Hotel California Too steps up on Day 2 to earn win in Around St. Croix Race

The annual Around St. Croix Race used to be a one-day sail, but it has been split up in recent years. Catching plenty of speed on the south shore appeals to just about every sailor, but going upwind on the second day proves the true grit of a racing team.

"If you talk to sailors, some may like the one-day format, but I'm happy either way," said Steve Schmidt, who skippered Hotel California Too to a win at the 2012 Around St. Croix Race last weekend. "Upwind in rough weather isn't for everyone, and the bigger boats usually prevail."

Such was the case on Sunday when Schmidt's Santa Cruz 70 - the biggest boat in the 10-boat field - took home top honors in the two-day, 38-mile pursuit race. Hotel California Too was third on Saturday, but a first-place finish Sunday propelled the boat to an overall win in the St. Croix Yacht Club race.

Taylor Babb's Tartan 30 Barbaric Yawp, Stan Jones' Alberg 35 Windflower and David Alton's Morgan 45 Serenity each finished tied for second place.

The sailors saw east/northeast winds that ranged anywhere from 12 to 22 knots as they circled the island. Additionally, the racers saw swells upwards of eight feet that made the downwind leg to Frederiksted a fun surfing experience. The upwind leg to Pull Point was a bumpy ride for all.

"We have a nice boat for going upwind in rough conditions," said Schmidt, who has also competed in around island sails in Antigua, Bonaire and Bequia. "I've done a number of around-island sails and some have been one day and others have been two. It's a mixed bag."

Sailors spent Saturday night on their anchored boats near the Frederiksted Pier, and then the action started up again Sunday morning.

Schmidt's 11-member crew included five experienced youth sailors from the SCYC. Serenity, Annick II and Windflower also sailed with junior sailors on board as a total of 14 youths were in action over the weekend.

Prior to Saturday's start, racers were each assigned a rating that determined what time they would start the race. These adjustments allowed for boats of various sizes - in this case, measuring anywhere from 27 to 68½ feet - to race against one another fairly in the pursuit race.

Morgan Dale's Melges 24 Boogaloo used its spinnaker to dominate the first day and was Saturday's top finisher. Boogaloo didn't compete the second day and finished fourth overall.

"The race committee felt the race was a great success," SCYC Waterfront Coordinator Caitlyn Connolly said. "Following racing on Saturday, Coconuts welcomed the racers with live music and light hors d'ouvres before many turned in for the overnight stay. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who allowed for such a wonderful event."

2012 Around St. Croix Regatta results

Place Boat (Points) Boat Style Skipper

1. Hotel California Too (4) Santa Cruz 70 Steve Schmidt 2. Barbaric Yawp (7) Tartan 30 Taylor Babb

2. Windflower (7) Alberg 35 Stan Jones

2. Serenity (7) Morgan 45 David Alton

3. Annick II (10) J-30 Nick Castruccio

4. Boogaloo (12) Melges 24 Morgan Dale

5. Cheeky Monkey (13) Beneteau 393 Craig Hassey

6. Regent Street (16) Beneteau 38 wk Lance Greenhaw 6. Cruzan Time (16) Cal 27 Carsten Brener

7. Oracle (19) Gemini 105Mc Peter Meyers

- Source: SCYC Waterfront Coordinator Caitlyn Connolly

USVI, BVI youth sailors expected at San Juan Regatta

More than 90 sailors from 11 islands and countries - Puerto Rico, all three U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Curaçao, Guatemala and the United States - will set sail in the 11th Club Nautico de San Juan International Regatta (CNSJIR) on Feb. 3-5. This participation makes the CNSJIR one of the largest youth regattas in the Caribbean.

"This year we welcome two new classes: 420s and IC-24s," regatta director José Berríos said. "Each of these classes, like the Lasers, Optimists and Sunfish, are filled with some of the best sailors, and equally sailors who are just learning the ropes and represent the future of the sport of sailing."

In the Club 420 class, Nikki Barnes and Agustina Barbuto out of St. Thomas will be the team to beat. The girls won a bronze medal in the International 420 at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in Croatia last summer and were on the Antilles School sailing team that won the national high school fleet racing championship in the Club 420 last spring.

The star-studded nine-boat IC-24 fleet includes Puerto Rico's Fraito Lugo, who is an eight-time International Rolex Regatta winner in several classes, including the IC-24. Fellow Ponce sailor Jose Santiago won the silver medal in the J/24 at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games and will also be in action.

In the trio of Laser classes, Mollee Donovan of the British Virgin Islands comes fresh from a win at the St. Thomas Yacht Club's Martin Luther King Jr. Regatta, and she will be one of the strongest competitors in the Laser 4.7 class. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's Manuel Inserni is back to defend his title in the Laser Radial.

The Optimist Class is the largest of the regatta with 28 sailors competing in the advanced age-divided Red, Blue and White fleets and another 16 in the beginner or Green fleet. Ponce's Miguel Monllor won the Blue Fleet last year and will be the favorite in this class.

Finally, Puerto Rico's Elvin Aponte also returns to defend his title in the Sunfish class.

For more information, call Berrios at 787-667-9936 or e-mail vela@nauticodesanjuan.com. The Club Nautico de San Juan can be reached at 787-722-0177 or log-on to www.nauticodesanjuan.com/sailingprogram/regatta_int.htm.

- Freelance writer Carol Bareuther contributed to this report.

- Contact sports writer Aaron Gray at 714-9102 or email agray@dailynews.vi.

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