(Gustavia Harbor, St Barths)- Pamala Baldwin, owner of the J/122 LIQUID from Antigua, frequently races the Caribbean circuit, but until this regatta, she and her young Skipper Jules White hadn't quite cracked the top of the podium.
She added Mike Giles as tactician and coach to complement the young talented team, and according to Baldwin, “it was the final piece we needed to complete the winning puzzle. My heart is filled with joy!”
LIQUID’s skipper, Julian White, age 25 of Lymington, England is also the racing yacht's manager and according to Baldwin, "Jules is someone the racing world needs to keep an eye on...he maneuvered LIQUID through this entire season. We competed in every Caribbean Regatta, including the RORC Caribbean 600, with consistent podium results."
Giles has raced almost every Les Voiles in the Maxi class, and really enjoyed his time in the smaller CSA 4 fleet. ”In this fleet there are no ‘gimmies’, it's an incredibly competitive class with close racing," the native South African said. "The racing is just as tough, if not harder, than when I'm sailing in the Maxis."
Baldwin remarked, “my entire crew of ten are under age 30, competing against seasoned pro’s. You have no idea of my pride, knowing LIQUID is providing a platform for their future racing careers! Challenging and exhausting, but to sweep the entire CSA classes during Les Voiles 10th prestigious regatta with bullet after bullet is as exhilarating, as it is rewarding! It doesn't get better than this!”
Enjoying the conditions equally as well was Chris Body’s J/122 EL OCASO, posting a 3-5-3-2-4-2 for 19 pts to take the bronze, just missing a podium 1-2 sweep of the CSA 4 Class by the J/122s.
The tenth edition of the Voiles de Saint Barth provided the fleet of fifty-five offshore racing thoroughbreds a remarkable week of racing. “Sailing in St. Barth’s is never easy,” said Luc Poupon, Race Organizer. “There is much to navigate around with the rocks and it’s not as simple as it seems to negotiate. Clearly, knowing the nuances of sailing around St. Barth helps, and every day the competitors had to deal with the multiple wind shifts.” For more Les Voiles de Saint Barth sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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