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Perini Navi Cup Book: The most beautiful images from the Perini Navi Cup

April 28, 2011

A hundred and eighty three pages to tell the story, through breathtaking photographs, of one of the most exclusive and evocative events in sailing: the Perini Navi Cup. The book- on sale in the best Italian bookstores- was born from the desire on the part of the Group to share the emotions and the highlights of the third edition of their regatta, a highly anticipated event in the nautical world.

Perini Navi Cup Book: The most beautiful images from the Perini Navi Cup

Perini Navi Cup Book: The most beautiful images from the Perini Navi Cup

The book is loaded with photographs, witnesses to the extraordinary meeting of technology and elegance that characterizes Perini Navi yachts with the forces of nature. The Perini Navi Cup- that will be held this year from September 1-4 in Porto Cervo, Sardinia- is not only a performance-oriented regatta, but also a time for admirers of Perini style to get to know each other and share the sense of belonging to the large “Perini Family” and the values that distinguish it.

The photographs in the book are by Carlo Borlenghi, Giuliano Sargentini and Camila Bertoldo. Text is by David Glenn, Tork Buckley, Matteo Zaccagnino and Synersea.

First held in 2004, the Perini Navi Cup is an event dedicated exclusively to Perini Navi yachts which race head on head in the waters around Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda. The second and third editions of this regatta were held in 2006 and 2009.

With a fleet of 51 yachts on the water- 50 sailing yachts and one motor yacht- the Perini Navi Group  is the world leader in the design and construction of large sailing yachts. In 2007 the Group also began to build motor yachts with the brand name Picchiotti and the series name Vitruvius, thus re-launching the historic Picchiotti shipyard acquired in the early 1990’s. The Group is made up of the Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio, founded in the 1980’s by Fabio Perini who invented and developed a revolutionary automatic sail control system. Another division is the Picchiotti shipyard in La Spezia where the Group constructs its motor yachts and concentrates most of its refitting work, and the Perini Istanbul shipyard in Yildiz, Turkey where its hulls and deck structures are produced. Perini Navi USA is a commercial division of the Group through which owners of Perini Navi Group yachts can arrange charters and find brokerage services for both new and previously owned Perini Navi Group yachts.

Dates confirmed for Les Voiles St. Barth 2012

April 19, 2011

With the extremely successful 2011 edition of the Les Voiles de St. Barth recently completed, the organizing team is already hard at work focusing on the third edition of this major Caribbean yachting event, Les Voiles St. Barth 2012. The dates of April 2 – 7, 2012 have officially been announced to competitors on the 48 boats that, this year, took advantage of idyllic conditions on the waters off St. Barth.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 © Christophe Jouany

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 © Christophe Jouany

“Everyone was so pleased with the concept of four days of racing in brilliant sunshine and windy conditions combined with a day to enjoy all the sybaritic pleasures of life ashore,” said Event Organizer François Tolède.  “It all but guarantees the success of the 2012 Les Voiles de St. Barth.” Ken Read (Newport, R.I.), skipper of the Maxi yacht Rambler 100, which won the 2011 event, has encouraged the organisers “not to change a thing, as it all seems perfect to me.” But Tolède, along with Race Logistics Director Luc Poupon and with the support of all the event partners, is determined to come up with an event that is even more festive ashore and just as “perfect” out on the water.

Short music video of action aboard race winner Rambler 100 at Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Credit: Amory Ross / Les Voiles de St. Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 brought together 48 yachts from 20 nations and in five classes. The event concept that delighted the sailors, skippers and owners, enabled just over 400 sailors to race on a wide range of courses around the island of St Barth and to enjoy some relaxation in the Caribbean sunshine once ashore.

Thanks to steady, strong winds, and powerful seas, the dreamy backdrop of the island, and the warm sunshine of St. Barth, the Les Voiles de St. Barth event was, in the words of several of the sailors who took part, “the ideal place to start the spring racing season.” From well-known yachtsmen Bruno Troublé, Jim Swartz and George David to top professional sailors Gavin Brady, Peter Holmberg and Bouwe Bekking, all 2011 participants look forward to next year’s edition of Les Voiles, with a fleet of racing and Maxi yachts that promise to continue growing.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011: Second Edition a Wrap

April 13, 2011

The Weather Gods blessed St. Barthélemy from April 5 – 9, taking care to offer more than 400 competitors from 20 nations and on 48 yachts a week of perfect Caribbean sailing during the Les Voiles de St. Barth. Dominating the conditions were trade wind breezes that ranged from 17 – 32 knots, a fairly gentle Atlantic swell, and blue skies.  After four days of intense racing, separated by one day reserved for competitors and friends to discover this quaint little corner of France, the second edition of Les Voiles de St Barth seems to have etched out a place in the growing list of “must do” Caribbean events.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Like for many new regattas, the best growth is slow and steady. The first edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth, in 2010, had 23 yachts, while this year the fleet grew to 48, and with positive reports coming back from competing sailors, that number can only grow. “What’s not to like?” was the commonly asked rhetorical question.  After winters in both the U.S. and Europe produced record snowfall and cold temperatures, an April trip to St Barth was a no-brainer for most.

The week kicked off with an opening ceremony and cocktails at the festive Race Village on the Quai General de Gaulle overlooking Gustavia Harbor.  This year’s Godfather of Les Voiles de St. Barth, singer/songwriter and sailor Jimmy Buffet, welcomed the competitors in English and French, a bilingual touch that would run throughout the week. Each night featured live music by a variety of bands along with tasty hors d’oeuvres provided by many of St. Barth’s finest restaurants.

Thinking already of 2012 ~

Event organizers Francois Tolede, Luc Poupon and Annelisa Gee were understandably pleased with the second edition of the event.  Tolede and his organizing committee are already busy planning for the 2012 Les Voiles de St. Barth. “We are well aware that we must continue and build on the event, following on the success of the 2011 edition,” said Tolede. “We are committed to excellence, both on the water and for the activities ashore.”

To counter balance the seriousness of the competition on the water, Les Voiles de St. Barth sought to highlight the friendly and festive spirit that presided over the event. “Imposing a day off in the middle of a week of competition was a gamble.  But it seems unanimous that this mix of good racing with maximum fun ashore is a good combination.”

While the sailors come here to make the most of the racing, the organizers are keen to showcase the St. Barth’s sybaritic pleasures, of which there are quite a few. Operation “gastronomy,” held on Friday evening, featured three of the top chefs on the island, and the mid-week party on the luxe Hotel Guanahani & Spa beach was emblematic of the successful spirit of Les Voiles.

Tolede emphasized the unrestrained involvement of the partners and suppliers and said, “The spirit that prevails at Les Voiles de St. Barth is thanks to all of our partners who believed in our concept.  Team organization, sponsors, suppliers; they are all deeply thanked, and we’ll meet again in April 2012!”  Race organizers plan to announce the dates for the 2012 edition within the next month.

Review of the week by class ~

Rambler 100: “A beast”

Faced with a daunting opponent of similar size, the 97-foot Dubois-designed Genuine Risk tapped into its resources, both technical and human, looking to exploit any weakness in the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed maxi rocket ship Rambler 100.  A win of just two minutes on corrected time ensured Rambler 100 the advantage of the last race and consolidated its success.

Sailing Yacht Rambler at - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Rambler at - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Rambler 100, conceived and built for offshore racing and record setting, was partially crewed by Ken Read’s all-star around-the-world race team from Puma Ocean Racing, a group more accustomed to distance sprints.  According to skipper Ken Read, they came to St. Barth with some questions about their ability to perform on the shorter courses. “We are delighted with the way the boat handles and our ability to sail a hundred percent, even on the shorter courses,” said Read. 

