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.
 

.

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′

 

Share on Facebook

 

 

A “Wrong Way Around” race wrapped up sailing today at the four-day St. Barths Bucket Regatta, and it was more colorful and full of goodies than a child’s Easter basket. Thirty six superyachts in four classes (Grandes Dames, Mademoiselles, Gazelles and J Boats) circumnavigated the French West Indies island of St. Barths, giving Bucket fans on shore and at sea an awe-inspiring view of some of the largest and most beautiful and technologically advanced yachts sailing in the world today.

 

The race course, which covered 21 to 26.4 nautical miles (depending on the class), reversed Friday’s “Around the Island” journey and put boat handling skills to the test right off the bat with a downwind start. All but the J Boat class adhered to a “pursuit-style” racing format, requiring each yacht to time its run to the gun for a separate pre-determined start time and hoist a spinnaker as soon as possible after crossing the starting line — the theory being that if all crews in each class sailed equally well, aboard their varied yachts of different speeds, they would meet at the finish line all together.

 

The theory worked especially well today in the 18-20 knot breezes, with yachts barreling down on the finish line, drawn again by their giant spinnakers, within minutes – sometimes seconds — of each other.

 

In the Mademoiselles class, the 55 meter schooner Adela, built by Pendennis and helmed by Dennis Conner, maintained her regatta-long position at the top of the scoreboard with a second-place finish today. Adela was presented with the St. Barth’s Bucket trophy as the regatta’s overall winner. The 45 meter Dubois designed Salperton IV, skippered by Shirley Robertson with Cameron Appleton in the afterguard, won today’s race to claim second overall, while another Dubois design, the 50 meter Zefira, took third overall.

 

In the Grandes Dames class, the 48-meter Georgia, built by Alloy Yachts, claimed overall victory by crossing the finish line first in her class today. Georgia’s Captain Brent Daw said that his yacht, conceived as the ultimate family world cruiser, has seen many ocean miles since she splashed in 2000, thus she is going into the yard for a refit after the Bucket.

 

 

“We sailed steady and cautious like the hare and the turtle, and we were the steady turtle,” said Daw, who came aboard as skipper of the yacht only three months ago. He added that the crew had to sail intuitively, since the majority of them are new to the boat. “The team is more of an organic group, a mix, nationally, of South Africans and Kiwis,” he said explaining that Chris Dickson, of America’s Cup fame, is helming. “The owner lives on board and loves a great day on the water. He is thrilled!”

Claiming second place overall in this class, with a fourth today, was the 54 meter Perini Navi Parsifal III, while the 38 meter Axia, which was presented with both the All Star Crew Award and the Wolter Huisman Memorial Spirit of the Bucket Trophy at this regatta, finished third overall after posting a third for today. The winner of the Vitters Shipyard Seamanship Trophy was also from this class: the Perini Navi Zenji.

 

One of the biggest stories on the water today was in the Gazelles class, where the 45 meter Visione, the 38 meter Perini Navi P2, and the 30 meter Cape Arrow were all tied with six points going into today’s race. Trailing only one point behind was the Royal Huisman-built Unfurled, which won today’s race to upset the apple cart and claim overall victory in the class. P2, which took home the Perini Navi Cup, took second today to claim equal points (8) with Unfurled but conceded for a second-place finish overall, after tie-breaking rules were applied. Visione and Cape Arrow finished third and fourth overall, respectively.

 

This was a historic event for the J Class, as it was the first time five of them have graced the same starting line since 1937. Hanuman, built by Royal Huisman, proved unbeatable throughout the three days, winning handily over the line and on corrected time in the first two of three races held here. Today, Lionheart edged out Hanuman by just two seconds at the line, but Hanuman still prevailed on corrected time to leave Lionheart in second overall. Velsheda, Ranger and the Holland Jachtbouw built Rainbow followed in third through fifth places, respectively.

 

Winning the King’s 100 Guinea Cup for Thursday’s “extra day” race for J Boats at the Bucket was Hanuman. The top Corinthian J with an amateur owner/helmsman to win the Corinthian King’s Cup was Lionheart.

 

“The owner was thrilled,” said Bouwwe Bekking, who called tactics on Lionheart. “This was his fourth regatta ever, and he has done remarkably well. For today’s race, it was neck-and-neck with Hanuman after 26 miles. We knew that with them that close to us they would win, but we had to get our nose out there to win line honors. We loved that we got the gun.”

 

Bekking said that having the J Boats sailing fleet-style in their own group in the same regatta as the superyachts, which were sailing pursuit-style, worked perfectly. “It was great that we had our own start procession, it wouldn’t have worked any other way. To maneuver these boats is way harder, so the emphasis on safety is good. It was really incredible, and we owe a great thanks to the Bucket Committee and the J Class organization.”

 

Every year the Bucket Organization devotes a portion of its entry fees for a worthy cause in St. Barths. This year, a donation in the amount of 18,000 euros was made to the St. Barths Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program.

