Returning
to St. Maarten as defending champions, BVI’s
Emma Paull skippered the Doyle/Latitude 18 Team to
victory in the 2005 Women’s Keel Boat Caribbean Championship. With home
ports of St. Thomas/St. John, St. Croix, BVI,
Barbados and St. Maarten, ten teams
competed. Along with teammates Rebecca Paull, Clair
Burke and Linda Phillips, Emma Paull took the top honours, finishing first in five out of seven races.
Sailing
with four adults, the BVI Team was somewhat heavier than many of the other
teams and Paull felt that the extra weight was to
their advantage. On Saturday, winds were shifty, ranging in velocity from 5
– 15. On Sunday, still shifty in the lagoon, the wind ranged from 15
– 25 and race officer Andrew Rapley called for
a reef in the main after the first race. “In light air, the extra weight
did not hurt us and in heavy air, we were able to keep the boat much flatter
than the other teams,” said Paull.
During
racing on Saturday, it appeared that one of the Sunfast
Jeanneau 20s was much slower than all of the other
boats. In the sixth race of the day, it became obvious that the mechanism that
holds the keel in place had failed. As a result, a redress hearing was held and
all teams that had sailed that boat dropped that result and were awarded an
average of the other six races sailed instead.
While
Doyle/Latitude 18 Team BVI dominated the regatta, winning with 9.3 points, a
battled raged for second through fourth place. With a separation of only 1.2
points, after the final tally, Lynn Rapley,
skippering Necol Racing, took second place with 16. 3
points, fourteen-year-old Mimi Roller of Team VI (St. Thomas/St. John) placed
third with 17 points and Kim Frye of Good Cards/Scuba Shop (St. Maarten) was
fourth with 17.5 points.
During
the prize giving, Robbie Ferron, race organizer said in his remarks,
“There seemed to be two races going on, the BVI and everyone else. This
weekend showed a level of women’s sailing that I have not seen
before.”
Results:
1. Doyle Sailmakers/Latitude 18/Team BVI 9.3
2. Necol
Racing/St. Maarten16.3
- Tean VI/ St. Thomas/
St. John 17 - Good
Card/Scuba Shop/ St. Maarten
17.5 - Cruisin Cruzans/
St. Croix
21 - Women
in M’Ocean / St. Maarten 26 - Island
92/ St. Maarten36.1 - Budget
Marine/St. Maarten37 - Quantum
Chicks/. St. Maarten39 - IEB Marine Surveyors/St. Maarten
44.3
Sportsmanship:
Mary Wrigley
Youngest Skipper:
Mimi Roller (14 years old)
Youngest Crew:
Winnie Rapley (11 year old foredeck)
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