With winter storms continuing to batter the coast of Europe, the Caribbean sailing season is already in full swing in the warmth of the trade winds, with the first regattas being hosted by Antigua, Barbados and Grenada. Plenty of the regular competitors have been joined by newcomers, who have decided to get a taste for themselves of the atmosphere and the amazing sailing conditions in the Caribbean. They are all already thinking about the major date on the calendar: Les Voiles de Saint Barth 2014, set to run from 14th to 19th April.

Les Voiles de Saint Barth marking the pinnacle of the Caribbean season

Joan Navarro from Barcelona is the skipper in charge of the IRC 52 Balearia, a Botin and Carkeek designed boat, which crossed the Atlantic last November from Las Palmas in the Canaries, with ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). Her first Caribbean outing was a success, as she won the Mount Gay Rum Barbados Race. The RORC classic, the Caribbean 600 and then the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will allow the beginners on board to learn more from Joan Navarro about how to sail this fast one-design boat. “This will be our first attempt at Les Voiles de Saint-Barth, which is undoubtedly one of the most attractive events in the Caribbean,” declared Navarro. “We know that the competition is likely to be very tough, but that the races will be extremely well-organised with an exceptional atmosphere ashore. We would like to continue on the same lines after our wins in the preparatory races. We often sail with crews made up of people from the business community, who are there to push back their limits, while at the same time enjoying these unique sailing conditions with the breeze and warmth from the trade winds.”

Les Voiles de Saint Barth 2013

Sailing in the Caribbean, a very special pleasure

Also arriving here within the framework of the ARC late last year, Aronax (X 482), skippered by Alain Charlot, and the Dutch crew on the X 602 Nix, skippered by Nico Cortlever a regular at Les Voiles de Saint Barth, having already competed three times, have already registered in the Spinnaker and non Spinnaker classes. They will be doing battle against the Swede, Rikard Roth, who is also busy preparing for the event with his X50 Xar, and who after completing the ARC, has just discovered the amazing delights and pleasures of the Caribbean. “Antigua Sailing Week and LesVoiles de Saint-Barth represent the major goals for the start of the year in the sunshine,” explained Rikard Roth. “We really enjoy sailing in steady winds. It’s truly a very special pleasure to be sailing here. Even if all the manoeuvres seem to be easy, we need to remain focused and not get distracted by the beauty of the backdrop. It is also very enjoyable to be racing in such a warm atmosphere. Our crew is made up of a clever mixture of friends from Sweden and local sailors, who will teach us about all the subtleties of these waters…”

Les Voiles de Saint Barth 2013 - race day 4 - Photo credit to Tim Wright/Les Voiles de St Barth

New challenges…
Arco van Nieuland is the happy co-owner with his fellow Dutchman Andries Verder of the Maxi yacht Aragon, a 72-foot Marten-designed boat. Specialising in maxi racing in the Mediterranean, the Dutch are also here for the first time to discover the delights of fashionable yachting around St. Barth. They share with Frank Noël and his lads on the Swiss-registered IRC 52 Near Miss the same appetite for discovering a different atmosphere and new challenges in what is a paradise location, but which will nevertheless require them to find out more about the sea and coastal conditions.

“We’re looking for a different sort of contest after competing for three years at all the major events in the Mediterranean,” explained Arco van Nieuland. “Sailing in St. Barth is a real challenge. We hope to be able to reach the standard that is required and improve racing alongside competitors from all over the world in what is for us a totally new environment…”

With two months to go to the big event, 56 boats have already registered, including eight maxis, three IRC 52s, and today’s finest cruising racers, Swans, Grand Soleil and X Yachts…

PRE-REGISTRATIONS FOR 2014

MAXI
1 – ARAGON
Design: MARTEN / 72′ / Owner: Verder Van Nieuwland
2 – CAOL ILA R
Design: MILLS / 68′ / Owner: Alex SCHAERER
3 – BELLA MENTE
Design: Judel/Vrolijk Mini Maxi / 72′ / Owner: Hap FAUTH
4 – RAMBLER
Design: Reichel-Pugh / 90′ / Owner: George DAVID
5 – SELENE
Design: SWAN 80   / Owner: Wendy SCHMIDT
6 – MAXIMISER
Design: FARR / 73′ / Owner: Jose DIEGO-AROZAMENA
7 – OCEAN PHOENIX
Design: Humphreys 77′ / Skipper: Juan Luis Serra LALAURIE
8 – HIGHLAND BREEZE
Design: SWAN 112 / Owner: Ben KOLFF

