Hirst wins North Sails Regatta

Alastair Abrehart reports on the Caribbean One Design Keelboat Championship

Sixteen teams from throughout the Caribbean battled it out on the waters of Simpson Bay Lagoon in St Maarten this weekend (June 18/19) in the fourth annual North Sails Regatta, the Caribbean One Design Keelboat Championship. After three qualifying races and seven championship races in the Gold fleet, the British Virgin Islands' Robby Hirst, with brother Mike and Chris Haycraft as crew, won with 13 points. Robby Hirst also won the event in 2002 with the same crew.

Puerto Rico's top racer, Fraito Lugo (Team Orion), was eight points behind and second. Third place by a slimmer margin of three points went to Markku Harmala from Team St Barths Libre. Luc Knol and his Team Enerserve topped the Silver fleet.

The race committee added a leeward gate this year and the first day of racing saw light and shifty sub-10 knot conditions with two pools of eight teams vying for the top four slots in each to qualify for the gold fleet. After the qualifiers, Hirst and co. cleaned up the first day of racing in the Gold fleet with three bullets giving them a nine-point lead going in to the second day.

According to Robby, the key to their success was crewwork, boat speed and "avoiding the pile ups". "Of all the people I've sailed with, we are pretty good together and that really makes a difference. We also had a strategy which we were allowed to pursue by our competitors - race after race - which was starting at the committee boat end and controlling the fleet for the crucial first beat which was very short."

After the more tactical light first day, the second day - which saw heavier, and steadier winds with periods in the 18-knot range - was more of a "brute strength day".

Although Hirst and co. racked up a win for the first race, two seconds and a fifth place followed. "They [the other competitors] closed down our strategy," said Haycraft. "It's psychological too, added Robby. "When you have nothing to lose you do better because you take more chances and you push yourself harder whereas when you're winning you want to hold onto it and not take chances. So you end up with not quite as good a start which puts you back in the fleet a little bit. You can't win without coming off the line well." They relaxed a little too.

After a slow start Harmala finished up with the last two wins in the gold fleet. For Lugo, who was relegated to the silver fleet last year, a second in the Gold fleet this year was welcome. "Last year is a long story but this year we are having fun. We have more knowledge of the boat, more time sailing the boat and I think, year by year, it's going to be better."

Knol and crew from St Maarten won the silver fleet by one point with Kwame Hinds' Team Infinity from Barbados, second. Knol finished the first day one point behind Hinds and was able to rack up a first and second in the first two races of the last day with good starts and clean air while Hinds got two third places. "After that we were only really looking for him [Hinds]," said Knol. "We were looking for winning the regatta not winning the races. Tactically that changed everything."

However, while Knol and crew were concentrating on Hinds, Shag Morton took three of the last day's races to finish two points behind Hinds.

Despite the sea of red protest flags that were seen on the water throughout the last day, all protests were withdrawn when it came time to sit round the table. However, a lively, impromptu rules clinic was held instead.

The racing, in the Jeanneau Sun Fast 20s supplied by Lagoon Sailboat Rental, was fast and furious off Uncle Harry's Bar on Simpson Bay Lagoon where spectators would have eight boats heading at them as the bar was on the layline for the windward mark.

"This event is unique in the sailing world of the Caribbean in that it allows the top sailors from all Caribbean territories to compete on a level playing field without the huge expense that is attached to racing campaigns in the large traditional events," said event organizer Robbie Ferron.

The event is sanctioned by the Caribbean Sailing Association as the Caribbean Keelboat Championships and teams from Antigua, Puerto Rico, Martinque, the US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, St Barths, Barbados and Guadeloupe competed against eight teams representing St Maarten/St. Martin. Last year's winner, John Holmberg from the USVI, was unable to attend. Dates for the 2006 event are June 17/18.

2005 North Sails Regatta - Final Results

Gold Fleet
1. Robby Hirst, Latitude 18, BVI (1,1,1,1,2,2,5 - 13)
2. Fraito Lugo, Orion Sailing Team, Puerto Rico (3,2,8,2,1,3,2 - 21)
3. Markku Harmala, St Barths Libre, St Barths (7,4,4,3,4,1,1 - 24)

Silver Fleet
1. Luc Knol, Team Enerserve, St Maarten (1,2,6,2,1,4,6 - 22)
2. Kwame Hinds, Team Infinity, Barbados (4,1,3,3,3,5,4 -23)
3. Shag Morton, FKG, St Maarten (8,7,5,1,2,1,1 - 25)