No exercise proposed by technical director Luc Poupon and race committee chairman Jean Coadou could put off this giant maxi, which showed impressive power at all speeds on the often challenging routes between the islets and rocks, as well as on the long runs around the island.  Rambler finished 1-2-1-1 for the week, but still had a good sparring partner in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy-owned Genuine Risk.  “It was very difficult to win,” said Read.  “Genuine Risk is a well-sailed boat, with a lot of the Swedish America’s Cup team onboard.  It’s a canting-keeled boat, different from ours, but still high performance. We had our work cut out for us.”

On the final day, Rambler 100 scorched around the course in two hours elapsed time, with Genuine Risk finishing 11 minutes behind.   On corrected time, Rambler sorted out to only two minutes ahead of their rival to win the Maxi class. Sir Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 sailing yacht Sojana, with such sailing talent aboard as Peter Holmberg, Lionel Pean, Jacques Vincent and Brian Thompson, finished third overall.

Vesper pulls out of the trap

In the Racing class, much was expected from the confrontation between Jim Swartz’s TP52 Vesper, with a crew comprised of top American and New Zealand sailors (including tactician Gavin Brady), and Peter Cunningham’s Farr 60 Venomous, with an equally competitive crew (including Tony Rey calling tactics).

Sailing Yacht Vesper at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Vesper at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Also posing a threat was the gang of strong Corinthian Dutch sailors on Willem Wester’s Grand Soleil 43 OT Antilope, unbeatable on their rounds of the top Caribbean regattas this season, and Raymond Magras’ Speedy Nemo, second last year at Les Voiles and whose crew was rife with local knowledge.

The group did not disappoint, with close racing and multiple lead changes. Antilope won the first race in 30+ knot winds and rough seas, but Vesper was up for the fight. After tearing two headsails, they finished under mainsail alone and still managed a second in that race to keep them in contention.

Long around-the-island courses and downwind legs satiated Vesper’s quest for speed, but the crew of Antilope kept the pressure on, and the team had to settle in the end for second overall. Speedy Nemo moved up to third overall on the final day, edging past Venomous.

Well fought in Racing Cruising

The Racing Cruising class consisted mainly of production boats, designed for both cruising and racing. With 24 boats, it was the largest class (including both spinnaker and non-spinnaker entries), with representation from the Dutch, French and British, as well as those from the regional stage of Antigua, St. Martin, St. Kitt’s and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

It all came down to the final race, which went to The Netherlands entry Nix and skipper Nico Cortlever. Nix completed Saturday’s 23-nautical mile race in a little less than three hours, which itself was a thrill for Cortlever, who finished last at the 2010 event.  The Dutch could have taken a double billing at the top of this group if the excellent performance of skipper Frans Vandyk on the First 50 Black Hole had been maintained, but after a strong start to the week, a 6-4 at the end left them in third overall.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht NIX - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht NIX - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

 It was the determined James Dobbs and his relatively smaller J/122 Lost Horizon that showed perseverance to finish second. Dobbs, who began the week short on crew, found a couple of sailors and then lost them to prior commitments and minor injury. Then randomly, he lucked into a group of six competent female French sailors, whose prior race ride fell through.  They joined Lost Horizon mid-regatta and helped move it up in the standings with a first and a second at the end of the week, to finish second overall.

Mariella’s joie de vivre

Carlo Falcone was jubilant after leading Mariella, his venerable 1938 Bermudian yawl designed by Alfred Mylne, to victory in the Classic class. Four yachts competed in the class, which included Donald Tofias’ sleek W76 White Wings, skippered by Faraday Rosenberg. Falcone, who lives in Antigua, races with a crew of family and friends, which included the senior statesman of the event: an enthusiastic and very nimble Henry Pepper, who will turn 89 in May. Third overall was the stunning dark-hulled gaff yawl, Kate Dutch Sailing Team from St. Kitt’s.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Mariella - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Mariella - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

 The Multis in a breeze 

Five multihulls competed this year: three catamarans and two trimarans.  It was John Winter’s 55-foot catamaran Fat Cat that prevailed to win over Stephane Penigaud’s St. Barth entry Bordelo, which ended up second.  In third was Erick Clement’s go-fast 40-foot trimaran Dauphin Telecom.  Meanwhile, the class suffered some dropouts with Lloyd Thornburg’s Gunboat 66 Phaedo suffering damage to their boom before the start of race one, and Herve Marolis’ Blanca losing her mast in race two.

What they said ~

Jim Swartz – Vesper, Racing class winner

“Today’s race (race four) was fantastic.  We went around the island, and it was very challenging; I think we used most of the sails in our inventory. It was a great day to be on the water. Last year we were third, and this year we came in first — I’ll always come back to St. Barth; anytime I have a chance I’ll be back.”

“The big attraction for me is the TP52s. There’s a group of 10-15 boats scattered through the U.S., and if we can get a group of them down here (the Caribbean) next year, that would be fabulous.”

 

Nico Cortlever – Nix, Racing Cruising class winner

“We are very happy that we did a good job here.  It was unexpected, because there is so much competition with boats that are on the same level. We were very lucky, I think. Our crew sailed really well. Next year, we’ll be here. The weather is great, the atmosphere great. There’s no reason not to be here!”

 

Ken Read, skipper – Rambler 100, Maxi class winner

On coastal course vs. windward-leewards: “Everything is cyclical. We’ve gone through a number of years with strict windward-leewards, and I think people get tired of it; I know I eventually did. I think these coastal courses are a blast. They are certainly horses for courses; the boats that get up and go on reaches certainly love these conditions even more. Quite frankly, I’m having fun not doing windward-leewards these days.”

On the boat and the Puma Ocean Racing Team: “This Rambler is clearly an animal…it’s a beast.  The old Rambler was a 90’ water-ballasted, big powerful boat. This boat is a whole new step.  One of the advantages of doing a race like this is I get to bring my VOR team, so the Puma Ocean Racing Team is here. It’s as much team building as it is learning how to sail boats like this. Obviously we’re here to try and win the event, but at the same time we’re learning more about each other. We’re about to spend a lot of time together in some pretty crummy conditions. So you really need to know people: what they’re all about, what button to push, or what not to push at certain times. So the combo of the Puma team and the Rambler team for these types of events has been successful so far, and everyone is getting along great.

About racing in the Caribbean vs. around the world: “After you come here to St. Barth, how do you actually step on another boat and sail into the middle of the Roaring Forties and dodge icebergs? That’s a good question.  I might have a mutiny on my hands, and there’s a pretty reasonable chance my wife is staying, and all of them (the crew) are staying as well, and I’m going to be sailing around singlehandedly!”

Carlo Falcone – Mariella, Classic class winner

“Mariella is an old lady, a little heavy. It takes a lot of wind, and that’s what we’ve had all week. It worked well for us, and we tried to make everything good wind speed. The result is excellent. I am sorry for our friend Donald (Tofias, skipper/owner of the W76 White Wings), but we have beaten them. We just have to rest our bodies, especially the liver, after all these festivities!”

Jerry Kirby, bowman – Rambler 100, Maxi class winner

“It’s fantastic! It reminds me of Antigua (Race Week) in the ‘70s. Anybody that isn’t at this regatta is missing probably the coolest regatta in the Caribbean. It’s got that feeling–it’s not crowded, it’s very intimate, and it’s unbelievable racing.”

