Les Voiles de Saint Barth – April 2013 PRESS - Les Voiles de Saint Barth

2013 Voiles de Saint-Barth: a high standard of performance and a friendly atmosphere

- Dream races

- Back ashore, a warm, friendly festive occasion

- Back in 2014 for the 5^th edition

For four years now, the Voiles de Saint-Barth has stuck with its simple philosophy of offering high class performance and a friendly atmosphere in the magnificent setting of the islands of Saint-Barth and has attracted increasing numbers from the yachting fraternity, race circuits and the world of international sailing. High-class performance from the finest yachts in the Caribbean, the Eastern seaboard of the United States, but also from Europe, with crews often coming from the highest standard of racing such as the America’s Cup or the Volvo Ocean Race. All of that in that special friendly atmosphere that is now legendary, as the warm welcome received ashore with all the festivities and luxury lifestyle of these paradise islands has charmed all those, who love the sea. The fourth edition of the Voiles de Saint-Barth was according to all those involved, including the local helpers and international sailors, even bigger and better than previous editions, both in terms of the festive atmosphere and the high quality of racing at sea. “An exceptional event,” declared François Tolède, the event organizer, who was delighted with this incredible week. Bursting with enthusiasm, he is already planning what to put in place for the fifth anniversary in 2014 with lots of innovative, new ideas, all aimed at offering even more racing, even more fun, and even more international friendship…

Some very satisfied racers…

Extraordinary conditions, perfect weather, a record number of entrants with 62 boats taking part, the skill and ability of the organizers both on dry land and out at sea… everything came together from 8^th to 14^th April to celebrate some spectacular yachting with an international line-up; ”Of all of the editions up until now, this one was the most successful,” admitted François Tolède, the organizer of the event along with his accomplices Lucky Poupon and Annelisa Gee. “We had some exceptional wind conditions, with a steady trade wind blowing every day between 13 and 20 knots. The racers really enjoyed themselves.” This vision of the event was shared by all the sailors, equally pleased after 4 or 5 races they competed in depending on which group they were placed in by the Race Committee. “What’s going on here is quite simply incredible,” said Gavin Brady, tactician on Vesper, “The wind is strong and the sea gets whipped up; it feels like the Southern Ocean… then you suddenly realize you are wearing a T-shirt and the getting tanned in the sun…” Luc Poupon and his teams on the Committees and Race Directors once again exceeded themselves. The South African James Blakemore (Music) was knocked for six after the five dream-like races on the five courses, which were all equally amazing; “Everywhere you looked, there was something fantastic to see, the landscapes, the islands, the deep blue sea, and the magnificent sails gliding along effortlessly or so it seemed…” Proof that the Voiles have really found their place in the Caribbean racing scene, as even before the opening of registrations for the 2014 edition, François Tolède has already received some firm promises that they will be there again next time. “That never happened before…”

The joys of Saint-Barth

Looking beyond the magnificent racing out on the water, there was also the clear desire to offer the 700 or so racers the best of what Saint-Barth has to offer, and once again that strategy worked wonders; “The atmosphere ashore was incredible,” declared François Tolède. “By starting the races earlier in the day, we enabled the sailors to enjoy being out on the water for longer and allowed them to come ashore earlier too. The atmosphere in the Race Village was all the more exciting.” Music, enjoyment and the friendly welcome given by all the helpers soon got everyone in the mood and so it was that the local people and the international sailors really became friends each evening. “Everyone was won over,” summed up François Tolède, “by the charm of our local helpers; more than ever, the cocktail formed by the local residents and the sailors came together perfectly.” Everyone soon felt the need to take advantage of the island’s delights and luxury lifestyle in this little corner of paradise; “More than 1000 people on Shell Beach for the crew’s party and no fewer than 300 meals were served up on Nikki Beach,” added Tolède. As for the famous lay day, it was a brilliant idea from the organizers, offering the racers a break on Thursday so they could enjoy themselves with their fellow racers and close friends and really discover the delights of Saint-Barth. The result was that 1500 people got together on Saturday evening for the closing ceremony and as usual for a thrilling fireworks display.

Back again in 2014 for the fifth anniversary – one not to be missed

Given this success, François Tolède is already working on a thousand and one ideas for the 2014 event, which is scheduled for 14^th to 19^th April. “For the fifth anniversary, we would like to invite all the boats that have taken part in the first four editions. We will be limited to 80 boats and would like to draw up classes grouping together boats of similar quality with similar numbers in each category.” The Voiles de Saint-Barth will be able to rely on the continued support of their historic partners, the watchmaker Richard Mille, who has just renewed its partnership for four years, and the clothing manufacturer, Gaastra.

Race Day VIDEO (broadcast ready)
Race Day 1 (April 9) and Race Day 2 (April 10)

http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com/category/broadcast-ready-.html

Registration is required for downloading. Choose English (or French) flag for language, go to “signup” (or inscription gratuite) in upper right corner

Race Day VIDEO (raw footage)

http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com/category/raw-footage.html

Registration is required for downloading. Choose English (or French) flag for language, go to “signup” (or inscription gratuite) in upper right corner

Shot List: Race Day 1
Racing Highlights
Interviews:
- Marc Emig, Skipper Credit Mutuel Antilles-Guyane (FRENCH).
- Sophie Olivaud, Skipper Les voiles au féminin Saint Barth (FRENCH)
- Steve Cucchiaro, Skipper DEFIANCE (ENGLISH).
- Peter Harrison, Skipper JOLT2 Team Richard Mille (ENGLISH)

Shot List: Race Day 2
Racing Highlights
Interviews:
- Luc Poupon, Race Director (FRENCH)
- Jean Coadau, Principal Race Officer (FRENCH)
- Sir Robert Velasquez, L’Espérance (ENGLISH)
- Luc Poupon, Race Director (FRENCH)

Registration is required for downloading. Choose English (or French) flag for language, go to “signup” (or inscription gratuite) in upper right corner

SERVER: http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com

7:14 pm - April 18, 2013 Posted by admin 0 Comments

Everything Clicks

The final day of racing at Les Voiles de St. Barth served up lively conditions for the fleet, with 20+ knots of wind whipping up four- to six-foot seas. The race committee sent the Maxi/Racing, Maxi, and Spinnaker 1 and 2 classes on a 17 nautical mile course along the western side of the island, somewhat protected by the lee of the land but nevertheless providing shifty conditions. Spinnaker 3, Melges 24, Classic, Non-Spinnaker, and Multihull classes sailed a 26 nautical mile course around the islands off the north and east side of St. Barths, fully exposed to the fresh beeze and ocean swell.

The conditions took their toll on a few boats, starting with Team Island Water World (SXM), Fritz Bus’s Melges 24. The Dutch boat was leading its class on the first downwind leg but dismasted when the backstay let go, ending the St. Maarten team’s chances for winning. Several boats blew out spinnakers and headsails, and the 51-foot Aage Nielsen-designed ketch Saphaedra (USA), raced double-handed by skipper Jamie Enos and first mate Amanda Sparks, retired with the skipper explaining, “Too much wind for an old boat!”

In Maxi/Racing, Jim Swartz’s TP52 Vesper extended its string of bullets to win the class. Swartz said, “This week has been pretty typical: constant wind, 15-17 knots, predictable but shifty, with challenging and nice waves on the backside of the island. Kind of a sailor’s paradise; the race committee does a great job, the people are terrific.”

In the Maxi class, the Swan 80 Selene continued its winning ways, sweeping ahead of Whisper and Idea of London (and the Swan 100 Varsovie, which retired from the regatta after damaging its headstay on the first day of racing).

