SAILING IN PARADISE, INTERNATIONAL MEN’S & WOMEN’S SKIPPERS COMPETE IN THE CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE DECEMBER 2-5, 2010

Virgin Islands-based photographer Dean Barnes image, provided copyright-free for editorial use, featuring (L to R): U.S. Virgin Islands team-mates Maurice Kurg, America's Cup-winning helmsman Peter Holmberg, and Morgan Avery (standing) thrilled the crowd lining the scenic Charlotte Amalie Harbor waterfront for the hotly-contested 2009 Carlos Aguilar Match Race in St. Thomas last December. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (November 8, 2010). Some of the world’s best match racers will face-off in the natural amphitheater of Charlotte Amalie harbor in Inter-Club (IC)-24s, where international visitors and locals alike can enjoy a front row seat.

Presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, the Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), an Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2011 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) (www.worldmatchracingtour.com), is set for December 2-5, 2010. The Women’s and Open Division winners in this International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade Two event receive an Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver and Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver precision timepiece, respectively. The Open Division winner also receives an invitation to the Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, July 4-10, 2011.

Skippers to watch in the Women’s Division are Great Britain’s Lucy MacGregor, 2010 Women’s Match Racing World Champion and currently ranked 2 in the ISAF women’s match race standings; the United States’ (USA) Sally Barkow, two-time Women’s Match Race World Champion and ninth ranked women match racer; and the USA’s Genny Tulloch, and 2008 Women’s Division winner of the CAMR and ranked 12th. Other ranked sailors include Brazil’s Julianna Senft (19th), the Netherland’s Klaartje Zuiderbaan (41st), Brazil’s Renata Decnop (42nd), the USA’s Sandy Hayes (109th), and St. Thomas’ Kelly O’Brien. Each skipper will sail with three crew.

Headlining the Open Division, St. Thomas-born Peter Holmberg, America’s Cup-winning helmsman for Alinghi will defend his 2009 CAMR title against four-time America’s Cup veteran, two-time Whitbread Round the World competitor, and winner of the grueling Sidney-to-Hobart Race, New Zealand’s Gavin Brady. These veterans take on Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho (14th), St. Thomas’ native and Boston College All-American, Taylor Canfield (27th), the USA’s Dave Perry (28th), New Zealand’s Laurie Jury (39th), the USA’s Chris Van Tol and the British Virgin Islands’ Colin Rathbun.

 

The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) and the Virgin Islands Sailing Association (VISA) are organizing authorities for the CAMR, namesake for the late Carlos Aguilar, who was an avid sailor and match racer.

Match racing pits one identical boat against another on a short course oftentimes near to shore. On-the-water umpires make instant calls and enforce the rules. The result is very exciting racing up and down the Charlotte Amalie waterfront where spectators can enjoy tented bleacher seating. The CAMR will feature live commentary on the waterfront provided by America’s Cup-sailor-turned commentator, Geordie Shaver, and a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com where a global audience is expected to follow this nautical fencing match. Racing starts at 9 a.m. (GMT – 4 hrs) daily.

Supporting sponsors of the CAMR are the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, Heineken Beer, distributed in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Bellows International Ltd., Budget Marine, Yacht Haven Grande and St. Thomas Yacht Club.

Satish Alwani, co-owner of Trident Jewels & Time, the exclusive Ulysse Nardin dealer on St. Thomas, says, “We welcome the competitors to St. Thomas. We are proud to make this event possible and look forward to some great racing.”

In just three years, says Principal Race Officer, Bill Canfield, “we have created two great match racing events within a single event. The women's division brings together some of the world's best match racers while the open division focuses on interesting match-ups putting America’s Cup skippers against a new pack of young guns.”

Daily race results and copyright-free downloadable images by Virgin Islands-based photographer, Dean Barnes, will be available for editorial use on the official event website (www.carlosmatchrace.com).

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Trident Jewels & Time is a family business started by Peter and Nina Alwani in 1980 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Since then their two children, Satish and Girish Alwani, have established the company as the store of two sensations: jewelry and watches. Trident has two branches in St. Thomas (Main Street & Yacht Haven Grande Marina) and three branches in Aruba (Little Europe and Times Square). Trident carries all varieties of jewels including loose diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and tanzanite. The company is also the exclusive authorized retailer for a selection of some of the most exquisite timepieces in the world: Ulysse Nardin, Harry Winston, Franck Muller, Bovet, Jaquet Droz, Bell & Ross, U-Boat, Graham and Technomarine.

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