An enthusiastic Ken Read (Newport, R.I.) got the 2011 sailing season off to a resounding start on board the new Maxi Yacht Rambler 100 in the Caribbean 600. The American skipper, who leads the Puma Ocean Racing project, has just won the event, leaving his rival Leopard 3 a long way behind and in so doing also grabbing the race record. Winner of last year’s inaugural running of the Les Voiles de St. Barth as skipper of George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) 90-footRambler, Read was naturally entrusted with the helm of Rambler 100 (the former Speedboat) when David took command of it earlier this year. Very excited by Rambler 100’s performance so far, Read is looking forward to the race program that lies ahead in the coming weeks. The second edition of the Les Voiles de St. Barth is next on the schedule (April 4-9), and with a mere mention of Read’s victory at the 2010 event, he admits without hesitation that he took advantage of “the best conditions ever experienced in my whole career….”
The prospect of once again facing their main rival Leopard 3 (owned by Great Britain’s Mike Slade) at Les Voiles de St. Barth–in closely fought contests on a variety of windy courses–is something that Read and David are extremely happy about. The Americans will bring along the whole of Read’s Puma Ocean Racing team, comprised of 15 top class professional sailors that will join seven other experienced crewmen to sail the powerful carbon Maxi Yacht.
“Don’t change a thing!,” said Read about the Les Voiles des St. Barth format, which features short daytime race courses that will have Rambler 100 and Leopard 3 facing off for the first time with that type of racing. “Rambler 100 and Leopard 3 are two huge monsters,” he said, explaining that both boats are entered in the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series, which reaches its climax in June with the 2011 Transatlantic Race from Newport, Rhode Island to The Lizard (UK). “They are record-breaking boats designed for long ocean races and major offshore courses; however, for our crew, it is vital to be able to compete in inshore races like those that will be held in St. Barth. Our battle against Leopard 3 will be very demanding for the crews and fascinating to watch, as we will be alongside each other for a lot of the time and it is bound to offer a maximum level of excitement.”
The Caribbean 600 represented an intermediate format for Ken Read and his crew, and it very quickly turned to the advantage of Rambler 100, which led the way from start to finish in what were typically Caribbean conditions, with strong trade winds windward of the islands and tricky currents, particularly at night. “Sailing along at 26 knots under the stars, we had some great moments aboard Rambler 100, a boat that offers a completely new dimension to racing,” concluded Read. Peter Harrison’s (Great Britain) 115-foot Farr-designed Sojana, which stood out in the Les Voiles de St. Barth last year and will be back again this year, also took part in the Caribbean 600 alongside Genuine Risk, the 90-foot Dubois design that has registered for the Les Voiles de St. Barth for the first time and may also thwart the favorites’ plans.
“In St. Barth, each day is different,” said Read. “The race committee has done an excellent job coming up with courses around the islands that are spectacular and at the same time very demanding from a tactical perspective, as they mean we have to sail at every point of sail. The Les Voiles de St. Barth is also physically very tiring, as the strong regular winds that sweep across the islands at this time of year allow us to get the most out of the boat, implying frequent sail changes with each change of tack. Technically, this is a really interesting event, which is a fantastic complement to the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series.”
Key information:
With one month to go until the start of racing, the Les Voiles de St. Barth has registered no fewer than 49 yachts, divided according to their size and class in the following five divisions:
SUPER / MAXI YACHT : A Maxi yacht refers to a prototype yacht or one that is produced in limited numbers measuring at least 69’ in length: 8 boats registered
CLASSIC: Classic Yachts or traditional boats are boats that are at least 35 years old and fit into various categories: 5 boats registered
RACING: This division brings together racing monohulls designed specifically for coastal or offshore races: 15 boats registered
RACING-CRUISING : The Racing Cruising division includes chiefly series boats, fitted out for cruising as well as for racing: 17 boats registered
RACING- MULTIHULLS: This division includes racing multihulls, be they trimarans or catamarans, with a length between 30 and 60 feet and which are very light and fast: 4 boats registered
The Les Voiles de St. Barth officially begins on Monday, April 4, 2011 with the traditional registration process and the opening of the Voiles Village, Quai du Général De Gaulle in Gustavia. At 1300 hrs (local time) the next day (Tuesday, April 5), the Race Directors, under the leadership of Luc Poupon, will signal the start of racing on some exciting and varied race courses set up according to the weather conditions. Racing continues Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with Thursday, April 7 set aside as a lay day, with a full list of festive events lined up, allowing the crews to rest and enjoy themselves along with the people of St. Barths. The closing evening on Saturday, April 9 will include the prize-giving
ceremony.