In the Spinnaker 1 class, the standings going into today were close. Steve Cucchiaro’s Marten 49 Defiance (USA), which had a 1-1-2-2 score line, was feeling the heat fromMusic (RSA), the Swan 53, which posted two wins in yesterday’s racing to trail by a point. Despite sailing a great race, the courses longer reaching legs didn’t suit Defiance, which finished fourth to end up second overall in class.Today’s conditions and course suited the heavier Music; in fact the other Swan 53, Patrick Demarchelier’s Puffy (USA) – with Marc Guillemot, offshore solo sailing legend, helming – also reveled in the breeze and posted a third, their first top three finish all week.

Dockside post-racing, James Blakemore, Music’s South African skipper, was delighted to find out that Music had saved its time by over a minute to win the day’s race and their class in the regatta. “One of the successes we had was to go around the course without any major mishaps,” said Blakemore, “and so we sailed the course well with a really good all-round performance. Good conditions for us today, because we are a heavy boat and we prefer the stronger winds. We powered up really well and had a good downwind run at 9 – 12 knots.”

Sergio Sagramoso’s J/122 Lazy Dog (PUR) returned to form, posting a first today to finish three points ahead of Rohan Eamonn’s First 40 Ramanessin (IRL) in Spinnaker 2. The ebullient Puerto Rican sailor said, “This was probably our best season in the Caribbean: we won the Heineken Regatta, BVI Spring Regatta, were 2^nd at International Rolex Regatta, and we’ve won this!”

About their competition on Ramanessin, he added, “They were very good. In fact they’ve been giving us headaches, and yesterday they beat us in one race, so we had to be on guard. They are Melges sailors, and they were learning more about the boat every day!”

In the Multihull class, Erick Clement’s 40-foot Dauphine Telecom tried to spoil the 63-foot Nigel Irens-designed Paradox’s (USA) party, and in fact came within one point of the overall leader but Paradox went home with the silver.

In the Classics, Tim Rutter’s 74-foot Frers-designed sloop Heroina (USA) romped around the course all week. The cold-molded boat, built in the mid-1990s by German Frers as his personal yacht, seems to have racing in its lineage with a mast that was given to Frers from America’s Cup challenger Il Moro de Venezia (it was the team’s spare and effectively determined the boat’s size) and a winged keel from Stars and Stripes 1987. The keel was perfect for the shallow draft of Heroina’s home waters on the River Plate in Argentina.

This evening there was a prizegiving dockside in the Les Voiles de St. Barth race village, on the Quai Gral de Gaulle in Gustavia harbor. Race organizers presented top-three finishers in each class with trophies, champagne and other prizes.

Event Sponsor Richard Mille presented Vesper, the winner of the Maxi/Racing class, with a Richard Mille RM028 special edition “Les Voiles de St. Barth” watch.

Event partner Gaastra presented winners with a voucher for team crew gear.

Luxury villa rental management specialist, West Indies Management Company (WIMCO) presented winners in 8 classes (Maxi/Racing, Maxi, Spinnaker 1-2-3, Non-Spinnaker, Classic, Multihull) a week’s stay in a luxury villa in St. Barth. Winners also were presented with magnums of Taittinger champagne and Mount Gay 1703 rhum.

Les Voiles de St. Barth Premium Partners include: Banque des Antilles Francais, Collectivité de St Barthélemy, Association des hoteliers, Comité Territorial du Tourisme, LIERAC, Champagne Taittinger, Remy Cointreau, St Barth Yacht Club, Air France, Fédération Francaise de Voile, Domaine Ott, San Pellegrino.

2014 Event Dates:

Next year, Les Voiles de St. Barth will be held from April 7 – 12, 2014. To maintain the high level racing, Event Director Francois Paul Toléde announced that entries will be capped at 80 boats.

Final Results are available on the event website: http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/site/us/category/2013-results/

A special wrap-up video and a Day 4 highlight video can be viewed here on Vimeo:

What They Said

Maxi Racing: Gavin Brady, tactician – Vesper

“Last year we were here and came in second overall. We lost a few races then, just in our changing sails and things like that. We weren’t quite as crisp as we are this year. We set that game up this year; it’s been good to go through that process and focus on this regatta. Our notes from last year’s regatta were, ‘we can do it better.’

“It’s been good sailing, yesterday Jim got off the boat and said it’s probably one of the prettiest days of sailing that he’s had. It wasn’t planing conditions, but it was one of the picture perfect days in St. Barth. That’s the great thing about here: you get the big waves and it’s blowing and you think you’re in the southern ocean in shorts and t-shirts, and other times you get here and it’s not as windy. Well, it’s never bad, just different. I don’t think you’d ever come here and not get a race in – I don’t think there are many places that you can say that about.”

Spinnaker 1: James Blakemore, skipper – Music

“My strategy going out today started with having a good crew! The choices the guys made meant we were going to fly, and we took a really good start, which we worked on hard this morning. We sailed a really good race, technically well, mechanically well, and had no mishaps. The crew worked hard at that.

Spinnaker 2: Sergio Sagramoso, skipper – Lazy Dog

“I think in sailboat racing, especially when you do it with the same crew year after year – and these are friends who are not professionals, there are no professionals on board – everything has to click. I’ve had a year like this before, but you can go five or six years without having a year like this. When everyone is on top of their game physically, mentally, and the boat is ready, everything clicks and then you start winning. I think we are in one of those years, it takes a long time to get there, but we have it now.”

Spinnaker 3: Claude Granel, President of the Association Martiniquaise ven Dan Vwel 972 – Credit Mutuel Martinique Premiere

“The sailing conditions in St. Barth have been magnificent, exceptional and tough, because you need to know the lay of the land and geography, as you are racing against local sailors who know the area really well. So the first days were quite difficult with all the wind shifts and variation in the weather.

“On the strategy and tactics side it was quite tough too. Marc Emig (professional French offshore sailing specialist) has been doing some helming and training the crew of six on board this week. We had high hopes for a good result, since as an association we have been working really hard, performing well over the past two seasons and improving at each regatta. Thanks to our sponsors, Credit Mutuel and Paris Premiere, who have allowed us to really have well-prepared boats. We are really satisfied with our results and seeing the improvement throughout the week and especially considering how tough and good the level is of the competition. We are really, really pleased.”

Non-Spinnaker: Robert Velasquez, skipper – L’Esperance

“We have been having a wonderful time and have had great sailing success with a second yesterday, just by a couple of minutes, but for the rest it has been great and the organization is brilliant and our friends in St. Barth have been really looking after us. On board we have a bunch of older guys primarily from St. Maarten, with one from Jamaica and one Guyana. I own Bobby’s Marina in St. Maarten, which I set up in 1968, so it has been going for 45 years!

The organization of this race has been fantastic. I sail all through the Caribbean, all the regattas in our immediate radius, like Antigua, Saint Vincent, Anguilla, the Heineken in St. Martin, so I’ve been sailing for a while and have been to all the Voiles de St. Barths and will be back next year; it has been wonderful!”

Melges 24: Andrea Scarabelli, skipper – Budget Marine/Gill

“What a great week. We had never raced Les Voiles de Saint Barth and we were really impressed with the organisation. We had really tough competition and in particular with Team Island Water World and were very disappointed when they broke their mast. We both knew that the winner today would be the winner of the regatta. We all come from St. Maarten and have been competing in all of the Caribbean races, but here the courses are really interesting ‘round-the-islands, a bit long at times for us in the Melges 24! But it is great to have our own class, and we will encourage getting more teams here next year.”

