The Giraglia is one of the Mediterranean’s great offshore classics, a 241-nautical-mile race from Saint-Tropez around the Giraglia Rock at the northern tip of Corsica and on to the finish in Genoa. First sailed in 1953, the race combines a week of inshore fleet racing in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez with the main offshore event, creating a two-phase competition that tests both windward-leeward precision and open-water endurance.
The inshore phase runs from June 13-16 in the waters off Saint-Tropez, with start times at 11:00 CEST (UTC+2). The Gulf of Saint-Tropez benefits from reliable afternoon thermals that build from the south, typically reaching 12-18 knots by early afternoon. The hills surrounding the gulf create local wind effects that reward crews who know the geography. For viewers in London, the 10:00 BST slot is accessible. New York sees 05:00 EDT, while Sydney at 19:00 AEST gets the best deal of any time zone for this event.
The offshore race starts on June 17 at 12:00 CEST. The fleet crosses the Ligurian Sea toward Corsica, rounds the Giraglia Rock (a lighthouse-topped granite island at 43 degrees north), and then sails northeast across the open Mediterranean to the finish in Genoa. Weather in mid-June can range from light drifting conditions that stretch the race to three days, to mistral-driven storms that test equipment to destruction. The record for the offshore race stands under 15 hours, set in heavy reaching conditions.
Sponsored by Loro Piana, the Italian luxury house, the Giraglia attracts a fleet that mixes serious racing machines with cruiser-racers crewed by Riviera-based enthusiasts. The social programme in Saint-Tropez is unapologetically glamorous. The harbour fills with boats rafted three-deep, and the restaurants along the quay serve as an unofficial regatta village where French, Italian, and international crews swap stories.
The Giraglia Rock itself is a tiny, barren island rising from the sea at the top of Corsica, marked by a lighthouse built in 1848. Rounding it at night, with the light sweeping across the water and Corsica’s mountains looming behind, is one of those moments that offshore sailors remember for the rest of their lives.