Top Teams Set To Race In 7th Annual Carlos Aguilar Match In December

St. Thomas — Nine Open teams representing some of the best men and women match racers in the Caribbean, U.S. and World, are confirmed to compete in the 7^th Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), set for December 3-6, 2015, a press release issued late Thursday has made known.

“We are bringing world class match racing to St Thomas,” said Regatta Director Bill Canfield. “Today’s young stars will compete against each other as well as former world champions and Americas Cup sailors. This is possibly the most compelling match racing event in the world this year.”

The USVI’s Taylor Canfield, the No. 2 ranked Open division match racer in the World, will be back to the waters where he grew up to pit his skills against the impressive fleet.

“This definitely will be one of the toughest events of the year for my team! Charlotte Amalie harbor is a great spot to race,” said Taylor. “It offers shifty/puffy conditions on a short race track right in front of the water front allowing for some great spectating, but it is also unique in that the wall becomes an obstruction in most races and the boats often come within inches on the waterfront,” he added.

The USA’s Dave Perry (second from left/purple shirt) participates in the short Youth Regatta, as a part of the CAMR.

The USA’s David Storrs, the world’s No. 19 ranked Open match racer and No. 2 in the U.S., will compete in the CAMR for the first time, according to the release. It further stated that Mr. Storrs’ crew will be a talented mix of fellow American, Hayden Goodrick as well as New Zealanders Rod Dawson and Garth Ellingham.

These two men will be up against the USA’s Stephanie Roble, No. 2 ranked match racer in the Women’s division on the world stage and No. 1-ranked in the U.S.

“I love this regatta because it always attracts top notch competition,” said Mr. Roble. “It’s fun to mix things up from the WIM (Women’s International Match) Series and sail against the Open field, especially when it is mixed with these competitors! I’m excited to race against all of them.”  Mr. Roble’s crew will include Maggie Shea and Erik Shampain. Mr. Shampain crewed for the USA’s Sally Barkow when Barkow won the CAMR in 2011, the release added.

The USVI’s Peter Holmberg and USA’s Dave Dellenbaugh, both former America’s Cup sailors and veterans of the CAMR, round out the top five confirmed teams to date.

Mr. Holmberg, an Olympic silver medalist and former world match racing champion, won the event in 2009.

“This is probably the strongest line up that we have had at the event,” Mr. Holmberg, whose crew will feature veteran Caribbean match racers Morgan Avery, Maurice Kurg and Ben Beer, said. “I most enjoy bringing the sport of sailing to down town St. Thomas so the public can get a taste of what sailboat racing is about.”

The USVI’s Peter Holmberg, right (facing) and his team in close competition during the 2013 CAMR.

Mr. Dellenbaugh will sail with daughter Becca, Janel Zarkowsky and Amanda Callahan, along with St. Thomas high school sailor, Thomas Walden. The same team sailed together in the 2013 CAMR.

Other skippers who will compete include the USA’s Christopher Poole (ranked 29^th/Open Division) and Dave Perry (ranked 47^th/Open Division), Brazil’s Senfft (ranked 29^th/Women’s Division) and Canada’s Elizabeth Shaw.

Past winners of the CAMR read like a who’s who of sailing: the USA’s Sally Barkow and Finland’s Staffan Lindberg won the Open Division in 2012 and 2011, respectively, while the USA’s Genny Tulloch triumphed in 2008 and 2010 and France’s Claire Leroy in 2009 in the Women’s Division. The USVI’s Taylor Canfield won in 2008 and Peter Holmberg in 2009. Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team won in 2010. The USA’s Dave Wilson won the 2013 CAMR.

The CAMR is known for introducing young sailors to the sport, working cooperatively with the V.I. government and V.I. Department of Tourism in its efforts to get more youths out on the water. This year, each Open team will have a V.I. high school (under age 18) sailor as a member.

The CAMR is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF)-provisional Grade Two event. The event will be raced in IC-24s, a one-design modification of a J/24, provided by Island Sol.

The Virgin Islands Sailing Association (VISA) and St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) are the organizing authorities for the CAMR, namesake for the late Carlos Aguilar, who was an avid sailor and match racer. AeroMD is the major sponsor, and its President and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brendan Anzalone, said he was honored to be approached by VISA to be part of this occasion.

“We are new to St. Thomas and appreciate being embraced so quickly by the sailing community who immediately saw the connection between AeroMD, our locally based air ambulance company and Carlos Aguilar, the namesake of this event,” Mr. Anzalone said.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism is a supporting sponsor.

Feature Image: Ideal and scenic conditions in the Charlotte Amalie Harbor for the world-class match-racing in the CAMR.

Image Credit: Dean Barnes.