Press releases
Saint Barth Cata Cup: Franck Cammas, A Prestigious Patron
On November 18, in less than a month, 57 teams of two will set sail in the Bay of Saint Jean for the 6th annual Saint Barth Cata Cup. And the surprise of this edition is that award-winning French sailor Franck Cammas will be on hand wearing two hats, one as competitor and one as patron of the event.
Franck Cammas, who has just won his first victory about a Nacra 17 with teammake Sophie de Turckheim, is indeed the official patron of the 6th edition of the Saint Barth Cata Cup. “This is quite an honor for us, the organizers of the event, and for all of the local racers to have such a high-level roster of renowned competitors, such as Franck Cammas, our patron. I am convinced he will love the ambiance on the shore as well as at sea. We have hoped he would race with us for a long time!” declares Vincent Jordil, one of the creators of the event, and also a participant.
Cammas, a noted French skipper from Aix-en-Provence, embodies high-performance sailing on an international level and fits perfectly with the image of the Saint Barth Cata Cup, if for no other reason than in 2008 he was vice-world-champion in the Formula 18 class. He recently took to sailing aboard a Nacra 17, embarking on a new challenge. “The F18 is not unlike to the boat that Sophie de Turckheim and I have been training on with an eye toward the Olympics in 2016,” confirms the French skipper. “The two boats are very similar in terms of size and surface of the sails. They behave almost the same way and one can easily move from one to other.”
The choice of a teammate was carefully considered: “Mathieu Vandame is also part of the French Nacra 17 team, as a duo with Audrey Ogereau, and is one of the best teammates on the market,” affirms Cammas. “He has already been world champion in this discipline. Mathieu is a true specialist of small multi-hulls. We sailed once together on Formula 18s, and because he is a pleasure to spend time with on shore and he is a champion at sea, I asked him to sail with me.” The duo have not made it a secret that they would like to win the Cata Cup, but are well aware of the high-level competition, especially from Gurvan Bontemps, Thierry Fouchier, Lucien Cujean, Emmanuel Boulogne, or his brother Vincent, and especially Enrique Figueroa, world champion and winner of last year’s Cata Cup.
The warm waters and authentic ambiance of the island attract numerous tourists as well as top sailors. “I know Saint Barth since I participated twice in the transatlantic race that arrives on the island,” notes Cammas, the “godfather” of the 6th annual Cata Cup. “It’s a great spot for sailing: there are the trade winds, a lot of little outlying islands, and the terrific tropical weather. In short, the conditions are ideal to have a great time out on the water. In addition, there is a super ambiance on shore, the people are very welcoming and the island is very beautiful: naturally that attracts the sailors. I am sure that we will really enjoy ourselves while there. The regatta will be tough and the boats will be very fast: that’s for sure! I am happy to be able to contribute to the development of this event.” Even after sailing around the world in many different races, top sailors cannot resist the charms of this island paradise…
Meanwhile In Europe…
However, before enjoying all that Saint Barthélemy has to offer the devotees of these little sports catamarans, all the elements for a successful event must be put into place by the organizers… the purchase of tickets, working with sponsors, finding housing, among numerous other things. .
Set Cargo is taking care of the logistics for transporting the boats from Europe to the Caribbean: the Formula 18s are put into containers thanks to a helping hand from the company, Boulogne Conception Marine.
The loading of the containers started on October 11 in Toulon and continued on October 23 in Rouen. The cargo should leave on Saturday, October 26 for the West Indies, with three weeks allowed for arrival in Saint Barth. The traditional opening on the containers will take place on Tuesday, November 19 with the help of RMP Caraïbes, and the boats will finally be able to enjoy the warm waters of the Caribbean!
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November 24, 2013
Steadiness paid off for the duo Cammas/Vandame (Hotel Guanahani 2) who won the 6th edition of the Saint Barth Cata Cup beating Bundock/Van Leeuwen (Hotel Guanahani 1) and the Boulogne Brothers (Allianz-Saint Barth Assurances). The Formula 18 sailors aboard Guanahani 2 were able to remain in the top four from the very first moments of the regatta.
November 23, 2013
Two races around the island of Saint Barthélemy were on the schedule for this third day of the 2013 Cata Cup. The Boulogne brothers, after some serious battling out on the water, were the winners of the RE-MAX Prize.
November 22, 2013
The second day of the regatta, sailed under the colors of Allianz-Saint-Barth Assurances, was very busy: the race committee launched all 55 boats for two fantastic races. Cammas and Vandame (Guanahani) were the day’s winners, taking the lead over the rest of the fleet for the first race, while the Hainneville brothers (Hotel Association) won the second race.
November 21, 2013
Darren Bundock and Jeroen Van Leeuwen are the winners on this first day of regattas in the bay of Saint Jean. These two sailors succeeded in maintaining a lead over Franck Cammas and Mathieu Vandame for the second half of the race.
November 20, 2013
On Wednesday, the sailors in the Saint Barth Cata Cup made the last adjustments to their boats as they checkout out the race itineraries. The event organizers and volunteers finalized the registrations, while Thursday is a big day: the 55 teams hit the waves in the bay of Saint Jean for the first day of racing.
November 18, 2013
This week started off on a good foot for the participants of the Saint Barth Cata Cup. They got a great gift: sea containers… full of their boats!
October 14, 2013
In less than a week, 100 passionate Formula 18 racers will gather in Saint Barth for the Saint Barth Cata Cup. While the participants are packing their bags, their boats are crossing the ocean on a cargo ship. As for the Cata Cup organizers, they are finalizing the last details to make sure that the sailors and their families enjoy the warm welcome typical of the island.
Monday, October 28, 2013
On November 18, in less than a month, 57 teams of two will set sail in the Bay of Saint Jean for the 6th annual Saint Barth Cata Cup. And the surprise of this edition is that award-winning French sailor Franck Cammas will be on hand wearing two hats, one as competitor and one as patron of the event.
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Where is “The Place To Be” on November 18-26, 2013? Saint Barthélemy, of course, as that is when more than 60 Formula 18 catamaran racers from around the world will take part in the Saint Barth Cata Cup, a regatta that features both the conviviality of the island’s residents and high-level nautical competition in a natural setting that can’t be beat.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Crystal clear water, white sands, coconut palms, and light tropical breezes: that describes the island of St Barth, the lustrous pearl of the French Caribbean where the Saint Barth Cata Cup will take place November 18-26, 2013. This regatta has become such a highlight of the Formula 18 class that the registrations for 2013 were completely filled within 8 minutes and 34 seconds after they were opened: a record time that speaks for itself!
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