 

Next year’s event is scheduled for 27 – 30, March 2014

 

Results, Photos, Barby’s Blog and more http://www.bucketregattas.com

 Media Pro International’s Barby MacGowan is reporting daily from St. Barths.

Complete results, photos, Barby’s recaps and more: bucketregattas.com/stbarths/

Special Awards 

OVERALL WINNER of the 2013 ST BARTHS BUCKET          ADELA

 

 

SKULLDUGGERY CRAVAT WILD HORSES

ALLOY YACHTS TROPHY GEORGIA

ALL STAR CREW AWARD presented by Holland Jachtbouw AXIA

WOLTER HUISMAN MEMORIAL SPIRIT OF THE BUCKET TROPHY AXIA

PERINI NAVI CUP    P2

VITTER’S SHIPYARD SEAMANSHIP TROPHY     ZENJI

Share on Facebook

 

 

“Main-mast staysail up. Do not unfurl. Raise your hands if you hear me.” Captain Tony Brookes calmly called his instructions into a hand-held from one of his dual on-deck navigation stations near the aft quarter of Athos, the 62 meter Hoek-designed Holland Jachtbouw that he commands. His crew with headsets faithfully obeyed, shooting their hands in the air before quickly jumping into action. So went the day that started with pouring rain and segued into one of the windiest here yet, taking the wind gauge to 28 knots and Athos to speeds as high as 15.8.

 

The owner and his rep Gary Veenman from Holland alternated at the helm, giving each other much-needed breaks from the giant wheel that played tug of war with them. Three trimmers scooted among the 40-some-odd crew, working the joy sticks on their remote control “God boxes” that controlled the hydraulic operations of winches for hoisting and dropping sails as well as sheeting them in and letting them out. For someone who normally sails 40-footers, it surely would have been something strange and wonderful to behold, but for those who regularly sail in this rarified world of superyachts it was just another approach to racing one of the most magnificent sailing yachts on the oceans today.

Athos’s closest competitor today in the Mademoiselles class at the annual St. Barths Bucket was the 55 metre twin-masted Adela, the steel hulled Dykstra designed Pendennis build that represents a historically significant salvage and rebuild of the 1903 original. Adela had won this 10-boat class yesterday, the first day of racing, and won again today, crossing the finish line first, after the traditional pursuit start had the smallest and slowest boats starting first and the larger and faster boats starting at specific time intervals afterward to try and catch up. Athos, which had finished seventh yesterday, was quite pleased with a second-place finish after being fifth in the pursuit-start lineup. That moved them to fifth overall behind Zefira, Salperton, and Lady B.

 

“No one caught us from behind and we passed two others, so we must be doing something right,” said Athos’s Brookes. “It was a hard-work race today. Windy and wet, and everyone’s uncomfortable but they still have to concentrate on the job they are doing. We had some problems (with the spinnaker hoist) but we dealt with them. It was more like the North Sea instead of the Caribbean there for a while.”

 

Aboard Adela, Kim “Shags” Morten conceded that the Adela team can sail well in any direction and in any conditions because they have the choice of sails to make the right calls in any given situation. “Our biggest competition is Athos; we think it comes down to the crew performance,” said Morten, adding that he has competed in every Bucket to date, the last three on Adela. “We now have top-of-the-line sails, a carbon fiber mast and a team that has sailed together in the last three superyacht regattas.”

 

In Grand Dames class, Georgia rose to the top of the scoreboard after taking today’s race. Blue Too, which was leading going into today, retired after a crew was injured and fell to seventh with a finish score today of 13.

 

In the Gazelle class, Visione maintained its first position overall with a fifth-place finish today. However, they are tied on point score (6) with both P2 and Cape Arrow, with Unfurled only one point behind.

 

Hanuman claimed another bullet, its third, in the J Boat class today. When asked what was different about today, tactician Kevin Burnham joked, “Nothing, we won the race!” But in all honesty, the win didn’t come easy. “The biggest challenge in pushing that type of machine around the race course (in today’s conditions) is that stuff gets shocked-waved,” said Burnham. “We blew up a kite — it just exploded into a million pieces.”

 

The crews on all 36 Bucket boats are glad to be back on terra firma for tonight’s pirate-themed “Bucket Bash.” The party should do its part to prepare them for tomorrow’s Wrong-Way Around (the island) Course.

