A week of racing around Martinique was thus on the program of this third edition of the Martinique Cata Raid, for the 38 crews (34 Formula 18s and 4 Formula 16s) who met up at the beginning of the year. The opportunity for them to sail in the warm waters of the West Indies in the middle of the European winter, but also a good way to gauge the competition before the start of the season, while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
In any case this was the theory, as in practice the first leg was particularly tough, with over 3 meters of swell and gusts of more than 37 knots between Le Robert and Saint Pierre. Enough to upset the results and destroy any chance of winning for some of the favorites. Spinnakers and mainsails written off, spinnaker booms torn off, damaged hulls...sailing round Martinique is not easy, and both amateurs and professionals will remember this 2015 edition for a long time to come.
At the finish, Charles and Maxime Hainneville won, with a 5-minute lead over the English crew, Sunnucks and White. No doubt the 2016 edition will once again put the emphasis on adventure and discovery of the wonderful island of Martinique.
For more information and the overall results: www.martiniquecataraid.com
Photo: © Pierrick Contin
