with sailing connects us to the water. The water is our playground, a sanctuary where we seek enjoyment, a competitive playing field where we race as competitors; it’s sometimes our home and always a place that unlocks our sense of adventure wherever that adventure might take us. Behind every adventure is a Doyle sailor who shares this same obsession as you. We put your journey at the very heart of what we do to deliver the ultimate enjoyment and performance, powering our constant need to push the boundaries in sail design and innovation, to reimagine sailing.

From dinghies, club racers and cruising yachts through to Grand Prix campaigns and Superyachts, we are your experts. Meet our team here.

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