Les Voiles de Saint Barth 2012 fleet (Photo by Tim Wright)

With winter weather persisting in northern parts of the U.S. and Europe, sailors could be envied for heading to the Caribbean to extend their racing calendars. As it is, over 60 yachts and crew are currently on the island of St Barths, in the French West Indies, preparing for tomorrow’s start of Les Voiles de St. Barth. The fourth edition of this regatta will offer up four days of racing on a mix of courses and a social schedule equally as demanding, with dockside entertainment each evening and a lay day (Thursday) full of activities at Nikki Beach on St. Jean Bay.

As it has for its prior three editions, Les Voiles de St. Barth again has drawn a competitive mix of international yachts and crews from the UK, USA, France, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, and South Africa, as well as a strong Caribbean contingent from Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua, and Trinidad.

The inaugural event in 2010 drew 27 boats, and since then, entries have steadily grown as the media and sailing’s coconut telegraph helped spread the word. Event Director François Paul Tolède was enthusiastic as yachts tied up stern-to at the Quai General de Gaulle in Gustavia. “The atmosphere is great on shore and the weather looks perfect,” he said. “With 62 boats entered so far (registration closes at 5 p.m. today) and considering the current economic climate, the turnout shows what great regard the yacht owners have for the Voiles de Saint Barth.”

Tolède continued: “Luc Poupon (Course Director) has come up with some new courses, slightly longer in some cases, as many of the sailors wanted to spend more time on the water, and so racing will start a little earlier. We expect anywhere between 15 to 20+ knots of wind this week — ideal conditions for the fleet, which ranges from 24 feet (Melges) to 100 feet (the Swan 100 Varsovie).”

The fleet is divided into eight classes: Maxis; Spinnaker 1, 2, and 3; Melges 24; Non-Spinnaker; Classics; and Multi-hulls. Organizers can chose between 28 course variations, from 11 to 40 nautical miles. Racing begins tomorrow, Tuesday April 9, with the first signal at 1100.

Jim Swartz, owner/skipper of the TP52 Vesper, is the anointed “godfather” of this year’s regatta. An enthusiastic competitor, he has participated in all four editions. For Swartz it is a do-not-miss event. “The conditions are fabulous,” he said.  “Sailing around this island is beautiful — the winds are always predictable, they are always a lot of fun, particularly when we get a good breeze on the back (windward) side of the island.” Sailing onboard Vesper will be former America’s Cup sailors Gavin Brady (tactician), Rob Salthouse (jib trim), Kazuhiko Sofuku (mid bow), and Jamie Gale (navigator), past Volvo Ocean Race crew.

After Vesper competed in the TP52 Worlds in Miami last month, the boat was shipped to St. Thomas to get it race ready and then delivered to St. Barths this week. “Les Voiles is always on our calendar,” Swartz said,  “It’s the atmosphere — the racing is great, the people are great, as is the organization.  It all runs very well. And the dining and shopping (for the ladies)…all that St. Barths is about, we enjoy the same thing!”

Over half the boats and skippers are return competitors. Notable new editions this year include Jens Kellinghusen’s Ker 51 Varuna, which has raced in the year since its launch at Kiel Week and Les Voiles de St. Tropez; the Volvo 60 Cuba Libre (ex-Heineken) in Non-Spinnaker (while the V60 Ambersail will be in Spinnaker 1); Phil Lotz’ Swan 42 Arethusa, which is fresh off winning the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean; Jolt 2, a Baltic 45 that has already stretched its legs on the recent RORC Caribbean 600; in the Classic class, Heroina, a 74’ cold molded Frers design build in the ‘90s; and the 51’ Aage Nielsen-designed ketch Saphaedra, a seasoned ocean racer.

At this morning’s media briefing at Hotel Carl Gustaf on the hill overlooking the harbor of Gustavia, Nils Dufau, Vice President of the Collectivity of St. Barth’s and president for the Tourism Committee, said, “Les Voiles de St. Barth has become a formidable communication tool for our island as an up-market destination. This event conveys to all the “state of mind” of an island that has built up over time and which today has become a haven of peace and stability — the very basis of its reputation.”

In a further nod to this relatively new event, the Caribbean Sailing Association named Les Voiles de St. Barth and the BVI Spring Regatta “Best Events of 2012.”

