Carlos Aguilar Match Race - It’s Showtime!
(By Lynn Fitzpatrick of World Regattas - www.WorldRegattas.com)

December 3, 2009 (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands) - All 16 teams competing in the Second Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race have registered, weighed in and have had their work out for the day. Flat water and 15-17 knots of breeze, sunshine and Caribbean heat were on order for today’s practice day.

Virgin Islanders Peter Holmberg, Maurice Kurg, Morgan Avery and Ben Beer raced against Jens Gram Hansen and his crew in the IC 24’s. The teams were the first out on the water today and the first to return to the dock at Yacht Haven Grande. They were soaking wet, and it wasn’t from the crystal clear waters of Charlotte Amalie, it was from sweating. Everyone is taking this Grade 3 Open event and Grade 1 Women’s Match Race very seriously and is practicing their spinnaker sets and take downs with a vengeance.

Racing starts on Thursday morning at 9:00 am. The start is right along the downtown Charlotte Amaile’s waterfront. With grand stands, an announcer and entertainment throughout the week, there couldn’t be a more spectator-friendly event.

For team and regatta information, please visit www.carlosmatchrace.com

Racing starts daily at 9:00 am.

Thursday and Saturday’s schedule kicks off with the Open Division in the morning and the Women’s Match Racing in the afternoon.

On Friday and Sunday, the Women will start the show at 9:00 am and the Open Division match racing will take place in the afternoon.

Debrief and Complimentary Refreshments at Yacht Haven Grande Thursday and Friday evening at 5:00 pm.

School Challenge Youth Regatta - Saturday at 4:00 pm. Debrief and Complimentary Refreshments to follow.

Awards Ceremony, Complimentary Food and Drink starting at 1:30 at Yacht Haven Grande near Trident Jewels & Time.

Open Division Skippers
FRITS BUS
One of the Caribbean’s most active sailors and a proven winner in all classes including his Melges 24. Sailing out of Marteen, he can be found sailing everywhere from St. Thomas to Antigua during the racing season. Frits participated in the last Nations Cup NA finals.

TAYLOR CANFIELD
A sophomore sailing for top - ranked Boston College’s sailing team, "T" is experienced in both fleet and team racing. He has earned a first and second at 420 North American Championships and two High School National Championships in both team and fleet racing and two second places in the US Sailing National
Championships. He now is pursuing match racing.

JUAN CARLOS ESCOBAR
Juan Carlos Started sailing at the age of 9 in Optimists, then moved to sunfish and then to Hobie 16. Sailed 8 years in Guatemala and won many local regattas and the 1992 Guatemalan National Hobie 16 Championship and Bronze medal
in the 2002 Central American games. He has concentrated on J24s in the last 3 years.

JES GRAM HANSEN
Jes Gram Hansen has won several World Match Racing Tour events as skipper and tactician. He has also been ranked No. 2 on the ISAF World Match Race Ranking. From 2005-2007 Jes was a part of Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Americas Cup Challenge and was voted ’Best Starting Skipper’ following the Louis Vuitton Cup 2007. After the 32nd America’s Cup Jes has been active in classes like RC44, Farr40, Melges24 and Matchracing.

CHRIS HAYCRAFT
Is following in his father’s footsteps but without the famous pipe. Born in Tortola in 1968, Chris is the father the IC-24 in the BVI. He now runs a one-design charter fleet called Racing in Paradise. While he’s new to match racing, he races in a number of Northern Caribbean regattas in a variety of boats.

PETER HOLMBERG
Born and raised into a sailing family in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Peter Holmberg went on to win a Silver Medal in the 1988 Olympics in the Finn Class. Peter continued into a professional sailing career that saw him win the Maxi World Championship, the 50’ World Cup, the Match Racing World Tour, and ultimately, the 2007 America’s Cup. Peter is now based in the Virgin Islands and continues to sail professionally for various racing programs around the world.

DAVE PERRY
Currently ranked 32nd, Perry’s ISAF match racing ranking is higher than that of any other US sailor. Late this summer, he placed second in the Knickerbocker Cup and won the Seawanhaka Cup. As the rules guru and USSTAG match racing coach puts it, "I’m inside my goal of having my ranking be lower than my age!"
Running around the country leading instructional seminars keeps him busy and gives him the opportunity to scout old and new talent.

