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Triple Jack: The Comeback Story of a Legendary Trimaran

After a 39-year hiatus since the Ostar in 1984, the 44-year old Derek Kelsall designed trimaran, Triple Jack, will be returning to ocean racing in the Caribbean 600 on February 19. Triple Jack had been undergoing a major rebuild and remodel after being devastatingly damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017, but is now set to make a comeback on the racing scene.

The return of Triple Jack to ocean racing is significant as it marks the revival of a classic trimaran after a lengthy hiatus due to extensive hurricane damage. It also highlights the resilience and dedication of the crew who spent five years in rebuilding the boat, with the aim of making an impact in the upcoming races.

• Time of two hours, 33 minutes, and 40 seconds held by local BVI trimaran Triple Jack in the Round Tortola Race
• Triple Jack initially sailed to the Caribbean in 1997 and has been a fixture on the Caribbean racing circuit
• Triple Jack will be the first corinthian team from the Virgin Islands to enter the Caribbean 600 race in its 15-year history
• Triple Jack is undergoing final preparations for the Caribbean 600 race on February 19 after a lengthy rebuild following Hurricane Irma's destruction in 2017
• The boat will also be competing in the Caribbean Multihull Challenge starting February 1
• Triple Jack aims to comply with the World Sailing Category 2/3 requirements for the Caribbean 600 race

Following the completion of the final preparations, Triple Jack is set to participate in the Caribbean 600 race, marking its official return to ocean racing after a period of extensive rebuild and restoration.

The revival of Triple Jack and its upcoming participation in the Caribbean 600 race exemplify the resilience of the crew and the enduring appeal of classic racing boats, showcasing the determination and dedication required to restore a vessel to its former racing glory.

The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI

www.sail-world.com • Triple Jack BVI

Triple Jack to compete in Caribbean 600

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Smooth Sailing for Triple Jack, A BVI Ocean Racer with 9-Lives

By Paul Carrell

Triple Jack  will be one of the top BVI racing boats contending in the upcoming BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival held from April 1 st  to 7th. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Paul Carrell recounts the adventures of this elegant and fast ocean BVI racing trimaran, and how it has come back from catastrophe – more than once.

Mankind has been dreaming, whittling, chopping, shaping, and faring hulls from two meters and up for centuries. Sailors died, or became rich, married the natives on distant shores, or came home to sit in front of the fire. One thing for sure, there were tales to be told about the storms, whales, pirates and distant places.   

While  Triple Jack,  a 47- foot Derek Kelsall trimaran built in 1979, is but a blip on the screen of naval history, its story is one of dedication and perseverance. In spite of challenges and setbacks, the boat’s owners, Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis, decided to “remain calm and carry on”.  This is their tale. 

The story actually began in the Bahamas when Derek Kelsall decided to enter the 1964 OSTAR (Observer, Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race) from Plymouth, UK to Newport, Rhode Island. He built the first unballasted vessel to compete in the race,  Folatre , a 35-foot ketch rigged trimaran. 

He almost won, however, five days into the race he hit a submerged object that tore off his rudder and centerboard.  Returning to Plymouth for repairs, he later completed the race in 34 days.  

In 1979, Frank Wood, an experienced offshore multihull sailor on the Trimaran  Lydia Cardell  commissioned Derek Kelsall to design an offshore racer which was eventually named  Triple Jack.  Triple Jack  was built on the first floor of an old cotton mill in Ashton under Lyne.  Kelsall’s design experimented with a canard centerboard system which consisted of two offset daggerboards.  One was located just forward of the rudder. Once the hull was completed, they had to demolish an exterior wall in order to crane her out and down to a waiting trailer.  This new lightweight unballasted trimaran with its rotating mast was a state-of-the-art ocean racer.   

Frank Wood entered his new boat in the 1981  Twostar  doublehanded race and nearly made it to the finish in Newport, R.I.   Unfortunately for him about two hundred miles from the finish the rotating mast failed and came crashing down.  A nearby freighter hoisted her up on  deck, sailed her to shore and promptly dropped her a hundred feet back into the water when the lifting strap parted on the hoist to relaunch her.  The boat survived and Frank was aboard her for the vertical drop.  He survived too.   

