March 26, 2006 – Anyone driving on the mountainous roads overlooking Charlotte Amalie Harbor Saturday couldn't miss the spectacular display of sailing vessels moving about the harbor.
One spectator remarked, "So what if they blocked the seaplane traffic, it was worth it."
At Marriott Frenchman's Reef, which guards the entrance to the harbor, vacationers rushed to the railings overlooking the ocean to catch a glimpse of the 92 vessels ranging from IC 24s to the 72-foot Donnybrook and lots in between.
It was the second day of racing at the 33rd annual International Rolex Regatta and the second year that host St. Thomas Yacht Club ran a spectator-friendly distance race from the east end of the island along its south side to Charlotte Amalie. After a finish and restart just inside the harbor, a reverse-direction race brought the fleet of 92 boats back home. Eight different classes of 24-80 foot boats enjoyed the spree, which was made more indulgent by 15-20 knot easterly winds. The wind direction made for mostly off-the-wind sailing on the way to town, though various turning marks lengthened the course and necessitated some upwind strategy. The race home switched to a mostly upwind battle against a 3-4 foot chop on top of big swells.
With finishes of 4-1, Martin Jacobson's (Greenwich, Conn.) Swan 44 Crescendo maintained its lead from yesterday in Spinnaker Racing Cruising class. "It was definitely interesting today," said crew member Tom Castiglione (Rowayton, Conn.), noting that his team didn't need a specified navigator on today's two distance races, which were 10 miles and 15 miles respectively. "We navigated by committee; you could just look around and see most everything you needed to."
The Beneteau 40.7 Lazy Dog, skippered by Sergio Sagramoso (San Juan, Puerto Rico), gave Crescendo a run for its money with a 2-2 in that class Saturday, but his team sits six points behind the leader in second place. "We like the round-the-buoys racing of yesterday better, because it gives more chances for things to happen," said Sagramoso, who hopes tomorrow's planned long distance race in Pillsbury Sound will have enough upwind and downwind legs on its course to increase his chances of catching the leader.
Sagramoso's sentiment was somewhat shared by Jens Hookansen (Middletown, R.I.) aboard Robert Armstrong's (Gallows Bay, St. Croix) J/100 Expensive Habit. Although the boat holds onto its lead from Friday, Hookansen maintained that it is faster upwind than downwind. "The boats with asymmetrical spinnakers just killed us today on the downwind legs," said Hookansen. "Tomorrow's race will be good for us only if we have some good upwind legs." A testament to Hookansen's theory was Expensive Habit's fifth-place finish in Saturday's first race, followed by a victory in the second.
For another class leader, Danilo Salsi of Milan, Italy, Saturday's race fit perfectly with his long-term racing plan. "This is group training for us," said Salsi, owner and skipper of the Frers 45 Dsk Comifin in Spinnaker Racing Class 1. "Usually in the Mediterranean, it is only windward-leeward course racing, so this is new for us. It is what we need." Dsk Comifin recently finished second at Acura Key West Race Week and travels next to compete in the BVI Spring Regatta, Rolex Antigua Sailing Week and the Newport to Bermuda Race. Traveling from Ghent, Belgium are four teams from the Arena Sailing Club, sailing in Non-Spinnaker Racing Class 2, where Cayennita, a Soverel 27 owned by Elle and Tony Sanpere (Christiansted, USVI) has moved into the lead. "We sail on the North Sea, and each year we choose one Caribbean regatta to sail in," said the club's spokesman Zeelmaekeus Rector. "In the evenings we are friends, but on the race course we are competitors against each other." Holding leads from Friday are Three Harkoms, a Beneteau 44 skippered by Christopher Lloyd (Road Town, Tortola, BVI) in Non-Spinnaker Racing Class 1; Urayo, a J/24 skippered by Gilberto Rivera (San Juan, Puerto Rico) in CSA 24 Class; and Suzuki / Red Bull, a Hobie Cat 16 skippered by Enrique Figueroa (San Juan, Puerto Rico) in Beach Cats Class.