IRC 52
9 – SCARLET RUNNER
Design: Reichel Pugh-52 / Owner: Robert DATE
10 – BALEARIA
Design: Botin Carkeek / Owner: Jascha BACH
11 – NEAR MISS
Design: Reichel Pugh 52 / Owner: Frank NOEL

SPINNAKER
12 – TRUE
Design: KERNAN / 47′ / Owner: Leo van den Thillart/Jono SWAIN
13 – HIGH TENSION
Design: MUMM 36 / Owner: Bernie EVAN-WONG
14 – LAZY DOG
Design: MELGES 32 / Owner: Sergio SAGRAMOSO
15 – SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE
Design: VOLVO 60 / Owner: Derek HATFIELD
16 – TEAM BOSTON
Design: FIRST 40 / Owner: Chris JACKSON
17 – AFFINITY
Design: SWAN 48CR / Owner: Jack DESMOND
18 – XAR
Design: X 50 / Owner: Rikard ROTH
19 – J-BOSS
Design: J 111 / 36′ / Owner: Eddy CHALONO
20 – STARK RAVING MAD IV
Design: J 125 / 41′ / Owner: Jim MADDEN
21 – OTRA VEZ
Design: KER 43 / Owner: William COATES
22 – VISIOOPTIK
Design: FIRST 40.7 / Owner: Claude ROTH
23 – ALBACORE 5
Design: GRAND SOLEIL 39 / Owner: J L PEZIN
24 – RED BARON
Design: D Peterson / 43′ / Owner: Pamala Baldwin-Bernie Evans-Wong
25 – St BARTH SAIL RACING
Design: A 40 / Owner: Ronan DELACOU
26 – FISER
Design: B 28 / Owner: Jean Michel FIGUERRES
27 – SMILE and WAVE
Design: Melges 32 / Owner: Jaime TORRES
28 – JOLT 2
Design: BALTIC 45 / Owner: Peter HARRISON
29 – SELENE
Design: Swan 44 / Owner: Adrian LOWER
30 – PUFFY
Design: Swan / 53′ / Owner: Patrick DEMARCHELIER- Skipper: Karl Spijker
31 – RAMANESSIN
Design: Grand Soleil 43 / Skipper: Eamonn ROHAN
32 – VOILES au FEMININ
Design: J 109 / 35′ / Skipper: Sophie OLIVAUD
33 – ARONAX
Design: X 482 / 48′ / Skipper: Alain CHARLOT
34 – MAELIA
Design: X 34 / Skipper: Raphael MAGRAS
35 – CUBA LIBRE
Design: Volvo Ocean 60 / Skipper: Johannes SCHWARZ
36 – SPEEDY NEMO
Design: DUFOUR 34 / Skipper: Raymond MAGRAS
37 – BALLYTRIM
Design: SWAN / 46′ / Owner: Andrew ALLNER Skipper: Geoff Ford
38 – ORMEAU
Design: Beneteau 47 / Skipper: Alain CHARLOT
39 – OPTIQUE BEAUMONT
Design: First 310 S  / Skipper: Jean-Charles BAUMONT
40 – BOOST’N SAIL
Design: MELGES 24 / Skipper: Mowgli FOX
41 – NO-LIMIT
Design: MELGES 24 / Skipper: Lucas DAUNAR
42 – TEAM ISLAND WATER WORLD
Design: MELGES 24 / Skipper: Frits BUS
43 – LEFORT CLIM
Design: MELGES 24 / Skipper: Antoine LEFORT
44 – BUDGET MARINE
Design: MELGES 24 / Skipper: Andrea SCARABELLI

NON SPINNAKER
45 – NIX
Design: X-612 / Skipper: Nico CORTLEVER
46 – ALPHA CENTAURI
Design: SWAN 57 / Skipper: Bruno CHARDON
47 – GROIX
Design: HARMONY 47 / Skipper: Greg PAINE
48 – ST MAARTEN SAILING SCHOOL
Design: FIRST 300 / Skipper: Garth STEYN

RACING MULTIHULL
49 – ZENYATTA
Design: GUNBOAT 62 / Skipper: Nils ERICKSON
50 – TEAM ALL STARS
Design: SeaCart 26 / Skipper: Calle HENNIX
51 – ELVIS
Design: GUNBOAT 63 / Skipper: Jason CARROLL
52 – HALLUCINE
Design: TS 50 / Skipper: Alexis GUILLAUME
53 – PAMPERO
Design: TS 50 / Skipper: BdB Sailing
54 – DAUPHIN TELECOM
Trimaran 50′ / Skipper: Erik CLEMENT
55 – FILDOU
Design: LOMBARD 40 / Skipper: Stephane CATTONI
56 – SANEM
Design: KL28 / Skipper: SANTONI Cedric