COLIN RATHBUN
Active IC24 sailor, and class president from the British Virgin Islands. His most recent accomplishments include: 1st Place 2009 Pete Shiels Match Race, 1st Place in the BVI Spring Regatta, and 1st Place in the 2009 C.O.R.T Series.

Women’s Grade 1 Skippers
JULIE BOSSARD
Very active French sailor, a former 470 sailor, now specializing in match racing. Currently ranked 7th in the ISAF World Match Race Ranking. Most recently 1st Place in the Trentino Women’s Match Race "Yamamay" Cup (Women) and First place St. Quay Women’s Match Race.

LIZ BAYLIS
Has skippered the successful San Francisco Women’s Match Racing Team since 2000. The team is currently ranked 6th on the ISAF Women’s Ranking List on the strength of defending their title at this year’s Long Beach Mayor’s Cup and a silver medal earlier in
the year at the 2008 Women’s Match Racing World Championship in New Zealand. In 2002 the team won the Women’s Match racing World Championship in Spain. Also in 2002, Liz received the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award.

RENATA DECNOP
Renata started sailing in 1995 in the Optimist class. From 2000 to 2004 she competed in Laser 4.7 and 420 classes, in 2003 was the Brazilian and South American champion. In 2009 she was recruited the Brazilian Navy as a sailor, competed in the Military World Championship in Poland and brought Bronze medal to Brazil. Started Match Racing in 2009 as skipper of the "Checkmate" team.

CLAIRE LEROY
The French skipper Claire Leroy continues to dominate women’s match racing together with her "Mermaid Sailing Team". In 2007 and 2008 they won the World Championships and in 2009 the Nations Cup. Claire was also awarded The ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year. She has been ranked #1 on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings since May 2005. This remarkable skipper now has a new goal: the 2012 Olympic Games where a new class is announced for women’s match racing.

KATY LOVELL
US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics 2009 (Women’s Match Racing); 1993, 1995 (Europe Dinghy). Began crewing on X-boats for sister Brooke at age 9. Raced M-16’s, C and E scows. 420’s and FJ’s for University of Hawaii and the College of Charleston. Currently lives in New Orleans with husband and 4 year old son and employed by Lovell Cattle Company.

KELLY O’BRIEN
Born and raised in the Virgin Islands, Kelly O’Brien-Uszenski started sailing as a baby on her parents sailboats. As a member of the St. Thomas Yacht Club she started sailing competitively at age 11 in the Optimist. She has sailed competitively in the Laser class
and crewed as foredeck in numerous Rolex Regattas. Kelly recently skippered her first match race in the 2009 US Women’s Match Race Championships.

MARIA RAMIREZ
Started compete in Optimist when she was 11. More recent accomplishments: 1st place on the Women’s National Championship in 2006, won 1st place in the Baía de Monte Gordo Women’s Match Race in 2007, 5th place on the European University Women Match Racing Cup in 2008 and 4th place on Open National Championship Frapa Women Match Race in 2009.

GENNY TULLOCH
Grew up racing dinghies and was the Female Collegiate Sailor of the Year at Harvard. Since then she’s raced big boats, from Melges 32s and Farr 40s to the TP 52 Morning Light. She’s now focused on match racing, and recently finished second in the US Women’s Match Race Championships in 2008 and recently won the 2009 US Women’s Match Racing Championship in November.

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World Regattas works with marine-related businesses, regatta organizers, governments and sailors to raise their awareness in various media markets. World Regattas has covered the Star World Championships, Bacardi Cups, North American Championships, Eastern Europeans and the Olympics. Other regattas in which World Regattas has been a primary PR and media representative include Transpac 09, Newport Bermuda Race, ISAF Combined World Championships, A-Cat North Americans and Snipe Western Hemispheres. World Regattas strives to set new standards at every regatta. Articles from the about this and other events are posted at World Regattas and there is an RRS feed.

Media Contact - Lynn Fitzpatrick, World Regattas, Lynn@WorldRegattas.com, Skype: Lynn.Fitzpatrick1
Mobile in USA: +1 619-252-8632