This evening is the Skipper’s Briefing after which event organizers will kick off the week with the Opening Ceremony and party in the Race Village on the Quai General de Gaulle.

The event enjoys the continued support of watchmaker Richard Mille as well as sportswear brand Gaastra. Other event partners include leading St. Barth villa rental agency WIMCO, which offers a gorgeous portfolio of private villas for rent on St. Barth. WIMCO’s sponsorship includes presenting eight Les Voiles class winners with a complimentary week in one of their top villas, inclusive of a concierge ready to attend to every request.
 

Rambler in 2012 (Photo by Tim Wright)

.

2013 ENTRIES

MAXI Racing – MAXI Racing Cruising
DYNAMITE IDEA
Design : MAXI 80
Loa: 80′
Skipper: Tony McBRIDE

—–
WHISPER
Design : Souther Wind 78
Loa: 78′
Skipper: Mark DICKER

——–
MAXIMISER
Design : FARR
Loa: 73′
Skipper: Jose DIEGO-AROZAMENA

——–
VARSOVIE
Design : Swan 100
Loa: 100′
Skipper: Tomek ULATOWSKI

——–
SELENE
Design : Swan 80
Loa: 80′
Skipper: Benjamin DAVITT

———

IRC 52
VESPER
Design : TP 52
Loa: 52′
Skipper: Jim SWARTZ

——–
VARUNA
Design : KER 51
Loa: 51′
Skipper: Jens KELLINGHUSEN

——————————————————————————–

Spinnaker
CUBA LIBRE
Design: VOLVO 60
Loa: 60′
Owner: Benedikt Clauberg

——————————————————————————–
PUFFY
Design: Swan
Loa: 53′
Owner: Patrick DEMARCHELIER- Skipper: Karl Spijker

——————————————————————————–
MUSIC
Design: Swan
Loa: 53′
Owner: James BLAKEMORE

——————————————————————————–
AEZ OPTIMIX
Design: Swan 45
Loa: 45′
Skipper/Owner: Gideon MESSINK

——————————————————————————–
AMBERSAIL
Design: Farr Vo 60
Loa: 60′
Skipper: Simonas STEPONAVICIUS

——————————————————————————–
RAMANESSIN
Design: Beneteau First 40
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Christian ZUGEL

——————————————————————————–
HAMACHI
Design : J 125
Loa: 41′
Skipper: Greg SLYNGSTAD

——————————————————————————–
LEFORT CLIM
Design: MELGES 24
Loa: 24′
Skipper: Antoine LEFORT

——————————————————————————–
Boost’n Sail
Design : MELGES 24
Loa: 24′
Skipper: Mowgli FOX

——————————————————————————–
TEAM ISLAND WATER WORLD
Design : MELGES 24
Loa: 24′
Skipper: Frits BUS

——————————————————————————–
Budget Marine/Gill
Design : MELGES 24
Loa: 24 ‘
Skipper: Andrea SCARABELLI

——————————————————————————–
AMCON Express
Design : MELGES 24
Loa: 24 ‘
Skipper: John GIFFORD

——————————————————————————–
FRENCH CONNECTION
Design : MELGES 24
Loa: 24′
Skipper: Didier Roulault/Bernard Sillem

——————————————————————————–
LAZY DOG
Design: J 122
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Sergio SAGRAMOSO

——————————————————————————–
VOILES au FEMININ
Design: J 109
Loa: 35′
Skipper: Sophie OLIVAUD

——————————————————————————–
StBarthSailRacing
Design : A40
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Alain CHARLOT

——————————————————————————–
JOLT 2
Design: BALTIC 45
Loa: 45′
Skipper: Peter HARRISON

——————————————————————————–
MAELIA
Design : X 34
Loa: 34′
Skipper: Raphael MAGRAS

——————————————————————————–
LANCELOT SBH
Design : First 31,7
Loa: 31,7′
Skipper: Serge MAZEIRO

——————————————————————————–
NINA
Design : BORDEAUX 60
Loa: 60′
Skipper: Nicolas CHALAPHY

——————————————————————————–
MERENA
Design :
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Alexis GUILLAUME

——————————————————————————–
SPEEDY NEMO
Design : DUFOUR 34
Loa: 34′
Skipper: Raymond MAGRAS

——————————————————————————–
ARETHUSA
Design : SWAN 42
Loa: 42′
Skipper: Philip LOTZ

