- Sailing Poland win second event of the International Maxi Association’s Caribbean Maxi Challenge
Robert Gwózdz and Marcin Sutkowski’s Gdynia-based VO65 Sailing Poland claimed both Saturday and Sunday’s races to win on countback from the Jelmer van Beek-skippered Janssen de Jong – DutchSail.
In third place was VO70 I Love Poland (ex-Puma) skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski.
Having finished second maxi in the RORC Caribbean 600 when she was skippered by triple Farr 30 World Championship Deneen Demourkas, Sailing Poland now leads the IMA Caribbean Maxi Challenge at its halfway stage of the new four event series.
After two events the IMA CMC leaderboard currently has a Polish 1-2 with the Polish National Foundation’s I Love Poland currently holding second, three points from leader Sailing Poland.
For Wendy Schmidt and her crew on Deep Blue, it was a challenging weeks racing at St Maarten in brisk conditions for the first time in their still relatively new Botin Partners 85.
Sadly on the final day, they suffered their first significant technical set-back.
With hydraulic problems on the first beat they were unable to trim any of the sails, and after struggling around the course, with the hydraulics continuing to malfunction they eventually retired on the second beat.
The IMA Caribbean Maxi Challenge continues over 17-23 April with Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille.