Chris Marshall, team manager and main trimmer – Budget Marine / Gill

“We have a really international team from Australia, Italy, Holland, France and myself from Trinidad originally, but we all live in St. Maarten and have been sailing together as a team for some years now. We always seem to go into the last day having to win the last race, whether it is a point behind or ahead, so today was like a final. We were in a good position when Team Island Water World lost their mast, we saw them fighting and fighting and everyone on board really felt for them. It has happened to us in the past. It was fantastic when we crossed the line and we got the gun and then they came up to us with a bottle of Taittinger; we felt really special! Everything about the regatta has been top-of-the-line. I was really impressed.”

Classic: Tim Rutter, skipper – Heroina

“Absolutely beyond excited to be a part of the event and even more to win our class at Les Voiles. I couldn’t be more thankful to the organizers and the Collective, and I couldn’t be more grateful for my crew this week.”

Multihull: Peter Aschenbrenner, skipper – Paradox

“The boat is really built for ocean passages and ocean sailing, so we feel very much at home when the wind gets up in solid trade-wind conditions, like 20 plus knots and big waves. The boat acts really nicely and goes really fast. I think we are more comfortable at the high end of the range while some of the smaller boats struggle a little more. It is really the luck of the draw, because last year was lighter. The trades are pretty consistent, though, so if you come down and do a few events you will get some great sailing.

“We would like to see more multihulls; it is the perfect place to sail multihulls! These boats can be a little wet when they are powered up, but then the air and water are warm. We would like to get some more fast trimarans; it is a separate breed.”

12:30 am - April 14, 2013 Posted by Les Voiles de St Barth 0 Comments

Status Quo

Well rested after a lay-day spent at the beach and enjoying other leisurely pursuits, competitors at Les Voiles de St. Barth returned to the race course today. Despite a forecast that called for rain and increased winds, sunshine and trade winds prevailed, though the breeze was lighter at 12 to 14 knots. Principal Race Officer Jean Coadou gave the Maxi/Racing, Spinnaker 1,2,3 and Melges 24 classes two races today: counter-clockwise courses of 17 and 14 nautical miles around St. Barths. Classics, Non-Spinnaker, and Multi-hull classes completed one race, a 31-nautical miler around St. Barths and all of the nearby islets.

After the initial two days of racing, most of the class leaders had only a slight lead, so the door was open for movement in the rankings. It was an opportunity on which only one boat really managed to capitalize. First-time leader in the highly competitive Spinnaker 1 class was the Swan 53 Music (RSA), which took firsts in both races today, and now trails Defiance by one point.

Owner/skipper James Blakemore is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, as is all of his crew. This was Blakemore and Music’s first foray in the Caribbean; while the plan had been to compete in just two events — the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and the Rolex Swan Cup in the BVI — Blakemore decided to do just one more regatta after Music was first in the former and second in the latter.

Before docking out earlier today, Blakemore said, “The courses are really fabulous, and the wind is great. There are some really good downwind legs, with a big swell. You really have to keep on your toes to keep up the boat speed, so helming plays a big part. Technically, I think we have sailed well around the course; we have not had any mishaps, and the crew is very accomplished. We have lost a few seconds here and there, and hopefully we can catch up a bit today.”

Blakemore is a supporter of youth sailing and was involved in the South African America’s Cup challenger Shosholoza. Included in Music’s crew are Matthew Whitehead and Dave Shilton, who sailed for the South African team in the recent Red Bull Youth America’s Cup selection series in San Francisco. Whitehead was the helmsman for the team on the AC45 catamarans. Though he finished in sixth place, out of contention, Whitehead was upbeat: “It wasn’t the result we were looking for, but it was an achievement for our team just to make it to the event. It was an awesome experience.”

Leading Spinnaker 1 is Defiance (USA), a Martin 49 chartered by Steve Cucchiaro, an accomplished sailor in his own right, who assembled an all-star crew. Cucchiaro was a two-time All-American Intercollegiate Sailor at MIT and a 470 sailor in the 1980 Olympics. Defiance’s crew are friends from all over and include Olympic Gold medalists, national North American champions, and former collegiate all-American sailors.

Dockside before today’s racing, Cucchiaro said, “Conditions for this regatta are just as advertised: absolutely fantastic. The race direction and course management have been great, and the competition has been very difficult – we have had to sail our very best. These races today will be shorter, so we have to put an even bigger premium on the start. It will certainly give a chance to the whole fleet to mix it up a bit, and it is great to get the extra racing. I have been told by people who have been to this event before that this has been the toughest competition yet in our class, and there are a lot of really friendly sailors on the other boats, which makes for a really great week.”

Jim Swartz’ TP52 Vesper (USA) continued her streak of bullets to lead the Maxi/Racing class overall.

Sergio Sagramosa’s Lazy Dog (PUR) dropped one race today to Ramanessin (IRE), but still leads by two points.

In the Melges 24 class, it’s been the usual back-and-forth battle between Team Island Water World and Budget Marine/Gill.

The Non-Spinnaker class has a mix of experienced sailors and boats that for one reason or another do not have enough crew to manage racing with a spinnaker and all that entails.

Certainly the Class 40 Merena (BEL), owned and skippered by Alexis and Sylvie Guillaume, has enough sea miles under it, but the couple also enjoys sailing with youngsters. They are racing at Les Voiles with friends from Belgium and Guillame’s 12- and 14-year old sons and two of their friends’ children. Hailing from Brussels, Belgium, the couple has owned the Class 40 yacht since it was launched in 2006 as hull # 8 of what became a very popular and successful offshore racing class.

For the Guillames Merena also has proved to be a very capable and comfortable cruising boat. Last year, they sailed from Belgium to Cape Town with the plan to continue around to Australia, but plans changed and they decided to turn around and head back north to Europe, via the Caribbean. With stops in Rio de Janeiro and the island of Martinique, they arrived in St. Barths in time to compete at Les Voiles de St. Barth, joined by friends with which the couple races and cruises.

“New this year, we have the kids on board, and they seem to like the racing very much…that’s good news for me!,” said Alexis Guillame. “They participate in all of the maneuvers, pulling the ropes and everything. St Barths is really a place I love. We’ve been coming here for 15 years. We really like the atmosphere and the fact that everything is cool, easy, and friendly – it’s so different from the rest of the Caribbean.”

In the Multihull class, Peter Aschenbrenner’s 63-foot trimaran Paradox (USA) took its third bullet in as many races. The Nigel Irens-designed multihull sped around the 31-nautical mile course in three hours and 26 minutes.

Aschenbrenner, from San Francisco, had Paradox built in France and often has French sailors on board. “The island is beautiful, the beaches are nice, and then there is the French culture,” he said. “It is not really like the Caribbean; it is more like a little bit of France in the Caribbean. We get fewer crazy looks here in Saint Barth than on other islands of the Caribbean because the French are so attuned to multihull sailing and have been for decades and they are passionate about sailing. Most of the top multihull sailors are French and so they are way up the curve and see this boat as being normal. Most places you go you are like an alien race!”

Cam Lewis, tactician and navigator onboard, said: “We sailed here on Paradox last year and had a fantastic time. These courses are ideal for multihulls and with the breeze up it is fun. They do a great job with the courses and it is really entertaining. The French, being multihull experts, need to get more boats over for the competition!”

Aschenbrenner and his crew are staying in a villa overlooking the beach at Corossol, with their trimaran anchored below. The villa stay is a prize that event sponsor WIMCO presents to each class winner at Les Voiles de St. Barth.

The event enjoys the continued support of watchmaker Richard Mille as well as sportswear brand Gaastra. Other event partners include leading St. Barth villa rental agency WIMCO, which offers a gorgeous portfolio of private villas for rent on St. Barth. WIMCO’s sponsorship includes presenting eight Les Voiles class winners with a complimentary week in one of their top villas, inclusive of a concierge ready to attend to every request.

11:18 am - April 13, 2013 Posted by Les Voiles de St Barth 0 Comments

Down time

Editors: Please see the video access information below the text in this release.

