2025 Caribbean Multihull Challenge in St. Maarten Day 1
by Caribbean Multihull Challenge 31 Jan 07:15 PST
January 29 - February 2, 2025
Layla on day 1 of the Caribbean Multihull Challenge © Laurens Morel
The opening day of the 7th edition of the Caribbean Multihull Challenge will remain in memories due to its unprecedented agenda: a race, a rally, a Diam 24 showcase, and the first annual Great Bay Beach & Boardwalk Jamboree happening almost simultaneously.
The beautiful weather that one expects when sailing in the Caribbean, consisting of gentle north-easterly tradewinds, started at around 10 knots before picking up to 15. Add to that a sail-or-bail mindset an ounce of competition flavor and a squeeze of adrenaline, and you have the perfect recipe for a magical day on the water.
Rallying or Racing? Participants had the option to choose one or the other, as long as they were sailing a Multihull "We are following the multihull market's evolution: some are going faster and faster, while others are focusing on liveaboard comfort and accommodation, that's a fact" explains Robbie Ferron, member of the CMC steering committee, and responsible for the racing division. Whilst multiple hulls are the common factor in the rapidly growing share of the leisure marine fleet, the owners are pursuing different aspects of their attributes. They all like the speed multihulls offer but some have greater interest in the fantastic accommodations than others. This event brings them all together in formats that match those preferences.
CSA division: Chase, race, ace!
5 entries comprised the CSA 1 class this year - most of the participants have chosen the "rally" section. The level of competition was high: some were seen practicing earlier in the week, while some hired professional deckhands.
First up, unrolling a massive gennaker, was the midnight night-blue Gunboat72 LAYLA, taking the lead right at the starting line, bearing off with her wave-piercing bows just a few feet from the Race Committee boat. Soon luffing a bit and changing it for a J1 to come back to reaching and maintaining their speed. She's quickly followed by the elegant HH66 LEE OVERLAY PARTNERS III, following in her wake. ORC50 CALAMITY was right behind them, followed by the old-school-looking Crowther design trimaran OCEANS TRIBUTE, and last, but certainly not least, was MG5 whose skipper, French sailing legend Marc Guillemot, was here last year. They would eventually retire from the first race.
It hardly came as a surprise when the HH66, Lee Overlay & Partners, took top honors, finishing first in real and corrected time. Just take a look at the sail-over-displacement ratios, and you'll understand why. Add to that a bit of excellence in every tack, and you have a winning combo! "What I learned from Lee Overlay & Partners owner Adrian Lee as he spoke at the press conference on Wednesday, is that sailing these fast multihulls today, compared to the old usual monohulls, is just like the difference between flying a propeller and a jet plane, and he's right!" giggled Stephen R. Burzon, CMC's volunteer marketing director. As they all sail back to the marina, crews could be seen debriefing and preparing themselves for the upcoming races that will take place through Sunday. Stay tuned: the battle has just begun!
Rally division: where cool meets course
With a growing interest in this section for the second year, the CMC rally enables skippers to enjoy the beauty of the island's scenery and the joy of sailing without having to worry about the scoring. From the all-female-crewed Team Island Water World on a Lagoon 380 to a Balance 442 and 482, an Aura 51, a Leopard 50, a Bali 45, and a Corsair 37, and many more, smiles on board seemed to be as large as sails! After a nice and relaxed sailing session, they would all eventually gather in Great Bay for a late lunch after which they rounded off their day with some friendly beach games in Philipsburg. What more could any leisure sailor want?
Diam24: Catch the wind, let it spin!
What a thrilling start! With no less than 9 entries in this class and well-trained motivated crews, we knew the competition was due to be fierce!
At 10.15 AM, the packed fleet pierced the starting line within seconds. This one design 3-crewed light trimaran might look like a beach toy at first glance but make no mistake: it's definitely sporty and requires top-notch physical conditions and regular training. The pink-clad crew on SXM44 ANOMALY got it right from the beginning, pointing first out in the first mile. Balancing weight with a crew on the middle hull's foredeck to reduce aft drag, and another on the leeward hull to leverage the Winward's one, they flew by and one almost expected to hear the sound of a bullet rush by after. IVB40 BUZZ RACE TEAM was not far behind them, fine-trimming sails to grab an extra knot of speed. Behind these two leaders came FRA11 KARVER, on the downwind part of the race course. Not a bad idea indeed, as the wind seemed to be higher the further they got from the coastline. Alternatively, FRA101 tacked to get closer to the shore, presumably to take advantage of a Venturi effect.
This first race brought these lightweight? Dragonflies to the east of the island, where Great Bay played the perfect backdrop for a series of 4 races along the beach, much to the delight of numerous spectators onshore. With several marks laid in the bay, competitors sailed back and forth, with close contact and adrenaline spikes. The concentration was tangible as they all rushed to round the first mark. Downwind and upwind legs made it more complex and tactical choices had to be made quickly. ANOMALY kept the lead for the majority of the time, until eventually, in round 3, they rounded the mark ever too closely and the yellow buoy managed to get hooked on their tiller. Despite this mistake, which lost them both time and energy, they recovered the gap to take first place on the first day of racing.
As the sun went down on the Friendly Island, skippers, crews and friends headed off to the Philipsburg boardwalk, where drinks, food, and fireworks awaited. Organizers have called it a success.