St Barth Cata Cup - Record number of mixed teams

by Dominique Ladouceur on 13 Nov 2014 The new Olympic catamaran format has influenced the number of registrants for the mixed team category at this year’s St Barth Cata Cup. Women will be well represented, with nine teams including female coxswains or crew members.

'We’re pleased to see the variety in the teams that have registered, especially since we always award a special prize from our partner, Filles Des Iles, for best mixed team,' explained Hélène Guilbaud, organizer of the regatta, which takes place from November 19 to 23.

Whether in the Extreme Sailing Series, which saw the biggest 'influx ' of women, the Route du Rhum with a record four female sailors this year, and now St Barth Cata Cup, a new wind has definitely been blowing through high-level competition since the arrival of the Olympic Nacra 17 (double mixed catamaran).

For Anne-Claire Le Berre, who is taking part in the St-Barth Cata Cup for the first time, it’s the icing on the cake at the end of the season. Crowned champion of France de Match-Racing for a second year in a row, explains why she took up catamaran sailing, 'I only got into cata three years ago when mixed Nacra went Olympic, and even if I didn’t go into Olympic competition, I continue to sail on the circuit. Mixed sailing is very different, but it’s fun: some things are easier and others are more complicated. In any case, it taught me about multi and now I plan to lead a women’s crew for the 2015 Tour de France à la Voile in a Diam 24, so training on the F18 will be invaluable!'

Here is the make-up of the mixed teams for the seventh edition:

Besson, Billy / Riou, Marie (FR)
Le Berre, Anne-Claire / Delbaere Gaël (FR)
Olivaud, Sophie / Durand, Gerald (BLM)
Krahe, Brigit / Roux, Christian (GP)
Hedmann Jensen, Jan / Wyon Penny (DK)
Van Den Haute, Yan / Pollien, Sylvie (BLM)
Muma, Laura / Ingram, David (US)
Anbeek, Annelieke / De Mol Moncourt, Sikko (NL)
Kieffer, Bérangère / Ivaldi, Franck Event website