Results as of Saturday

PRELIMINARY PURSUIT as of 30 March, 2013 – UPDATED MARCH 31 0800
Race 2: Not So Wiggley Course

Saturday     30-Mar-13             PRELIMINARY

Start Sequence: B
Results: Race 2                     Results: Cumulative

GRAND DAMES     (Long Course 27.2 nm)
Race 2     FINISH     TIME                     Race 1     Race 2     Race 3     Total
Points     TIME     Delta                     Points     Points     Points     Points     Rank
GEORGIA                      1     2:36:58 PM     0:00:00         GEORGIA           3     1           4     1
PARSIFAL III*           2     2:39:25 PM     0:02:27         PARSIFAL III           4     2         6     2
AXIA                               3     2:46:15 PM     0:09:17         PANTHALASSA           2     8         10     3
ZENJI                            4     2:48:42 PM     0:11:44         AXIA               7     3         10     4
ANDROMEDA LA DEA     5     2:51:48 PM     0:14:50         ZENJI               8     4         12     5
PANTHALASSA* **     8     2:54:09 PM     0:17:11         SALUTE           6     7         13     6
SALUTE           7     3:13:48 PM     0:36:50         BLUE TOO           1     13         14     7
LUNA               8     3:15:05 PM     0:38:07         ANDROMEDA LA DEA     9     5         14     8
ROSEHEARTY           9     3:15:51 PM     0:38:53         SILENCIO           5     13         18     9
MALTESE FALCON     10     3:22:00 PM     0:45:02         LUNA               10     8         18     10
BLUE TOO           13     DNF     N/A         MALTESE FALCON     11     10         21     11
SILENCIO           13     DNF     N/A         ROSEHEARTY           13     9           22     12

MADEMOISELLES     (Long Course 27.2 nm)
Race 2     FINISH     TIME                       Race 1     Race 2     Race 3     Total
Points     TIME     Delta                     Points     Points     Points     Points     Rank
ADELA                 1     2:46:45 PM     0:00:00         ADELA                 1     1           2     1
ATHOS               2     2:51:57 PM     0:05:12         ZEFIRA               4     3         7     2
ZEFIRA               3     2:54:32 PM     0:07:47         SALPERTON           2     6         8     3
KOO               4     2:56:12 PM     0:09:27         LADY B               3     5         8     4
LADY B               5     2:57:36 PM     0:10:51         ATHOS               7     2         9     5
SALPERTON           6     3:04:39 PM     0:17:54         KOO               10     4         14     6
WILD HORSES           7     3:08:22 PM     0:21:37         SARAFIN’           6     8         14     7
SARAFIN’           8     3:08:40 PM     0:21:55         PRANA               5     10         15     8
SYMMETRY           9     3:11:55 PM     0:25:10         WILD HORSES           8     7         15     9
PRANA                 10     3:21:03 PM     0:34:18         SYMMETRY           9     9           18     10

GAZELLES         (Long Course 27.2 nm)
Race 2     FINISH     TIME                     Race 1     Race 2     Race 3     Total
Points     TIME     Delta                     Points     Points     Points     Points     Rank
UNFURLED           1     3:03:21 PM     0:00:00         VISIONE           1     5           6     1
REBECCA           2     3:05:24 PM     0:02:03         P2               2     4         6     2
CAPE ARROW           3     3:06:24 PM     0:03:03         CAPE ARROW           3     3         6     3
P2               4     3:07:13 PM     0:03:52         UNFURLED           6     1         7     4
VISIONE           5     3:10:12 PM     0:06:51         REBECCA           8     2         10     5
INDIO               6     3:11:44 PM     0:08:23         INDIO               4     6         10     6
LEOPARD3           7     3:16:27 PM     0:13:06         CHRISCO           5     8         13     7
CHRISCO           8     3:16:42 PM     0:13:21         LEOPARD3           7     7         14     8
BAIURDO VI           10     DNS     N/A         BAIURDO VI           9     10           19     9

* 5 MINUTE PENALTY FOR OVER THE LINE EARLY
** PANTHALASSA TOOK A 20% SCORING PENALTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH SI 18.2

Race 1: Around the Island

Friday     29-Mar-13

Start Sequence: C
Results: Race 1

GRAND DAMES     (Short Course 17.0 nm)
Race 1     FINISH     TIME
Points     TIME     Delta
BLUE TOO           1     2:06:51 PM     0:00:00
PANTHALASSA           2     2:17:46 PM     0:10:55
GEORGIA           3     2:18:20 PM     0:11:29
PARSIFAL III           4     2:22:08 PM     0:15:17
SILENCIO           5     2:22:25 PM     0:15:34
SALUTE           6     2:24:35 PM     0:17:44
AXIA               7     2:24:48 PM     0:17:57
ZENJI               8     2:31:45 PM     0:24:54
ANDROMEDA LA DEA     9     2:33:55 PM     0:27:04
LUNA               10     2:38:20 PM     0:31:29
MALTESE FALCON     11     2:42:43 PM     0:35:52
ROSEHEARTY           13     DNS     N/A

