Sailors enjoyed great racing and parties at the St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice Regatta, held Feb. 11-13, out of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The regatta is the kick-off for the 2011 Cape Air Caribbean Ocean Racing Circuit (C.O.R.C.) Five boats entered the Cape Air C.O.R.C. in this first leg.
The race standings by class at the conclusion of the St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice Regatta saw Puerto Rico’s Jaime Torres on his Beneteau First 40, Smile and Wave, lead the Spinnaker Racing A Class with Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Lipuscek’s J/105, Dark Star, second.
In Spinnaker Racing B, the leader was St. Thomas’ Paul Davis driving his J/27, Mag 7.
Shamrock VII, the USA’s Tom Mullen’s J/95, is first in the Performance Cruising class with St. Croix’s Tony Sanpere’s J/36, Cayennita Grande, second.
The big attraction of the 2011 Cape Air C.O.R.C. is the opportunity to win a round-trip ticket for one to anywhere in the Caribbean that Cape Air flies in a raffle drawing for regatta entrants at the awards ceremony held at the conclusion of each leg of the series. Mag 7’s Paul Davis won this ticket on St. Croix.
In addition, at the Cape Air C.O.R.C.’s fourth and final leg at the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, set for March 28 to April 3, first place winners in each class will receive a round-trip ticket for one to anywhere in the Caribbean Cape Air flies.
Those who missed the sign-up on St. Croix can register for the 2011 Cape Air C.O.R.C. at the second leg, the Puerto Rico Heineken International Regatta, which will be held March 18-20 at the Palmas del Mar Yacht Club Marina in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Classes include Racing A, Racing B, Racer-Cruiser, Performance-Cruiser, IC24s, and Jib and Main. There will also be a Beach Cat class if a minimum of five boats register. The entry fee is $75 per boat, which includes a C.O.R.C.-logo bag, captain’s long sleeve T-shirt, and captain’s hat.
New this year, the International Rolex Regatta, March 25-27, will be the third leg of the Cape Air C.O.R.C.
Yachts must participate in at least three regattas – one in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one in Puerto Rico and one in the BVI – to be eligible for raffle drawings and prizes. Yachts that compete in all four regattas will receive foul weather gear.
Cape Air offers convenient and reliable hourly flights that make travel between Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Tortola, Vieques and Anguilla easier than ever. The airline also offers special joint fares and convenient connections with major airlines, making it easier for sailors anywhere in the world to get to their favorite Caribbean destination.
For more information about other services, or to book online, visit www.capeair.com. For more information about the Cape Air C.O.R.T. Series, visit www.prheinekenregatta.com
2011 Cape Air C.O.R.C. Results as of Leg 1 – St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice Regatta
Spinnaker Racing A
1. Smile and Wave, Jaime Torres, Puerto Rico (1)
2. Dark Star, Jonathan Lipuscek, Puerto Rico (2)
Spinnaker Racing B
1. Mag 7, Paul Davis, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. (1)
Performance Cruiser
1. Shamrock VII, Thomas Mullen, U.S.A. (1)
2. Cayennita Grande, Antonio Sanpere, St. Croix, U.S.V.I. (2)