By Frances Hopes

For a third consecutive year as lead partner of the event, luxury watch brand Richard Mille accompanied the 18th Rallye des Princesses. This women-only rally brings together 90 crews from 12 different countries, who come to cover close to 1,600km along the most beautiful roads in France.

Rallye des princesses
Rallye des princesses
Rallye des princesses

Sporting attitude, femininity and glamour are attitudes dear to both the Richard Mille brand and the Rallye des Princesses, whose ties become closer and more productive with each edition. Five Porsche 356 and one Porsche 911 were made available to clients and friends of Richard Mille in order to discover this event – which has become de rigueur for ladies who love automobiles – each of whom wore a watch from the Richard Mille ladies’ collection for the race.

The rally departed from Paris’ prestigious Place Vendôme to arrive five days later at the iconic Place des Lices in Saint-Tropez. On Saturday 27 May, the scrutineering day set the tone for the week to come as one of conviviality, sporting attitude and glamour.

The gruelling five-day race took participants through beautiful French countryside, over Alpine passes with roads climbing as high as 1,860m, before descending towards the Côte d’Azur for a glimpse of the beautiful beaches at Mandelieu. After driving through Grasse, the home of perfume, the contenders reached the Font du Broc château before heading towards the finish line in Saint-Tropez.

The awards ceremony was held on the Moorea beach in Ramatuelle, a moment of strong emotion capping off a week of challenging and densely packed stages that were nonetheless agreeable, thanks to optimal weather conditions.

Rallye des princesses

This year, the Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille once again supported the Parti des Enfants, a collective bringing together some 20 associations dedicated to children suffering from illness, with three crews taking part in the competition under the association’s banner.