Saint Barthélemy, Leeward Islands
Day two report from Todd Riccardi:
Two races were sailed today at the St. Barth Catacup. Both races sailed in 8-14 knots with good sized chop and little of the ocean swell seen on previous days. First race was a upwind beat followed by a double trap spinnaker reach around a few islands then upwind back to the finish. Luke Ramsay and John Casey led most of the first race, but sailed into a hole on the shore and were passed by Cammas and Boulogne who placed first and second while Ramsay/Casey had to settle for third.
After a great lunch at Nikki beach, race two was announced as upwind to the southernmost point of the island followed by a jib reach and spinnaker run into the beach around a mark and back to the start which was upwind, jib reach and a downwind. Todd Riccardi and Dalton Tebo were ninth to the first windward mark but went out into the ocean while the rest of the fleet played by the shore, the move paid off in a giant lead for the next several marks. After the turning point at the beach the fleet closed the gap a bit, but Riccardi/Tebo tacked to cover in a tight drag race only a few hundred feet from the cliffs. Light air and chop made for a tough upwind battle against the Hainneville brothers, just squeaking by the rocks off the tip of the island, and Riccardi/Tebo again extended to a large lead. Setting the kite for the last downwind, Hainneville and Bundock were gaining with a bit better pressure when Riccardi/Tebo caught an under water net stopping them close to the finish allowing Hainneville to take first and Bundock second.
Tomorrow is the round the island race!
Day two vide0:
