8th edition of the St Barth Cata Cup

Between a counter clockwise round-the-island raid that ended in the dark, Orion Martin and Charles Gaté’s 3 consecutive wins, a first podium on the 3rd day for a crew from St-Barth and constantly changing winds, the 8th edition of the St-Barth Cata Cup was all about first times.« Last year, we had very windy conditions sometimes forcing us to cancel races. This year, it’s was exactly the opposite with very light winds. We even had to tow a couple of boats to St-Jean Beach», said Didier Flamme, President of the race committee for the St-Barth Cata Cup.Speaking of firsts, Argentinia and the UK were represented for a first time in the history of the event. « We had a lot of fun, it’s paradise here! », said Cruz Gonzales Smith. « The St-Barth Cata Cup is very well known in our country and we have always wanted to come. But due to conflicts with other championships, it has never been possible before now. We will be back for sure ! »

SAINT-BARTH CATA-CUP 2015 : Au portant © Pascal AlemanyAs an event par excellence for both amateurs and professionals in the F18 Class, the St- Barth Cata Cup has risen to the top ranks of regattas that offer a high level of competition. According to James Baeckler, president of the Association Française de F18, the success of the F18 Class is founded on events such as this. These regattas ensure the success and longevity of a class. Without great races, there would be no boats or happy sailors”.Benjamin Amiot has always enjoyed sailing this platform, and even more so in the St-Barth: « There’s always a high level of competition at this regatta, and for us it’s an excellent way to compete at the end of the season. »