——————————————————————————–
ANATOLE
Design : JPK 9,60
Loa: 31′
Skipper: J-L LEFEBVRE

——————————————————————————–
TRISKELL
Design : DUFOUR 45
Loa: 45′
Skipper: Jean Michel MARZIOU

——————————————————————————–
TEAM BOSTON
Design : FIRST 40,7
Loa: 40,7′
Skipper: John “Jack” WATSON

——————————————————————————–
Performance Yacht Charter-Northern Child
Design : Swan 51
Loa: 51′
Skipper: Christian REYNOLDS

——————————————————————————–
FISER
Design : B 28
Loa: 28′
Skipper: Jean-Michel FIGUERES

——————————————————————————–
Ptits Filous Lipton
Design : A 40
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Philippe CHARRET

——————————————————————————–
White Rhino Holdings
Design : Swan 56
Loa: 56 ‘
Skipper: Jack DESMOND

——————————————————————————–
SLIPPERY
Design : Reichel Pugh 37
Loa: 37 ‘
Skipper: Peter PEAKE

——————————————————————————–
MARTINIQUE PREMIERE – CREDIT MUTUEL
Design : SUNFAST 3200
Loa: 32 ‘
Skipper: Andrzej KOCHANSKI

——————————————————————————–
Kick ‘em Jenny 2
Design : MELGES 32
Loa: 32 ‘
Skipper: Ian HOPE-ROSS

——————————————————————————–
WHISTLER
Design : J-105
Loa: 35 ‘
Skipper: Peter LEWIS

——————————————————————————–
VOILES 44 CAVA
Design : POGO CLASS 40
Loa: 40 ‘
Skipper: Rodolphe SEPHO

——————————————————————————–
ORMEAU
Design : Beneteau 47
Loa: 47 ‘
Skipper: Alain CHARLOT

——————————————————————————–
BACHATELLE
Design : Swan 57
Loa: 57 ‘
Skipper: Joan Navarro Guiu

——————————————————————————–
TEAM HAN
Design : HANSE 47
Loa: 47 ‘
Skipper: Han de Bruyn Kops

——————————————————————————–
DEFIANCE
Design : MARTEN 49
Loa: 49 ‘
Skipper: Steve CUCCHIARO

——————————————————————————–

Non-Spinnaker
GIRLS for SAIL
Design : ELAN 37
Loa: 37′
Skipper: Annie O SULLIVAN

——————————————————————————–
NIX
Design : X-612
Loa: 60′
Skipper: Nico CORTLEVER

——————————————————————————–
Jaguar Island Water World
Design : J 120
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Ben JELIC

——————————————————————————–
FRENCH KISS
Design : Beneteau Sense 50
Loa :50′
Skipper: Alexandria KILMON

——————————————————————————–
ALPHA CENTAURI
Design : SWAN 57
Loa : 57′
Skipper: Bruno CHARDON

——————————————————————————–
HOTEL CALIFORNIA TOO
Design : SANTA CRUZ 70
Loa : 70′
Skipper: Stephen C SCHMIDT

——————————————————————————–
HIGH TENSION
Design : MUMM 36
Loa : 36′
Skipper: Bernie EVAN-WONG

——————————————————————————–
COSTA MESA
Design : DUFOUR 425 GL
Loa : 45′
Skipper: Pascal REY

——————————————————————————–
SHAMROCK VII
Design : J/95
Loa : 31′
Skipper: Thomas MULLEN

——————————————————————————–
L’ESPERANCE
Design : Beneteau 45 f
Loa : 45′
Skipper: Sir Robert VELASQUEZ

——————————————————————————–
VOILACTUS
Design : JEANNEAU 44
Loa: 44 ‘
Skipper: Eduardo LENTZ

——————————————————————————–
VANILLE
Design : First 300
Loa: 30 ‘
Skipper: Garth STEYN

——————————————————————————–
SPIRIT
Design : Swan 65
Loa: 65 ‘
Skipper: Alan EDWARDS

——————————————————————————–

Racing Multihull
DAUPHIN TELECOM
Design:
Loa: 50′
Skipper: Erik CLEMENT

——————————————————————————–
FILDOU
Design: F 40
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Stéphane CATTONI

