Perfect Performance For Belgians Demesmaeker - Gagliani

A loop around Toc Vert and Bonhomme by way of Boulanger, then a run between Les Grenadins and Bonhomme with Frégate on the exterior: that was the itinerary of the day for the 47 teams in the St. Barth Cata-Cup, while their nerves were really put to the test on this Friday of sailing. And for good cause, as sailing on the leeward side of the island they had to make do with winds from the south-southeast of only six to 10 knots; winds that were unstable in terms of force and direction. And while the cards continued to fall randomly throughout the day, certain duos managed to perform quite regularly, which was certainly the case by Belgians Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani (Les Perles de Saint-Barth), who sailed two perfect races to victory and were the big winners of the Prix Eden Rock Villa Rental. In the general rating after three races, the lead remains with the Greek duo Iordanis Paschalidis – Konstantinos Trigonis (Relwen), who are continuing to make a strong impression.

“The day was very technical, very interesting, but frankly not very relaxing. It was a real test of nerves,” explains James Beackler, helmsman for Maxwell & Co, who, like the majority of the teams today, saw their position yo-yo in the ratings during the two races of the day. “Before the last tack of the last race, we were among the leaders but we lost ten places before crossing the finish line. A half hour earlier, the exact same thing happened but in the other sense, which allowed us to move up from 12^th to third place. We had to accept these continual changes but frankly it is frustrating to be passed at the very end as you no longer have the chance to come back later, adds his teammate, Orion Martin, who held his own in the race. “We are doing okay, even if we moved down to ninth place in the overall rating, but ahead of us, it’s always the same ones, and we’d have to really work hard beat them,” adds the French sailor, who was impressed by the performance given by Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani on Friday. In fact, the Belgian duo, that was at the top of their game and took both first place wins.

Many Ups and Downs

“This is the first time since we have participated in this regatta that we did gave such a perfect performance like this on the same day. We managed the race well and combined with good speed, allowed us to win,” explained the helmsman of Les Perles de Saint-Barth, who passed the Greek tandem Paschalidis – Trigonis on the last leg, even though the Greeks had dominated the race. ”This afternoon, the scenario was a little different because after the first half-hour of the race, the group in front, of which we were a part, ran out of steam Toc Vert. From there, the fleet slowed down, but we were lucky to be one of the first to get going and decrease the lead little by little,” notes his teammate Olivier Gagliani, who perfectly negotiated the windward passage by Bonhomme, by going wide to avoid the disturbances, but at the same time protecting his flanks while approaching the finish line, afraid he might be passed on the final stretch.  “We were afraid Franck Cammas and Matthieu Vandame (ODP 1) would pass on the inside. They came back very strong, and it’s a good thing the race wasn’t any longer,” jokes the Belgian sailor, bog winner of the Prix Eden Rock Villa Rental who realized a perfect day in spite of the attacks from his competitors, especially by the Green pair of du Iodanis Paschalidis – Konstantinos Trigonis, who are quite formidable.

Between frustration and excitement

“There was a little less wind than yesterday, and that made it even more difficult. There were often flat zones with new starts throughout the entire race. In the end, that made the race as frustrating as it was exciting. We are happy as we succeeded in remaining steady, in the front, often helped by our good speed, throughout the race. We also limited our risks by sailing in a conservative manner and that paid off,” added his teammate, who is seasoned with regattas between three buoys, but a novice at this kind of race, as those proposed by the St. Barth Cata Cup. “It’s a great experience for me, and I really have a good time. It’s very interesting, as you have to be on top the entire time but also have some patience.  On the water, with these conditions, nothing is predictable. The proof: we passed the point of Saint Jean three times and each time it played out differently,” noted Trigonis, who has participating in the Olympic Games four time between 1996 andt 2008 (in 470 then Tornado class), and who holds, as of this evening, first place in the general standings with a three-point lead over the Belgian tandem, and 11 points ahead of the duo Cammas – Vandame. Yet these leads are small (especially between third and tenth place) and there is very little room for error in a regatta like the St. Bart Cata-Cup!

Find all rankings on the St.Barth Cata-Cup website : www.stbarthcatacup.com

Quotes:

Miguel Danet, helmsman on St Barth Sailor: “When there isn’t much wind, it’s not easy, but for Julien (Darmon) and me, as we are pretty light, there aren’t many excuses. Yet it wasn’t easy, especially after two starts under black flags, adding even more pressure. And when you look at the general standings, you can see that no matter the conditions, the best are still ahead. No matter what, as far as we are concerned, we are really happy to be in the race. The event is really great. It is well organized and has a super ambiance. In addition, it’s always fun to race with friends, especially in the case of Julien, it’s the first time on a catamaran.”

Eric Le Bouedec, helmsman for Alamo: “Since the beginning of the race, it has gone well for Jean-Richard (Minardi) and me. We are learning to race together in these conditions especially as this week is the first time we are sailing together. As for me, it’s the first time I have raced a F18 in several years and I am happy it’s still a pleasure. There are the effects of the location, as the wind is turbulent but we have a good take on things. So even if we aren’t at the same level as the folks around us, we are doing just fine.”

William Lesguillier, teammate for Filles des Iles: “The day was very technical. The wind was very changeable especially at the start of the second race. The cards were redistributed at Toc Vert. The leaders who sailed close to the island were stuck for ten to fifteen minutes, while those who sailed father out, including us, did better. It was as if we rejoined the group in front. In the end, we finished 28^th, which is our best result since the beginning of the regatta. We are pleased and hope to continue to improve. We know that the Top 20 is inaccessible for us, but it we don’t make too many mistakes, we can hope to finish in the Top 25.”

Schedule for tomorrow, Saturday, November 18

• 9:30am Prix St Barth Assurances – Allianz
• 14pm Prix Allianz – St Barth Assurances
• In association with SBJAM, free concerts on the main dock in Gustavia  
• 8pm Steve & Friends
• 10pm Onyan & The 3 Cylinders