March 28, 2008 — Wind of 20-22 knots greeted sailors on the opening day of the International Rolex Regatta, providing exciting racing and some tough conditions.
"We had two-foot waves breaking over our bow and coming all the way back to the cockpit," said Paul Davis, owner of Magnificent 7, a J/27, based at STYC.
Starting off the event was a 10-mile, mostly downwind race from just south of Cow and Calf Rocks into Charlotte Amalie Harbor, giving cruise-boat passengers and tourists an eyeful of real sailboat racing.
After a finish in the harbor, the fleet raced a second course around Buck and Capella Islands and then back toward STYC, with the finish line just west of Christmas Cove on Great St. James Island.
Saturday's courses are expected to be windward-leeward, around the buoys courses, favoring boats such as Davis'. The shorter races give his boat a better chance to beat boats that their boat owes time, Davis said.
Chris Stanton of St. Croix owns and races Devil Cubed, a Melges 24. Stanton and his brothers, Scott and Peter, as well as crew member Sydney Jones, raced through the rough seas Friday, earning a first place for the day in the Spinnaker Racing 1 class.
The steep chop does not favor his boat, Stanton says, but the chop did not keep Devil Cubed's crew from finishing six minutes ahead of the next boat in the first race. Devil Cubed saw a top speed to f 17.5 knots downwind during the race, Stanton said.
In the second, mostly upwind race, another St. Croix entry, Bad Girl, took top honors in the same class.
"We are faster downwind and they are faster upwind," Stanton said of Bad Girl. "Bad Girl is very fast by design upwind, and they are fast. They have a good crew."
Saturday's racing will commence at 10 a.m., and will likely take place mostly off the east end of St. Thomas, in Pillsbury Sound and around Little and Great St. James Islands.
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