Bruno Troublé - Sailing yacht SPIIP

“I was amazed to sail in St. Barth. The courses were wonderful; 20 knots all day. I will return, we had fun. We will return with a racing class boat.”

Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 Overall Results ~

MAXI/SUPER YACHT class (after 4 races)
1: Rambler 100, George David/Ken Read (Hartford, Conn./Newport, R.I.) 5 points
2: Genuine Risk, Hugo Stenbeck (USA) 7 points
3: Sailing yacht Sojana, Peter Harrison/Marcus Fitzgerald (GBR) 12 points
4: S/Y Highland Breeze, Albert Keularts (NED) 16 points
5: Sail yacht SPIIP, Robin de Jong (FRA) 20 points
6: S/Y Django Too, Christophe Righezza (FRA) 28 points
7: Icarus, Barry Duck (GBR) 28 points

RACING class (after 4 races)
1: Vesper, Jim Swartz (Park City, Utah, USA) 5 points
2: Antilope, Willem Wester (NED) 7 points
3: Speedy Nemo, Raymond Magras (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 16 points
4: Venemous, Peter Cunningham (CAY) 20 points
5: Mae-Lia, Raphael Magras (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 20 points
6: Technomarine, Christian Deredec (FRA) 26 points
7: Puffy, Patrick Demarchelier (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 28 points
8: Solano, Frederic Rialland (FRA) 32 points
9: Panick Attack, Jan Van Den Eynde (St. Maarten, W.I.) 35 points
10: Spirit Of Juno, Rory Faulkner (GBR) 43 points

RACING CRUISING class (after 4 races)
1: Nix, Nico Cortlever (NED) 8 points
2: Lost Horizon, James Dobbs (Antigua, W.I.) 10 points
3: Black Hole, Jeroen Hin (GBR) 13 points
4: L’esperance, Bobby Velasquez (St. Maarten, W.I.) 16 points
5: Affinity, Jack Desmond (Boston, Mass., USA) 21 points
6: Coyote 2, M Van Oranje 22 points
7: Hotel California Too, Steve Schmidt (USA) 26 points
8: Fenix, Moritz Burmester (GBR) 29 points
9: Shamrock, Thomas Mullen (Campton, N.H., USA) 36 points
10: L’ile, Mowgli Fox (FRA) 41 points
11: Thula, Max Imrie (USA) 45 points
12: Triton, Boyd Taylor 55 points
13: Costa Mesa, Pascal Rey (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 56 points
14: Corban, Dan Harper (USA) 58 points
15: Tanagra, Andre Gahinet (FRA) 63 points
16: Mr Walker, Danielle de Luca (FRA) 66 points
17: Sugar Cane, André Reese 67 points
18: Diamonds Are Forever, Annie O’Sullivan (GBR) 72 points
19: Lancelot, Serge Maziero (FRA) 72 points
20: Ormeau, Alain Charlot (FRA) 79 points
21: Splendido, Philippe Hervouet 83 points
22: ilost, Hennecke Stegweg (NED) 87 points
23: Aegir, Gerard Beck 90 points
24: Tara II, Henry Albert (GER) 95 points

CLASSIC class (after 4 races)
1: Mariella, Carlo Falcone (Antigua, W.I.) 4 points
2: White Wings, Faraday Rosenberg (Newport, R.I.) 8 points
3: Kate Dutch Sailing Team, Philip Walwyn (St. Kitt’s, W.I.) 12 points
4: La Sirene, David Pertel (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 17 points

MULTI-HULL class (after 4 races)
1: Fat Cat, John Winter (USA) 4 points
2: Bordelo, Stephane Penigaud (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 12 points
3: Dauphin Telecom, Erick Clement (FRA) 13 points
4: Blanca, Hervé Marolis (FRA) 21 points
5: Phaedo, Lloyd Thornburg (St. Barth, F.W.I.) 24 points

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011: Down to the Wire

April 12, 2011

As if to ensure that competitors had seen all the beaches and sights that St. Barth has to offer, race officers today sent the 48-boat Les Voiles de St. Barth fleet on its final circumnavigation counter-clockwise around the eight-square mile island: a 30-nautical mile course for the Maxis, and a 23-nautical mile course for the Racing, Racing Cruising, Classics, and Multihulls.  This morning, rain clouds scudded over the island, which by the 1100 start time caused some impressive shifts in wind direction and velocity on the right side of the race course. Once around the southern end of the island, the boats were into a 17 knot east-southeasterly with a three-foot sea. While it qualified as the lightest wind speeds for the week, it still ranked as great sailing conditions.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Rambler - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Rambler - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

At the Maxi start, it was “all to play for” for Genuine Risk (USA), which trailed Rambler 100 (USA) by one point in the overall standings. With the pin end heavily favored, the Dubois-designed 97 footer came down the line on starboard, crossing Rambler’s bow and tacking over to weather at the gun.  The first beat to the offset was more like a fetch, which the big boats easily laid. Around the east side of the island, with spinnakers set, Genuine Risk managed to draw even with Rambler.  Though Rambler’s skipper Ken Read explained how it had shredded its running spinnaker in practice before the regatta, the canting-keeled 100-footer didn’t appear to suffer too much and made it around the race course in two hours flat. The USMMA-owned Genuine Risk did a great job of keeping the pressure on and finished 11 minutes behind, missing out on beating Rambler on corrected time by only two minutes.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Sojana - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Sojana - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Peter Harrison’s sailing yacht Sojana (GBR) 115-foot Farr design, with a who’s who of sailing talent including Peter Holmberg (St. Thomas, USVI) and French sailing legends Lionel Pean and Jacques Vincent, was hard-pressed against the two maxis and turned in a steady performance with a string of third places for third overall.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Vesper - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Vesper - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

For the Racing class, a similar situation existed between Vesper (USA) and Antilope (NED), also a point apart. A win by Antilope would result in a tie that the Dutch boat would win in a count-back.  So in a bit of David and Goliath action, Antilope went after Vesper at the start line and tacked in front of them, trying to engage them in a match race on the first beat.  Vesper’s tactician Gavin Brady (Annapolis, Maryland) recalled that “before the start we talked about going after Antilope, and then decided to sail our own race. Then they came gunning for us!,” But the TP52 used its superior size and speed to make things difficult for the Grand Soleil 43 and managed to sail past its rival and push them back.

Brady described the somewhat tricky conditions, saying, “It was lighter today – well, 17 knots – so lighter for St Barth. We had a 40-degree wind shift in the rain shadow on the west side, and the breeze dropped to nine knots at one point. Then on the windward side there were some pretty big waves. We knew we couldn’t make any mistakes today. There were a lot of sail changes, and then we ripped one spinnaker and managed to nurse it into the bottom mark.” Vesper won Racing class overall with three wins and a second-place finish.

Local talent Raymond Magras, on Speedy Nemo (St. Barth), had a third-place finish today, which moved him up past Peter Cunningham’s Farr 60 Venomous and secured the team a third place overall.

