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A Quickie from the Voiles

Steve Schmidt relentlessly raced his Santa Cruz 70 in fun Caribbean races. Having owned his boat since ’91, we wonder if anyone has sailed more miles in a SC70.

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©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

The fourth St. Barth Voiles is now in full swing, and it is swinging. Monday night the Fabulous Johnson Blues Band played for the opening night party, and they were as advertised — fabulous. And the free canapes were plentiful and delicious.

One great thing about the Voiles is the welcome you get. We don’t know how to spell this gal’s name, but it’s pronounced ‘Swa-zeke’, a name common in Brittany. Anyway, during the day, she helped us become member of the St. Barth YC. And at night, she served us drinks while doing a happy little dance.

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©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
With something like boats — we still haven’t seen the final entry list — the starting area was crowded. But the weather was perfect.

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©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Yesterday’s 18-mile first race featured everything from bright sunshine to drippy squalls, with mostly 12 to 17 knots of wind. But most of the day the 65-boat fleet saw ideal Caribbean sailing conditions. Somehow we found ourselves aboard Steve Schmidt’s SC 70 Hotel California, Too, the only cruising SC 70 ever made. Oddly enough, we also found ourselves — just about ready for Medicare — on the jib sheet. Yeah, the winches were electric, but still. You gotta love those Santa Cruz boats, because even with a shortened rig they move through the water so sweetly, even without a chute. In fact, Schmidt, who has been cruising the boat — mostly in the Caribbean — since taking delivery new in ’91, says about 96% of the times that he’s moved the boat, it’s been under sail.

You meet the greatest people at the Voiles. Gerry, an artist from Paris, and Alice of St. Barth.

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©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Heroina, a Frers-design built for Frers.

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©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Throughout the day, we saw very competitive racing. Yesterday’s course went windward around the island, which had some daring skippers closely shaving by rocks and other obstructions. One of the boats we crossed tacks with was the German Frers-designed 76-ft Heroina. Frers had her cold-molded for himself in Argentina a number of years ago, and picked up spare parts from other boats, such as a winged keel from an IACC boat, a mast from a maxi, and so forth. If we get this report done in time, she’s going to be our ride for today. In fact, if we don’t end this report right now, we’ll find ourselves on the beach, so we’re outta here.

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Sailors, like everyone, are resistant to change. When it was announced that the America’s Cup would be sailed in multihulls, monohull lovers the world over voiced their outrage.