After re-rigging her with a conventional mast and completing another trans-Atlantic crossing and two Round Britain races, Frank Wood decided to sell her to Patrick Boyd Multihulls. It was later sold to a nefarious owner who was reported to have smuggled some bales here and there.  Eventually the boat needed repairs and was left on a mooring near Powderham Castle in Devon. 

Richard and Steve Discover Triple Jack

When Richard and Steve came upon  Triple Jack  sitting dejectedly in the harbor they saw through the verdigris and appreciated her true value.  Little did they foresee at the time that Triple Jack would someday become one of the top BVI racing boats .

Even though the boat was damaged and neglected, the dynamic duo made some inquiries, and once aboard, raised the tattered sails and soon discovered that the mast step was moving, bulkheads were cracked, cross beams were impacted, and the rudder stock was on the move, perfect!  They found the owner and took her on. 

The epic adventure began. It would include bare pole sailing, grinding blisters, delamination’s and the acquisition of yards of fiberglass cloth and resin.   In the early 1990s, Steve and Rich decided that after five years of teaching greenhorns how to sail, they had had enough, and closed their sailing school.  They were now in possession of a large trimaran and decided to find some helping hands to make it ready for a trip to the verdant warmth of the Canary Islands. 

So, on a winter day with a good weather window, they and three crew members departed Devon on what was to be the first of many offshore adventures.  Overloaded with tools, fuel, gear and provisions, they sailed off. They radioed Brixham Coastguard to announce their intentions to sail directly to the Canaries.  After a pensive pause the Coast Guard replied, “do you have an Epirb (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)? Yes, was the reply! 

Three days out, a Northeasterly arrived 100 miles off Finisterre. They surfed down ten-foot swells off the island of Satriani while listening to Hendrix. By 1800 hours, it was really picking up and the boat was out of trim, so they shifted gear down below and reduced sail as they were in a full gale. 

The boat resonated and vibrated as if she was possessed by demons, burying the leeward sponson (pontoon). This forced them to shift fuel and even more gear in the dark – all while underway in a gale.  Not for the faint hearted! The storm continued to rage its fury, but by midnight the wind had eased and by sunrise they were under full sail with fishing lines out in glorious sunshine.   

The trip took nine days, and 1500 miles later, they dropped the hook and replaced one of the unraveling backstays.  Life was good, the crew departed and Steve and Rich based themselves at Los Christianos on the South Coast where they tried a hand at day sails until they were informed that the Spanish were cracking down on renegade day sailors, so they raised anchor and sailed on.   

In 1994, Richard was offered a job at the Catamaran Company on Tortola, which was his introduction to the Leeward islands.   Richard convinced Steve to make the trip over, and they sailed “TJ” from England in 1997.  Racing her soon followed. They entered her in several regattas and made a name for themselves defeating the racers,  Ptryst  and  Water Music , in the 2002 Heineken Regatta. The feat earned them the competition’s overall honors.  People would remember  Triple Jack  as she passed them on the racecourse. 

Hurricane Irma  Wreaks Havoc

Wednesday September 6, 2017 a day of infamy for the British Virgin Islands. Supernatural winds, storm surges and flooding devastated people’s lives, homes, businesses, and dreams.   

Nanny Cay Marina and Boatyard lay in ruins with hundreds of vessels either sunk or entangled with each other as they were blown over in its three storage yards.  When the survivors remerged from the rubble they could see that the British Virgin Islands suffered catastrophic damage that would take years to rebuild.  But rebuild it did, and this part of  Triple Jack’s  resurrection from the rubble reminds one of “The Flight of the Phoenix.”    Richard and Steve decided it was worth saving the crumpled and broken vessel. So, over the next five years she was painstakingly rebuilt and rerigged better than ever before. 