Thursday, 11st April 2013
Press Release

After two long days with plenty of racing, the Les Voiles de St. Barth competitors enjoyed a “lay day” today. It gave the 700 plus sailors a chance to see more of the island they had been sailing around the previous days and enjoy some of St. Barth’s other offerings, which, not surprisingly, could be found at the famously popular Nikki Beach, located on Baie de St. Jean on the island’s eastern side. The regatta’s organizers, knowing sailors to be a competitive group, orchestrated a chance to engage in other sporting pursuits such as stand-up paddle boarding and – a new addition this year – water polo.

François Paul Toléde, Les Voiles de St. Barth Event Director was enjoying the festivities with the competitors. “It’s a beautiful day and one that is not dedicated to just racing for the crew,” he said. “The objective is to provide a good atmosphere and some fun with some organised water sports for all, so that everyone gets a chance to unwind and enjoy the hospitality both on the water and ashore.”

At Baie de St. Jean, along with 250-300 sailors, were the event sponsors, including guests from luxury watchmaker Richard Mille and sportswear brand Gaastra. As part of the latter company’s sponsorship, an extensive Les Voiles de St. Barth clothing range has been made available in Gaastra franchises.

Emanuel Galle, Director General of Gaastra France commented, “We have been involved with Les Voiles de St. Barth as a sponsor for the past three editions for both the competition on the water and the conviviality on shore. It is an important association for us, as we are a nautical brand, founded in 1897. It is great to see so many teams wearing the clothing this week.”

Racing at Les Voiles de St. Barth continues tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday for the 58 boats competing. The first warning signal is at 10 a.m.

Other event partners include leading St. Barth villa rental agency WIMCO, which offers a gorgeous portfolio of private villas for rent on St. Barth. WIMCO’s sponsorship includes presenting eight Les Voiles class winners with a complimentary week in one of their top villas, inclusive of a concierge ready to attend to every request.

Race Day VIDEO (broadcast ready)
Race Day 1 (April 9) and Race Day 2 (April 10)

http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com/category/broadcast-ready-.html

Registration is required for downloading. Choose English (or French) flag for language, go to “signup” (or inscription gratuite) in upper right corner

Race Day VIDEO (raw footage)

http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com/category/raw-footage.html

Registration is required for downloading. Choose English (or French) flag for language, go to “signup” (or inscription gratuite) in upper right corner

SERVER: http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com

___________________________________________

Press contacts: Agence Mer & Média
Presse France : Fabrice Thomazeau Tel : + 33 (0)2 99 23 83 83 – Mob : +33 (0)6 86 00 06 73  Email: fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com

International Press:  Sabina Mollart-Rogerson, mobile: + 34 666 759 530  ; local mobile: +590 690 77 11 37 , Email: sabina@seaclearcommunications.com

U.S. media:  Susan Maffei Plowden/Suma Events, mobile: +1 401.855.0234 ; local mobile: +590 0690 342 316; Email: suma3@mac.com

3:49 pm - April 12, 2013 Posted by admin 0 Comments

LVSB 2013: Finding the Groove

Having been given plenty of time on yesterday’s longer courses to sort out their crew work, sail selection, tactics and sunscreen, sailors took to the turquoise seas off the French West Indies island of St. Barth for a second round of competition today at Les Voiles de St. Barth. With the first day down and competition defined, now it was time to fine-tune and sort out standings.

The race committee selected three courses: 22 nautical miles for Classics, Non-Spinnaker, Spinnaker 3 and Melges 24 classes; 27 nm for Spinnaker 1, Spinnaker 2, and Multihulls; and 29 nm for Maxis. All three courses took the boats out and around the northern end of St. Barths and the outlying islands. The southeasterly breeze was more sustained today at around 18 knots, with gusts to 20, which on the windward-side of the island produced large swells.
Les Voiles de St. Barth attracts a good mix of amateurs and professional sailors as well as some sailors who aren’t often seen at “around the buoys” type racing. Marc Guillemot, the respected single-handed offshore sailor who has competed in numerous ‘round-the-world and transatlantic races, found himself in much less stressful conditions, sailing onboard Patrick Demarchelier’s Swan 53 Puffy (USA). “Normally I am on very light boats that maneuver very easily,” Guillemot said, “and today I was driving a boat that is roughly four times heavier than mine! (This one is roughly 28 tons and Safran (his IMOCA 60) is 7.5 tons.)

“I have been lucky enough to have sailed here a few times and it helps to know where the winds are more or less favorable,” continued Guillemot. “Knowing the lay of the land is important, as it also allows you to negotiate the best way round the course. Personally, this week I am here to enjoy the racing and have some fun, and if we finish first or second, it is not going to make a huge difference…well, maybe for the crew it will!”
Matthew Sheahan, Racing Editor for Yachting World is in St. Barth for the first time and was clearly enjoying a busman’s holiday racing on Jolt 2 (GBR) in the Spinnaker 1 class. Sheehan described the conditions, particularly the upwind legs on the windward side: “There was a lot of breeze, and it was quite hard work actually going upwind. Having not done this event before and having not been to Saint Barth and then doing that leg just characterizes my initial thoughts that the event is great, but it is quite a punchy part of the Caribbean. The last time I was around here was on the Caribbean 600 and that was punchy as well, so it is not a soft option coming here!
“It is an absolutely beautiful island,” Sheehan added, “and I can see why so many people rave about it. It is something special in the Caribbean. The racing is good, the courses are good, it is well organized and you get a decent beat off the start.”
Racing in Spinnaker 1 class is tight: the current leader is Steve Cucchiaro’s Defiance, with James Blakemore’s Swan 53 Music in second, and Phil and Wendy Lotz’ Swan 42 Arethusa in third.
In the Spinnaker 2 class, the current leader is Sergio Saramoso’s Lazy Dog (PUR), while in second place is the chartered First 40 Ramanessin (IRE). Nigel Young, owner of North Sails Ireland, is tactician onboard, and just as importantly he is the program manager. He explained he was tasked with putting a charter together for a friend of a friend who is a motor racing enthusiast, new to sailing and interested in having a go at sailing.
Young wanted to find somewhere warm for the first event, he said. “We could have gone to Ireland which is where I am from, but I did not want to put everyone off as it can be pretty miserable. We looked at options of regattas and when I put forward Saint Barth, the decision was made in 20 seconds.” The group seems to have gelled nicely, as they have gotten the boat around the race course in second place twice in two races.
“I have raced everywhere but never in the Caribbean and we definitely would like to come back next year,” said Young. “Most of the sailing we would be doing now would be windward/leeward style on very accurate set race courses, so doing this kind or racing around natural objects is really interesting. The boat owner, Lucy, is actually a great navigator, so it is making my job on the tactics and strategy very easy. She is right on it.”
Tonight is the crew party at Shell Beach, with video, music and fireworks. Tomorrow (Thursday) is a lay day for the competitors, with stand up paddle board races and other shoreside festivities at Nikki Beach on St. Jean Bay.
Racing continues on Friday and Saturday, with the warning signal at 10 a.m. on both days.

Overall (1st, 2nd, 3rd) after two races:
IRC 52: Vesper (USA), Varuna (GER)
MAXI: Selene (USA), Whisper (IRE), Idea (GBR)
SPIN 1: Defiance (USA), Arethusa (USA), Music (GBR)
SPIN 2: Lazy Dog (PUR), Ramanessin (IRE), Northern Child (GBR)
SPIN 3: Credit Mutuel Martinique Premiere (FRA), Maelia (SBH), Speedy Nemo (SBH)
NON-SPIN: L’Esperance (SXM), High Tension (ANT) Shamrock VII (USA)
MELGES 24: Budget Marine/Gill (SXM), Team Island Water World (SXM), French Connection (SBH)
MULTIHULL: Paradox (CAY), Dauphin Telecom (SBH), Plan D’Enfer YCSF
CLASSICS: Heroina (USA), Wild Horses (USA), Saphaedra (USA).

