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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesWINDS POWER FIRST DAY OF VITEL CELLULAR REGATTA

WINDS POWER FIRST DAY OF VITEL CELLULAR REGATTA

Three, two, one — Gun! With a bang, the Vitel Cellular St. Croix International Regatta got under way Friday with 30 boats of all shapes and sizes crossing the starting line to race.
Sailing in brisk easterly winds of 15 to 18 knots in the Buck Island Channel, two races were completed in six divisions.
Competition was tight in the various classes as crews worked to get in tune after a summer-long break from racing. The winds took their toll on the fleet, though, as several breakdowns and injuries were reported.
Aboard Matador a crew member suffered a dislocated shoulder and the multihull Three Little Pigs had a gear failure that kept her out of the first race.
After the first of three days of competition, Umakua leads in Racing Class A with first and third place finishes. Umakua is followed by Fastidiots and Rushin' Rowlette with five points each.
Racing Class B saw Jersey Devil win both races with Sorceress second (five points) and Magnificent 7 (six points) in third.
In Class C, the Melges 24 class, Marriot's Frenchmans Reef won both races. Trust Bank and Airgasm are tied for third with a second and third place finish each.
Class D, jib and main, had Tempest and Pipe Dream trade firsts and seconds with Annick II solidly in third. Class E, also jib and main, had Windflower, One Wing and Harmony finish one, two and three in both races. In Class F, multihulls, Charis won both races with Three Little Pigs second.
The youngest skipper in the fleet, 17-year-old C.C. Cramer, helmed Love Never Fails to fifth in Class A. Nick Castruccio's Annick II, third in Class D, is crewed by sailors aged 9 to 65, with most crewmembers in their early teens.
And once again, 18-year-old Chris Stanton and Jersey Devil showed their speed with two firsts in Class B.
For more information on the regatta and its host, the St. Croix Yacht Club,
click here.

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