Prior to the storm,  Triple Jack  was located in the “new marina” on a mooring in the Northeast section of the outer channel.  The first part of the storm flipped her over and placed her upside down on the concrete bulkhead by the mast rack in the adjacent storage yard.  When the “back” of the storm returned after the eye wall passed, it somehow re-lifted the 47- foot trimaran’s 4500 kilos and sent her flying over the water. She was deposited five hundred yards downwind on the concrete bridge that provides access to the “peninsula” storage yard.  

The port sponson was broken off at the bow and the starboard sponson was barely attached to the cross beams. The mast was gone and the boat was upside down half on the bridge and half in the water obstructing the road.  When cranes were used to remove her, the starboard sponson was severed and the boat was trundled off to the side and left upside down for about a year while Richard, Steve, and the island struggled to rebuild their houses, lives, and businesses. 

Gradually over time they formulated a plan which involved the re-attachment of the port sponson bow, the faring of the three overturned hulls, barrier coat and a coat of antifouling paint.  They were fully aware that there was the rest of the boat underneath that needed unlimited expenses and a tenacious labor force.   Once businesses and homes were rebuilt Triple Jack was finally moved in May 2019.   

It required two cranes to lift and flip her over then one to trundle her over to a nearby site on the ‘Peninsula’ at Nanny Cay’s outer marina. Now that all the pieces were upright, the team could begin the arduous task for realigning the main hull with the severed starboard sponson.  Since much of the severed glass mat was still in place the crew could gradually reposition the sponson to its original position. This task alone took about three weekends to accomplish.  

Once in place Richard, Steve and Mike Hurst a surveyor had to determine the best way to laminate the hull and sponson back together in order to ensure that the repairs would be structurally sound, and the hull was correctly realigned.  This was an arduous and time-consuming process.  Hours of grinding fiberglass, rolls of fiberglass cloth, gallons of resin and adhesive fillers were used to insure she would safely sail again.  Over time TJ’s hull began to take shape, however the super structure, deck, rig and chainplates still remained an unknown.  

December 1, 2019   

Thin pine battens were used to build a form over the center hull to define the complex shape of the new roof.  When a favorable shape emerged,   ¼” plywood was then laid on top of the battens, followed by a layer of plastic Visqueen. This created a barrier between the smooth “plug”, and the unidirectional cloth, resin and Divinacell foam core, which were used to make a very strong light weight foam cored roof structure. This would be removed and completed while upside down in the shop.  The next time-consuming job consisted of fabricating curved laminated purple heart beams that would be laminated to the underside of the newly formed roof assembly.  Once this was completed the entire roof structure could be painted prior to its eventual attachment to the hull structure.   

With the roof now in place the crew proceeded with the hours of grinding fiberglass and renewal of the sponson, mast step, hatch placement. Other must do chores included cockpit layout and modifications, new chain plates, rudder post relocation, and should I mention, the addition of a diesel engine with a sail drive unit located amidships. Oh yes, then there was the modification of the newly acquired carbon rig and boom assembly that needed to be made prior to even considering stepping the rig.  

The boat was now new and improved through the tenacity and fortitude of Richard, Steve and Paul Westlake. Westlake, a coworker and a stalwart volunteer, balked at nothing and ‘got on with it’.  Bear in mind that all this was accomplished in the yard under a temporary roof structure with a small Honda generator, a portable water truck and beer cooler.   Over time the new hatches were located and installed, winches were found, rebuilt and mounted. 

May 1 2023.   

The Mast is Up! Wickham’s Cay Rigging was on board with Isaac and his son, Dean  Fonseca, in charge splicing Dynema  shrouds and the necessary rigging bits.  

When rigged, the boat could be lifted for the launch.  Fitting the lifting dagger board, and rudder was soon accomplished, and she was launched May 16, 2023 to the cheers of the rebuilding crew.  Once in the water the final work list was completed the shakedown cruise proved exhilarating

BVI Spring Regatta and Other Racing Adventures Ahead

Triple Jack  is now back to racing. She competed in the Round Tortola Race last November, and is ready for the 15th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, which will start on the 19th of February from Fort Charlotte, Antigua. She is also looking forward to showing off her racing chops in the upcoming BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival to be held from April 1st to 7 th .