In Racing Cruising, there were a handful of boats in contention for first overall going into the last race, including Nix, Lost Horizon, and Black Hole, and last year’s class winner L’Esperance from nearby St. Maarten. In the end, it was Nico Cortlever’s Nix (NED), with its second win of the week that prevailed.  James Dobbs’ J/122 Lost Horizon had been on a roll, moving up the rankings through the week, but was stopped just short of a win, correcting out today three minutes behind Nix to finish the week in second overall. Frans Vandyk’s chartered Beneteau First 50 Black Hole (NED) managed to tread water and maintain its third place overall.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht NIX - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht NIX - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

In the Classics, Mariella had it all but locked up for the overall win before today’s race.  The majestic Fife yawl slipped around the island in three hours, securing her four wins in four races for first overall ahead of Donald Tofias’ (Newport, R.I.) graceful 76-foot W-class yacht White Wings. David Pertel’s (St. Barth) La Sirene finished the week in third place overall.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Mariella - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Sailing yacht Mariella - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

The Multihull class began the regatta with five boats, and by the final day was almost down to the last man standing as John Winter (USA) on the 80’ Fat Cat continued his sweep of the class with a fourth bullet. Eric Coulombel’s (FRA) 40-foot trimaran Dauphin Telecom finished second overall.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

As the competing yachts crossed the finish line they were greeted by a tender manned with Les Voiles de St. Barth officials, who presented each of the crews with a bottle of Taittinger champagne – and thus putting a final French touch on a ritual that in other parts of the world involves iced cold beer.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Prizegiving

The prize giving took place at 6pm on the Quai General de Gaulle, where the winners of each class were presented their awards.

The winner of the Maxi class overall, George David from Rambler 100, was presented with a Richard Mille limited edition RM028 Voiles de St. Barth watch.

The winners of the Racing, Racing Cruising, Classic, and Multihull classes were presented with a week’s villa stay by WIMCO Villas and Sibarth Villas, which both specialize in luxury villa rentals.

Other awards were presented to class and daily race winners. The following event sponsors have supported Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011: 

Gaastra

Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy

Banque des Antilles Françaises

Hôtel Guahanani & Spa

Association des Hôteliers de Saint-Barthélemy

Comité Territorial du Tourisme de Saint-Barthelémy

Coca-Cola

Champagne Taittinger

Mount Gay Rum

Following the prize giving, there was a Fireworks display over Gustavia Harbor at 8pm and a concert by the band “Days of Wild” at 9pm.

What they said ~

Ken Read (in advance of today’s race)

We give Genuine Risk a little over eleven minutes per hour, right around that range; so in a 30-mile race, an hour and a half, maybe. These boats are pretty quick; it’s pretty phenomenal how fast you can get around the track. You’re racing against the clock more than you’re racing against the other boat. We have to get to a point where we hardly see them, that’s really kind of the goal.

We like to reach.  They are a little quicker dead downwind and we owe them a lot of time. That’s not a perfect point of sail for us; upwind and reaching, that’s great. We have one problem; we blew up our running spinnaker practicing and that’s kind of put us behind the eight ball. No matter what, it’s a good, fun race course – this is the classic race course, that’s what you come here for.

Yesterday we did a nice job, had a good first beat, first reach, first few legs, and developed a nice cushion for ourselves. The day before, we just didn’t sail very well. I think if we sail well, we should be in reasonable shape.”

Ralf Steitz, Strategist on Genuine Risk, and Offshore Sailing Director at USMMA Sailing Foundation

“Genuine Risk is owned by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Sailing Foundation in King’s Point, N.Y. We have a bunch of Swedish people on board. We’ve done a collaboration where we’ve raced in the Pineapple Cup, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and now St. Barth, and then we’re going to Antigua. We’re trying to get young people into sailing as much as we can, and have as much fun as we can.

“It’s spectacular sailing here in St. Barth…sailing around the rocks that are not in the right place. I know the rocks have been there for a long time, but the chart makers haven’t caught up. So, it’s entertaining, it’s fun, the conditions are awesome, the people are nice, and we’re having a ball! Today we’re going to stick it to the Rambler guys, we’re going to beat them and win the regatta – it’s perfect!

“We may lose some of the guys to the French women. They’re very beautiful, so the guys are very excited about that. They’re not used to nude beaches in the U.S., and in Sweden it’s too cold.

Jim Swartz, Vesper yacht:

“I’ve been here a number of times, but this is our second time sailing in this regatta; it’s one of my favorites really.  What’s not to like about the food, and everything French, so it’s a real treat. And the sailing’s fantastic: predictable winds, big seas, and blue water – its fabulous!

“We’re the new kid on the block, so we’ll have a run for right now, and then another boat will come along. But for now, it’s fun.

“The big attraction for me to get into the TP52’s? I like one-design racing, a box rule, where handicaps aren’t so important. There are a number of boats being built every year, and a lot of them are finding their way to the used market. There’s a group of 10-15 boats scattered through the U.S., and if we can get a group of them down here next year, that would be fabulous.”

Nico Cortlever, Sailing yacht Nix

“We are very happy that we did a very good job here; we didn’t expect it. There’s so much competition here, as equal qualities as we, so we were just lucky. The time difference (between the boats) is very small, so we are very close, and you know almost immediately how you did.

“We have an excellent team from my sailing club in Loosdrecht, The Netherlands. Yesterday we had a problem; we had a lobster pot under the keel. We couldn’t get it off, so we were only fourth. So, we had to be first today to win the overall.”

Place, Boat Name, Skipper, Race 1-2-3-4, Total Points

MAXI

1) Rambler 100, Ken Read (Newport, R.I.), 1-2-1-1, 5.0 points

2) Genuine Risk, Hugo Stenbeck (USA), 2-1-2-2, 7.0 points

3) Sojana, Marc Fitzgerald (GBR), 3-3-3-3, 12.0

RACING

1) Vesper, Jim Swartz (Park City, Utah), 2-1-1-1, 5.0 points

2) Antilope, Willem Wester (NED), 1-2-2-2, 7.0

3) Speedy Nemo, Raymond Magras (St. Barth, FWI), 4-5-4-3, 16.0

RACING CRUISING

1) Nix, Nico Cortlever (NED), 2-1-4-1, 8.0 points

2) Lost Horizon, James Dobbs, (Antigua, W.I.), 4-3-1-2, 10.0

3) Black Hole, Frans Vandyk (NED), 1-2-6-4, 13.0

CLASSIC

1) Mariella, Carlo Falcone (ITA), 1-1-1-1, 4.0 points

2) White Wings, Faraday Rosenberg (Newport, R.I.), 2-2-2-2, 8.0

3) Kate Dutch Sailing Team, Philip Walwyn (St. Kitt’s, W.I.), 3-3-3-3, 12.0

MULTIHULL

1) Fat Cat, John Winter (USA), 1-1-1-1, 4.0 points

2) Bordelo, Stephane Penigaud (St. Barth, FWI), 2-2-3-5, 12.0

3) Dauphin Telecom, Erick Clement (FRA), 6-3-2-2, 13.0

Antigua Sailing Week 2011: Maxi Priest to perform live

April 09, 2011

Antigua Sailing Week prides itself on delivering the sparkling racing conditions that have competitors grinning from ear to ear and the fun doesn’t stop ashore either. The Lay Day Eve is often the chosen night for race crew to let their hair down, during the regatta and everybody in Antigua is in for a rare treat.

Maxi Priest

Maxi Priest

The most successful reggae solo artist in the world, second only to legend Bob Marley, will be performing live on Tuesday 26th April at Antigua Sailing Week. Shirley Heights Lookout will be the stunning setting for the concert with panoramic views high above English and Falmouth Harbours and the magical Caribbean Sea beyond.

Maxi Priest has a distinctive style of reggae fusion with a huge string of hits on both sides of the Atlantic and around the globe. He is one of only two British reggae acts to have an American Billboard number one.  A duet with Roberta Flack reached the American Top Ten and his double act with Shaggy was also a big hit in the United States. Maxi Priest has had a long association with UB40, including a recent sell out UK tour. Maxi Priest last performed live in Antigua in 2008.

