International Field of Formula 18s in St Barth

Published on November 2nd, 2016

The ninth edition of the St Barth Cata Cup will bring together competitors from the GC32, Tornado, Flying Phantom, Class 40 and Diam 24 for Formula 18 competition on November 17 to 20 in the ideal conditions of Baie de St-Jean.

The 2016 edition will see increased representation by Germany, Switzerland, Argentina, and Canada in addition to returning teams from Italy and Greece. Seventeen nations will attend in all.

“What I like about the St Barth Cata Cup is its friendly atmosphere, the warm welcome we receive and, obviously, the sailing conditions, which make this a unique race,” explains Iordanis Paschalidis, triple Olympian on the Tornado, who will team up with crewman Gustaf Dryssen. “St-Barth is one of those places where you can sail under all kinds of wind and sea conditions: waves, calm waters or powerful winds. This is why it attracts some of the world’s top catamaran racers.”

There’s no doubt Canadians have embraced the St Barth Cata Cup, with no fewer than eight sailors from Canada taking part in the ninth edition. Nedim Alca and his crewman John Cunning will be participating for the first time, while Luke Ramsay, Olympian on the Nacra 17 (Rio) and the 470 (London), will be returning to St-Barth for his second race, and he’s very enthusiastic about it.

“After the Rio Olympics, I took a couple of weeks off to rest and had fun taking part in a few regattas, including the US F18 Nationals,” shared Ramsay. “That’s where I ran into Matthew Whitehead, who was looking for a crew member. I jumped at the chance.”

Rounding out the list of Canadian sailors: Maxime Loiselle, Olivier Leduc, Olivier Pilon, Jean-Pierre Desrochers, Anthony Boueilh and Bastien Mony.

The St Barth Cata Cup has established a reputation in the sailing world not only for offering ideal conditions, but for presenting an exciting program of activities on dry land. This is why a mood of camaraderie has prevailed for the past eight years. As explained by Jeff Lédée, one of the masterminds behind the St Barth Cata Cup: “Our concept is to combine the show on the water during the regattas with exciting evening events where everyone gets together, and it works! We also owe the success of the St Barth Cata Cup to all the volunteers and partners who put their trust in us, support us and help us make the regatta even better.”

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