Hello all,

Just looking to get a feel for the level of interest for a regatta series that I am helping to organize. It will be a 3 regatta series in the Caribbean - all are 3 day events. Feb. 17-19 in St. Croix, USVI; March 17-19 in Culebra, PR; March 31 - April 2 Tortola, BVI. A custom container will leave Jacksonville, FL headed to St.Croix, then to Culebra, then Tortola. Not sure about costs yet but it will include all shipping. PR Port Authority is helping out with moving container between islands - so shipping costs are going to be pretty low. There will only be room for about 12 boats in the container though, so we want to get a sence of what the response level will be. These are big regattas with all classes of boats, and the beach cat class is always popular. Its gonna be a great party. Anyone interested? Please email me at tomtbeachcat@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Tom Hall

How soon do you need commitments?

Interested.
Gives us more details on the logistics ect ect. Mary posted a very valid question.

Add to that cost, how much are we looking at?

Tom and all,

What a great idea!

Please use me ( and other St.X racers) as your contacts.

Here is a link;

http://www.caribbeanracing.com/artman/publish/article_708.shtml

Let me fill you in on the location particulars.

St. Croix Regatta
- some regards the race course of the North Shore of St Croix the finest venue for Caribbean Beach Cats Racing.

- The geography puts the race course from the YC beach about 10 minutes from beach to start line.

-There are many sand beaches along the way to stop for a 'pit stop'. ...keep supplies, food, gear, whatever.

- the WIND is true East Trade wind blowing directly down the course. The course is boarders by the north shore of St.Croix on the south, and Buck Island and a reef system on the North. Standard wind is 15 mph . HOwever, it will funnel and accelerate due to the land masses boardering the course.

- Yes there are waves. Expect normal 2-3 feet. Good for surfing.

- The wind and water conditions proves Handicaps to be correct, so fear not. Plus the H16's from Puerto Rico usually are the boats to beat.

- Spin class and non spin class. Usually 3 races in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. The 'long' course is 60 minutes, the 'short' course is 30 minutes ( non spin time)

- 10:00 am start. RC starts us first in front of all other boats divisions. RC relatively open to BC requests. It is a 3 day race format,, with the 3rd day morning races only.

- Water temp around 78f,..and air about 83f-ish, 100% sun, full UV protection needed.

Please contact before hand so we can set up accomodations. That weekend has other events on the island, and every car, room are booked. It is a nice vacagtion spot for the family, plenty of history, rainforests, beaches, sunshine. The YC has a opti regatta for the kids at the same time too.

If you come early, we can set up a 'tune up' race day for the Beach Cats.

Heck, why don't you all come,..Rick & Mary, CRAM, CRAW, NY, NE,....you will get to race against locals and PR best and your boat will perform like you always dreamed of.

One year, I think TROPICAL SHIPPING had some sort of promotional deal, because the boats wore the Tropical Shipping logo,..ask Rick Bliss and the Pease's for specifics.

regards,

Bruce
I-17
St. Croix

ps; this includes you Euro's too

Hello All,

CULEBRA REGATTA

go to ( last year)

http://www.caribbeanracing.com/artman/publish/article_630.shtml

This regatta started last year. It is turning out to be a great Beach Cat Regatta.

Culebra is one of the spanish Virgin Islands, half way between the PR mainland and St. Thomas.

I have heard that the beaches and lifestyle is like 'old time' Caribbean, so well worthwhile as a vacation/race trip.

Last year, the race course was on the South side of the island.

There is a link to the event, I will have to dig it up. I did not go last year so my info is second hand.

The wind conditions are typical Eastern Trade winds so the boats will be moving.

Expect a large turn out by the PR beach cat sailors, for it is real close for them. They are worthy opponents and your skills will be tested.

regards,

Bruce
St. Croix

Hello All,

BVI SPRING REGATTA

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

go to;

http://www.bvispringregatta.org/

In my opinion, the finest combo regatta for beach cats. If I could only go to 1 regatta, this would be the one.