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Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011: Maxi sailing Yachts Genuine Risk and Rambler tied

April 08, 2011

Following two spectacular days of racing punctuated by strong breezes sweeping across the Caribbean, the Les Voiles de St. Barth shifted into “lay day” gear today. Understandably, the approximately 400 owners, skippers and crew competing here — on 48 boats from 17 countries — wanted to make the most of their stay on St. Barth, so some took advantage of the rest, relaxation and entertainment (including a remote-control sailboat regatta) offered at Nikki Beach resort on St. Jean Bay while others went off packing to enjoy some of the wonders the island has to offer.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

This second edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth is quickly growing into an event that looks to blend the competition with the natural surroundings to be enjoyed, and this rest day will give all teams a chance to recharge and start fresh for the last two days of racing, which start tomorrow.  There is a certain hierarchy, however, that has been established across the five classes over the first two days of the regatta.

Class standings to date

Maxis: Genuine Risk and Rambler tied

These super yachts are impressive and Rambler 100, described by skipper Ken Read as a “beast,” has set the lead.  Immaculate starts, well-executed maneuvers, and seamless tacks and gybes have been leading the huge Juan Kouyoumdjian design across the finish line first on elapsed time.  Ken Read and George David’s crew are taking it somewhat cautiously, as they are aware of just how powerful the boat is.  “It’s a different game altogether, and we’re still learning,” affirms Read.  Despite Rambler 100′s overall superiority, there is a real threat with Genuine Risk, the Dubois-designed 97-footer handled by Swedish America’s Cup specialist Hugo Stenback. While it’s near impossible to match speed with the Juan K rocket ship, Stenbeck plans to stick close to Rambler’s wake in order to make the most in terms of points overall.  The two boats are currently tied on three points.

Sailing Yacht Rambler at - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Rambler at - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Genuine Risk at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Genuine Risk at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Racing: Status quo

The highly competitive 50-foot class really shined in the big swell on the first days of racing.  The fleet held tight around the marks and upwind with Jim Swartz’s TP52 Vesper, under Gavin Brady’s (NZL) careful direction, leading overall. Tied on points is Dutchman Willem Wester’s Grand Soleil 43 Antilope, which has managed several top podium finishes at Caribbean regattas this season. Peter Cunningham’s Venomousand his all-star crew, led by tactician Tony Rey, are sailing on the powerful Farr 60, which they’re using until they move on to their “new” TP52: the ex-Russian Team Synergy.

Sailing Yacht Puffy at - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Puffy at - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011- Photo Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Local entries Raymond Magras’ Speedy Nemo (last year’s winner) and Patrick Demarchelier’s Swan 45Puffy are both sailing with locals and are attempting to limit their losses against the professionally crewed class leaders.

Racing Cruising: Nix and Black Hole Tied

The largest class in the fleet is the Racing Cruising, with 24 yachts. Wins in this class are hard-fought.  Two Dutch boats, Nico Cortlever’s Nix and Jeroen Min’s Black Hole, share the lead, each with a first and second place.  This leaves James Dobbs and his speedy J/122 Lost Horizon in third, with his immediate pursuer, Bobby Velasquez’s L’espérance, trailing in fourth.

Multis: first you have to finish

Class leader, John Winter’s 80-foot Morelli/Miller-designed Fat Cat, has suffered the least in the big and often crossed seas found on the northern areas of the courses. Blanca was dismasted yesterday and is out of the regatta, while the Gunboat Phaedo suffered damage to the boom on the first day and retired from the regatta as well.

Classics: Spritely for 80

What they lack in numbers they make up for in beauty. The Bermudian yawl Mariella, designed by Mylne, built by Fife and launched in 1938, has reveled in the strong, steady breeze off St Barth. Italian owner Carlo Falcone has enjoyed the opportunity of grabbing the lead over Donald Tofias’ classically styled W76 White Wings.  The majesty and elegance of these yachts grabs the attention of even the most modern sailor and is what gives Les Voiles de St. Barth a special element of charm.

Social Scene

Last night Les Voiles de St. Barth skippers and guests enjoyed a cocktail party hosted by the luxurious Guanahani & Spa hotel. The event included an auction to raise awareness and funds for Bay Kout Men Haïti, a non-profit organization set up in 1901 by people in the construction business to help rebuild the devasted Caribbean island.

François Tolède, event organizer of Les Voiles de St. Barth

“We feel that the idea that we offer here is the right recipe:  a mix of serious racing on the water and fun on shore, for the fleet of modern and classic boats of all sizes, on a really great sailing area with fantastic conditions, a dream for every sailor.  This event format is working and the word is spreading among competitors all over the world. We are going to have to be prepared for growing pains and keep a cool head as we build on our successes thus far.  We must maintain cohesion among the classes, maintain a balance between the competitive and fun aspects, as well as carefully consider our hosting capacity ashore and on-the-water. We must carefully consider all of these key points.”

Anne Lisa Gee, co-organiser of Les Voiles de St. Barth

“Everyone looks forward to a rest day, as much as they do to the perfect sailing conditions – it is in keeping with the spirit of what the owners and yachtsmen have come to look for in St Barth.  Everyone has been complimenting race organizers Luc Poupon’s and Jean Coadou’s choice of courses and we are getting the positive feedback from the sailors and owners who foresee a good future for the event.”

SCHEDULE

Racing continues on Friday and Saturday with a first warning signal at 1100. The closing ceremony and fireworks will follow the awards ceremony on Saturday, April 9.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011: Day 2 Déja vu all over again

April 07, 2011

The warm tropical breeze and clear blue sky is not lost on the sailors here at Les Voiles de St. Barth – especially those from the colder climes of the U.S. where spring has not quite yet sprung. Even normally jaded professional sailors were waxing on about the conditions here. Today offered 15 – 16 knots of breeze and a much reduced sea from yesterday, when many boats returned to the quay to lick their wounds and effect repairs, which included torn sails, broken head foils, and damaged rigging.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Day 2 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Day 2 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Ken Read, skipper of Rambler 100, said, “I was here last week sailing in the Bucket, and now here we are again: same weather, same conditions, it’s like Groundhog Day. You just come back here, and it blows hard and it’s beautiful weather. I haven’t worn a jacket yet, and I think I’ve been wearing this shirt for about a month now. You can’t find any better conditions to go sailing in.”

Yacht Rambler at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Yacht Rambler at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

At all four race starts, the groupings were much tighter as crews ramped up their performances and rivalries reared their heads: Rambler 100 versus Genuine Risk, Vesper versus Venomous, Black Hole versus Nix (versus Affinity today). Make no mistake, with the dock lines cast off, and the prior nights’ dustiness cleared away, whether amateur or professional, most sailors here are keen to win.

Sailing Yacht Vesper at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Vesper at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

The Racing Cruising class, the largest at Les Voiles with 24 entries, today was again sent on a 16 nautical mile course, which was much less punishing than yesterday’s opening race. “Today was less windy, less wavy, so we weren’t crashing into 10 foot waves,” said Jack Desmond (Marion, Massachusetts), owner of the Swan 48 Affinity. “We sailed a little more conservatively today, a little smarter. We only have nine crew and we’re pretty well organized being short-handed. Yesterday we ripped the number three jib and the spinnaker. We didn’t rip anything today, so all in all a good day, and not very expensive.”

