Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine February 2017
Welcome to Caribbean Compass, the most widely-read boating publication in the Caribbean! THE MOST NEWS YOU CAN USE - feature articles on cruising destinations, regattas, environment, events...
Welcome to Caribbean Compass, the most widely-read boating publication in the Caribbean! THE MOST NEWS YOU CAN USE - feature articles on cruising destinations, regattas, environment, events...
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FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 12<br />
REGATTA<br />
NEWS<br />
Aragon Wins 2016 RORC Transat to Grenada<br />
Arco Van Nieuwland and Andries Verder’s Marten<br />
72, Aragon, won the third edition of the Royal Ocean<br />
Racing Club’s RORC Transatlantic Race, which started<br />
RORC Transatlantic racers celebrate at Port Louis Marina, Grenada<br />
on November 26th, 2016 from the Canary Islands,<br />
bound for Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina,<br />
Grenada. Aragon has been declared the overall winner<br />
and also the winner of IRC Zero class.<br />
Aragon had some tough moments during the 14<br />
days racing, as Andries Verder explained: “The weather<br />
was very challenging and that was the stressful part<br />
of the race… We blew out a few spinnakers, but we<br />
managed to keep up our speed and performance<br />
and we finished the race with everybody safe and<br />
sound. The boat performed very well and as expected.<br />
A large part of that is excellent planning; without<br />
that, small issues can easily damage your chances of<br />
winning. Everything held up perfectly and that is due<br />
to very good preparation. We also have a good spirit<br />
in the team and that friendship, combined with the<br />
preparation of a great boat, is a winning combination.<br />
It was wonderful to arrive in Port Louis and receive<br />
such a fantastic welcome.”<br />
The youngest sailor in the RORC Transatlantic Race,<br />
18-year old Anna Van Nieuwland, was at the helm of<br />
Aragon as the team crossed the line in Grenada.<br />
Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70, Phaedo3, won the<br />
Multihull Class and Mike Slade’s Farr 100, Leopard, was<br />
awarded the International Maxi Association Trophy for<br />
ARTHUR DANIEL<br />
Monohull Line Honours and was third overall after IRC<br />
time correction. The Infiniti 46 Maverick, skippered by<br />
Oliver Cotterell, was second overall and winner of IRC<br />
Canting Keel. Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron’s<br />
Campagne de France was presented with a RORC<br />
Transatlantic Race Decanter as winner of the Class40<br />
Division and Laurent Pellecuer’s Seconde Chance was<br />
declared winner of IRC One.<br />
After the awards ceremony, the RORC provided a<br />
<strong>Caribbean</strong> supper and a private bar. Live music and<br />
dancing ensured that it was not an early night for the<br />
competitors, who had just raced 3,000 miles from<br />
Lanzarote to Grenada.<br />
Visit www.rorc.org for more information.<br />
Groeneveld Wins Carlos Aguilar Match Race in USVI<br />
Carol Bareuther reports: Olympic match racing star<br />
Renée Groeneveld and her team of Annemieke Bes,<br />
Lobke Berkhout and Mijke Lievens won their first-ever<br />
Women’s International Matchracing Series event.<br />
Racing in IC24s at St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, the<br />
Dutch sailors defeated the USA’s Stephanie Roble’s<br />
Epic Racing three-zero in the final race of the Carlos<br />
Aguilar Match Race (CAMR).<br />
Organized by the Virgin Islands Sailing Association<br />
and presented December 1st through 4th by the USVI<br />
Department of Tourism, the race was also the fifth and<br />
final event of the 2016 Women’s International<br />
Matchracing (WIM) Series.<br />
By reaching the final, the Americans secured the runnerup<br />
spot on the 2016 WIM Series. “The girls on board did a<br />
really amazing job keeping us fast around the course at<br />
all points, and keeping us calm in the shifty conditions. I<br />
think that paid off over the long run,” says Roble.<br />
“Everything fell into place for us and I’m really happy<br />
to sail so well together with my team,” comments<br />
Groeneveld, who took the third podium position in the<br />
2016 WIM Series.<br />
After just a short postponement thanks to very light<br />
breeze on the Sunday morning, Principal Race Officer<br />
Darcy Cook got the racing going in Charlotte Amalie<br />
harbor. Groeneveld and Roble both continued their<br />
winning streaks, which started on the Saturday afternoon,<br />
finalizing each of their semifinals to dispatch<br />
Swedes Caroline Sylvan and Anna Östling with a clear<br />
and comfortable three-zero scorecard.<br />
Having lost only two matches during the whole<br />
event, Groeneveld looked very strong going into the<br />
final matches.<br />
—Continued on next page<br />
MOVING FORWARD<br />
CARIBBEAN<br />
More technology.<br />
More expertise.<br />
More service.<br />
The same<br />
sailmaking team<br />
Anguilla Racing<br />
St. Maarten Sails<br />
and Canvas N.V<br />
has teamed up<br />
with Ullman Sails<br />
Biminis and Dodgers<br />
Cushions<br />
Upholstery<br />
General canvas work<br />
Opposite Island Water World<br />
+1(721) 544-5231 / +1(721) 520-6484<br />
rgilders@ullmansails.com / admin@stmaartensails.com<br />
www.stmaartensails.com
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