14/11/2012
The Hidden Side of Saint Barth...
Fast facts:

 

• Windward and leeward sides of the island
• Technical and tactical navigation
• Perfect weather conditions
• Manu Boulogne, Fred Moreau, teammates and adversaries
• Live race coverage on the Cata Cup website

The Formula 18 catamarans of the Saint Barth Cata Cup have been slicing through the waves in St Jean since this morning. Unstructured navigation allows the competitors to discover, or rediscover the fabulous bay with its tropical breezes, swells, and warm waters, but not forgetting it is also both technical and tactical when it comes to sailing.

 

Like most of the islands in the Antilles archipelago, Saint Barthélemy has its windward and leeward side. The bay of St Jean, on the leeward side, hosts the starting line for all of the races in this 5th edition of the Saint Barth Cata Cup. As a navigational zone, it is both technically and tactically challenging, with its own set of subtleties and complications. "To really read these waters well is not so easy," explains Gilles Reynal, who helps prepare the course. "Close to the islands like Frégate and Bonhomme, there are often surprises, and on the coastal itineraries, don't hesitate to get close to the shore... but not too close!" During the around-the-island tour on Saturday, the competitors will be confronted with every possible facet of Caribbean sailing.

Misleading Waters

After a start in the bay of Saint Jean for a 27-mile race, the first tricky passage to negotiate is at Tortue, to the east of the island. This is the moment when the fleet discovers the swells of the Atlantic Ocean. Sailing against the wind, with the swells, navigation will be like a veritable washing machine as far as Toiny, at the southeastern end of the island. That is the moment to unfurl the spinnaker for a wide tack for unrestrained sailing on the flat waters in the bays of Saline and Gouverneur, yet beware of traps to be negotiated.
From the south of the island to Colombier on the north-west coast, the principal pitfall is the bay of Gustavia, with its wind that turns and where one must not hesitate to provoke one's luck. On the final leg of the race that brings the fleet back to Saint Jean, the Formula 18s will sail back into the wind and swells. An itinerary that is as technical as it is tactical from start to finish

Perfect Weather Conditions

As for the weather, Saint Barth is once again a veritable paradise for the sailors, with the trade winds present as expected. Tomorrow, the forecast calls for 12 knots of wind from the northeast, with waves in the same direction as the wind. Yet one must face swells of up to six feet for a long coastal race of 25 miles.

Friday will be more tactical with winds predicted to be slightly decreased and swells a little more organized. On Saturday, for the around-the-island race, the conditions should be ideal with 15 knots from the east, and smaller swells.
"This is the dream of all race directors," confirms Didier Flamme, national technical advisor and race director. "Ideal conditions to organize the races so that the competitors can enjoy themselves as well as be challenged physically."

Teammates One Day; Adversaries The Next

Manu Boulogne and Fred Moreau placed 11th in the most recent Formula 18 world championships. In Saint Barth, Manu Boulogne, 2003 world champion, and French champion Fred Moreau, are adversaries.... "I came to St Barth for the first time in 2007 for the first Saint-Barth Cata Cup," recalls Boulogne. "That regatta was the reverse of a world championship. Wonderful hospitality not found at any other regatta. We were barely here a half-hour when we realized we were not at a normal regatta! We felt as if we found a bunch of old friends on vacation! When you return to France, it's not the racing you talk about, but the ambiance. Five years later, it's still the same staff the same spirit of the event, and the same feeling!"

For Fred Moreau, this will be his first participation in the Saint Barth Cata Cup. "This is the regatta you want to go to. It's the end of the season, and there is no obligation for good results, and the location is extraordinary with the tropical sun and an ambiance that is the talk of the season during other regattas!"
In Saint Barth, even if these two men are complimentary about each other, the battle has begun. Manu, who will sail with his brother Vincent, says to keep an eye out for Fred, "one of the best teammates in the world," he says. "To sail with Fred is a great pleasure. Together we won a race at the world championships. He quickly analyses the situations during the race, and is a top technician. But we know who is going to win..."
The same admiration and respect coming from Fred, who is sailing Emmanuel Dode in this Cata Cup, "Manu is passionate, extremely competent, an excellent skipper, very easy to sail with, but we are not afraid..." The battle will be close, with the results of the first skirmish tomorrow afternoon after the first race at 2:45pm.

Formula 18 :
Due to their strict design specifications, the Formula 18 boats are the kings of racing catamarans. Those who race them are also found on the America's Cup circuit and important multi-hull sea races. A sport that is high-speed, tactical, technical, and spectacular. The boats are built by various shipyards: in the 5th edition of the Saint Barth Cata Cup the boats include Hobie Wild Cat, Nacra Infusion MKII, Cirrus R, Phantom, and C2, representing all of the latest generation of F18.

Specifications: Length: 5.52m; width: 2.60m; Sails: 21.15m²; Mainsail: 17.00m²; Jib: 4.15m²; Spinnaker: 21.00m²; Weight: 180 kg; Price: approximately 20,000 euros.

Saint Barth Cata Cup 2012 Schedule:
Wednesday, November 14: Registration and free navigation
Thursday, November 15: 2pm, Prix Design Affairs
7pm: Daily winners announced at Nikki Beach
Friday, November 16: 10am, Prix St Barth Assurances/Allianz
Saturday, November 17: 10am, Prix Re/Max
8pm: Daily winners announced at Nikki Beach
Sunday, November 18: 10am, Prix Marché U, the new supermarket!
7pm: Awards ceremony at Tamarin