Français
It's never easy to be the favorite in a competition. But following their victory in the Formula 18 World Championships (the same catamarans used in the Cata Cup) last July on the Costa Brava (Spain), Pablo Volkër and Federico Polimeni (Saint-Barth Assurances) had no choice but to assume the stimulating anxiety that only champions know. A feeling that turns into ferocious determination when the taste of victory returns. So, trailing Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani (Les Perles de St Barth - Bativrd) by just three points going into the final regatta of the 16th edition of the Saint-Barth Cata Cup, the Spaniards finally managed to turn the tide. They succeeded USA's Ravi Parent and Nicolas Lovisa as winners of the event, and deprived Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani of a third trophy, following those won in 2015 and 2018.
A fishing trap in the drift
The world champions obviously had to work hard to take the title away from their main rivals. This was no easy task, not least because of a series of "little problems", as Pablo Volkër explains. To windward of the island, one of our trapezes broke and Federico ended up in the water, which cost us 5-6 places," says the skipper. We quickly managed to regain our bearings and catch up with the leading group, but we lost ground again after catching a fishing trap in one of our daggerboards. Fortunately, this one came off by itself without us having to cut it off, but it did give us a bit of heat. This lasted right to the end, as once we'd crossed the finish line, we had to wait a few moments to find out where Patrick and Trois Pommes (Olivier Gagliani's nickname) stood, and be sure of our first place. It was obviously a great satisfaction for us to see them finish only in 8th place! "A great way to round off an exceptional year. "This victory in the Cata Cup is the icing on the cake," assures the champion who, for the record, had already finished on the event's podium in 2018 (3rd) with Sergio Mehl. This happiness is, of course, offset by the disappointment of the crew who were beaten on the wire.
"A little bit annoying
"It was very close, but in the end it didn't go our way," lamented Patrick Demesmaeker. The circumnavigation of the island, which the race committee had reserved for us today, got off to a pretty good start for us," said the Belgian. We were feeling really good and were in fourth position, ahead of our direct rivals, but unfortunately, downwind, our spinnaker tackline broke. It cost us a lot of time to try and repair it, and in the end we never really managed. "An incident that cost the crew four places in the battle, and ultimately saw them miss out on overall victory by just three points. Of course we'd have liked to retain first place, but we're happy nonetheless," says the helmsman of Les Perles de St Barth - Bativdr. Before the competition kicked off, we would have signed up straight away if we'd been told we'd finish second. Still, it's a bit disappointing, because we really came close to a hat-trick. "
No salvation without volunteers
Every year, the Cata Cup brings the cream of Formula 18 catamaran skippers to Saint-Barthélemy. No fewer than 53 crews took the start of the race on November 21. But without the involvement of all the volunteers involved in the organization, the event could never have taken place. An obvious fact, no doubt, but one that's always worth emphasizing.
The Cata Cup takes six months to prepare. When the notice of race is published in March, the teams get down to work. Then comes the acceleration, in September. From then on, the members of the St-Barth Multihull board (Emilie Aubin, President, Yanis Brin, Thierry Berry, Anthony Magras, Jonah Ravelosom and Elodie Ghezzi) have their sights set on the event. They are supported in their tasks by the Centre nautique de Saint-Barth (CNSB) with, in particular, Hélène and Pierrick, but also by a host of volunteers who make up different teams. Technical (Hugo, Mickaël, Eddie, Greg), operational (Lisa, Véro and Claire) and safety at sea (Daniel Magras, fishermen, Christophe, Stéphane and David Blanchard).
In short, while the Saint-Barth Cata Cup is a major sporting event, it is above all the fruit of a collective effort. And, of course, the race's local sponsors and partners are also involved.
