Saturday morning, sixty boats left the gulf. Destination Hyères, then Nice, then back. The Paprec 600 Saint-Tropez means five days of racing, six hundred nautical miles, and crews who won't sleep much.
The start was upwind. The mistral blew hard, enough to shake the field from the first hours. Multihulls shot offshore, monohulls gritted their teeth. On the quay, a few onlookers, no crowd: this race lives at sea, not ashore.
The Paprec 600 is a local calendar fixture. Launched a few years back, it draws seasoned skippers and amateur crews who want a taste of offshore. No bling, no glitter. Wind, tactics, and finishes decided by a few boat lengths.
The finish is expected Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the wind. Until then, we watch the tracking, check the charts, wait for the tacks. The village stays quiet, but out on the water, they're flying.
