BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
SailGP in Saint-Tropez: watching the F50s fly from a rental boat
On 12-13 September 2026, fourteen nations race foiling catamarans in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Race zone, safety distances and tips for following the racing from the water.
The Gulf of Saint-Tropez hosts a SailGP stage on 12-13 September 2026, the flying-catamaran championship that brings fourteen nations together on a single circuit for the first time. Unlike a classic regatta, these foiling F50 catamarans exceed 90 km/h just metres from the shore — a show best experienced from the water, provided you know the rules.
Catamarans that fly just above the water
The F50s are identical catamarans sailed by a crew of five, able to lift their hulls entirely clear of the water on their foils. The closeness to shore is what makes the French stage special: the course is set tight against the coastline so spectators can follow the action with the naked eye, including from a boat anchored a safe distance away.
An exclusion zone to respect strictly
As with any race of this kind, a safety zone around the course is closed to leisure boating during racing and patrolled by the maritime authorities; only official boats enter it. Pleasure boats stay outside this zone, usually marked by yellow buoys, and follow instructions broadcast on VHF on the day. Our guide to sailing regattas and how not to get in the way covers the right habits around a fleet of spectator boats.
The downside of a boat gathering
A concentration of spectator boats in one area is not neutral for the water: a landmark US study on boat wake impact found that the cumulative energy of many passages, even at moderate speed, contributes to shoreline erosion and sediment resuspension in sheltered areas (Bilkovic et al., Defining boat wake impacts on shoreline stability toward management and policy solutions, Ocean and Coastal Management, 2019, see the study on Google Scholar). One more reason to anchor with restraint rather than in a scrum, even to watch the racing.
Planning the rental
Boat demand spikes in Saint-Tropez on those two days: book early, and a RIB stays the most manageable format for repositioning along the course (€200-600/day depending on the engine). Boat-Comparator compares live offers from Boataround, SamBoat and Click&Boat in Saint-Tropez, and our guide to Saint-Tropez and Pampelonne rounds out the rest of the stay beyond the two days of racing.
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