Find full race results on the event website at http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com

Media Facilities:
Official event website: www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com. Will be updated throughout the event in both English and French. In the Press section dedicated to the event, you will find daily rankings, press releases, and videos, as well as a selection of best photos of the day.

Daily Press Releases: English and French press releases will be available in PDF format on the media server or upon request: www.meretmedia.com/mediaserver
Media Center: The media center located on the first floor of the Harbour master’s office, quai Général de Gaule in Gustavia in St Barts. Open from 10 a.m. Monday April 8th. It will be equipped with all the necessary connections (fiber optic, telephone, broadband, Wi-fi …).

Press Boats: Several motorboats for the press will be leaving Gustavia to follow the various races from Tuesday 9th April until Saturday 13th April 2013. Registration required one day in advance with Sabina Mollart Rogerson, in the Press Room or by email:sabina@seaclearcommunications.com
Photographic arrangements  You can access the photo library via the following address: www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/
The high definition photos available on this website will only be free of rights for editorial use. They may by no means be used for communications or business purposes by anyone other than the organizers of the Voiles de St Barth and the official partners of the event.
Copyright details must be used as follows: - Tim Wright / Les Voiles de St Barth – Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St Barth

For any other information, please contact: Fabrice Thomazeau / ft.mer.media@wanadoo.fr

Video footage
See latest highlights and interviews on: http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com
Daily Highlights + /- 5 minutes April, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Sujet PAD quotidien (summary of the day with interviews in V.O.) +/- 2 minutes April, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th
Programme Review Edition 2013 13 minutes International and French version with a script available from April, 20th.
Formats: HD: MOC HDV SD: MP4 H264
TV Contact:  Stéphan Huyvenaar / shuyvenaar@wui.fr  Rights: All the videos are available for any news use during and after the event.
For further enquiries please contact: Olivier Girbas / ogirbas@wui.fr
___________________________________________
Press contacts: Agence Mer & Média  Presse France : Fabrice Thomazeau Tel : + 33 (0)2 99 23 83 83 – Mob : +33 (0)6 86 00 06 73 Email: fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com
International Press:  Sabina Mollart-Rogerson, mobile: + 34 666 759 530 ; local mobile: +590 690 77 11 37, Email: sabina@seaclearcommunications.com
U.S. media:  Susan Maffei Plowden/Suma Events, mobile: +1 401.855.0234; local mobile: +590 0690 342 316; Email: suma3@mac.com

5:16 am - April 11, 2013 Posted by admin 0 Comments

LVSB 2013: Finding the Groove

“It is an absolutely beautiful island,” Sheehan added, “and I can see why so many people rave about it. It is something special in the Caribbean. The racing is good, the courses are good, it is well organized and you get a decent beat off the start.”
Racing in Spinnaker 1 class is tight: the current leader is Steve Cucchiaro’s Defiance, with James Blakemore’s Swan 53 Music in second, and Phil and Wendy Lotz’ Swan 42 Arethusa in third.

In the Spinnaker 2 class, the current leader is Sergio Saramoso’s Lazy Dog (PUR), while in second place is the chartered First 40 Ramanessin (IRE). Nigel Young, owner of North Sails Ireland, is tactician onboard, and just as importantly he is the program manager. He explained he was tasked with putting a charter together for a friend of a friend who is a motor racing enthusiast, new to sailing and interested in having a go at sailing.

Young wanted to find somewhere warm for the first event, he said. “We could have gone to Ireland which is where I am from, but I did not want to put everyone off as it can be pretty miserable. We looked at options of regattas and when I put forward Saint Barth, the decision was made in 20 seconds.” The group seems to have gelled nicely, as they have gotten the boat around the race course in second place twice in two races.

“I have raced everywhere but never in the Caribbean and we definitely would like to come back next year,” said Young. “Most of the sailing we would be doing now would be windward/leeward style on very accurate set race courses, so doing this kind or racing around natural objects is really interesting. The boat owner, Lucy, is actually a great navigator, so it is making my job on the tactics and strategy very easy. She is right on it.”

Tonight is the crew party at Shell Beach, with video, music and fireworks. Tomorrow (Thursday) is a lay day for the competitors, with stand up paddle board races and other shoreside festivities at Nikki Beach on St. Jean Bay.
Racing continues on Friday and Saturday, with the warning signal at 10 a.m. on both days.
Overall (1st, 2nd, 3rd) after two races:
IRC 52: Vesper (USA), Varuna (GER)
MAXI: Selene (USA), Whisper (IRE), Idea (GBR)
SPIN 1: Defiance (USA), Arethusa (USA), Music (GBR)
SPIN 2: Lazy Dog (PUR), Ramanessin (IRE), Northern Child (GBR)
SPIN 3: Credit Mutuel Martinique Premiere (FRA), Maelia (SBH), Speedy Nemo (SBH)
NON-SPIN: L’Esperance (SXM), High Tension (ANT) Shamrock VII (USA)
MELGES 24: Budget Marine/Gill (SXM), Team Island Water World (SXM), French Connection (SBH)
MULTIHULL: Paradox (CAY), Dauphin Telecom (SBH), Plan D’Enfer YCSF
CLASSICS: Heroina (USA), Wild Horses (USA), Saphaedra (USA).
Find full race results on the event website at http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com
The event enjoys the continued support of watchmaker Richard Mille as well as sportswear brand Gaastra. Other event partners include leading St. Barth villa rental agency WIMCO, which offers a gorgeous portfolio of private villas for rent on St. Barth. WIMCO’s sponsorship includes presenting eight Les Voiles class winners with a complimentary week in one of their top villas, inclusive of a concierge ready to attend to every request.
Media Facilities:
Official event website: www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com. Will be updated throughout the event in both English and French. In the Press section dedicated to the event, you will find daily rankings, press releases, and videos, as well as a selection of best photos of the day.
Daily Press Releases: English and French press releases will be available in PDF format on the media server or upon request: www.meretmedia.com/mediaserver
Media Center: The media center located on the first floor of the Harbour master’s office, quai Général de Gaule in Gustavia in St Barts. Open from 10 a.m. Monday April 8th. It will be equipped with all the necessary connections (fiber optic, telephone, broadband, Wi-fi …).
Press Boats: Several motorboats for the press will be leaving Gustavia to follow the various races from Tuesday 9th April until Saturday 13th April 2013. Registration required one day in advance with Sabina Mollart Rogerson, in the Press Room or by email:sabina@seaclearcommunications.com
Photographic arrangements  You can access the photo library via the following address: www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/
The high definition photos available on this website will only be free of rights for editorial use. They may by no means be used for communications or business purposes by anyone other than the organizers of the Voiles de St Barth and the official partners of the event.
Copyright details must be used as follows: - Tim Wright / Les Voiles de St Barth – Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St Barth
For any other information, please contact: Fabrice Thomazeau / ft.mer.media@wanadoo.fr
Video footage
See latest highlights and interviews on: http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com
Daily Highlights + /- 5 minutes April, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Sujet PAD quotidien (summary of the day with interviews in V.O.) +/- 2 minutes April, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th
Programme Review Edition 2013 13 minutes International and French version with a script available from April, 20th.
Formats: HD: MOC HDV SD: MP4 H264
TV Contact:  Stéphan Huyvenaar / shuyvenaar@wui.fr  Rights: All the videos are available for any news use during and after the event.
For further enquiries please contact: Olivier Girbas / ogirbas@wui.fr
___________________________________________
Press contacts: Agence Mer & Média  Presse France : Fabrice Thomazeau Tel : + 33 (0)2 99 23 83 83 – Mob : +33 (0)6 86 00 06 73 Email: fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com
International Press:  Sabina Mollart-Rogerson, mobile: + 34 666 759 530 ; local mobile: +590 690 77 11 37, Email: sabina@seaclearcommunications.com
U.S. media:  Susan Maffei Plowden/Suma Events, mobile: +1 401.855.0234; local mobile: +590 0690 342 316; Email: suma3@mac.com

