From Press Release
Two more races have been completed to conclude 4 days of sailing under the sun of St Barth. For these ultimate confrontations, the Race Committee fostered an eminently tactical playing field, downwind of the island, tricky and changing, ideal to decide between the best.
Tim Mourniac & Pierre-Yves Durand Front-runners
The first race of the day brings the 48 crews from Saint-Jean to the sumptuous Les Salines Beach, where the finish line is judged. A course full of finesse, mostly upwind, in an unstable wind that requires lucidity, precision and composure. Here, the hierarchy can change in one breath: reading the surface of the water, flairprecise settings… a real tactical puzzle.
Relentless since Saturday, Tim Mourniac and Pierre-Yves Durand confirm their return in shape with a new victory. Behind them, the overall leaders, Henri Demesmaeker and Rasmus Rosengren, secure a solid second place. Jean-Christophe Mourniac and Benjamin Amiot complete the podium: “We are third in this race, it’s great! We are overtaken at the gate by Tim and then in Colombier by Henri: they are really untouchable these last few days”, underlines Benjamin Amiot. “We fought well, it’s great. Every year, the level is incredible here, we have a lot of fun at the St Barth Cata Cup”
An unprecedented podium for the second race of the day
Soon arrived as early left… the Race Committee quickly continued with the second race of the day. A downwing return this time from Les Salines to reach Gustavia and its Public Beach.
In this final battle, the inevitable duo Demesmaeker/ Rosengren scored a sixth bullet out of eight races — a rythm of a metronome.
Just behind the winners, superb performance by the Argies Cruz Gonzales Smith and Mariano Heuser, authors of a particularly inspired distant offshore option. “The race was super short and super fast! We were 6th at Coco Island, and we chose to go far off to the coast where there was more pressure: it was the right strategy ”, rejoices Mariano Heuser.
Third place in this last race goes back to Australian pair Gavin Parker and Dan Brown.
Henri Demesmaeker & Rasmus Rosengren gain the Sunday trophy
Scoring 2 and 1 on Sunday regattas, Henri Demesmaeker and Rasmus Rosengren brilliantly win the daily award, adding a new line to their already impressive track record of the week, ahead of Brett Burvill/Max Puttman and Cruz Gonzales Smith/Mariano Heuser.
Henri Demesmaeker & Rasmus Rosengren sacred winners of 2025 Cata Cup!
“In my opinion, the race will be about consistency,” confided Henri at the beginning of the week.
The 24-year-old Belgian skipper was not mistaken: he applied his strategy with surgical precision. With six bullets in eight races, an impressive consistency and a fifth place as the only conceivable underperformance, Demesmaeker/Rosengren duo dominated this 17th edition with remarkable mastery. Alongside him, Rasmus Rosengren, 2023 F18 World Champion and skipper of the Swedish boat in the Youth America’s Cup, shone with his multifaceted talent.
“We are super happy. Rasmus did an excellent job again today. We didn’t stay far from Tim, we always kept them in our sights. We did what we do best: move the boat fast!” , Henri emphasizes.
The Belgian-Swedish pair, who were teaming together for the first time, immediately found their marks. “We were a little bit slow in the upwind at the very beginning of the week, but we managed to increase our power, refine the settings, and stay consistent. Rasmus is super versatile, very attentive to details. He is a fully skilled navigator, not only strong in handling the boat but also in reading the water field as well race conduct“, he continues.
For Rasmus, this victory has a very special flavor: “It’s my fifth participation here in St Barth, but my first victory. I am very happy… and a bit relieved too! It took a lot of fight to win and we really enjoyed playing against the best.”
Mourniac / Durand back on top, but too late
Handicapped by the breakage of spi halyard in the very first race of the Saint Barth Cata Cup, Tim Mourniac and Pierre-Yves Durand took some time to find the mojo that characterises them. The last time they came here, they had overflown the competition by signing a grand slam.
Their 15 years of common competition ended up talking: yesterday, the two accomplices regained all their automatisms and that little extra thing that makes all the difference. Their three victories at the end of the week allow them to get their cherry back. Not enough, however, to go back on the leaders: “We end up very logically in second place after a chaotic week,” admits Tim Mourniac. “We were far too irregular compared to Henri and Rasmus who were very consistent. We didn’t really sail at the best of our level but we had fun on a few legs.”
Australian duel for third place: a final act with the knife
The suspense lasted until the very end for the third step of the podium, with two Australian teams fighting with equal points before the last race. It is finally Brett Burvill and Max Puttman who take the bronze, one point ahead Gavin Colby and Kai Colman.
“The finish was incredible, enthuses Brett Burvil. It’s great to be on the podium after such a fight. Yesterday on the same course, we made quite a few mistakes. It served as a lesson for us. We learned from what we saw yesterday. Every day is a learning day. We are delighted with this result! The organization is incredible: bringing in all these boats, these competitors, managing our accommodations in this magical place, it’s crazy! My hat is off to them. We will talk about this event everywhere in Australia”