MADEMOISELLES
(Medium Course 20.8 nm)
Race 1     FINISH     TIME
Points     TIME     Delta
ADELA                 1     2:15:18 PM     0:00:00
SALPERTON           2     2:18:07 PM     0:02:49
LADY B               3     2:23:35 PM     0:08:17
ZEFIRA               4     2:27:51 PM     0:12:33
PRANA               5     2:28:10 PM     0:12:52
SARAFIN’           6     2:29:28 PM     0:14:10
ATHOS               7     2:31:01 PM     0:15:43
WILD HORSES           8     2:33:05 PM     0:17:47
SYMMETRY           9     2:35:40 PM     0:20:22
KOO                 10     2:37:35 PM     0:22:17

GAZELLES
(Medium Course 20.8 nm)
Race 1     FINISH     TIME
Points     TIME     Delta
VISIONE           1     2:29:51 PM     0:00:00
P2               2     2:31:55 PM     0:02:04
CAPE ARROW           3     2:32:04 PM     0:02:13
INDIO               4     2:34:02 PM     0:04:11
CHRISCO           5     2:34:29 PM     0:04:38
UNFURLED           6     2:36:47 PM     0:06:56
LEOPARD3           7     2:37:43 PM     0:07:52
REBECCA           8     2:39:32 PM     0:09:41
BAIURDO VI           9     2:41:04 PM     0:11:13

FOLLOW THE J CLASS ON THE WATER: tractrac.com

J Class – PROVISIONAL as of Saturday 30 March
Race 1     Race 2     Race 3     Race 4     Total
Points     Points     Points     Points     Points     Rank
HANUMAN           1     1     1           3     1
LIONHEART     2     2     4           8     2
VELSHEDA     5     3     2           10     3
RANGER     4     5     3         12     4
RAINBOW     3     4     6           13     5

Saturday     30-Mar-13
Results: Race 3             Course Type:     CR
Wind Range:     Heavy
Start Time:     11:00:00 AM     Approx Dist:     29.4 nm

FINISH     ELAPSED     CORRECTED
Rating     TIME     TIME     TIME     Rank
HANUMAN           1.017     2:01:44 PM     3:01:44     3:04:49     1
VELSHEDA     1.013     2:05:22 PM     3:05:22     3:07:47     2
RANGER     1.018     2:04:59 PM     3:04:59     3:08:19     3
LIONHEART     1.021     2:09:03 PM     3:09:03     3:13:01     4
RAINBOW     1.018     8:00:00 PM     9:00:00     DNF     6

Friday         29-Mar-13

Results: Race 2
Course Type:     CR
FINISH     ELAPSED     CORRECTED
Rating     TIME     TIME     TIME
HANUMAN           1.018     1:31:04 PM     2:31:04     2:33:47
LIONHEART     1.020     1:31:48 PM     2:31:48     2:34:50
VELSHEDA     1.014     1:32:50 PM     2:32:50     2:34:58
RAINBOW     1.020     1:34:24 PM     2:34:24     2:37:29
RANGER     1.015     1:35:14 PM     2:35:14     2:37:34

Thursday     28-Mar-13

Results: Race 1
Course Type:     WL
Wind Range:     Light
Start Time:     12:10:00 PM     Approx Dist:     12NM
FINISH     ELAPSED     CORRECTED
Rating     TIME     TIME     TIME
HANUMAN           1.028     2:21:59 PM     2:11:59     2:15:41
LIONHEART     1.029     2:24:42 PM     2:14:42     2:18:36
RAINBOW     1.034     2:28:09 PM     2:18:09     2:22:51
RANGER     1.012     2:31:38 PM     2:21:38     2:23:20
VELSHEDA     1.018     2:31:39 PM     2:21:39     2:24:12y

 

Share on Facebook

The 2013 St Barths Bucket Regatta action starts on March 28. This annual yachting spectacular will feature the latest in superyacht designs along with true classics. Thirty-five yachts are ready to join the festivities and racing.

Racing begins on Thursday March 28 when five J Class yachts head for the starting line. This will be the first gathering of five or more J’s since 1937!

Three more races are planned, with all yachts racing in four separate classes -Les Mademoiselles des Mers, Les Grandes Dames des Mers, Les Gazelles des Mers, and the J Class.

The largest yacht is the 88m Perini Navi built schooner Maltese Falcon. Eleven of the current entries are 50 meters or larger. Among new boats to the St Barths Bucket is the 31m Dubois Naval Architects designed Sarafin and the 31m Newport Bucket winner Indio.

The around the island courses create spectacular opportunities to view these breathtaking vessels under sail. The racing format has been modified somewhat, with the start times set so that the classes should finish together. This change is designed to make the racing both more competitive and safer.

Now in their 27th year, the Bucket regattas attract the crème de la crème of yacht builders from every sailing nation, with several builders boasting multiple entries. The “Big Five” sailing yacht builders (Perini Navi, Royal Huisman, Holland Jachtbouw, Alloy Yachts and Vitters) have for many years supported the Bucket Regattas, playing a meaningful role in growing the Bucket and helping maintain the non-commercial atmosphere, another significant hallmark of Bucket races.