——————————————————————————–
PARADOX
Design: Irens 63′ Trimaran
Loa: 63′
Skipper: Olivier VIGOUREUX

——————————————————————————–
PLAN D’ENFER
Design: Trimaran F40 Montesinos
Loa: 40′
Skipper: Bruno ESCALES

——————————————————————————–

CLASSIC
WILD HORSES
Design: W Class
Loa: 76′
Skipper: Donald TOFIAS

——————————————————————————–
The Blue Peter
Design: Alfred MYLNE
Loa: 65′
Skipper: Mathew BARKER

——————————————————————————–
SAPHAEDRA
Design: Classic wood ketch
Loa: 51′
Skipper: Jamie ENOS

——————————————————————————–
S/Y HEROINA
Design : Frers
Loa: 74′

 

Atmosphere on the dockside at Les Voiles de Saint Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

Atmosphere on the dockside at Les Voiles de Saint Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

On the eve of the third running of Les Voiles de St. Barth, April 2-7, the palm-fringed port of Gustavia, St.Barthlemy quickly filled with an impressive array of race boats: ocean-racing maxis including the 90-foot Rambler and the Swan 112, Highland Breeze; classic beauties such the Olin Stephen-designed Dorade and the Fife-built yawl Mariella; a trio of IRC 52s, multi-hulls including the 66 Gunboat Phaedo, and two large racing classes with a mix of Melges, J/boats, and a mix of 40-footers, including the hot-off-the-press Carkeek 40, Decision.

Over 60 boats are registered for this years edition, up fromwith a large number of returning entries, proof that the regatta has filled the need for spirited competition towards the end of the winter season a time when tourism typically begins to wind down in the Caribbean. Though that was hard to tell yesterday, at the islands tiny airport, as the steady stream of small commuter planes landing were filled with a duffle bag-wielding collection of sailors from the ranks of the Americas Cup, round-the-world-ocean races, and Olympic competition, that included Gavin Brady (Vesper), Scott Vogel (Rambler), Bouwe Bekking (Nilaya), Cam Lewis (Paradox), Charlie McKee and Ross MacDonald (Mayhem), Tony Rey, Jeff Madrigali, and Nacho Postigo (Powerplay), and Dee Smith (Decision).

But its not just the professionals that flock to Les Voiles de St. Barth, the regattas program and mix of courses also appeals to a competitive group of amateur and family racers that hone their skills on the growing circuit of Caribbean regattas that take advantage of this sailing paradise.

Nilaya heads out for practice prior to the start of Les Voiles de St Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

Nilaya heads out for practice prior to the start of Les Voiles de St Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

While not the easiest of destinations to reach some U.S. west coast sailors logged 16+ hours in transit, while others from Europe only slightly less the island of St Barths itself is a welcome reward at the end of the road: a turquoise blue, crystal-clear sea, pristine white sand beaches, and an array of fabulous restaurants just payoff for a long days journey.

Francesco Mongelli, navigator onboard Jim Swartz IRC52 Vesper, is here racing in St Barths for the first time. The Italian sailor, who sails primarily in Europe, has been racing with the Vesper crew since last October, and was clearly keen to have touched down in this French paradise, Its a mix of all the best sailing places, together with perfect weather and good food. Having spent the afternoon in a tender carefully checking out the coastline and charted (and uncharted) rock outcroppings, Mongelli added, Its pretty similar to Porto Cervo, the difference is that there you more or less know where everything is, and the charts are accurate. You cannot take the same risk here that wed take in Porto Cervo.

Racing will run from Tuesday, April 3 Saturday, April 7 and will feature a mix of Olympic triangles, short coastal courses, and a 20-30 nautical mile round-the island race. The fleet will be split into seven classes: Maxi (> 21 meters), IRC52 (former TP52s that have been optimized for the IRC rule), Spinnaker I + II, Non-Spinnaker (racer/cruiser), Classic (vintage/traditional), and Multihull. Thursday is a layday at Nikki Beach, with lunch and a full afternoon of activities, including a paddleboard competition.

New this year, Les Voiles will offer real-time race tracking with 2D visualization via the internet. Waypoint-Tracking (www.waypoint-tracking.com) developed the system in close collaboration with ISAF. The site will allow enthusiasts to follow the daily racing action live or to replay at a later time.