- Course
A separate course for Beach Cats. A separate RC for the Beach Cats. We share the course with a modified J-24 called a IC-24 ( they removed the deck and made it all ****, aging beach catters end up here..), lasers and olympic class windsurfers. The course lenght is 14-20 minutes. They start you as soon as you are ready and can get up to 8 races a day.

Format:

Multiple, unlimited races per day. One course. Inside the island chain so waves are not a factor. 3 day regatta. Day 3 is a half day. Potentially, it could be a 20 + race regatta. you will sail your brains out. You just go at each other all day long.

Venue;

A separate beach is reserved for the Beach Cats. It is about 10 minutes from beach to start line. The races are in the Sir Francis Drake channel and is surrounded by islands. This historically was a favorite sailing ground of the Pirates of old and one can see how one could 'ambush' a wary ship. Tortola is a British Isle but the US dollar is used. Many charter companies are here and you could race and do a family charter at the same time. The last 2 years, the winds were 10mph with no waves. As I said, a great combo for a race week.

Plus, it is only a rumor, that in the BVI regatta, one has to 'talk like a pirate',.....splice the main brace mate!



regards,

Bruce
I17
St. Croix
USVI

BRUCE BRUCE BRUCE!!!!!!

I am understanding that you are saying that Culebra is a Spanish Virgin Island, Spanish as in from SPAIN! ima keel you meng!!!

Culebra is in fact a Municipal from Puerto Rico. Which in turns makes her US territory, not Spanish (ie Spain)

Hey Senior Blade,

That is true, as to current events. However, these sailing grounds have around 6-7 centuries of sailing adventures,..so, we do as the waves rule, si?

There are the islands know as the Virgin Islands. Coined by Columbus on his 1st journey ( yep, the chap who proved the Earth was, indeed, not flat).

As time went on, and Europe presented it self, these same Virgin Islands are now to be made up of;
the Spanish Virgin Islands,
the British Virgin Islands and
the United States Virgin Islands.

As a side note, yes, PR is as American as Chicago, but only after the Spanish-American War, where the US won, and Spain lost.

So, the answer is Yes, No, and kinda-yes;

Yes , PR is American..

No, the people are desendants of the lands on the other side of the Ocean

Kinda-yes, when you come down and are full throttle on the start line and a PR team (on your hip) is yelling at you in Espanol, you will definately know you are not in Kansas

So, you gonna pack pack up that rocketship and come play or what? You problay could sell about 10 of them if you want to take orders...




regards and come

Bruce
St. Croix

AH YES!!! Bruce been there done all that plenty of years! I learned how to sail in Puerto Rico, between Ponce and Fajardo doing the Discover the Carribbean series in the early 90's That is when I first spotted a beach cat.

Do you recognize my avatar Bruce?

Your history is on the ball, with the exception that the loco Colombus discovered Puerto Rico and the "Virgin Islands" in his second trip, not the first. What is even funnier, if you go to Culebra and tell them they are US Territory they might just attack you, and call you Gringo Loco. Either way Culebra is a beatifull island. You have no clue, how much I want to sail on my beautifull island I call home. We hardcore Ricans (specially those who know about our history with Spain) take offense to any comment saying that we are part of Spain. If you talk to a machetero, then they will take offense if you tell them Puerto Rico is part of the US. You will never meet any person as pacionate towards politics than a Puerto Rican
Enough with the dabbling and off topics. I can get carried away with these subjects

Hopefully we can get some rock solid details about this. What series is this for anyway?

Tiano Blade man and all,

To end the history lesson, in PR( all the islands), this originally was the land of the Arawak-Tiano-Ciboni-Caribe line. A seafaring people of amazing ability and peace.

I heard just last nite, and this is 2nd hand and may be false, that the CORT( Caribbean Ocean Racing Triangle) series will be re-established this year, and these 3 regattas are it.

