Fast facts:

• An extraordinary tour around the island
• Enrique Figueroa wins the around-the-island race
• The best race in the world
• Last races tomorrow
• Live race coverage and videos on the Cata Cup website

Big smiles and the best of compliments: "Magnificent." "Sublime." " Staggering." "Turquoise water that "explodes" the retina," enthuses Emmanuel Dodé, a skipper in the Saint Barth Cata Cup and ophthalmologist in Paris. The around-the-island race was once again a unanimous success. The only small discord was about which bay— Gouverneur, Saline, or Public– won first prize for the color of its water!

For Erik Maris, a regular on the Exrem 40 world circuit, the Saint Barth Cata Cup is simply the "best race in the world." Nothing else to say!
And Erik Maris knows what he's talking about. With his teammate, Kinou Mourniac, led the fleet today for a great deal of the race, before stumbling on the last third of the course.
The best start, under winds of 15 knots, goes to Manu Dodé and Fred Moreau.
At the start of the race, from the first buoy as far as the leeward marker, Italians Simone Cartolari and Maurizio Stella and the Dutch duo of Mischa Heemskerk and Eduard Zanen took turns in the lead of the regatta.

But once they reached the Grenadins, to the northeast of the island, Frenchmen Erik Maris and Kinou Mourniac took the lead. Their black Cirrus, sailing under the colors of "Zoé," increased their lead in the backwash of Toiny.
Sailing through the turquoise waters of Saline and Gouverneur, Maris and Mourniac took an even further lead. The suspense of the race would be played out during the descent under spinnaker toward Gustavia.
Even if Maris and Mourniac were still in front as they went around the buoy near the capital of the island, their lead had been considerably reduced.

Second Around-The-Island Race For Figueroa

And they weren't counting on the duo of Kiké and Kéki Figueroa: Both are named Enrique Figueroa—they have the same first and last name without actually being related. They took advantage of the difficulties at Colombier to sail into the lead. Lucid, determined, and especially gifted at understanding and analyzing the navigational conditions, Kiké increased his lead over the challengers and won the around-the-island race for the second year in a row.

"The end of the regatta was purely tactical," explains Kiké. "We remained concentrated uniquely on controlling the fleet. That was not so easy with winds that were rather capricious in strength as well as direction."
For Erik Maris, who finished in fourth place, the disappointment was compensated by the race itself. "The course is fabulous, the water conditions were perfect; I don't know of anything else like this and I wouldn't miss it for the world," notes Maris. "The Formula 18 is a fantastic boat. I will definitely be present again next year."

"The Cata Cup Is a Big Personal Challenge"

Amateurs Patrick Carro and Michel Mamzer, who took 29th place in the around-the-island race, had similar reactions. This marks the fourth Saint Barth Cata Cup for Patrick Carro and the third for Michel Mamzer. Neighbors when they vacation in Brittany, they enjoy sailing together under the tropical sun, but they also share a common desire to excel as they participate in the queen of the Cata Cup races: the around-the-island regatta.

"Patrick has participated in numerous catamaran events and comes with the spirit of a "sprint," explains Michel. "For me, it's more of a personal challenge. I train and participate in several events in France with the goal of not looking ridiculous in Saint Barth. The around-the-island race is the icing on the cake. The landscapes, the colors of the water, the tactical passages, the long runs under spinnaker, it's fabulous."

And he enthusiastically adds: "Sign us up now for next year!"

All race results are online: http://www.stbarthcatacup.com/fr/pages/La+course-Classements/1003/

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