3:59 am - April 11, 2013 Posted by admin 0 Comments

Les voiles de St Barth 2013: Bring it on

It was hard to tell dockside in Gustavia this morning if there was a care in the world among the Les Voiles de St. Barth competitors, what with the trade winds blowing, blue skies prevailing, and large cumulus clouds scudding overhead. With the first warning signal at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. for the rest of the week), there was time for the crews to enjoy café and a croissant in the race village, finish prepping their boats, and catch up with friends.
The atmosphere was relaxed and thoroughly Caribbean-style, though it belied somewhat the competitive spirit found in a good part of the fleet. Through just about all classes, sailors were scouting their competition, checking ratings and looking to see what modifications had been made since their adversaries last competed on the water.

The fleet of 59 boats is spread over eight classes, and within each of those there is ample competition. Onboard the Baltic 45 Jolt 2 (GBR), owner/skipper Peter Harrison is racing at Les Voiles de St Barth for the first time. Harrison is also on-site as CEO of Richard Mille Europe, sponsor for the event.
“We have been out a few times trying to work out all the local secrets, which has been very difficult! We are really pleased as a team and as a company to support the event. It is great to see such a varied fleet of professional and amateur crews. There is a nice group to sail against – Arethusa (USA), Defiance (USA), Hamachi (USA), and Music (RSA) — so exciting racing ahead. We have quite a nice course for today, reaching most of the way back, and we hope it will be good for our boat; she is good downwind.”

Indeed, St. Barths served up perfect conditions with a 15-20 knot southeasterly breeze. Early on, there were mechanical issues for two boats, including Jack Desmond’s White Rhino (USA), which had a problem before the start with the mast partner that necessitated returning to the dock. Shortly after the Maxi class start, the headstay on the Swan 100 Varsovie (CAY) parted, though with quick crew work it did not damage to the mast.
Classes were sent on three different courses, ranging in length from 24-33 nautical miles, which took the fleet counter-clockwise in the lee of St Barths, around the southern end of the island at Pointe a Toiny, where boats encountered a four-to-six-foot swell. Occasional squalls brought rain (fresh water rinse!) and big variations in wind pressure, which ratcheted up the pressure on tacticians to pick the best course.
The Volvo 60 Cuba Libre sailed in the non-spinnaker class with two local teenagers on board, one on a race boat for the first time. Skipper Benedikt Clauberg had high praise for the teenager who served as his bow man, saying, “It’s his first day on the boat, and he performed like a professional bow man. We had a lot of sail changes when a jib halyard snapped – we had some action, but it was wonderful!”
For the Melges 24 class, it was a spirited day. Local St. Maarten sailor Frits Bus is back for his second time. Bus won his class (Spinnaker) last year on his Melges 24 Team Coors Light, in a closely fought week of racing with Lazy Dog (PUR), winning the final deciding race by 20 seconds on corrected time.

This year the Melges 24s have their own class with six boats. Sunburned and a bit weary after sailing the 24-nautical mile course on Island Water World, an enthusiastic Bus said, “We had a great day today with shifty conditions at the start. We made big gains on the big shifts that came in; we managed to catch up from third place at the first mark to finish by two boat lengths, overtaking Budget Marine Gill (AHO) and Amcom Express (TRI) on the last upwind leg to the finish. The course was long, but it was a great day of sailing.”
“We had a few new people on the boat, so we went out early to do some practice. The day was long, but it was beautiful sailing, and the course was great: all kinds of conditions, with big swells, low winds, then no winds under the cloud cover in the squalls. Everything was there, the perfect day’s sailing!”
Phil and Wendy Lotz on the Swan 42 Arethusa are racing here for the first time. “We heard a lot of good things about the regatta; it’s a little bit of the European flair down in the Caribbean,” said Phil Lotz, who steers the boat. “We come down about every two years and do about three regattas. We hadn’t done this, and we wanted to check it out. With the Swan Cup that preceded it by a few weeks, it fit into a nice schedule; we’ll go on from here to Antigua Sailing Week.”
Arethusa has some tough competition in their class with Steve Cucchiaro’s Marten 49 Defiance (USA) and James Blakemore’s Music, a Swan 53. About today’s race, Lotz added, “It was fun…a long race, pretty much full-on the whole time, a lot of gear shifting. Occasionally there were more waves than wind.”
Race results were pending at press time; check event website at http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com
The event enjoys the continued support of watchmaker Richard Mille as well as sportswear brand Gaastra. Other event partners include leading St. Barth villa rental agency WIMCO, which offers a gorgeous portfolio of private villas for rent on St. Barth. WIMCO’s sponsorship includes presenting eight Les Voiles class winners with a complimentary week in one of their top villas, inclusive of a concierge ready to attend to every request.

Media Facilities:
Official website for the race: http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/ The website will be updated throughout the event in both English and French. By visiting the press section dedicated to the event, you will find the daily rankings, the press releases, videos as well as a selection of the best photos of the day.

Daily Press Releases:  The English and French press releases will be available in PDF format on the media server or upon request: http://www.meretmedia.com/mediaserver
Media Centre  The media centre will be located on the first floor of the Harbour master’s office, quai Général de Gaule in Gustavia in St Barts. Open from 10 a.m. Monday April 8th. It will be equipped with all the necessary connections (fiber optic, telephone, broadband, Wi-fi …).
Press Boats  Several motorboats for the press will be leaving Gustavia to follow the various races from Tuesday 9th April until Saturday 13th April 2013. Registration required one day in advance with Sabina Mollart Rogerson, in the Press Room or by email:sabina@seaclearcommunications.com

Photographic arrangements  : You can access the photo library via the following address: www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/
The high definition photos available on this website will only be free of rights for editorial use. They may by no means be used for communications or business purposes by anyone other than the organizers of the Voiles de St Barth and the official partners of the event.
Copyright details must be used as follows: - Tim Wright / Les Voiles de St Barth – Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St Barth
For any other information, please contact: Fabrice Thomazeau / ft.mer.media@wanadoo.fr

TV Contact:  Stéphan Huyvenaar / shuyvenaar@wui.fr  Rights: All the videos are available for any news use during and after the event.
For further enquiries please contact: Olivier Girbas / ogirbas@wui.fr
___________________________________________
Press contacts: Agence Mer & Média  Presse France : Fabrice Thomazeau Tel : + 33 (0)2 99 23 83 83 – Mob : +33 (0)6 86 00 06 73 Email: fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com

International Press:  Sabina Mollart-Rogerson, mobile: + 34 666 759 530 ; local mobile: +590 690 77 11 37, Email: sabina@seaclearcommunications.com

U.S. media:  Susan Maffei Plowden/Suma Events, mobile: +1 401.855.0234; local mobile: +590 0690 342 316; Email: suma3@mac.com

5:14 am - April 10, 2013 Posted by admin 0 Comments

LES VOILES DE SAINT BARTH 2013: WINTER’S ESCAPE

Monday, 08th April 2013
Press Release

With winter weather persisting in northern parts of the U.S. and Europe, sailors could be envied for heading to the Caribbean to extend their racing calendars. As it is, over 60 yachts and crew are currently on the island of St Barths, in the French West Indies, preparing for tomorrow’s start of Les Voiles de St. Barth. The fourth edition of this regatta will offer up four days of racing on a mix of courses and a social schedule equally as demanding, with dockside entertainment each evening and a lay day (Thursday) full of activities at Nikki Beach on St. Jean Bay.

