Les Voiles de St. Barth Richard Mille - Comanche is back!
by Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille 25 Jan 2022 08:23 PST
17-23 April 2022
Comanche shows off her staysail wardrobe © Doyle Sails
The Super Maxi, Comanche, will make a big splash when returning to St Barth in April 2022. Designed by Guillaume Verdier and VPLP Design, this 100' Maxi with a beam of 8 meters is one of the largest single-hull racing sailboats in the world and has pushed the limits of technology with only one goal in mind: be first on the finish line and break records.
With Australian skipper Mitch Booth, Comanche recently pulverized the record at the 8th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race, speeding across the ocean in just 7 days, 22 hours, 1 minute, 4 seconds (the former record held by the 130' Maxi, My Song, was 10 days, 5 hours, 47 minutes, 11 seconds).
Comanche has not sailed in Saint Barth since 2016... but there is no doubt the competition will be stiff during Les Voiles, April 17-23, 2022.
In St Barthélemy, Tourism Flourishes
With its magnificent beaches bordered by coconut palms, St Barth remains an enchanted island for those who love idyllic landscapes and a French lifestyle. The island always attracts numerous tourists once the high season starts, and this year more than ever!
According to Nils Dufau, president of the tourism committee, the majority of hotels have been full since the end of October. "Normally, high season starts the weekend of Thanksgiving, but this time, it started a month earlier. In general, we used to note a decrease in the number of visitors in early January, but not this season," he confirms.
The island has many wonderful assets, including a generally low number of Covid cases, which means visitors can feel safe while on the island.
Update on Entries
Close to 40 participants have already pre-registered for this 11th edition and it's clear the level of competition will be high. In the Maxi Class, the super yacht Comanche will compete against the Swan 80 Umiko, with skipper Philippe Rann and Simon Greiner, as well as Deep Blue, the 85' Bottin owned by Wendy Schmidt.
The Maxi 72, Bella Mente, will also be back in St Barth after a five-year absence to confront Jim Swartz and his new Maxi 72 Vesper.
In the Spinnakers class, among the 20 registered so far, many regulars are back after two years away, including the Bottin 52 Caro, as well as Blitz with skipper Peter Corr, Liquid with skipper Pamela Baldwin, the Americans aboard El Ocaso, and the Brits aboard Phan. There will also be some newcomers: the J121 Apollo from the United States, the Germans with their CNB 60 Dumia, and the Irish aboard Arabella.
Multihulls include the presence of three HH 66, Flash, Nala, and R-SIX with Robert Janecki as skipper, as well as Arawak from St Martin.
Register here...