They say “all good things come to an end”. Well in this case I believe that there will be numerous finish lines to cross and podiums to ascend to.  It just goes to show you that given the tenacity, fortitude and vision,  Triple Jack  is back and better than ever.  Well done mates! 

Learn more about Triple Jack and watch her sail in the below video from Triple Jack’s FaceBook page:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=228078676410899

https://bvispringregatta.org

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Channel Hopping: Racing trimaran Triple Jack’s remarkable comeback

• Kass Schmitt
• April 6, 2023

PBO's YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt praises Triple Jack owners Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis for sharing the rebuild of their 47ft trimaran without a single exhortation to like, subscribe or sponsor...

For those who love a rebuilding a wreck against the odds story (and who doesn’t?) the YouTube channel Triple Jack is not to be missed.

Triple Jack is a 47ft trimaran designed by the legendary Derek Kelsall in 1979. She was built of foam-core GRP by her first owner, Frank Wood, and appears to have burst out of the shed just in time for the start of the 1981 TWOSTAR (double-handed trans-Atlantic race) which sadly ended with dismasting 190 miles before the finish.

Wood’s second attempt at racing the Atlantic in the 1984 OSTAR (solo trans-Atlantic race) also ended with dismasting , so it was likely with a huge sense of relief that her subsequent owners, Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis of Exmouth, UK finally managed to get her across the pond in the late 1990s, albeit by cruising in the tradewinds to the Caribbean .

And there they stayed, with Triple Jack becoming a well-known competitor on the Caribbean multihull racing scene. That is, until September 2017, when Hurricane Irma ripped her off her mooring and threw her across the bay twice, resulting in the sort of damage most people would not even think of trying to repair.

But with a lot of community goodwill and help from friends and family, Richard and Steve managed to slowly put her back together again, working mostly on Sundays.

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Rather than simply rebuilding to her original design, they took the opportunity to strengthen and update many components and systems, adding for example, a carbon mast, composite chainplates, Dyneema standing rigging, a completely redesigned coachroof, and for the first time, an inboard diesel engine which greatly expands future cruising and racing possibilities .

Although it was nearly five years from disaster to relaunch , the 12-video series primarily covers the period from July 2019 to February 2020 with a few sporadic updates after that.

While wind noise makes the speech on some episodes nearly unintelligible, I find the story compelling enough to ignore that, and just feel grateful that they were willing to take time out of the rebuild to document and share it without a single exhortation to like, subscribe or sign up to a Patreon.

Richard tells me he’d like to continue producing videos about their adventures on the water, and I’ll look forward to seeing them on the screen as well as on the racetrack.

Posts by triplejack

Latitude 18 halyard challenge 2024.

A gentle race for TJ yesterday. Start in Road Harbour, passing Peter Island to starboard, Pelican Island and Indians to port, Hog Valley Green to port, finish in Road Harbour.

Triple Jack To Compete In Caribbean 600 After Hurricane Irma Destruction

Triple Jack, the 44-year old Derek Kelsall designed one-off trimaran, will be making her ocean racing return in the Caribbean 600 on February 19 after a 39-year hiatus since the Ostar in 1984.

Triple Jack’s Latest Round Tortola Record Attempt Raises Money For Humane Society

On Saturday November 18, Triple Jack, the phoenix-like Kelsall 47 trimaran built in 1979, attempted to beat her Round Tortola record of 2:33:33 she set in 2015.  With rare and brisk southerly winds, and a new a sail inventory, conditions looked good for the record-breaking attempt.


Clocking speeds in the mid to high teens, and having completed just one tack and one gybe through the whole route they crossed the line with a time of 2 hours 40 minutes and 4 seconds – just 6 minutes and 37 seconds shy of their 2015 record.

Breathing Life Back into A Multihull Beauty

Triple Jack (TJ) is a one-off Kelsall 47 built in 1979. Now long-time residents, Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis sailed her across the Atlantic to the BVI in 1997 and never left!

Throughout her Caribbean life, TJ (to her friends) was a constant sight on the Caribbean racing scene, giving many younger and more modern multihulls a run for their money. That was until September 6, 2017; a day to be forgotten.

