9th Annual Foxy's Cat Fight Dominated by Puerto Rico Catamarans
What a fantastic weekend! While there were great boats from the U.S. Virgin and the BVI, it was the Spanish Virgins that carried away the spirit of this all multi-hull Halloween racing event.
According to Olaf Krieger, a captain for sponsor Catamaran Charters of Nanny Cay, “This year’s event was tops for the decade”.
Foxy and Captain Kevin Gray, who spearheads the building of the JVD Island Sloop, visited Fajardo this summer to personally invite the Puerto Rican sailing contingency to participate in Foxy’s yachting regattas – both Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta, held over Memorial Day weekend, and Foxy’s “Cat Fight”, held annually each year on Halloween weekend. The response was enormous, with four catamarans making the eastbound trip on Friday, October 28th, during a strong tropical wave, to participate in the event. The West End Yacht Club welcomed them with open arms as they gave the existing fleet not only better competition but a “salsa party hearty” mood that made the entire weekend totally festive.
The race courses started and finished at Catamaran Charter’s Committee Boat, Change Order. Soma, Nils Erickson’s Formula 40, a Morrelli design, had the fastest time for both races with winning corrected times of 50:44:00 & 1:32:53. This racing cat day-sails out of Cruz Bay, St. John. The crew carried not only dynamic racers but Julie Smith on assignment for Multihulls Magazine, thus giving the regatta an international interest.
Gold Coast Yachts of St. Croix should be most proud as they were well represented. Rolando Bazloosa’s 62’ sloop, East Wind, of East Island Excursions in Fajardo won his class in the Daycats Division Class B (1:05:16 & 1:56:40). Salty Dog, a Gold Coast 46’ built for Jack Tittle of Salty Dreams, Inc. won 1st in the Daycats Division class A (1:12:55 & 2:11:58). They also built the ferry Island Flyer, a 65’ power catamaran that charters out of Fajardo and graciously ferried me for pictures.
Also representing Puerto Rico was Traveler, a 50’ catamaran built by Sea River and raced by owner Antonio Morales owner of Fajardo Tours. This enthusiastic crew won the Daycats Division in Class C (1:11:52 & 2:03:05). Getaway, a 32’ cat built in 1998, also represented Fajardo with owner Robert Lamson of Quien Despues Charter Company capturing 1st in the Daycats Division Class D (1:18:05 & 2:18:52)
Mike and Sydney Fallis, owners and operators of BareCat Charters, West End, won 1st in Cruising Division, Class A on a Venezia> 42, Chat du Soleil, with a great West End Yacht Club crew and fast times of 1:08:41 & 2:10:08. They also won the “Baddest Cat Award” for having the fastest bareboat entered in the regatta. Congratulations! Mike “Danger” Bas night’s Privilege 45, Gato Chateau won 1st in the Cruising Division Class B (1:08:49 & 2:17:51).
Chris Marie, a Robinson & Caine 47’ Cat raced by Eric Bizislaw from Chicago and Aduent, a 38’ Robinson & Caine entered by Paul & Deborah Miller from Cowes, UK, came the farthest.
The Race Committee, headed by the new WEYC Commodore Martin Van Houten, consisted of Mike & Di Kirk, Dave Cook, Paul Watson and Peter Ratcliff did an outstanding job. The Masquerade Ball following the regatta was attended by some 300+ well wishers, most of whom were costumed and had a great time partying throughout the evening. Space disallows an accurate description of this event, thank goodness! Needless to say that we all had quite a time.
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