Many of the competing boats are moored stern-to at the Quai General de Gaulle, site of the Race Village, where all of the daily breakfast and post-race activities and music take place. This evening, skippers and tacticians were on hand for the Skippers Briefing led by Loic Ponceau, Race Committee Chairman, and organizers Francois Tolede, Luc Poupon, and Annelisa Gee. Following that was Les Voiles St. Barth Opening Ceremony, where Bruno Magras, President of the Collectivit of St. Barth, welcomed more than 500 sailors to the weeklong event.

Whisper heads out to practice for Les Voiles de Saint Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

Whisper heads out to practice for Les Voiles de Saint Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

A regular and enthusiastic competitor in the Caribbean, Sir Peter Harrison was named the godfather or patron of this years Les Voiles. Harrison, owner of the 115-foot Farr-designed Sojana, told the crowd, As a visitor from England to this beautiful French island, one of the most beautiful in the West Indies, Im thrilled to be asked to the patron of Les Voiles. Bon vent Les Voiles de St. Barth, and good luck, everyone!

Also sailing on Sojana is Lionel Pan, who is also back for his third Les Voiles. He said, Obviously there are plenty of good reasons to be here, and to come back every year with the same enthusiasm: this place is made for sailing. In a very short time, Les Voiles de St. Barth has become the place to be, very much like Saint Tropez in the Mediterranean. And the word is spreading around. Shortly there will be a waiting list to be a part of the event!

The weather forecast for the next few days calls for light winds, though the breeze is expected to increase throughout the week. Racing is scheduled to start tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3, two miles northwest of Sugarloaf Rock off Gustavia; one race is scheduled with a start time of 12noon.

Gustavia Harbour on the eve of the start of Les Voiles de St Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

Gustavia Harbour on the eve of the start of Les Voiles de St Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth

 

 

Voiles de Saint Barths ( Photo by  Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

Voiles de Saint Barths ( Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

- Squalls and a race around the whole island of St. Barts to mark the end of an exciting week

- Rambler in homage to Peter

- Wild Horses by 4 seconds!

- The joy of the sailors from St Maarten

After three days of racing on various courses, which were physically and tactically demanding, Luc Poupon and the race directors scheduled a race all the way around the island of St. Barts to close this first highly successful edition of the Voiles de Saint-Barth. A 22-mile long race between the rocks in a trade wind that remained strong throughout the week.  In order to ensure that the festive atmosphere of the event was respected, the 23 yachts taking part all lined up on the same starting line at the same time at 1100 hrs to be given the off.

Voiles de Saint Barths ( Photo by  Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

Voiles de Saint Barths (Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

Rambler, thinking of Peter Doriean

As soon as the start procedures got underway, a huge tropical squall meant that the race area and the crews were drenched. A few minutes later, the skies brightened and as is often the case it suddenly went flat calm in the entrance to Gustavia harbour and on the start line. The yachts waited for a while with their sails flapping and the race directors launched the start procedures again, as the trade wind made its presence felt again with an 18-knot easterly blowing. The final clearance buoy set up less than a mile from the start saw a huge traffic jam build up, with the two giants deciding to come in on different tacks, Sojana on starboard and Rambler on the port tack. The tone was set, and this final race of the Voiles de Saint-Barth was underway with the same thrilling competition as on the previous races this week. O, just two hours, the impressive Reichel/Pugh-designed Rambler completed the course that was very tactical because of all the marks. Dominating throughout winning four times in four races, George David’s men remained modest in their triumph, and as they crossed the finishing line they were thinking of the Australian, Peter Doriean, their friend, who recently died in a tragic accident. As the boat’s tactician, the American Ken Read, explained earlier, the best way for the twenty men that make up the crew could pay homage to their team mate was to do their best throughout this event. The big ketch Sojana tried every day to keep up with the fast pace set by the American Maxi. The trade wind also helped her to show her full amazing potential.  In vain. The speed difference with the Farr designed boat was simply too great for Peter Holmberg’s men, who included the French sailors Loïck Peyron, Lionel Péan and Jacques Vincent, to hope to achieve a  win. However, the gap between the boats was not that huge and today only ten points separated them.

Wild Horses (Photo by

Wild Horses At Voiles de Saint Barths (Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)(Photo by

Wild Horses… by 4 seconds!