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The vintage Kelsall trimaran Triple Jack snatched back her Round Tortola Race record in October, flying around the island in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 18 seconds, taking ten minutes off the existing record set in April 2010.

With Miles Sutherland-Pilch, general manager of Nanny Cay , onshore calling the start, Triple Jack crossed the transit of the corner of PegLegs Restaurant and the western tip of Peter Island at 12:10pm. With an almost perfect southeasterly blowing, the boat flew up the south side of Tortola on starboard tack before bearing off for the spinnaker hoist off Scrub Island.

One-third of the way along the north side of Tortola, the crew of the 34-year-old tri had to douse the chute and fetch to Soper’s Hole under genoa. Triple Jack wiggled through this potentially time-sapping area of mixed currents and winds relatively painlessly before beating over to St. John. From there, it was, in theory, one straight shot back to Nanny Cay where every header had the crew anxiously looking at their watches. Owners Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis were now feeling the pressure, exacerbated by being fed the wrong elapsed time – ten minutes more than reality. However, Davis carefully worked Triple Jack upwind along the south side of Tortola finishing only 100 yards off Nanny Cay’s breakwater.

“It was a great BVI sailing day made even better by getting our record back,” said Wooldridge.

On finishing, the owners and crew: Steve Davis, Mike Hirst, Miles Fossey, Henry Leonnig and Tom Echle, were presented with a bottle of Drappier Champaign by Eddie Brockbank of TICO and celebrated with a team dinner in PegLegs Restaurant. The $250 entry fee was donated to the BVI Humane Society.

‘Round Tortola’ is an all-comer, any-day event, starting and finishing off Nanny Cay. Competitors must attempt the record anti-clockwise and round Beef, Scrub Island, Great Camanoe and Guana Island to port. An entry fee of a $250 donation to a BVI charity of the challenger’s choice will include two night’s dockage at Nanny Cay. The monohull time to beat of 4 hours, 15 minutes and 5 seconds, was set by Dave West’s Melges 32, Jurakan, in the 2009 PegLegs Round Tortola Race.

As with most sailing events, the reward is in the taking part and bragging rights but record breakers will be able to celebrate their feat with a free dinner at PegLegs for up to 15 crewmembers and a jeroboam of champagne compliments of Nanny Cay. Record breakers also get their name on the perpetual trophy, which is on display year-round in PegLegs Restaurant.

To enter the Nanny Cay Challenge, contact Miles Sutherland-Pilch: [email protected]

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On Saturday November 18, Triple Jack, the phoenix-like Kelsall 47 trimaran built in 1979, attempted to beat her Round Tortola record of 2:33:33 she set in 2015.  With rare and brisk southerly winds, and a new a sail inventory, conditions looked good for the record-breaking attempt.


Clocking speeds in the mid to high teens, and having completed just one tack and one gybe through the whole route they crossed the line with a time of 2 hours 40 minutes and 4 seconds - just 6 minutes and 37 seconds shy of their 2015 record.


“Triple Jack is in practice mode for a potential Caribbean 600 entry next February,” said Richard Wooldridge, co-skipper/owner with Steve Davis. “After a 6-year refit post Irma we are evaluating to see if she has still got it.”

However, following the valiant but failed attempt the BVI Humane Society is $700 better off. Triple Jack’s attempt was part of the Nanny Cay Challenge in which yachts, kiteboarders, and paddleboarders visiting the British Virgin Islands are invited to make an attempt to beat the latest round Tortola records.  The notional entry fee is a $250 donation to BVI charity of choice.  For this attempt, Triple Jack donated $350 and Nanny Cay matched the donation.

“We will keep supporting the Humane Society until they have their new premises! They go above and beyond looking after some of the most unfortunate animals on the island,” Richard added.

