Caribbean Multihull Challenge 2021: Three Diams OD24 in.
Report sent by Saint Marteen YC / www.smyc.com
The St Maarten Yacht Club will host the fourth annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge from February 4-6, 2022. The event is open to all multihull sailors on racing catamarans and trimarans as well as chartered cats and cruising multihulls. For more information visit www.smyc.com/caribbean-multihull-challenge.
Three Diams 24’s to race in CMC IV with local skippers.
Simpson Bay, St. Maarten – December 17, 2021
In a never ending saga of innovation, the coming CMC IV will feature a class of these new arrivals to the shores of Saint Martin. Three Diam 24 Trimarans were shipped from France in a container with actually room for a fourth. With an assembly time of under two hours each, the local owners and crew made quick work of getting these boats ready for sailing and practice well before the first CMC start on the 3rd of February in Simpson Bay in the Dutch side.
The CMC race committee headed by Race Officer and well known SXM sailor Rien Korteknie will create special courses for these boats that with their 1.6 meter shoal draft can also race close to shore in Simpson Bay providing eye candy for beach goers rocking at Karakter and Mary’s Boon. Korteknie and his committee will also throw in challenging distance courses giving these skippers the chance to blast through offshore waves under their 37 sq meter gennakers. According to Alexis de Boucaud owner of the one of the 24’s and a Senior Broker for the Multihull Company…. “this trimaran is spectacular: 10-12 kts steady upwind with 14-15 kts in flat water. 12-18 kts off the wind and just over 20kts under gennaker surfing the big waves offshore. What is perhaps most surprising is how stable and safe she feels with her long outriggers and a very deep centerboard of some 1.70 meters keeping her safe and sea-kindly.
Successful in the Tour De France a la Voile, Diam 24’s with a crew of three hit speeds in the 20’s. Three were unloaded and assembled recently in French Cul De Sac.
Credit for the initiative to bring these sport boats to SXM goes to Pierre Altier who will act in the capacity of Agent for the sale of Diam 24’s in this area. According to Altier….“Three units will compete in the 2021 CMC, and in future editions we plan to add more on the top of this number to create a one design class within the regatta. Then, there will be a possibility for an “easy regatta” which means that any crew of 3 will be able to rent a Diam 24 for the event and take the start line after a few minutes explanations”.
Before and after the CMC, the Diam 24’s will be berthed in Great Bay on pontoons at Bobby’s Marina. For the days of the regatta, plans are being discussed to have at least one of the boats dock at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club which will be the headquarters for the 4-day event. “While the CMC certainly has its share of large and interesting cruising and racing multihulls, the addition of these speedy smaller trimarans adds interest and another dimension to the CMC which is really more than a regatta; but rather a celebration of all things multihull” says Stephen Burzon, Volunteer Director of Marketing for the event.
With the calendar moving toward January and the final month before the fourth edition of the CMC, entries and sponsorship are strong. The organization is forecasting that it will equal or beat the record number of entries from back in 2020. As of this writing more sponsors and sailors are making decisions on participating. For information on sponsorship contact [email protected] and to enter go to visit the event page in Yachtscoring.
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