St. Thomian Chris Rosenberg took over the lead today in IC-24 class Saturday aboard Bambooshay.Daily video coverage will be available on demand by 9 p.m. each night at www.t2p.tv/.
Here are day two results
Place, Yacht Name, Type, Owner's Name, Origin, Results, Total Points
CSA 24 Spinnaker (CSA – 8 Boats)
1. Urayo, J24 24, Gilberto Rivera, San Juan, P.R., P.R. – 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1; 8
2. KQ-LO, J24 24, Carlos Sierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA – 3, 3, 3, 4, 1, 3, 3; 20
3. Saudades Cemex Pr, J24 24, Leopoldo Loria, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA – 4, 6, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2; 22
IC 24 One Design (One Design – 19 Boats)
1. Bambooshay, IC24 24, Christian F. Rosenberg, St.Thomas, USVI, USA – 3/RDG, 5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1; 15
2. Stinger, IC24 24, John Holmberg, St. Thomas, VI, USVI – 9, 3, 7, 4, 7, 3, 4; 37
3. Sea Hawk, IC24 24, Robby Hirst, Road Town, Tortola, BVI – 2, 16, 1, 5, 3, 2, 8; 37
Spinnaker Racing 1 (CSA – 7 Boats)
1. Dsk Comifin, Frers 45, Danilo Salsi, Milano, ITA – 1, 1, 1, 2, 1; 6
2. Privateer, Swan 48 Cr 48, Ron O'Hanley, Ipswitch, MA, USA – 4, 3, 3, 1, 2; 13
3. Chippewa, Farr395 40, Dave West, Bayfield, WI, USA – 2, 5, 4, 6, 3; 20
Spinnaker Racing 2 (CSA – 15 Boats)
1. Expensive Habit, J100 33, Robert Armstrong, Gallos Bay, St. Croix, BVI – 1, 1, 1, 5, 1; 9
2. Lost Horizon II, Olson 30 30, James Dobbs, Antigua, Antigua – 2, 2, 4, 3, 3; 14
3. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Kirby 25 25, John/Bill Foster/McConnell, St. Thomas, VI, USA – 4, 5, 5, 6, 4; 24
Non-Spinnaker Racing 1 (CSA – 12 Boats)
1. Three Harkoms, Beneteau 44, Christopher Lloyd, Road Town, Tortola, BVI – 1, 1, 1; 3
2. Wildflower, Sabre 402 40, Ron Noonan, St.Thomas, USVI, USA – 2, 3, 2; 7
3. Acadia, Cat Ketch 48, Burt Keenan, New Orleans, LA, USA – 3, 2, 5; 10
Non-Spinnaker Racing 2 (CSA – 6 Boats)
1. Cayennita, Soverel 27, Elle & Tony Sanpere, Christiansted, USVI, USA – 1, 1, 2; 4
2. ATN, J27 27, Marcus Compton, St.Thomas, VI, USA – 3, 2, 3; 8
3. Poco A Poco – Preferred Health, Pearson Flyer 30 30, Agustin A. Rodrigues, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, USA – 8/DSQ, 3, 1; 12
Spinnaker Racing Cruising (CSA – 15 Boats)
1. Crescendo, Swan 44 44, Martin Jacobson, Greenwich, CT, USA – 1, 1, 1, 4, 1; 8
2. Lazy Dog, Beneteau 40.7 40, Sergio Sagramoso, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA – 4, 3, 3, 2, 2; 14
3. Pipedream, Sirena 38, Peter Haycraft, Road Town, Tortola, BVI – 3, 2, 5, 1, 3; 14
Beach Cats (Portsmouth – 10 Boats)
1. Suzuki / Red Bull, Hobie Cat 16 16, Enrique Figueroa, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA – 1, 2, 1, 1, 1; 6
2. Heineken, Hobie Cat 16 16, Francisco Figeroa, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA – 3, 6, 2, 2, 2; 15
3. Exodus, Hobie Cat 16 16, Keki Figueroa, San Juan, P.R., USA – 2, 1, 7, 3, 4; 17
Rolex also is the title sponsor for the Rolex Antigua Sailing Week, due for its 39th running from Sunday, April 30, through Saturday, May 6, 2006.