To date $2,700 has been raised for BVI charities:

BVI Humane Society: $700, Triple Jack & Nanny Cay - November 2023 Family Support Network: $250, Mike Hirst - January 2019 BVI Humane Society: $250, Triple Jack - April 2015 RBVIYC Youth Sailing Programme: $250, SPOOKIE - March 2016 RBVIYC Youth Sailing Programme: $250, Aiyana - March 2013 VISAR: $250, Aiyana - March 2013 KATS: $250, INTAC - November 2012 BVI Humane Society: $250, Triple Jack - October 2012 BVI Humane Society $250, Soma - April 2010

“It’s fun way to raise money for charity,” said Miles Sutherland Pilch, general manager of Nanny Cay. “The Nanny Cay Challenge has been exciting to watch over the years, and we’re looking forward to seeing more attempts as the margins get narrower!”

Nanny Cay launched the Nanny Cay Challenge for the round Tortola record in 2010 with Triple Jack’s benchmark time of 3:33:00.  It’s an all-comer, any-day event, starting and finishing off Nanny Cay.  Competitors (except paddboarders) must attempt the record anti-clockwise and round Beef Island, Scrub Island, Great Camanoe and Guana Island to port.  The start transit is in line with the western tip of Peter Island and the western tip of Nanny Cay. 

In addition to the substantial bragging rights, record breakers receive a crew dinner at PegLegs for up to 15 crew members; large bottle of Drappier champagne; and name on the perpetual trophy in Peg Legs.

The record has been broken many times since it was set, but the 2019 Round Tortola Race in the Sailing Festival, the three-day warm up event for the BVI Spring Regatta, was a banner year for breaking, if not smashing,  the record.

A perfect day for record setting saw Fujin, the Bieker 53 catamaran owned and skippered by Greg Slyngstad, win the Nanny Cay Challenge with the fastest elapsed time of 1:57:16, breaking the standing multihull record set in 2015 by the trimaran Triple Jack of 2:33:40 – and the outright record of 2:14:54 set by Mike Hirst on a kiteboard in January that year.   The monohull record was also overturned by E1, the Volvo 70 skippered by Rafal Sawicki in an elapsed time of 2:53:08, beating the previous record of 3:08:43. set in 2016 by the TP52 Spookie.

Gunboat 62 Mach Schnell, owned and skippered by Kent Haeger also broke Triple Jack’s record with 2:00:39; the Rapido 60 trimaran owned and skippered by Steve Bourne did the same finishing in 2:19:54.

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Round Tortola Race - Trimaran Triple Jack reclaims the record

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Breathing Life Back into A Multihull Beauty

Posted in 2023 , Features

Triple Jack (TJ) is a one-off Kelsall 47 built in 1979. Now long-time residents, Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis sailed her across the Atlantic to the BVI in 1997 and never left!

Throughout her Caribbean life, TJ (to her friends) was a constant sight on the Caribbean racing scene, giving many younger and more modern multihulls a run for their money.  That was until September 6, 2017; a day to be forgotten.

After the passing of Irma, TJ, weighing in at 9,120lbs (4137kg), just over four imperial tons, or four Volkswagen beetles), was found upside down on the bridge to the outer marina, rigging lost, coach roof crushed, hatches ripped off, and sponsons hanging on by a thread.

Remarkably the main hull was hole-free at waterline, and since that fateful day, Richard, Steve, and host of helpers, have worked in their spare time to repair this venerable 44-year-old trimaran. In a five-year labour of love, TJ sat out on the outer marina at Nanny Cay where 1000s of man-hours were spent chopping, grinding, filling, fibreglassing, epoxying, fairing, and painting.

With such a major rebuild project required Richard and Steve took the opportunity to make numerous upgrades to the boat. A carbon fibre mast has replaced the old aluminium one while stainless standing rigging has been replaced with 21st Century Colligo Dux for the shrouds and “regular” Dyneema for the rest.  Antal low friction rings with Dyneema lashing lines make tension adjustments easier around the new chainplates built into the hull; Colligo and Antal fittings adorn the new mast.

TJ now even has an engine making it easier for the owners to dock and pick up moorings short-handed and take their families sailing.  An engine also means that TJ will be compliant with the race rules for the 2024 edition of the Caribbean 600.

Triple Jack now weighs in at 9,488lbs (4304)kg.