Desmond went on to count off Black Hole, Nix and Fenix, as his primary competition. Fenix is a 14-year old Swan 60 from Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, whose prior event this season was the RORC Caribbean 600 where they were third in class. Skipper Mortiz Burmester felt the coastal courses suited the crew well, as they are a mix of amateurs and professionals. “So it’s nice to have some slow bear-aways around the rocks.”

Of the original five entries in the Multihull class, only Fat Cat and Bordelo are still competing. Today, Blanca, a 30-foot Seacart catamaran, lost its mast, while the 40-foot trimaran Dauphine Telecom and the 66-foot Gunboat Phaedo did not start.

Thursday, April 7 is a lay day, which will give the crews a chance to relax and enjoy themselves with a full and varied program of events planned at St. Jean Beach, including an RC (radio control) model boat regatta and lunch with music. Racing continues on Friday and Saturday with a first warning signal at 1100. The closing ceremony and fireworks will follow the awards ceremony on Saturday, April 9.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Day 2 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth.

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 Day 2 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth.

What they said

Peter Holmberg, Sojana

“We have a big boat and our priority is to sail cleanly, and not make any mistakes while getting the most out of Sojana. This requires a real team effort on board. The crew needs to remain focused. So we’re talking about remaining focused and sailing as a team. The results will depend on our ability to sail as intensely as we can.”

Ken Read, Rambler 100

“This Rambler is clearly an animal…it’s a beast. The old Rambler was a 90-footer, water- ballasted, a big, powerful boat. This boat is a whole new step. It’s really cool to sail the boat how we sailed it yesterday, really like a normal 50-footer, around the track. Every day is a new experience. You’re looking at the loads on a boat like this, the speeds and its’ potential, and the amount of water coming over the bow yesterday. It’s a dangerous boat, it’s a big powerful boat.

“Rambler 100 was made to sail out in the ocean, so sailing these quick little legs around here, it’s a whole new thing. It’s a different mentality, there’s actually some different equipment. We had a couple sails built for inshore, but the sail system broke in trials so we couldn’t even use it. It’s a whole new way of thinking on a boat like this. You have to have the best sailors you can find from bow to stern. Without that, you really could get in trouble fast. And when you get in trouble, somebody gets hurt. It’s a different mentality, it’s a different game altogether, and we’re still learning. We’re not perfect out there right now, but we’re still learning.”

It’s interesting, the bigger the boat, the fewer the sails you carry. Yesterday we went around the course with a mainsail, two jibs, one reaching spinnaker, and one running spinnaker, and that was it. And the main reason is it’s really hard to change sails on a boat like that. So each sail has a very, very wide range.”

School’s Out:

For one hundred elementary students from the islands’ schools in Gustavia, Columbier, and Lorient, today was a sanctioned day off to enjoy the races. Les Voiles de St. Barth committee organizers arranged for the children to go out on the Scoobidoo 75′ and 60′ catamarans to enjoy the sailing spectacle.

Social Scene:

Tonight the owners, skippers and friends are invited to a cocktail party hosted by the Hotel Guanahahi & Spa. The evening will also feature an auction of the original painting by artist Pati Guyot used for the official 2011 Les Voiles de St. Barth poster, with the proceeds going to benefit a school in Haiti.

St. Barth Facts:

The island is located over 5,000 miles from Paris and over 1,500 miles from New York. It’s small, just eight square miles. St. Barth’s fauna has an unusual diversity: iguanas, land and sea turtles, marine birds – the pelican is the mascot of the island – and hummingbirds.

Key information:

This is the second edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth. The event is hosted from April 4 – 9, 2011 by the St. Barth Yacht Club, which is affiliated with the French Sailing Federation and the Caribbean Sailing Association.

RESULTS:
Place, Boat Name, Skipper, Race 1-2, Total Points

MAXI
1) Genuine Risk, Hugo Stenbeck (USA), 2-1, 3.0 points
2) Rambler 100, Ken Read (USA), 1-2, 3.0
3) Sojana, Marc Fitzgerald (GBR), 3-3, 6.0

RACING
1) Vesper, Jim Swartz (USA), 2-1, 3.0 points
2) Antilope, Willem Wester (NED), 1-2, 3.0
3) Venemous, Peter Cunningham (CAY), 3-3, 6.0

RACING CRUISING
1) Nix, Nico Cortlever (NED), 2-1, 3.0 points
2) Black Hole, Jeroen Min (GBR), 1-2, 3.0
3) Lost Horizon, James Dobbs, (Antigua, W.I.), 4-3, 7.0

CLASSIC
1) Mariella, Carlo Falcone (ITA), 1-1, 2.0 points
2) White Wings, Faraday Rosenberg (USA), 2-2, 4.0
3) Kate Dutch Sailing Team, Philip Walwyn (St. Kitt’s, W.I.), 3-3, 6.0

MULTIHULL
1) Fat Cat, John Winter (USA), 1-1, 2.0 points
2) Bordelo, Stephane Penigaud (St. Barth, FWI), 2-2, 4.0
3) Dauphin Telecom, Erick Clement (FRA), 6-3, 9.0

Les Voiles de Saint Barth 2011: Day 1

April 07, 2011

The first day of racing at the 2nd edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth dawned with 25 knots of tropical tradewind breeze and showers sweeping over the picturesque French island located midway down the Caribbean chain. The regatta’s fleet of maxis, racing and cruising yachts, multi-hulls and classics – 48 confirmed on race day – set off on a race course around the nearby archipelago, and met with plenty of wind and bumpy seas, especially on the islands’ exposed eastern side.

You certainly couldn’t have asked for a prettier race course, which today sent fleets on jaunts of either 16-, 22-, or 25-nautical mile jaunts.  Most intriguing was the trip around the northern tip of St. Barth and through the nearby archipelago, which in a typically French way makes one ready for a meal with names such as Ile Chevreau (baby goat), Ile Fregate (bird), Ile le Boulanger (the baker), Ile Fourchue (fork), Grouper et Petite Groupers (fish), Le Boeuf (beef), and Le Pain du Sucre (sugarloaf).

Sailing Yacht Rambler at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Rambler at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Today’s later start at 1300 did nothing to diminish the wind and sea, as the first two classes off – Maxis and Multihulls – with eleven boats, started in 22 knots and encountered two meter seas and were sent on a 25-nautical mile course. George David’s Rambler 100 with Ken Read as skipper, got away at the pin end of the starting line and lead Hugo Stenbeck on Genuine Risk up into the outer harbor to an offset turning mark. Once around, Rambler set a huge asymmetric spinnaker and was on her way for the day.

On the eastern, and windward, side of the island the big boats reveled in the conditions which eventually topped out above 30 knots – Genuine Risk, with their combined crew Swedish/ American crew, recorded 30 knots of boat speed surfing downwind through the islands.

Sailing Yacht Genuine Risk at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Genuine Risk at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Also racing in the Maxi class was the 86′ CNB sloop Spiip, owned by Robin de Jong, who is making his way westward to Tahiti with the boat. Onboard Spiip is Bruno Trouble, well known for creating and overseeing the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series (for the America’s Cup) that originated in 1983. Trouble is racing at the regatta for the first time, and he said,”Les Voiles de St. Barth reminds me a lot of the early days of the Nioulargue with boats from all over the place taking part.  Things are going to really build and it is just great, it really reminds me of the first Nioulargue!”