Entries
LEOPARD 3
GBR 1R FARR 100′ MIKE SLADE Pre-entry
SOJANA
GBR 115 FARR 115 Peter HARRISON /Marc FIDZGERALD Pre-entry
BELLA PITA
US 53560 TRIPP DESIGN 75′ JIM GRUNDY Pre-entry
HIGHLAND BREEZE
888 SWAN 112 RS/GPR 112′ ALBERT KEULARTS Pre-entry
SPIIP
FRA 8686 CNB 86 86′ ROBIN DE JONG Pre-entry
RAMBLER 100
100′ GEORGE DAVID Pre-entry
MARAMA
100′ GERARD NAIGEON Pre-entry
GENUINE RISK
8390 DUBOIS/MC CONAUGHY 97′ HUGO STENBECK Pre-entry
Racing
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
REGIS GUILLEMOT.COM
FRA 96 POGO 40 S2 40′ REGIS GUILLEMOT Pre-entry
PANIC ATTACK
750 OPEN 750 24′ JAN VANDEN EYNDE Pre-entry
NOVUS ACRA
GBR 150 L BENETEAU F 50 50′ TONY MACBRIDE Pre-entry
BLACK HOLE
SANTA CRUZ 37 37′ J. Hin Pre-entry
FIFI
FRA 2114 X55 55 G;MARTIN Pre-entry
LANCELOT
FRA 25597 BENETEAU 31.7 32 SERGE MAZARIO Pre-entry
TECHNOMARINE
FRA 27917 Farr 36,7 DEREDEC Christian Pre-entry
OCEAN WARRIOR
SA 3625 CLASS 40 40′ LENJOHN VAN DER WEL Pre-entry
PUFFY
USA 45454 Farr 45 DEMARCHELLIER Patrick Pre-entry
ANTILOPE
GRB 1513L GRAND SOLEIL 43′ WILLEM WESTER Pre-entry
LOST HORIZON
ANT 104 J 122 40′ JAMES DOBBS Pre-entry
MONNEYPENNY
TP 52 54′ JIM SWARTZ Pre-entry
VENOMOUS
GBR 60006 FARR DESIGN 60′ PETER CUNNINGHAM Pre-entry
SPIRIT OF JUNO
GBR 8653 R FARR 65 65′ RORY FAULKNER Pre-entry
SONIC OF AYR
GBR 370 L SANTA CRUZ 37 37 RYAN BROOKES Pre-entry
Classic
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
WHITE WINGS
US2 W CLASS 76′ DAVID TOFIA Pre-entry
DUENDE
10200 Herreshoff 43 43 D.Randy West Pre-entry
KATE
ES5 MYLNE 60′ Walwyn Pre-entry
CARA MIA
SUI 4405 SWAN 41′ PATRICK NICHOLAS Pre-entry
Racing Cruising
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
FENIX
GBR 9660R SWAN 60′ MORITZ BURMESTER Pre-entry
L’ESPERANCE
123 Beneteau 45 VELASQUEZ Robert Pre-entry
VANILLE
16286 FIRST 300 SPIRIT 30′ PHILIPPE HERVE Pre-entry
COSTA MESA
88 DUFOUR 425 GL 43′ REY PASCAL Pre-entry
ORMEAU
FINOT BENETEAU 47.3 ALAIN CHARLOT Pre-entry
MR. WALKER
FRA 491 REQUIN 33 MELISSA RIMBAUD Pre-entry
LIL’E
FRA 479 REQUIN 33 FOX MOWGLI Pre-entry
BEESE
BERRET 50.5 ANDRE BEESE Registered
MAE-LIA
X-YACHT 34 MAGRAS Raphael Pre-entry
FESTING
BERRET 50.5 PATRICK SMITH Registered
SPEEDY NEMO
DUFOUR 34′ RAYMOND MAGRAS Pre-entry
CORBAN
97133 SWAN 42 HARPER Daniel Pre-entry
TARA II
SUN ODYSSEY 54 DS 54′ HENRY ALBERT Pre-entry
SPLENDIDO
FRA37407 GRAND SOLEIL 40′ PHILIPPE HERVOUET Pre-entry
NIX
IVB 612 X-YACHT 60′ NICO CORTLEVER Pre-entry
AFFINITY
US 50007 SWAN 48′ JACK DESMOND Pre-entry
SOLANO
FRA 34625 LATINI 52 FELCI 52′ FREDERIC RIALLAND Pre-entry
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
GRB 1007L ELAN 37′ ANNIE O’SULLIVAN Pre-entry
COYOTE 2
GBR 9949 T FIRST 40.7 41′ KEN ACOTT Pre-entry
iLOST
HARMONY 42 42′ HANNEKE STEGWEG Pre-entry
SHAMROCK VII
USA 1 J 95 31′ THOMAS MULLEN Pre-entry
Racing Multihull
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
PHAEDO
399BC GUNBOAT 66′ PAUL HAND Pre-entry
KARIBUNI PINEL
COULOMBEL 40′ ERICK CLEMENT Pre-entry
BIANCA
SEACART 30′ HERVE DE MARJOLIE Pre-entry
SPIRIT
GBR 565 40′ JASON GARD Pre-entry
