The winter might be fast setting in most parts of the world, but it does not deter many sailing events from still taking place.
For instance, the St Barth Cata Cup was on this weekend and it showcased many sailing masters at their game such as Olivier Gagliani and Patrick Demesmaeker. Indeed, Saturday saw the crew being out on challenging waters. This pair from Belgium however, made it and came out winner to claim the St Barth Assurances Allianz Grand Prize.
The day had been difficult for the team as the wind was shifty which made the start difficult. However the team did manage to go in the right direction and pass across the first mark. Though the crew felt that the day had been grueling physically as well as psychologically it was worth the experience of racing. The first day of the race offered tough competition with the Belgians fighting to stay ahead of their competitors, especially the team that won the Round the Island race. This team was successful in the afternoon round as they had a strategy in place that proved successful.
The racing format for the day saw that a longer format was required on the first day as the conditions became less favorable by afternoon. The racers were required to reach the first buoy which was a point of release, after which the team had to head back to the open waters. The boats had to man oeuvre around places like Fregate and Chevreau islands. They landed on the Boulanger island as well for port reasons and then to Fourchue and Boeuf. The racing committee had to work with the racers to change the format as per shifting wind conditions in order to accommodate the teams and help them steer their boats through the different waters of the bay or port areas.