One of Executive Director Tim Laughridge’s goals is to ensure that the renowned Spirit of the Bucket is retained while providing participants with great class racing. He’ll be helming Parsifal III and racing to win, but reminds everyone that the overriding theme is to sail safe and win the party!

The four class winners of the 2013 St Barths Bucket will each receive a Ship’s Bell Clock from Chelsea Clock.

J Class
Yachts (5)	LOA(m)	Type	Builder	Designer
Hanuman	42m	sloop	Royal Huisman	Dykstra Naval Architects
Lionheart	43m	sloop	Bloemsma/Claasen Jachtbouw	Hoek Design
Rainbow	40m	sloop	Holland Jachtbouw	Dykstra Naval Architects
Ranger	41m	sloop	Danish Yacht	Sparkman & Stephens
Velsheda	40m	sloop	Camper & Nicholson	Nicholson
les Gazelles des Mers
Yachts (9)	LOA(m)	Type	Builder	Designer
Baiurdo VI	35m	sloop	Abeking & Rasmussen	Gilles Vaton
Cape Arrow	30m	sloop	Southern Wind	Farr – Nauta
Chrisco	31m	sloop	CNB	Luca Brenta
Indio	30m	sloop	Wally Yachts	Frers Naval Architecture
Leopard3	30m	sloop	McConaghy	Farr Yacht Design
P2	38m	sloop	Perini Navi	Philippe Briand
Rebecca	43m	ketch	Pendennis	Frers Naval Architecture
Unfurled	34m	sloop	Royal Huisman	Frers Naval Architecture
Visione	45m	sloop	Baltic Yachts	Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design
les Mademoiselles des Mers
Yachts (10)	LOA(m)	Type	Builder	Designer
Adela	55m	schooner	Pendennis	Dykstra Naval Architects
Athos	62m	schooner	Holland Jachtbouw	Hoek Design
Koo (non spin)	43m	sloop	Vitters Shipyard	Dubois Naval Architects
Lady B	45m	sloop	Vitters Shipyard	Dubois Naval Architects
Prana	52m	sloop	Alloy Yachts	Dubois Naval Architects
Salperton IV	45m	sloop	Fitzroy Yachts	Dubois Naval Architects
Sarafin’	31m	sloop	Oyster/RMK Marine	Dubois Naval Architects
Symmetry	29m	sloop	Yachting Developments	Frers Naval Architecture
Wild Horses	24m	sloop	Brooklin Boat Yard	Joel White
Zefira	50m	sloop	Fitzroy Yachts	Dubois Naval Architects
les Grandes Dames des Mers
Yachts (12)	LOA(m)	Type	Builder	Designer
Andromeda La Dea	48m	ketch	Perini Navi	Perini Navi
Axia	38m	ketch	Palmer Johnson	Sparkman & Stephens
Blue Too	34m	ketch	Alloy Yachts	Ron Holland Design
Georgia	48m	sloop	Alloy Yachts	Studio Scanu Sri Butch
Luna	52m	sloop	Perini Navi	Perini Navi
Maltese Falcon	88m	schooner	Perini Istanbul	Dykstra Naval Architects
Panthalassa	56m	ketch	Perini Navi	Ron Holland Design
Parsifal III	54m	ketch	Perini Navi	Ron Holland Design
Rosehearty	56m	ketch	Perini Navi	Ron Holland Design
Salute	56m	sloop	Perini Navi	Ron Holland Design
Silencio	50m	ketch	Perini Navi	Perini Navi
Zenji	56m	ketch	Perini Navi	Ron Holland Des

.

Share on Facebook

Seventeen spectacular yachts competed for Bucket honors under sunny Newport skies. Blessed with beautiful New England weather, well sailed races were completed on each of the regatta days. The winds were light and challenging but the yachts all rose to the challenge.

Indio’s consistent good sailing brought them to the podium to accept class and overall honors. The 102 foot Frers designed and Wally built sloop won both races in the very competitive Gazelles class.

 

Sejaa was well-sailed on both days and won top honors in the Mademoiselles class. A good light air boat, conditions were on their side. The Grandes Dames trophy went to Tenacious - another well sailed yacht.

 

Saturday’s race presented light but very sailable conditions and the Race Committee sent all  classes  on more lengthy courses. The Gazelles had a 26nm course and the Grandes Dames and Mademoiselles were sent on a 22nm one. The course was set to challenge all with beat, run and reaching legs. The tacticians rose to the challenge and the best sailed boats rose to the top. The first four boats crossed the line within 45 seconds, making for a very exciting finish.

Sunday’s weather projections were for very light air, with some saying that the Bucket would be very lucky to get a race underway. After a half hour delay the wind did fill in and two short courses were set. The Gazelles were sent on an 11nm course and the other two classes on a 9nm one. Halfway through the race the breeze abated, making it of a bit of a struggle for some, but the racers hung in there and sailed their very best.

Race Director Peter Craig remarked that despite the light conditions, there were “two fun races, and as is usually the case, the best sailed boats were on the podium.”

