There are spots in the Caribbean where you’ve got great racing at a relatively affordable price. Than there’s St. Barths, where if you have to ask how much it is, you can’t afford it!
Day 1 at Les Voiles De St. Barth saw just how embarrassing a monster monohull can be; it cost Jim Clark around $30M (not including salaries!) to get horizon-jobbed by Phaedo, the trimaran Lloyd Thornburg picked up for less than a tenth of that. In other Maxi action, the JuanK Rambler 88 finished the same course a long way behind Clark’s big VPLP/Verdier, proving her uselessness as a line honors winner in typical trade wind breezes. The pretty Bella Mente zippered her mainsail on her way to a DNF.
While Phaedo was untouchable by monohulls or multihulls, the fresh-out-of-the-box G4 Timbalero impressed everyone, foiling and low-riding her way to finish around 10 minutes ahead of the well-sorted Gunboat 62 Elvis, though apparently she lost by a long way on handicap (as if anyone sailing a foiler gives a crap about that). Erik Maris’ GC32 Zoulou didn’t finish either, sources in St. Bart’s say it’s (yet) another main foil issue with the high-flying racing cat. G55 Toccata also DNF’d, though we’re not sure why – yet.
Les Voiles may cost a fortune, but you wouldn’t know it by the third-world scoring system they use. Squeak your way through Day 1’s scores here. There’s also an Event-produced day 1 highlight video here featuring Rambler, Comanche, and nothing else.
Chat about the Phaedo here, and the Rambler here.