It was today’s big match after the huge success yesterday of the women on the W 76 White Wings.  The one all the crews and spectators at the Voiles de Saint Barth were looking forward to. Would Faraday Rosenberg and her 15 ladies repeat their performance, winning today’s race and in so doing win the event against the sistership, Wild Horses sailed by Donald Tofias and his boys? Everything remained uncertain throughout the 22 theoretical miles of the course around St. Barts. Clearly more and more at ease in their precise choice of route, White Wings once again showed their determination at the start and passed the clearance buoy way out in front of Wild Horses. The two big W 76 boats sped along leeward of the island, and it was in the long tacks in seas that were building that the all-female crew would ease off a little. Enough in any case to allow Tofias to get back in the race. He made a final dash for the finish on the downwind stretch and won by four tiny seconds. So victory went to Wild Horses in this particularly exciting Classic division, which was extremely fascinating to watch with such elegant racing, and with the presence of Kate, the gaff rigger recently built based on designs by Mylne, on the starting line to offer inspiration.

The sailors from St Maarten were just too much!

Robert Velasquez came to the Voiles de Saint-Barth confident in his crew from the Dutch Antilles and in the intrinsic quality of his First 45, having acquired decades of experience sailing around the West Indies. With four wins in four races, he was beaming with joy this evening and he made his pleasure felt, not finding the words to express his sheer enthusiasm, when talking about how kind the wind gods were this week. He triumphs at the top of the rankings in this group which included the largest number of participants at the “Voiles”, not and he never left the slightest chance for Raymond Magras’s valiant Dufour 34 “Speedy Nemo”, which had to make do with being runner up leaving David Cullen’s J 109 “Pocket Rocket” take third place.

The amazing J 122

Battling throughout the week against the splendid Swan 45 “Puffy”, belonging to the event’s godfather Patrick Demarchelier, the fast and daring “little” J 122 “Lost Horizon” skippered by the sailor from Antigua, James Dobbs triumphed this evening by achieving a fourth victory. Neither the strong breeze, not the heavy swell, which was sometimes very messy, nor the squally interludes seem to have affected Dobbs and his men, who found just the right tactics to overcome the power of the Swan and to see the name of their racing machine on the list of winners at this first edition of the “Voiles de Saint-Barth”.

galerie_282

Voiles de Saint Barths (Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

What they said:

Robert Velasquez (L’espérance) :  ”Great week! great races! We’ll be back next year! My lads were fantastic and we’re really pleased to have won this first edition of the “Voiles de Saint-Barth”, by in fact winning all the races…”

Karl James (Sojana) : “We had a great fight with Rambler. There were some tough encounters as we rounded the marks. We really enjoyed this week of sailing, with a very fine crew, who enabled us to get the most out of Sojana. Now, I’m moving on to another giant, Ranger, the big J Class boat that will be racing in Antigua against her eternal rival Velsheda…”

Some choice words from Loïck Peyron (Sojana): “2009 was a strange year; for the first time in thirty years, I didn’t sail across the Atlantic!  I was awarded the “Red Cap, I’ve been anointed. Now I’m a real sailor!”

Ken Read (Rambler): “This great week of racing does not mean of course that we have forgotten about the loss of our dear friend, Peter Doriean. All the crew showed how professional they were throughout the races. We shan’t forget Peter. Life goes on. Rambler will be continuing to race in the States. As for me, I’ve got a lot of work waiting with the wonderful “Puma Ocean Racing” project.

Marlies Sanders, White Wings : “Our crew was deliberately made up of women.  There are sixteen of us in all under the control of our skipper Faraday Rosenberg. There is a fantastic atmosphere on board, with a great team spirit. Everyone helps each other all the time. We have been sailing rather like in a match race against Wild Horses, which is a W76 class that is absolutely identical to ours, except that she is in the hands of the men. So there is real rivalry between us. Our first day was not that great, as we were using it really to train, but we soon found our marks, finishing second in race N°2, and winning yesterday. The final day was therefore decisive, as if we had won it, we would have been on equal points with the boys and we would have won the event because of winning the final race. It almost happened!  There’s an extraordinary atmosphere ashore, as it seems that everyone was supporting us and wanted to see us win. This was a fantastic week and we’re already making plans to come back next year.”

galerie_300

Voiles de Saint Barths (Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

They were at the “Voiles de Saint-Barth” :

