- For the first time at this event Wendy Schmidt’s Deep Blue took the Maxi class win.
Schmidt’s Botin Partners 85 Deep Blue followed yesterday’s layday festivities with a win what proved the closest race results to date.
This ended the perfect scoreline of Jim Swartz’s Vesper, which finished second, just 12 seconds astern under IRC corrected time. The newest boat in the fleet, this was only Deep Blue’s second ever race win.
“There was a little bit less breeze and we were going better against Rambler 88 – plus we changed a few set-up things which helped: We were able to sheet the main on harder,” explained Rob MacMillan, Deep Blue’s tactician and project manager. “We have been working on our downwind modes and that seemed to pay dividends.”
Deep Blue got away more cleanly in the squall at St Jean compared to those astern and the crew was able to carry their kite for longer to the bottom of the course. “We put the majority of our distance on them there.
“Sometimes the wind gods smile on you,” continued Macmillan. “Wendy [Schmidt] is super happy. She did a spectacular job driving upwind and downwind. Like all of us, she loves coming to this island and racing maxis here.”
Among the rest of the maxis in CSA 3 there was upset too.
While Jim Madden’s Stark Raving Mad VII continued her perfect scoreline by winning the first race to St Jean, this stopped in today’s second, won by the Swan 58 OMII.
In this the competition between Stark Raving Mad VII and Italian Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62 Yoru remained intense, especially coming into the second finish where the latter came home just three seconds ahead under IRC.
While Sala acknowledges, it is too late to make any impression on the results, their goal for the final day of racing is to go home with one CSA 3 race win in their pocket.
Racing concludes on Saturday.
Caribbean Maxi Challenge 2022 – Maxi Race 4
1st Deep Blue CAY 85 Botin 85 – Wendy Schmidt (USA)
2nd Vesper CAY 007 JV 72 – Jim Swartz (USA)
3rd Rambler 88 USA 25555 Juan K / 88 George David (USA)
4th Bella Mente USA 45 JV 74 – Hap Fauth (USA)
DNS Prospector USA 60669 Mills 68 Larry Landry/Paul McDowell/Martin Roesch (USA)
Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille 2022 – Day 4 winners
CSA 1 – 1st Jolt 3, Peter Harrison (GBR)
CSA 2 – 1st Lazy Dog, PUR 007 – Sergio Sagramoso (PUR)
CSA 3 – 1st OM II, GBR 786N, Shahid Hamid (GBR)
CSA 4 – 1st Blitz USA 52915 – Peter Corr (ISV)
CSA 5 – 1st Pata Negra, GBR 4669R – Bernard Girod (USA)
CSA 6 – 1st Team Island Water World, SXM 605 – Frits Bus (SXM)
Offshore Maultihull – 1st Mach Schnell USA 12 – Kent Haeger (USA)
Racing Multihull – 1st Addictive Sailing, GBR 828M – Brieuc Maisonneuve (FRA)
Diam 24 – 1st Crybaby FRA 971 – Pierre Altier (SXM)