Sailing Yacht Vesper at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Vesper at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

In the Racing Class, the crew work aboard Jim Swartz’s Vesper looked well-honed as the team traded tacks with Peter Cunningham’s Farr 60 Venomous (CAY) up the first short beat. Back on the quay, Venomous’ tactician Tony Rey recounted the day,”We had some great sailing   – St. Barth’s is such an awesome place to sail, every time you turn around an island, or a piece of land, the view just gets better and better. It’s just that the race course is a minefield because the wind twists and turns up the corners and the crevices – but it’s a fascinating place to sail! We also had the added challenge that our instruments went down, so we were guessing on our wind speed and direction, and guessing at our boat speed for part of it too, which turned us into good seat-of-the-pants sailors.”


Before scores were tabulated, though Rey suspects,”We think we were probably 2nd or 3rd, we’re pretty sure Vesper beat us handily, because downwind you just can’t stay with a boat like that.  We could have sailed better for sure, we left a few seconds on the race track, but generally we’re thrilled, it was a great day of sailing!”


In the 24-boat Racing Cruising class, the Swan 60 Fenix closely led Jereon Hin’s First 50 Black Hole (NED) after the first upwind beat. This class has a gamut of boats including two all-women entries, Annie O’Sullivan’s Diamonds Are Forever (UK), and Henneke Stegweg’s iLost (NED). As well, there are two Moorings 50.5 charter boats with two crews from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, headed up by Andre Beese and Patrick Festing. Both crews are comprised of friends and fellow Etchells sailors, who were originally headed to Antigua to race when a friend suggested they race at Les Voiles de St. Barth.


The Classics class, while low on numbers with just five boats, were high on style points with the 76′ W-class White Wings, the 80′ Fife yawl, Mariella, the 60′ dark-hulled gaff-rigged yawl Kate from St Kitt’s, and the 26′ Friendship sloop La Sirene, gracing the line.
Carlo Falcone, from Antigua, is a frequent competitor with Mariella in both classic and offshore races around the world, which he, more often than not, wins. He enjoys sailing in St Barts because it has, he says,”more European style than other parts of the Caribbean.”

The yacht was designed by American naval architect Alfred Mylne, and built by Fife in Scotland in 1938. As Falcone says,”The beauty of this boat is the mix of the two. Mariella is well sailed and immaculately maintained, and Falcone says, “I believe the more you use the boat the better it is. But it’s never-ending work – not buying the boat, but keeping it. They say, ‘the owners are just taking care of the boat until the next one.’” His regular crew is a mix of family and friends including his daughter Sylvia, his long-time navigator, 89-year old Henry Pepper (Marblehead, Mass), and crew from Italy, Australia and Dominica. Les Voiles de St.Barth is a way to prepare the boat for this summer’s classic yacht series in New England.

Sailing Yacht Highland Breeze at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

Sailing Yacht Highland Breeze at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth 2011 - Credit Christophe Jouany - Les Voiles de Saint-Barth

With a relatively new event, one may wonder what goes into the thinking for the course on day one. Following this morning’s skipper’s briefing, the, Les Voiles Race Committee Principal Race Officer, Jean Coadou offered some insight,”There were three main elements: the weather forecast, looking at the strength and direction of the wind around all of the islands. Also it was important with such a large fleet to avoid any boats crossing paths. And first and foremost, the enjoyment of sailing was a key factor. We try to ensure that the competitors encounter all the different points of sail, upwind, downwind and reaching. The idea is to come up with three hours of exciting racing each day; that is why the courses are around 30 miles in length for the fastest boats and 16 miles for the smaller craft.”


Key information: Les Voiles de St. Barth is being hosted from April 4 – 9 2011 by the St. Barth Yacht Club, which is affiliated with the French Sailing Federation and the Caribbean Sailing Association.

Racing will continue tomorrow, with a first warning signal at 1100. Thursday, April 7 will be a lay day, which will give the crews a chance to relax and enjoy themselves with a full and varied program of events planned at St Jean Beach.

Racing continues on Friday and Saturday with a first warning signal at 1100.


The closing ceremony and fireworks will follow the awards ceremony on Saturday, April 9.



RESULTS
Place, Boat Name, Skipper, Points

MAXI
1) Rambler 100, Ken Read (USA), 1.0 points
2) Genuine Risk, Hugo Stenbeck (USA), 2.0
3) Sojana, Marc Fitzgerald (UK), 3.0

RACING
1) Antilope, Willem Wester (NED), 1.0 points

2) Vesper, Jim Swartz (USA), 2.0 

3) Venemous, Peter Cunningham (US), 3.0 



RACING CRUISING
1) Black Hole, Jeroen Min (UK), 1.0 points
2) Nix, Nico Cortlever (NED), 2.0
3) L’esperance, Bobby Velasquez (St Maarten, West Indies), 3.0

CLASSIC 

1) Mariella, Carlo Falcone (ITA), 1.0 points

2) White Wings, Faraday Rosenberg (USA), 2.0
3) Kate Dutch Sailing Team, Philip Walwyn (St. Kitt’s, West Indies), 3.0

MULTIHULL
1) Fat Cat, John Winter, 1.0 points
2) Bordelo, Stephane Penigaud (St. Barth, FWI), 2.0

Pendennis Sailing Yacht Christopher and Classic Yacht Rebecca in dramatic St. Barth’s Bucket Regatta finish

April 06, 2011

A dramatic end to a fantastic week of sailing with two of Pendennis’ most iconic 40m plus sailing yachts battling for the lead on the final race day of last week’s St. Barth’s Bucket regatta. During the event, which celebrated 25 years of Bucket racing, recently launched SY Christopher and classic ketch SY Rebecca performed spectacularly, culminating in a nail biting downwind leg of the clockwise course with both yachts at the head of the 40-strong regatta fleet.

Christopher and Rebecca during the 2011 St. Barths Bucket Regatta Race 3.

Christopher and Rebecca during the 2011 St. Barths Bucket Regatta Race 3.

Sailing yacht Christopher was completed at Pendennis’ Falmouth facility early in 2011 and the 46m ketch flew through her first Atlantic crossing in 12 days, arriving in the Caribbean in good time to take part in the regatta.

Sailing yacht Christopher during the 2011 St. Barths Bucket Regatta Race 3.

Sailing yacht Christopher during the 2011 St. Barths Bucket Regatta Race 3.

Racing at the helm, designer Ron Holland commented, ‘Racing aboard Christopher, after she directly sailed across the Atlantic to St Barth’s from completion in Falmouth, presented potential challenges. Considering this, I was thrilled with her performance during the Bucket.

We found Christopher capable in all the conditions experienced. The highlight of the regatta was finishing alongside Rebecca on the last race. This was an exciting conclusion to the story of Christopher’s creation.’

Pendennis Yacht Christopher sailing in the 2011 St. Barths Bucket Regatta Race 2

Pendennis Yacht Christopher sailing in the 2011 St. Barths Bucket Regatta Race 2

Although the competition between the two yachts was intense, both raced in good spirit, with sailing yacht Rebecca taking the title in the ‘Les Elegantes des Mers’ class and Christopher finishing just behind her in fourth place. The regatta proved a great success for both yachts, and an excellent starting point for the Christopher adventure.

Pendennis Sailing Yacht Christopher Features:

• LOA 46m (150.9ft)
• Draft 3.8m (12.5ft keel up), 9.4m (31ft keel down)
• Beam 9.5m (31.2ft)
• Naval Architects Ron Holland Design
• Interior Design Ron Holland Design, Courtney & Co., Pendennis
• Owner’s Representative Duane MacPhail, Palm Beach Yachts International

The impressive yacht contains three staterooms and a study providing the Owners and their guests with accommodation for up to 12, with a further four cabins to sleep up to eight crew.