“We’re pretty happy with that knowing how many gallons of epoxy have gone into her, along with the Yanmar 30!” Wooldridge remarked. “We’re heavier but not ridiculously so.”

The new iteration of TJ will make its maiden voyage on Tuesday when it competes in the Round Tortola race for the Nanny Cay Cup.

“We are a rebuilt oldie but are not going to be satisfied with the London to Brighton run once a year, we want to take on the Ferraris on a level playground – my daughter has made some Gunboat stickers that we will slap on the side every time we overtake one!” Wooldridge smiled. – Alastair Abrehart

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Trike & Libertas win 2023 Governor's Cup

Race 1 was started off Nanny Cay with a leg up the channel to round Deadchest to starboard and then finish in Deadman’s Bay. After a raft up for a lunch break and swim to cool off, race 2 took the fleets back the way they came, leaving Deadchest to port, reaching across to Hog Valley Green and then finishing off the Yacht Club balcony at the entrance to Road Harbour.

Libertas sneak past WannaB

The two monohulls, Libertas skippered by Kevin Wrigley and Alex England’s WannaB were away first and sailed a close race up to the final moments.

Leading around Deadchest and into the final leg, an unfortunate kite wrap for WannaB enabled Libertas to sneak past the and claim line honours by just 10 seconds.

Triple Jack on top!

In the multihull fleet, it was no surprise to see the largest of the five trimarans, Triple Jack, appear first around Deadchest, pop their kite and head down to the finish.

Hot on their heels were Trike and finishing just 2 and half minutes later was enough to take the race win on corrected time.

Third place in race 1 went to Gilbo Simpson and the Flying Pig team.

Libertas make in 2 out of 2!

Race 2 got underway at 13:20 for the monohulls and it would be a winner takes all race. Choosing opposite ends of the startline, it was Libertas who nailed their tactics up the short beat and stretched away as they sailed past Deadchest and headed back across the channel to Tortola. 

With two race wins Libertas was the overall winner and with His Excellency Governor John J. Rankin, CMG joining the crew it was the perfect day for his first VI yacht race!

Trike the overall trimaran winner 

With two race wins, Sam Talbot and his team aboard Trike took the overall win in the trimaran fleet whilst the rest of the pack switched around to finish the day with two ties. As per the Racing Rules, it is the final race that is used to break the tie so the second race was crucial

The start for the trimaran fleet produced some exciting moments as the fleet bunched together at the committee boat end.

The Flying Pig found themselves pushed out and a subsequent late start was impossible for them to fight back from.

Finishing in 5th place they ended their day tied on points with Whoop Whoop. A better race from the bright orange tri gave them a 3rd place in the race and 4th overall.

The battle for second and third also came down to the position in the last race as a second place for Nathan Hacyraft on Ting a Ling tied them with Richard Wooldridge’s Triple Jack who finished fourth. This meant a second overall for Ting a Ling and third for Triple Jack.

Governor Rankin presented the beautiful Governor’s Cup trophy, first presented in 1997 when it was donated by then Governor David Mackilligin.

1 Response to “Trike & Libertas win 2023 Governor's Cup”

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With a bit more than a month remaining before kicking off the 6th Caribbean Multihull Challenge, arrangements are on fire for this historic event.

Entries are coming in for both the Race and the Cruising Rally. Plans are setting up for the introduction of the new Time Trials for Cruising Multihulls™. Our many prestigious sponsors are making their activation plans. The music line-up and parties for all nights at CMC headquarters – the Sint Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay – and at rally overnight stops in Dutch-side Great Bay, French-side Anse Marcel, and in St. Barth are almost completed. 

Committee boats for Racing and the Rally Time Trials are identified with excellent officiating crew aboard. An early glance at registrations on Yacht Scoring point to some great match-ups in CSA 1. That class that will see five races with three of them distance romps; i.e. the 60 mile around St Bath’s Sprint™ sponsored by FKG Rigging; the Around Saba Dash™ sponsored by the Sint Maarten Tourism Bureau, and the around island Circle Race™ sponsored by Amstel Bright Beer. All other classes will have racing in various formats.