Flights to San Juan are not that pricey. There are direct flights too to BVI and St. Croix ( Santa Cruz).

regards,

Bruce
St. Croix
USVI

The containers were on private property (at Latitude 18) in St Thomas where we often ate and drank. Nice sandy beach 100' away where we set up. The hotel/condo where
we stayed in 2003 (short walk to the yacht club just down the beach) to my understanding is usually between $200. -$700. a night. I believe we paid $149. The containers were a hike but we sailed the boats around to the condo beach.

We arrived Tues or Weds. in St. Thomas. From the airport you have to expect to pay $15. each way for a cab/van ride. Doesn't matter how many people in the van. it's $15. each, no exception. We didn't rent a car in St Thomas
but someone should consider it. We set up boats on Wed or Thursday and sailed around to the club. The entry fee for the three day Rolex Regatta in 2005 was $175. prior to a certain date and $50. more after that. You can register on-line. We sailed the regatta which was a lot tamer than anything we had at Curacao and then sailed around for a day. We then sailed over to Tortola and went snorkling, sailing and stuff for a few days. Davis hauled our gear over on a friends sailboat and took care of Customs duties for us. I forget what the customs fees were but think $15. each. Davis was out on the course throughout the entire two events on the sailboat with our extra people, cameras and drinks. Not sure if he is doing that again or if he is racing.

The entry fee for the three day BVI Regatta is $200. for beach cats. We race out of Nanny Cay. The restaurant and lounge right there at the race hdgtrs had a beach made for us in 2003 and let us use their showers and hose. We did rent three cars there ($356. each for 6 days) and had
designated drivers. We got together at several of the island restaurants during the week. 9 of us stayed at a large guest house on the other side of the island. Beautiful place with room for more people but a long haul up
steep and windy roads. $296./person for 6 nights. Several stayed in a nearby motel but still needed a car. Organizers are looking into closer, large places for us. I suggested big multihulls right in the harbor. We
sailed back to St Thomas on Monday and took the boats apart and loaded them into the container. Davis checked us out through Custom in Tortola again. There was an added expense of a large cab/van to haul equipment and suitcases back and forth to Davis' sailboat that I don't want to forget.

The container expenses averaged out to $203. per boat (6 boats -we expect to have 10 but then Customs costs and stuff go up too). That included Customs fees, water and gatorade, locks, wood for the framework, logos for the sails
(we flew Tropical Shipping logos since they handled the shipping cost), flares for each boat purchased down there, trucking costs and a Miami Yacht Club fee. We keep it as inexpensive as possible.

Wow, great response - good to hear that we may be able to fill at least one container. We are working on the costs and should know more in a few days. The organizers are actually trying to purchase a container and build custom racks in it - then it can be used each year and should be a cost cutter. We are hoping to have the shipping company as a sponsor in order to absorb some of the shipping cost - but we will see.
Can someone put me in touch with Davis? I know him from doing yacht deliveries for St.Barts in Charleston, and from down in the islands - but have not spoken to him in years.
Also, any suggestions (within reason), contacts, assistance, etc. is welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks and standby.

Tom Hall

Also: Sailing between venues, weather permitting, would be a blast, especially St.Croix to Culebra as it is usually a beam reach. It also means less boat assembling and disassmbling. Rolex St. Thomas is not part of our plan due to the fact that it is the weekend right after Culebra (I think) and there is no way the container can be moved quickly enough. However, sailing from Culebra to St. Thomas is very doable, upwind but doable. And St.Thomas to Tortola for the following weekend is a snap. I hope that there will be several sail and power yachts moving between venues as we could rely on them as support vessels and even tow vessels as needed. If anyone knows anyone with a charter yacht down there you should contact them and try to make a deal with them to purchase some of their owner time on the boat, especially in St.Thomas and Tortola.

Tom