MARIGOT/ST.BARTHS—Multiple champion and Olympian Mitch Booth has signed up for the upcoming St. Barths Cata Cup, organisers have disclosed.
The ninth edition of the St. Barths Cata Cup takes place November 16 to 20. Some 60 teams are already confirmed.
Belgians Patrick Demesmaecker and Olivier Gagliani were the victors in last year’s event, and organisers expect another hotly disputed regatta in the bay of St. Jean this year. The participation of the legendary Mitch Booth will definitely ramp up the excitement on the water.
Booth has an impressive track record. He has sailed on just about every type of craft and won dozens of world and national championships, in addition to two Olympic medals on the Tornado in 1992 and 1996. In 40 years of sailing, Booth has never had the opportunity to compete in the St Barth Cata Cup even though he is very familiar with the F18.
« Each time I have raced in St Barth it’s been on big boats and I often think how nice it would be to race on a sports cat, said Mitch. “Now I get the chance and am really looking forward to the racing action. I know conditions can be hard sometimes and the challenge to race against some of the best cat sailors in the world will be fun. I have not been on a trapeze since last July when I raced with my son Ruben at the Hobie Wild Cat Worlds in Garda, Italy which we won. »
As a triple world champion, Booth is no stranger to the F18. For this edition, he will be joined by crew Andy Dinsdale, a regular on the waters around St. Barths.
The St Barth Cata Cup continues to have the wind in its sails on the eve of the ninth edition. In the early years, the regatta attracted primarily sailors from the USA and Europe who organisers met at other regattas. Gradually, the pool of teams has expanded so that today the Cata Cup attracts sailors from Canada and South America.
“We’re always pleasantly surprised to see that after nine years there is still so much enthusiasm for the event,” Jeff Ledée, one of the event’s co-founders, said. “Registration opens six months before the race and spots are still highly coveted. We owe the success of the St. Barths Cata Cup to all the volunteers and partners who put their trust in us, support us and help us make the regatta better than ever.”
For a complete list of the registered crews: http://stbarthcatacup.com/en/pages/Race-Registered_2016/ Follow the ninth edition of the St-Barth Cata Cup at www.stbarthcatacup.com and on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
