Les Voiles de St. Barth 2016

The seventh edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth will run from 11 to 16 April 2016, and a number of boats have already taken the necessary steps to make sure they are on the starting line at what has become one of the Caribbean's main sailing events. The 100-foot Comanche, the MOD70 Phaedo3 and the two Maxi72s Momo and Proteus are just some of the big names that have confirmed their presence to the delight of the organisers and sailing fans.

A waterborne extravaganza

Comanche, the 100-footer VPLP-Verdier design owned by Jim and Kristy Hinze Clark and skippered by Ken Read, a Volvo Ocean Race icon, remains faithful to Les Voiles de St. Barth. Last year, Clark's team, made up of very honed, experienced sailors, captivated the public with its spectacular manoeuvring around the island of St. Barth. The team’s return is eagerly awaited by the organisation team and by all the event's avid followers. Lloyd Thornburg's magnificent MOD70 Phaedo3 (the former MOD70 Foncia) will also hit the racetrack. The crew of her American owner, which has boasted some very specialised sailors including Brian Thompson, Sam Goodchild and a certain Michel Desjoyeaux, is sure to make life difficult for the other Multihulls in what is guaranteed to be an absolute showstopper!

Maxi 72s out in force

For the second year in a row, Les Voiles de St. Barth appears on the Maxi 72 Class official event schedule along with the RORC's Caribbean 600, the Copa del Rey and the World Maxi 72 Championship in Porto Cervo. For now, two (of the six) boats in the class - Tito Schön's Momo and Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou – are officially entered on the starters' list, but rumour has it that there are likely to be a total of four Maxi 72s participating in Les Voiles, a fact confirmed by the manager of the class, Rob Weiland. “It looks as if Bella Mente and Proteus will also join the fray…” Unfortunately, Roberto Tomasini's Italian team on Robertissima won't be coming together for this edition of Les Voiles. Following their victory in the Barcolana Regatta back in October, Vasco Vascotto, skipper of the boat, has stated that his team will be busy preparing the design of a brand new boat penned by Botin and built in Dubai.

Lionel Péan: the comeback

Among the many characters who have already decided to come together for this seventh edition is Lionel Péan, a major influence in French yachting and winner of the Whitbread (the former name of the Volvo Ocean Race). As such, his partner, SFS, a major protagonist in construction insurance, will be supporting the skipper and his crew in this fantastic adventure.

“We won't be racing aboard our Volvo Open 70 SFS in St. Barth,” explains Lionel. “We have to adhere to a fixed programme in the Mediterranean, so we've decided to charter a boat locally. We were keen to come last year, so this year we just couldn't miss this event, which I've watched developing. In the very early days, I even helped the organisation introduce it to the sailors. Today, Les Voiles de St. Barth has really evolved: the organisation is exceptional and very professional with a great atmosphere… I can't wait to get going.”

Performances racked up by PHAEDO 3 in 2015

(Lloyd Thornburg / Brian Thompson)

02/2015: Round Antigua record 2hrs 44 mins and 15 secs

02/2015: 1st in the Caribbean 600 and race record in 1d 9hrs 35 mins 30 secs

04/2015: 1st in Les Voiles de St-Barth 2015

07/2015: 1st in the Transatlantic Race in 7 d 2 hrs 4 mins 5 secs

09/2015: Fastnet record in 1 d 3 hrs and 34 mins

09/2015: Plymouth /La Rochelle record in 14 hrs 5 mins 27 secs