Riccardo Pavoncelli’s 66’ Gunboat Mana and the 66’ HH Nemo owned by Todd Slyngstad will face off with Nemo looking to defend its winning performance in previous CMC editions.  (Which builder/skipper will have the fastest boat?).

Perennial winner Anthony McVeigh’s speedy 2 2 Tango –  a Schionning 53 will face off with a newcomer – Richard Wooldridge’s Triple Jack Kelsail 47 for another interesting match-up. And we welcome back the legendary Guy Chester aboard his rugged Crowther trimaran Oceans Tribute – there to set new records.

The Rally will see first timer – Harry Fugate and Off-Piste ; another HH – but this time a 50’ cat – flying through the water from Dutch-side to French-side stops and overnights. We will also have another first timer – Pierre-Yves Legris’s Alibi 65 Surprise in the rally.

In a class growing faster than a jitterbug – we will have at least ten VPLP designed French-built Diam 24 open trimaran’s racing for four days in and around the southern shore of St Maarten. We can remember a few years back, when Pierre Altier – Agent for the Diam’s entered only four boats; promising that in future years, the class will grow. Good job Pierre!

And finally – as arguably the most innovative regatta in the Caribbean – CMC organizers announce another breakthrough; i.e. the previously mentioned ‘Time Trials for Cruising Multihulls’. This an answer for those skippers who do not want to officially race, but who want a chance to grab a podium spot at a prize giving. NOT A RACE; but rather a timed event with a parade start and no turning marks where collisions can happen, the Time Trials will test a skipper’s speed through the water point A to point B adjusted for a simplified rating each skipper will receive from CMC officials. Never tried before, we will have to see how this works out. Early reports are that some of our entered boats like this idea.

To cap all of this off for CMC VI we have partnered with the Caribbean Cetacean Society and CLEAR Caribbean to raise money for their marine mammal and coral reef preservation operations through the sale of the new official CMC sailing polo from the Netherland’s Magic Marine. Available in limited quantities at $60.00 US; 10% of the sale price will be donated 50/50 to these two organizations.

For info on CMC VI, CaribbeanMultihullChallengecom/. To enter the race or the rally, YachtScoring.com/

TradeWinds Experience’s brand new TW6e electric sustainable yacht powered by hydro, wind, and solar.  She will premier in the CMC Rally where she will be on display for the world to see.

For competitors and spectators to stay updated, WhatsApp groups are created to keep competitors of the Race and the Rally updated. Scan the QR code to enter the group.

Texas Rangers pitching prospect Jack Leiter impresses in 2024 debut at Triple-A Round Rock

Texas Rangers pitching prospect Jack Leiter made his 2024 debut for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday night.

Leiter, ranked No. 8 on The Dallas Morning News’ list of top 30 Rangers prospects , appeared in relief for just the third time in his professional career, taking over in the fourth inning and pitching through the eighth. Leiter was impressive, facing the minimum through his first four innings before allowing a two-run home run in his final inning of work.

Leiter finished with a final line of five innings, two hits, two runs allowed, nine strikeouts and no walks. He threw 47 strikes on 66 pitches. His fastball averaged a tick under 96 miles per hour, per Statcast.

The 23-year-old Leiter, who was twice sent to the developmental list in 2023 to work on mechanical issues, put together a strong spring for the Rangers’ in Arizona and competed for a job on the big league staff all the way through camp.

Leiter took over on the mound behind reliever Austin Pruitt and starter Michael Lorenzen, who appeared in his first official game with the Rangers organization. Lorenzen was signed late into the spring and seemingly has a spot reserved in the Rangers’ rotation, but he was IL’d to start the season as he continues to work his arm back to game readiness.

Lorenzen threw 2 2/3 innings for Round Rock, allowing three runs on three hits, with three strikeouts and two walks. He was removed after hitting the 50-pitch mark.

The Express won 8-6 over Sugar Land. Infielders Davis Wendzel and Jonathan Ornelas homered. Relief prospect Marc Church got the save for Round Rock.

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