THE MAGIC OF THE ST BARTH CATA CUP

      On November 19-23, 2014, Saint Barthélemy will once again fall under the spell of the St Barth Cata Cup. As this exceptional regatta celebrates its 7th edition, the number of sailors who want to participate continues to grow…

7 is a mystical number in many cultures, and in 2014 the Saint Barth Cata Cup marks its 7th edition… Here are the seven magical ingredients for this phenomenal mixture...

        1.  The organizers: Ana, Hélène, Jeff, Vincent, & Thierry share their ever-growing enthusiasm for the success of the St Barth Cata Cup. The proof in the pudding: online registrations sell out at the speed of light! The members of the non-profit associations, Saint Barth Multihulls and Centre Nautique de St Barthélemy, plus the solid public relations & marketing team, are determined to make this event a success with a wave of their magic wand.

Saint Barth native, Jeff Lédée is both the founder of the event and a racing competitor. He sums up the attitude of the staff: “We continue to evolve and for the seventh edition we still and will always have a desire to improve: we can always do better!”

 
    2. Twenty-four square kilometers of island and islets that have such names as Chevreaux, Fourchue, Tortue, and Pain de Sucre, swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea, and cooled by the trade winds… it is here that the Saint Barth Cata Cup takes place. And there couldn’t be a more enchanting place for racing on Formula 18s!

 
      3. Sponsors and Partners.  Even though a few good friends launched this event together, there are still many costs that must be covered. Once again a touch of magic, as the St Barth Cata Cup manages to take care of everything that is essential to its success, with support from the Collectivité de Saint Barthélemy, Allianz, Re/Max, to name but a few, as well as a local infrastructure that has helped the event since its early years.

 
      4. The competitors come from around the world to be enchanted… France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Canada, The United States, and Australia, as well as Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy. Hélène Guilbaud, one of the organizers confirms, “We have always enjoyed having a large number of nations represented and hope to keep up this truly international spirit. For this 7th edition, we had requests from South America (Chili and Argentina) and the Canary Islands. We hope to facilitate connections for these teams via our partner, RMP Caraïbes.”

 
     5.More than just a sport, Formula 18 racing is a lifestyle. The emotions felt by the competitors when racing are extraordinary, and those passionate about F18 racing are avid voyagers seeking new destinations and competitions. And since the destination of Saint Barth is so attractive, they are happy to make the voyage with their families to follow their passion.

       6. The ambiance and hospitality typical to the island are in fact among the strong points of the regatta. Arrivals that are properly celebrated, races on crystal clear waters, and festive evening events create a wonderful atmosphere for the participants. “Every year the number of people who want to be on the starting line continues to increase,” says Jeff Ledée, with deserved pride. However it is necessary to limit the number of places, as he explains:“We want to continue to guarantee a maximum quality for the participants. Our experience over the past six editions has taught us the limits we cannot exceed in order to maintain all the ingredients for the continued success of the St Barth Cata Cup.”

 
       7. 2014 marks the 7th edition, but like all good magicians, we cannot reveal all of our secrets…

While waiting for April 5, the day that registrations open on the official website for the race, please enjoy the best moments of the St Barth Cata Cup 2013 in images.