As it has for its prior three editions, Les Voiles de St. Barth again has drawn a competitive mix of international yachts and crews from the UK, USA, France, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, and South Africa, as well as a strong Caribbean contingent from Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua, and Trinidad.

The inaugural event in 2010 drew 27 boats, and since then, entries have steadily grown as the media and sailing’s coconut telegraph helped spread the word. Event Director François Paul Tolède was enthusiastic as yachts tied up stern-to at the Quai General de Gaulle in Gustavia. “The atmosphere is great on shore and the weather looks perfect,” he said. “With 62 boats entered so far (registration closes at 5 p.m. today) and considering the current economic climate, the turnout shows what great regard the yacht owners have for the Voiles de Saint Barth.”

Tolède continued: “Luc Poupon (Course Director) has come up with some new courses, slightly longer in some cases, as many of the sailors wanted to spend more time on the water, and so racing will start a little earlier. We expect anywhere between 15 to 20+ knots of wind this week — ideal conditions for the fleet, which ranges from 24 feet (Melges) to 100 feet (the Swan 100 Varsovie).”

The fleet is divided into eight classes: Maxis; Spinnaker 1, 2, and 3; Melges 24; Non-Spinnaker; Classics; and Multi-hulls. Organizers can chose between 28 course variations, from 11 to 40 nautical miles. Racing begins tomorrow, Tuesday April 9, with the first signal at 1100.

Jim Swartz, owner/skipper of the TP52 Vesper, is the anointed “godfather” of this year’s regatta. An enthusiastic competitor, he has participated in all four editions. For Swartz it is a do-not-miss event. “The conditions are fabulous,” he said. “Sailing around this island is beautiful — the winds are always predictable, they are always a lot of fun, particularly when we get a good breeze on the back (windward) side of the island.” Sailing onboard Vesper will be former America’s Cup sailors Gavin Brady (tactician), Rob Salthouse (jib trim), Kazuhiko Sofuku (mid bow), and Jamie Gale (navigator), past Volvo Ocean Race crew.

After Vesper competed in the TP52 Worlds in Miami last month, the boat was shipped to St. Thomas to get it race ready and then delivered to St. Barths this week. “Les Voiles is always on our calendar,” Swartz said, “It’s the atmosphere — the racing is great, the people are great, as is the organization. It all runs very well. And the dining and shopping (for the ladies)…all that St. Barths is about, we enjoy the same thing!”

Over half the boats and skippers are return competitors. Notable new editions this year include Jens Kellinghusen’s Ker 51 Varuna, which has raced in the year since its launch at Kiel Week and Les Voiles de St. Tropez; the Volvo 60 Cuba Libre (ex-Heineken) in Non-Spinnaker (while the V60 Ambersail will be in Spinnaker 1); Phil Lotz’ Swan 42 Arethusa, which is fresh off winning the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean; Jolt 2, a Baltic 45 that has already stretched its legs on the recent RORC Caribbean 600; in the Classic class, Heroina, a 74’ cold molded Frers design build in the ‘90s; and the 51’ Aage Nielsen-designed ketch Saphaedra, a seasoned ocean racer.

At this morning’s media briefing at Hotel Carl Gustaf on the hill overlooking the harbor of Gustavia, Nils Dufau, Vice President of the Collectivity of St. Barth’s and president for the Tourism Committee, said, “Les Voiles de St. Barth has become a formidable communication tool for our island as an up-market destination. This event conveys to all the “state of mind” of an island that has built up over time and which today has become a haven of peace and stability — the very basis of its reputation.”

In a further nod to this relatively new event, the Caribbean Sailing Association named Les Voiles de St. Barth and the BVI Spring Regatta “Best Events of 2012.”

This evening is the Skipper’s Briefing after which event organizers will kick off the week with the Opening Ceremony and party in the Race Village on the Quai General de Gaulle.

Media Facilities:

Official website for the race:
http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/ The website will be updated throughout the event in both English and French. By visiting the press section dedicated to the event, you will find the daily rankings, the press releases, videos as well as a selection of the best photos of the day.

Daily Press Releases:
The English and French press releases will be available in PDF format on the media server or upon request: http://www.meretmedia.com/mediaserver

Media Centre
The media centre will be located on the first floor of the Harbour master’s office, quai Général de Gaule in Gustavia in St Barts. Open from 10 a.m. Monday April 8th. It will be equipped with all the necessary connections (fiber optic, telephone, broadband, Wi-fi …).

Press Boats
Several motorboats for the press will be leaving Gustavia to follow the various races from Tuesday 9th April until Saturday 13th April 2013. Registration required one day in advance with Sabina Mollart Rogerson, in the Press Room or by email:sabina@seaclearcommunications.com

Photographic arrangements
You can access the photo library via the following address: www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/

The high definition photos available on this website will only be free of rights for editorial use. They may by no means be used for communications or business purposes by anyone other than the organizers of the Voiles de St Barth and the official partners of the event.

Copyright details must be used as follows: - Tim Wright / Les Voiles de St Barth – Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St Barth

For any other information, please contact: Fabrice Thomazeau / ft.mer.media@wanadoo.fr

Video footage

See latest highlights and interviews on: http://voiles-stbarth.stockupvideo.com

Daily Highlights + /- 5 minutes April, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Sujet PAD quotidien (summary of the day with interviews in V.O.) +/- 2 minutes April, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th

Programme Review Edition 2013 13 minutes International and French version with a script available from April, 20th.

Formats: HD: MOC HDV SD: MP4 H264

TV Contact:
Stéphan Huyvenaar / shuyvenaar@wui.fr  Rights: All the videos are available for any news use during and after the event.

For further enquiries please contact: Olivier Girbas / ogirbas@wui.fr

___________________________________________

Press contacts: Agence Mer & Média
Presse France : Fabrice Thomazeau Tel : + 33 (0)2 99 23 83 83 – Mob : +33 (0)6 86 00 06 73 Email: fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com

International Press:
Sabina Mollart-Rogerson, mobile: + 34 666 759 530 ; local mobile: +590 690 77 11 37, Email: sabina@seaclearcommunications.com

U.S. media:
Susan Maffei Plowden/Suma Events, mobile: +1 401.855.0234; local mobile: +590 0690 342 316; Email: suma3@mac.com

4:14 pm - April 9, 2013 Posted by admin 0 Comments

Les Voiles de St. Barth: enjoying a perfect melody

Every remarkable song is marked with a rising crescendo that resonates with the heart. And so it is with this season’s epic series of Caribbean regattas, that its climax is soon to be relished at the Les Voiles de St. Barth. Scheduled for April 8-13, the event packs into five days (one for preparation, four for racing, and one – a “layday” – for enjoying some serious French hospitality St. Barth’s-style) all that has become traditional in Caribbean regattas and much more that has not.

“What I did find last year, which was my first at Les Voiles de St. Barth, was that this is the one race I’ll never miss,” said Puerto Rico’s Sergio Sagramoso, who has been tearing it up on the island circuit this year with his J/122 Lazy Dog. “It was so much fun, a really great experience: the island is amazing, the people are amazing, the organizers are a huge plus, and I don’t think we ever had as much fun as that layday when we did a whole bunch of sushi eating and drinking at Nikki Beach.”

