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Back In Saint Barth
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!
The sailors in the Saint Barth Cata Cup were extremely happy to arrive on the island and find their “toys” on Monday, November 18. They had been separated from their boats for almost a month, but for a good cause: the transport of their Formula 18 sports cats to this island paradise for the regattas on November 20-24, during the 6th annual Saint Barth Cata Cup.
As of 7am in Saint Barth, Hélène Guilbaud, co-organizer of the event and some of the sailors met at the Port of Gustavia to open the containers and start to unload the boats coming from Europe and the United States. By late morning, everyone could see if their boats had been damaged at all, but at first glance all seemed to be okay, as Belgian Olivier Gagliani could confirm. Patrick Demesmaeker’s teammate got up at the crack of dawn, in spite of jet-lag after a long trip, to find his Formula 18 and meet the other racers.
Gagliani, a true fan of this event who raced last year in the 5ème edition, notes that the opening of the containers is a big moment for the sailors: “We are already excited when we see that the containers have arrived on the island,” notes the Belgian sailor. “The crossing was actually quite long, it took about three weeks. When we open the containers, everyone asks the same question: did we secure the boats well enough?! “ Especially as the conditions on the Atlantic in late October when the Formula 18 catamarans set out on the sea…
Some of the boats had to travel many miles to get to Gustavia: some came from Canada, de Sweden, Holland, and others from Austria… It may be a long way but definitely worth the effort as the Saint Barth Cata Cup is a race that touches the soul of the sailors, even the most seasoned amongst them, such as Luc Poupon a top-name volunteer for the event. This sailor from Brittany, France, who has sailed in events around the world, takes care of the security at sea for the Cata Cup, and helps train local teams. “I am good friends with Jeff Ledée, one of the organizers of the race and a local sailor,” says Poupon. “I am happy to participate in an indirect way in this competition.”
Numerous sailors have arrived on the island: official patron Franck Cammas and his teammate Mathieu Vandame, Darren Bundock and Jeroen Van Leeuwen, Gurvan Bontemps and Giuseppe Dessi, among others. The competitors still have two days to analyze the regatta itineraries, get acclimated, and try to win. On Thursday they will be on the starting line for the first race. The weather should be ideal: the forecast calls for winds of 12 knots from the northeast for the start of the race.
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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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