Loïck Peyron France – Sojana, Oman Sail

Lionel Péan France – Sojana

Jacques Vincent France – Sojana, L’Hydroptère

Peter Holmberg US Virgin Islands – Sojana

Gavin Brady – New Zealand Moneypenny, Malcazone Latino

Frazer Brown – New Zealand – Sojana – Extreme 40 Ecover

Ken Keefe – USA – Moneypenny, America’s Cup

Kimo Worthington – USA  Moneypenny, America’s Cup

Ken Read  - USA – Rambler, Puma Ocean Racing

Tim Dawson -USA –  Rambler

Justin Juggy Clougher – USA – Rambler, Volvo Ocean Race

Craig Alexander- Australia – Duende –  Classe 40 Kazimir partner

Justin Slattery – UK – Sojana – Volvo Ocean race

Tania Thevenaz -Switzerland- White wings, Tuiga

Overall rankings at the first edition of the Voiles de Saint-Barth

Classic (CLA) division after four races

1: “Wild Horses”, Donald Tofias ( (Classic / US) 5 points  (Race results: 1,1,2,1,)

2: “White Wings”, Faraday Rosenberg ( (Classic / US) 7 points  (Race results: 2,2,1,2,)

3: “Duende”, Randy West ( (Classic / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 14 points  (Race results : 3,3,3,DNC ,)

4: “Kate”, Philippe Walwyn ( (Classic / Great Britain) 16 points  (Race results: 4,DNS ,4,3,)

Multihull division (M2K) after 4 races

1: “Escapade”, Greg Dorland (  / US) 5 points  (Race results: 1,1,DNS ,1,)

Racing division (RAC) after 4 races

1: “Lost Horizon”, James Dobbs ( (J 122 / Antigua) 4 points  (Race results: 1,1,1,1,)

2: “Puffy”, Patrick de Marchelier ( (Swan 45 / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 8 points  (Race results: 2,2,2,2,)

3: “Black Hole”, Jeroen Hin ( (First 40.7 / Great Britain) 15 points  (Race results: 3,HTP ,3,3,)

4: “Malachite”, Pierre Mancy ( (A 40 / St Quentin Sailing Club) 17 points  (Race results: 5,3,4,5,)

5: “Lancelot”, John Shanholt ( (First 40.7 / US) 20 points  (Race results: 4,HTP ,DNS ,4,)

RACING CRUISING (R_C) division after 4 races

1: “L’esperance”, Robert Velasquez ( (First 45 F5 / Antilles Hollan) 4 points  (Race results: 1,1,1,1,)

2: “Speedy Nemo”, Raymond Magras ( (Dufour 34 / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 8 points  (Race results: 2,2,2,2,)

3: “Pocket Rocket”, David Cullen ( (J 109 / Ireland) 12 points  (Race results: 3,3,3,3,)

4: “Lil’e”, Tanguy Fox ( (Requin / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 18 points  (Race results: 6,4,4,4,)

5: “Thula”, Max Imrie ( (Baltic 39 / US) 19 points  (Race results: 4,5,5,5,)

6: “Corban”, Daniel Harper ( (Swann 42 / United States) 23 points  (Race results: 5,6,6,6,)

7: “Baladin”, Raphael Magras ( (Feeling 30 / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 30 points  (Race results : 7,9,7,7,)

8: “Ormeau”, Alain Charlot ( (Oceanis 473 / Club de Voile du Lac D’orient) 33 points  (Race results: 9,8,8,8,)

9: “Iznogoud”, Christophe Baudoin ( (Surprise / Ctre Nautique de St Barthelemy) 35 points  (Race results: 8,7,DNS ,HTP ,)

SUPER YACHT (SUP) division after 4 races

1: “Rambler”, George David ( (Maxi / US) 5 points  (Race results: 1,1,1,2,)

2: “Sojana”, Marc Fitzgerald ( (Farr 115 / Great Britain) 8 points  (Race results: 2,2,3,1,)

3: “Moneypenny”, James Swartz ( (Swan 601 / United States) 11 points  (Race results: 3,3,2,3,)

4: “Nix”, Nico Cortlever ( (X 612 / Switzerland) 17 points  (Race results: 4,4,DNS ,4,)

Nix Voiles de Saint Barths (Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)

Nix Voiles de Saint Barths (Photo by Christophe Jouany/Voiles de Saint Barths)