Sagramoso, however gratified when enjoying the fabulously French atmosphere of St. Barth’s and the organizers’ approaches to creating a holiday experience in and around racing, still has an unfulfilled desire to take care of here. Last year, he lost on a tie breaker to Frits Bus’s Melges 24 Island Water World (which is entered again this year). “This year I will have no tie-breaker; I want it to go our way,” he declared. With so many 40 footers (the same length as Lazy Dog) entered this year, Bus will most likely compete in a different racing class; however, Sagramoso’s conviction in seeking redemption will run no less deep, seeing as he won the recent Heineken Regatta in arguably the toughest class there: one made up of 15 40-footers.

The ten-person crew on Lazy Dog – windsurfing buddies over the past 20+ years who are now doctors, lawyers, contractors and business owners – have been sailing every Puerto Rican regatta and as many in the Caribbean as they can to prepare for this season. (They are currently competing in the International Rolex Regatta and will move on to the BVI Spring Regatta before heading to St. Barth’s.) “We are sharp and going all out,” he said, adding that the crew commitment aboard Lazy Dog also involves delivering the boat on its own bottom over the 175 miles that lie between St. Barth’s and Puerto Rico. “We make it our priority to go sailing; then we have to suck it up the rest of the year to catch up at work. We might fall dead after all this racing, but there is a saying, ‘lo bailado no se quita.’” (Roughly translated by Sagramoso: “If you dance, no one can take that away from you.”)

Sixty-two boats are currently signed up for Les Voiles de St. Barth, with more to come. Of those, no less than ten are Swans and include the 100’ Varsovie, the largest boat in the fleet, and the next largest, the 80’ Selene; the 53’ Music representing the Royal Cape Yacht Club; and the 51’ Northern Child representing RORC. A regatta favorite is the 53’ Puffy, owned by Patrick Demarchelier, the famous French fashion photographer who splits his time between New York and St. Barth and whose career has flourished since the late ‘70s and reached one of several zeniths in the ‘90s when he contracted primarily with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

The CEO of Richard Mille Europe, Peter Harrison, has entered his 45’ JOLT2, a one-off yacht built of light weight carbon fiber to a radical Reichel/Pugh design. His core crew will be mainly from Britain, enhanced with one Italian crew member; in addition, journalists from Europe, USA and New Zealand will join as corporate guests. “I have been sailing for many years in smaller yachts, which I still enjoy doing on Lake Geneva and in the Solent,” said Harrison. “JOLT2 arrived in 2012 and was baptized on a very challenging Round the Island (Isle of Wight) Race in over 25 knots of wind. We also took part in the Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta in Yarmouth and in Les Voiles de St. Tropez with a mix of keen amateurs, pros and corporate guests.

Already in 2013, JOLT2 has sailed in the RORC 600 offshore race with a shorthanded crew of four, another “baptism by fire,” according to Harrison. “I am very much looking forward to bringing JOLT2 to Les Voiles de St. Barth to enjoy some fun and challenging racing in the sun! It’s the first time we will be competing there, and we can’t wait to experience the racing excitement up-front as well as the beautiful scenery of St. Barthelemy. Richard Mille is very proud of being a sponsor to what some people consider the best regatta in the Caribbean Series right now

9:41 pm - March 28, 2013 Posted by Les Voiles de St Barth 0 Comments

International competition on tap

Several decidedly national sailing teams will participate this year in the fourth edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Barth, which has become one of the most colorful and anticipated racing opportunities in the Caribbean. Scheduled for April 8-13, the event draws teams from around the world who enjoy extending their competitive sailing season in a warm, dependably breezy tropical clime. And no one minds, while they are at it, that the famously trendy island of St. Barth has a French flair that permeates everything from the language that is spoken to the delectable wine and fine cuisine that is offered.

“There are international festivals of all types,” said Luc Poupon, one of the organizers for the event, “and this truly is a five-day festival of fantastic sailing along with the camaraderie and fun that comes with hundreds of people sharing that experience.”

The Dutch team aboard the chartered Swan 45 Satori is considered “serious” by most racers, but trimmer Maurits van Oranje is modest about this. “We’d never take ourselves too serious, but in one way or the other someone will hopefully think of us as champions,” he said. “Apart from Gerard Verduyn (skipper), who has set up several international sail race teams and raced with world class sailors, most of the team members are experienced, yet not professional. We have sailed as a team for over 20 years on different boats and various international events.”

Van Oranje says what his team likes most about Les Voiles de St. Barth is that it is very well organized and provides an appealing mix of competition and high quality leisure activities. “Furthermore, the island’s geography inhibits the event from growing too big, which allows it to genuinely focus on first-class racing,” added van Oranje.

In an untraditional way, the 1965 ketch Saphaedra will represent the USA in the Classic Yacht Division, reserved for the most historic and aesthetically pleasing of the entrants. The yacht’s captain, Jamie Enos (Kennebunk, Maine/Hamilton, Mass.), will sail with only one other crew—her first-mate Amanda Sparks — perhaps, if they can “get away with it.”

“Saphaedra is just 51 feet long, and we are used to delivering it to different places on our own, but we’ll have to see how exhausted we are after the first day!,” said Enos.

The 27-year-old, who one month after college became a deckhand on Saphaedra and grew into a position of command by 2008, explained that the family that owns the yacht doesn’t race. “So we started in 2010 to sail in the Antigua Classics and other classic yacht regattas in New England like the Martha’s Vineyard ’Round the Island Race and the Nantucket Opera House Cup with friends we had met along the way.”

Last year, Enos sailed as crew on Carlo Falcone’s 1938 Bermudian yawl Mariella after she stumbled upon the regatta while bringing Saphaedra through the Caribbean (the yacht summers in Northeast Harbor, Maine, and winters in the islands). This year, Saphaedra is likely to sail against Mariella, which Enos says is faster in heavy air, but not unbeatable, since Saphaedra has beaten her on corrected time at Antigua Classics.

“We’re really excited to do it; we had a lot of fun the first time, and it’s one of our favorite places to sail,” said Enos.

Among the other entrants that will be proudly flying their nation’s flags are the J/122 Lazy Dog, skippered by Puerto Rico’s Sergio Sagramoso and the Ker 51 Varuna, owned by Germany’s Jens Kellinghusen. The 92-foot carbon Super Maxi Med Spirit will be returning for a second year with its all-French team that includes owner Jean Pierre Dreau. The boat, originally designed to break sailing records, typically charters in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, but once Dreau got a taste of Les Voiles last year, he decided to keep it on his schedule as a “downtime” event that he could enjoy with friends from Paris serving as crew.

Annelisa Gee, another of the organizers, explained that delivering a good event on the water has been paramount to the growth in popularity that Les Voiles de St. Barth has experienced over the three short years since its inception. “When sailors are competing, they want it hard-core on the water with a professional race management team, and when they come back ashore, they want to mingle, swap race stories and experience the culture of the island with their fellow sailors, their families and their friends.”

Les Voiles de St. Barth offers divisions for CSA Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker, Classics and Multihulls. Racing runs Tuesday through Saturday, with a lay day scheduled for Thursday, when water sports at Nikki Beach will be the activity of choice for hundreds of sailors. While most teams bring their own boats, several charter opportunities exist for full teams or even individuals who want to join a boat already delivered to St. Barth.

“No one really quite knows until they get here how all this chemistry among sailors is going to come together,” said Gee, “but that’s what makes the regatta, and the sport of competitive sailboat racing, so much fun.”

The event enjoys the continued support of watchmaker Richard Mille and sportswear brand Gaastra. Other event partners include leading St. Barth villa rental agency WIMCO, which offers a gorgeous portfolio of private villas for rent on St. Barth. Its sponsorship includes presenting eight Les Voiles class winners with a complimentary week in one of their top villas, inclusive of a concierge ready to attend to every request.

1:29 pm - March 7, 2013 Posted by Les Voiles de St Barth 0 Comments