Pendennis Sailing Yacht Christopher Salon

Pendennis Sailing Yacht Christopher Salon

Pendennis Sailing Yacht Christopher Salon

Pendennis Sailing Yacht Christopher Salon

Sailing Yacht Rebecca Features:

• LOA 42.42m (139ft)
• Draft 4.5m (14.75ft)
• Beam 8.7m (28.5ft)
• Year 1999
• Naval Architects German Frers design
• Interior Design Robin Black

Ron Holland:

Ron Holland Design has maintained its market-leading reputation in yacht design and naval architecture for well over three decades. Their award-winning design team, headed by Ron Holland and Rob Doyle, is informed by the accumulated wisdom of hundreds of diverse, often pioneering projects.

Pendennis:

Pendennis has one of the world’s leading custom superyacht build and refit facilities. Building on hundreds of years of local maritime heritage, Pendennis has become one of Cornwall’s most important employers – with 350 highly skilled trades people based at their 6.5 acre prime water front location in Falmouth, UK. Recent infrastructure developments at the yard have seen their outer 75m dry dock completely enclosed and the addition of a 55m (L) x 17m (H) x 16m (W) covered tented space on hard standing in the centre of the yard. Both bring additional flexible undercover space for Pendennis to develop both new build and refit contracts. The current projects at Pendennis are:

Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011: 53 Sailing Yachts Ready for Event

April 05, 2011

The Carl Gustaf Hotel, high on the hill overlooking the main port of Gustavia, provided a great vantage point to watch the Les Voiles de St. Barth fleet slowly filling up the anchorage and quays in the main harbor of this idyllic French island. Boats continued to arrive throughout the day, while others took advantage of the day’s fresh easterly breeze to go through some crew manoeuvres and test sails.

View of Gustavia - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Photo Credit Susan Maffei Plowden

View of Gustavia - Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 - Photo Credit Susan Maffei Plowden

The luxury hotel was host to a press briefing where Michel Magras, Senator of the St. Barth Collectivity and Francois Paul Tolede, general manager of Les Voiles de St Barth organizing committee, welcomed the media. Tolede said, “For the second edition of the event we are really happy to see such a healthy entry list. We must congratulate ourselves for having been able to position ourselves amongst the great sailing events in the Caribbean.”

While the Caribbean has seen a resurgence of new yachting events, Les Voiles de St. Barth seems to have struck a chord among sailors – the regatta has seen entries rise from 23 boats last year, to 53 for 2011. The island turns on its charm easily, what with Jimmy Buffet as the event’s Godfather, and festive dockside entertainment each day for the 500 or so sailors on hand.

As for the racing, tomorrows forecast calls for easterly trade winds of 22 knots, providing a great start to the week. The island and surrounding archipelago offer a variety of courses from 14 – 37 nautical miles, something for all classes.

Racing begins tomorrow and continues through Saturday, with a lay day on Thursday. The international fleet includes over 50 boats – from 17 countries – entered in five classes: Maxi, Racing, Racing/Cruising, Classic, Multihull.

In the Maxi class, Peter Harrison’s (UK) 115-foot Farr designed ketch, sailing yacht Sojana  – a frequent competitor on the Caribbean circuit – will have a solid afterguard on board with Peter Holmberg at the helm, and French sailing legend Lionel Pean on tactics and navigation. Pean, who made his name in more solitary pursuits of singlehanded and around the world racing, has traded up to the comfort and camaraderie of a fully-fitted out boat such as Sojana. As for his return to Les Voiles, Pean said, “St Barth’s is very singular, you don’t have to move a mark, there are natural marks everywhere. You can design a very nice race course along the shore. It’s very exciting for the crew, and exciting for the viewing, and makes this event unique.”

More than a few competitors have made the regatta into a vacation, Pean included, “Last year I brought my family, it’s great, we spend a perfect week. There are beaches everywhere.”

The Maxi Class also includes Rambler 100 (US), chartered by George David, with Ken Read as skipper; the Swan 112 Highland Breeze  (NED) which has Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking on board; the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s Dubois 97’; Genuine Risk which has a mix of US and Swedish crew headed by Hugo Stenbeck; and the 86-foot CNB sloop, yacht Spiip.

The Racing class includes Jim Swartz’ (Park City, Utah) Vesper, returning for the 2nd edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth.  A frequent visitor to the island with his wife, he said, “I’ve always loved coming to St. Barth’s – I think it’s the single best place in the Caribbean.  It’s a great island, great people, great food, great sailing and when I heard about a regatta here, I said count me in!” Swartz’s “new” boat this year is the TP 52 Vesper, named – as all of his boats are – after James Bond movie characters. (Note to Trivial Pursuit players: Vesper Lynd was Bond’s one true love). Swartz has enlisted a formidable crew including Gavin Brady as tactician and Chris Larson on mainsheet.

Asked what draws him to Les Voiles, Swartz said, “It’s very much at the top of my list. It comes at a very good time, the transition from winter to summer, for those of us in the U.S.; it’s not overly crowded, the weather is spectacular, and it’s a great location.”

The Racing class includes Peter Cunningham’s Farr 60 Venomous (USA), with Tony Rey calling tactics, and Wilem Wester’s Grand Soleil 43 Antilope (NED) and James Dobbs’ J/122 Lost Horizon (ANT), both fresh from class wins in St. Thomas.

Nico Cortlever is the skipper of Nix (NED), a 60 footer from St Maarten, that is in the Racing Cruising class. Cortlever spends half the year racing in regattas throughout the Caribbean and spends his summers on the boat in the Mediterranean. The genial Dutchman has commandeered friends from his sailing club in Loosdrecht, a small lake south of Amsterdam, where they race Star boats and other small one-designs. He sails Nix with a crew of 12 friends, though he says, “They’re not all experienced, so we have to train and sort out positions. We’ve always raced in the BVI (British Virgin Islands), but it’s a long way to sail from St. Maarten; this is closer by, it’s a nice island, and everyone likes to come here.”

Key information:

Les Voiles de St. Barth will be hosted from April 4 – 9 2011 by the St. Barth Yacht Club, which is affiliated with the French Sailing Federation and the Caribbean Sailing Association.

Les Voiles de St. Barth officially begins on Monday April 4, 2011 with the registration and the official opening of the Race Village on Quai du Général De Gaulle in Gustavia.

The Race Committee, led once again by principal race officer, Luc Poupon, will signal the start of the first race at 1300 (local time) on Tuesday, April 5. Racing for the rest of the week (Wednesday – Saturday) will begin at 1100. Thursday, April 7 will be a lay day, which will give the crews a chance to relax and enjoy themselves with a full and varied program of events planned at St Jean Beach. The closing ceremony and fireworks will follow the awards ceremony on Saturday, April 9.

More than 50 yachts have registered for the Les Voiles de St. Barth 2011 and they will be split into five classes:

SUPER / MAXI YACHT: a prototype or boat produced in limited numbers measuring at least 21 metres (69’) in length.

CLASSIC: referred to as classic or traditional yachts, these boats must be at least 35 years old.

RACING: racing monohulls, designed specifically for coastal or offshore racing.

RACING/CRUISING: mostly series boats, which are designed for cruising and for racing.

RACING-MULTIHULLS: Racing multihulls, including trimarans and catamarans, between 30 – 60 feet in length, which are very light and fast.

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