From Press Release – All pictures by Pierrick Contin
For this second day, the program is copious to say the least, with a first ultra fast leg, followed by the necessary Round the island race. A tricky tour, marked multiple level crossings.
As we saw yesterday, the 48 teams competing in the 17th edition of the St Barth Cata Cup are simply overexcited. And same to the previous day, the Race Committee had to display Black Flag, for “Sudden Death” rule, which permanently eliminates any boat that crosses the line before the start.
Aussies in great shape from the morning
They have not traveled over 17,000 kilometers to string beads, even if they were St Barts jewels! Fast, sharp and extremely consistent, Brett Burvill and Max Puttman won the first race, closely followed by their fellpw compatriots Gavin Colby and Kai Colman.
Long distance specialists, 2023 F18 Raid Worlds Champions, and winners of the last Worrel 1000, the Australians perfectly exploited the course: “Navigating between rocks, finding out where the wind is going to turn and in which direction it will blow, these races really help us adapt to a new place and think very quickly about how to navigate the course,” says Max Puttman. “When we take the lead, we obviously do everything to keep it but When we are behind someone, the best way to get past them is to do something different., within reason. In the first race, we had a game plan. We stuck to this plan, it worked well!”
Penalized yesterday by the breakage of their gennaker halyard, Tim Mourniac and Pierre-Yves Durand are back to the front by completing the podium in this first match of the day.
A sumptuous and treacherous Round the island race
Without waiting further, the Race Committee directly launches the start for Round the Islande race, a mythical event mixing spectacle and tension. Between the washing machine at Pointe à Toiny, the traps downwind the coast and sometimes a capricious wind, every mistake is paid cash.
When they were leading the race for a long time, Jean-Christophe Mourniac and Benjamin Amiot saw their lead melt like snow in the sun:
“We were leading from Grenadin on, then we lose a little bit of the thread under a wind blow,” says Benjamin Amiot., “Henri Demesmaeker and Rasmus Rosengren took the opportunity to pass us and to gain almost 200 meters on us. We manage to reattach and keep the second place. It was very physical, with an irregular wind, spi down, spi up… A big crew job!”
“I work with Henri on the EFT 26 circuit, he has really well progressed and Rasmus is an excellent crew.. Both of them make very few mistakes, it’s quite satisfying to finish just behind them!”
Henri Demesmaeker & Rasmus Rosengren are first finishers of Round the island race in 1h33, Jean-Christophe Mourniac and Benjamin Amiot retain their second place, ahead American pair Charles Tomeo – Dalton Tebo who complete the podium.
Tight standings
It was necessary to take out the calculators and consult the regulations to award the Eden Rock Villa Rental Prize, two teams scoring the same number of points. “As always, there is a rule,” says Jury President Pascal Grenion. “In case of a tie, the first place in the standings is played at the best of the races; the victory of the duo Demesmaeker/Rosengren Round the Island ensures them the first place in the day’s standings, ahead of two Australian pairs: Gavin Golby/Kai Colman, and Brett Burvill/Max Puttman.”