Bucket Regattas are famous for their 26 years of shoreside fun and camaraderie. The 10th edition of the Newport Bucket was no exception. Friday and Saturday night socials at the Newport Shipyard marquee were filled with enthusiastic partygoers. Live music kept people dancing and the laughter and libations were in great supply! The ALLY Foundation was honored on the first night and their supporters and organizers joined in the welcoming celebration.

The Sunday awards ceremony took place at Salve Regina’s beautiful Ochre Court Mansion. A gorgeous sunset and gleaming crystal trophies made for a lovely presentation. In addition to the coveted perpetual Bucket trophy, Indio received a spectacular custom inscribed Mariner Chelsea Clock. Second and third place overall winners received beautiful Ship’s Bell Chelsea Clock trophies.

 

Special Trophies were awarded to three very deserving yachts. The Wolter Huisman Memorial Spirit of the Bucket Trophy was presented to Lady B. Both ashore and on the water, their hospitality, enthusiasm and energy were in evidence. The Vitters Seamanship Trophy was awarded to MITseaAH in recognition of their great sportsmanship. Last but not least, the Chippewa Bomb was awarded to Wild Horses for their creative and fun “branding” of the other yachts.

For More Newport Bucket Regatta Photos click  HERE 

For All the Results in Detail click HERE

 

Share on Facebook

 

Newport, RI — The Newport Shipyard is buzzing as captains and crews prepare their yachts for the tenth edition of the Newport Bucket. Classic and contemporary superyachts are gathering for a weekend of racing and socializing.

Racing begins Saturday August 25 in the beautiful waters of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. Executive Director Tim Laughridge expressed his delight at the impressive turnout: “2012 will add a classic chapter to the Bucket history. These superyachts are always a magnificent sight under sail and there’s no more beautiful place to sail than Newport.”

Seventeen yachts ranging in size from 72 to 156 feet will compete in three classes: Les Gazelles des Mers, Les Grandes dames des Mers, and Les Mademoiselles des Mers. Daily and series class trophies will be awarded with overall honors going to the top three yachts in the combined fleet. In addition to the coveted perpetual “Bucket” trophy, the overall winners will receive beautiful custom inscribed Chelsea Clock trophies.

Racing in her first Newport Bucket is the beautiful148 foot sloop Lady B. The Vitters Shipyard built, Dubois design, captured second overall and class honors at the St Barths Bucket last March. A familiar and favorite local yacht is the W-Class Wild Horses.

A Bucket hallmark is the focus on the friendly competition and fun socializing on shore. The “Spirit of the Bucket” is unique and time-honored with a storied 26 year history. The nightly parties begin at the Newport Shipyard with a welcoming party that honors The ALLY Foundation www.allyfoundation.org/

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Bucket Regattas the Bucket committee commissioned a beautiful coffee table book highlighting the Regattas’ evolution. The Bucket Book is spectacularly illustrated with dynamic photography photos of the various regattas in Nantucket, Newport and St Barths taken over the years. Included also are memories and anecdotes from those involved – organizers, sponsors, owners, guests, crew, and spectators. For more information and to place your order bucketregattas.com/25thbook.html

ENTRIES for 2012

Les Gazelles des Mers Yachts (6) Type Builder Designer LOA Hanuman Sloop Royal Huisman Dykstra & Partners 138 ft Indio Sloop Wally Frers 102 ft Lady B Sloop Vitters Shipyard Dubois 148 ft P2 Sloop Perini Navi Briand 125 ft Rambler Sloop McConaghy Reichel-Pugh 100 ft Rebecca Ketch Pendennis Shipyard Frers 138 ft Les Mademoiselles des Mers Yachts(6) Type Builder Designer LOA Fearless Sloop Alden Hellenberg 72 ft MITseaAH Sloop Pendennis Shipyard Pedrick 156 ft Sejaa Sloop Chantier Naval Judel & Vrolijk 83 ft Sorcerer II Sloop Cookson Frers 95 ft Timoneer Ketch Vitters Shipyard Dubois 144 ft Wild Horses Sloop Brooklin Boatyard White 76 ft Les Grandes Dames des Mers Yachts (5) Type Builder Designer LOA Altair Sloop Derecktor S&S 96 ft Bolero Sloop Nevins S&S 74ft BooToo Sloop Pendennis Shipyard Holland 89 ft Keewaydin Ketch Palmer Johnson Yachts John G. Alden 108 ft Tenacious Sloop Trident Shipwork Ted Hood Design 115 ft

Share on Facebook

- 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.

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… 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”.

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.”

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,)

Share on Facebook

They wanted it and they got it! After the pleasure of the strong contrasts of the first day of the very first edition of the Voiles de Saint Barth, where they found the wind they were looking for and some demanding conditions, the 23 crews taking part really wanted to get going again this morning. They quite simply wanted to be out on the water as soon as possible to line up at the start between the Sugar Loaf and Saint-Jean Island, so they might enjoy another day of sailing, which they knew would prove to be exceptional.

With the promise of a well-established easterly trade wind blowing at twenty knots or more being fulfilled, as soon as the starting gun was fired a little after eleven this morning local time, the tone was set and the crews had to do their best with the sail choices they had made to get the most out of their boat in the breeze. The final buoy in the harbour entrance in Gustavia saw some real acrobatics out on the water, when the wind strengthened from the nearby hillsides to send some off course and others to come to a sudden standstill. With everyone hiking out, and with the seaspray flying, the whole fleet soon disappeared, moving well away from the coast heading for Nègre Point. The sea was whipped up by the powerful trade wind into a choppy mess, and as they approached Coco Island and the Soube Rocks, the waves built to reach almost three metres in some places. Nothing could disturb however the serenity of the big boats racing, led over this first stretch of the 35-mile long course by the amazing all-woman crew of the Class W 76 “White Wings”. “Rambler” and “Sojana”, were fully satisfied in these conditions, which were able to reveal their full potential. They kept within a few lengths of each other, accompanied by “Puffy”, the Swan 45 belonging to Patrick Demarchelier, which could really take advantage of these conditions and the incredible J 122 “Lost Horizon” which came here from Antigua. Today’s course led the fleet in what were spectacular conditions around the whole island and its rocky isles, before finishing in beauty with a long downwind run windward of Forked Island…

Interview with Loïck Peyron:
Why did you decide to come and sail here?
You can’t explain it. It just seemed the obvious thing to do; St. Barts is a picture postcard location. I usually only end up in the West Indies at the finish of a transatlantic race, and with all the tiredness that has built up, I normally want just one thing and that is to go home as soon as I can. This week, I can really enjoy my stay. There’s the wind, blue seas, and some fine boats… Hardly anything has in fact changed since the last time I was here ten years or more ago. Just a few more big boats. It’s a fantastic place. We’re really fortunate to be able to sail in the Caribbean.

Does this event, the Voiles de Saint-Barth offer you a break in your calendar?
The timing is just perfect for me. I’ve just had a really great time and have been through a great adventure. It was a fabulous period in my life being with one of the best sailing teams in the world with Alinghi just a few weeks ago. This week I’m taking a little break. And I’ll soon be starting the new season on small, very fast catamarans with the Oman Sail team in the framework of the Extreme 40 Championship in Europe, and on the D35s on the Swiss lakes.

Oman Sail seems to be very dynamic?
There’s a lot going on with Oman Sail. I’m lucky to have been with them for over a year now. Oman has a real maritime history and it’s interesting to see them finding this past again with their nautical traditions. The Oman sailors are keen to learn. It’s time for me to share my modest experience.

So here you’re taking part aboard Sojana…
Sojana is a very elegant monohull, which belongs to a very elegant gentleman with a nice personality.

I’d already seen the boat in Saint-Tropez and now I’m discovering her from the inside; I like the way she sails so smoothly without any pressure. Peter Holmberg is at the helm. He was also a helmsman for Alinghi. So there are two former helmsmen from Alinghi aboard Sojana. Everything is very serious on board, as with such a big boat any mistake is serious. You really need to pay attention to every little detail. I’m in charge of trimming at the mizzen mast, and I work in close collaboration with the helmsman. The whole crew has a very high level. We’re battling it out with a real racing boat, Rambler, and it’s a huge challenge. With a little more wind, 20 knots, we hope to be able to get up there with them.

What do you think about the Voiles de Saint-Barth?
The setting is magnificent. If the Voiles de Saint-Barth didn’t exist, someone would have to invent it. It’s in place now and they have intelligently brought together all sorts of boats. It’s fascinating watching them all sailing together. Everything that makes sailing so interesting can be found here and the concept has a great future ahead of it.

What they said:
Jacques Vincent (Sojana): “The English speakers on board and there are a lot of them, were amazed by the course, which was much more varied and interesting than during the Bucket regatta. The boats are able to show what they can do in the strong trade wind, and Sojana has shown off her superb qualities in every point of sail. We were up to eighteen knots under gennaker. The heavy swell on the windward side of the island did not worry us at all, as our hull seems to cope very well with these conditions. The atmosphere on board is very calm. It’s one of the characteristics of the boat’s owner, Peter Harrison. We have a top class guest on board, a certain Loïck Peyron, who is in charge of trimming at the mizzen mast…”

Tania Thevenaz (White Wings): There are three French speakers in this all-woman crew aboard the big classic yacht, White Wings, one from Quebec and one from Switzerland, and the blonde sailor Tania Thevenaz: “We are very close in terms of performance and quality to our sistership Wild Horses. Yesterday we did not make any mistakes in wind conditions that were at the limit for us. It was a challenge that the girls rose to, in spite of manoeuvres being tough in the powerful trade wind. We really enjoyed ourselves on these varied courses, which enable us to visit all the hidden secrets of the island. We’ve really got into the “Voiles de Saint-Barth” and we’re going to continue to improve throughout the week…”

Peter Holmberg (Sojana): I was one of the first skippers that Luc Poupon contacted to take part in the Voiles de Saint-Barth. It seemed like an interesting concept to me. I wanted to lend a hand to get the event going. I’m pleased to be here.

Each island has its own race and St. Barts seems to me to be a major sailing festival, an occasion, which brings together all sorts of different yachts, which is a very good thing for our sport.

We selected a very fine team with Peyron and some top notch racers. Yesterday we didn’t make any mistakes. The longer the race, the more chance we have. We’re in a pattern of strong trade winds, which is good for Sojana.

The Voiles de Saint-Barth seems to have found its footing. The Committee has come up with some great courses. The starts were clear and safety came first out on the water… I’ll give them a very high score. Back on the island, there was a very relaxed atmosphere last night with some nice music. Once again it was a great success.

St. Barts has grown very wisely. It has kept its personality. St. Barts is unique, a special place. It is magnificent here with some really friendly people. I’ve seen a lot of changes on some islands, as these islands are where I come from, and I can say that the development of St. Barts has been carried out very intelligently.

Richard Mille, Headline partner to the Voiles de Saint Barth commented . “The organisers of the Voiles de Saint-Barth can be proud of many things, not least the fact that they managed to convince and charm Richard Mille to join up as a partner to this first edition. Designed in Brittany, it is in Breuleux, near la Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland that the designs by this technical enthusiast come to life. Bringing together efficiency, artistic design and manufactured using a process and materials that are really special, Richard Mille watches, which are all finished by hand, enabled high class watchmaking to enter the 21st Century. Richard Mille watches are rare objects, the result of careful work to reach the absolute peak of excellence and to achieve the total perfection that their designer is looking for. Objects which you live, and you feel sensually, they bring along in harmony the latest hi-tech materials to satisfy not only a quest for beauty but also absolute comfort, offering a very light feel. Work on the shapes, the choice of materials and showing patience and taking his time, Richard Mille inspects them himself to approve them, refusing the slightest blemish to ensure these unique watches please a demanding and knowledgeable clientele. Far removed from the industrial processes, Richard Mille, who chose to name one of his creations “Les Voiles de Saint-Barth”, occupies a niche market for exceptional timepieces. ”

 

Groupe Classic (CLA) après 2 courses
1: “Wild Horses”, Donald Tofias ( (Classic / Etats Unis D’am) 2 points
2: “White Wings”, Faraday Rosenberg ( (Classic / Etats Unis D’am) 4 points
3: “Duende”, Randy West ( (Classic / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 6 points
4: “Kate”, Philippe Walwyn ( (Classic / Grande-Bretagne) 9 points
Groupe Multicoques (M2K) après 2 courses
1: “Escapade”, Greg Dorland ( / Etats Unis D’am) 2 points

Groupe Racing (RAC) après 2 courses
1: “Lost Horizon”, James Dobbs ( (J 122 / Antigua) 2 points
2: “Puffy”, Patrick de Marchelier ( (Swann 45 / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 4 points
3: “Malachite”, Pierre Mancy ( (A 40 / C V de St Quentin) 8 points
4: “Black Hole”, Jeroen Hin ( (First 40.7 / Great Britain) 9 points
5: “Lancelot”, John Shanholt ( (First 40.7 / Etats Unis D’am) 10 points

Groupe RACING CRUISING (R_C) après 2 courses
1: “L’esperance”, Robert Velasquez ( (First 45 F5 / Antilles Hollan) 2 points
2: “Speedy Nemo”, Raymond Magras ( (Dufour 34 / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 4 points
3: “Pocket Rocket”, David Cullen ( (J 109 / Irlande) 6 points
4: “Thula”, Max Imrie ( (Baltic 39 / Etats Unis D’am) 9 points
5: “Lil’e”, Tanguy Fox ( (Requin / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 10 points
6: “Corban”, Daniel Harper ( (Swann 42 / United States O) 11 points
7: “Iznogoud”, Christophe Baudoin ( (Surprise / Ctre Nautique de St Barthelemy) 15 points
8: “Baladin”, Raphael Magras ( (Feeling 30 / Saint Barthelemy Yacht Club) 16 points
9: “Ormeau”, Alain Charlot ( (Oceanis 473 / Club de Voile du Lac D’orient) 17 points
Groupe SUPER YACHT (SUP) après 2 courses
1: “Rambler”, George David ( (Maxi / Etats Unis D’am) 2 points
2: “Sojana”, Marc Fitzgerald ( (Farr 115 / Great Britain) 4 points
3: “Moneypenny”, James Schwartz ( (Swann 601 / United States O) 6 points
4: “Nix”, Nico Cortlever ( (X 612 / Suisse) 8 points

Share on Facebook