Carlos Aguilar Match Race Press

Live Streaming 12/06/2012 - 12/09/2012 Daily 09:00 AST

USA’S BARKOW WINS 5TH ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 9, 2012). The USA’s Sally Barkow played the ‘comeback kid’ by defeating the USA’s Dave Perry 3-0 in the Finals at the 5th Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time. Barkow, who has raced this regatta four times, took second last year after a narrow defeat by Finland’s Staphan Lindberg. The sorrow of that defeat made this year’s win for Barkow and her crew – Annie Lush, Alana O’Reilly, Erik Champaign and Maggie Shea – all the sweeter.

“We worked hard as a team in these last few days and it paid off,” says Barkow, who is ranked 6th in the Women’s and 31st in the Open match race ranking’s divisions as of December 5, 2012. Barkow was awarded a distinctive Ulysse Nardin precision timepiece for her win.

A rain squall blowing across the Charlotte Amalie harbor just minutes before the start of the Finals left light and shifty conditions in its wake. This didn’t deter Barkow who handily won the first two matches against Perry.

In what proved the final match of the Finals, Barkow lead at the start and stretched her advantage to 8 boat lengths by the windward mark. She lengthened her frontrunner position into a commanding 10 to 12 boat lengths by the finish even though her team battled through a kink in the spinnaker that cost them a few seconds in boat speed in the last downwind run.

“It was so shifty,” says Barkow. “It was easy to get it either so right or so wrong.”

This match-up of teams in the Finals was an interesting one as Perry, who is the author of Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012, has served as Barkow’s match racing coach.

“For me it was a win-win,” says Perry of his team’s second place finish and his student’s first. “Sally’s team is really good and they have evolved their game well. I was impatient. I had some advantages and gave them away. This either put me behind or put me further behind and Sally took advantage of that.”

Two past America’s Cup skippers went head-to-head in the Petite Finals. Ultimately, the USVI’s Peter Holmberg won 2-1 over the USA’s Dave Dellenbaugh. Thus, Holmberg finished third and Dellenbaugh fourth in the final standings. Holmberg won this event in 2009.

In other team scores, Brazil’s Henrique Haddad finished 5th, the USA’s Christopher Poole 6th, the USA’s Stephanie Roble 7th, the USVI’s Tyler Rice 8th, Denmark’s Lotte Meldgaard Peterson 9th, Brazil’s Renata Decnop 10th and Germany’s Sven-Eric Horsch 11th.

This four-day Grade 2 match race was sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s. Forty-nine flights or 135 races were sailed in total.

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.

Supporting sponsors of the CAMR are the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; Heineken Beer and Captain Morgan, distributed in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Bellows International Ltd.; Budget Marine; Hooters; Patron, distributed by Premier Wines & Spirits; Choice Communications; Bolongo Bay Beach Resort; Yacht Haven Grande; Gill and St. Thomas Yacht Club.

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

FINAL RESULTS

1. Sally Barkow, USA
2. Dave Perry, USA
3. Peter Holmberg, ISV
4. Dave Dellenbaugh, USA
5. Henrique Haddad, BRA
6. Christopher Poole, USA
7. Stephanie Robles, USA
8. Tyler Rice, ISV
9. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN
10. Renata Decnop, BRA

11. Sven-Eric Horsch, GER

USVI’S HOLMBERG, USA’S DELLENBAUGH & USA’S BARKOW TOP THREE TEAMS AFTER SECOND DAY AT 5TH ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 7, 2012). Fierce pre-start duels, shedding penalties with aplomb and wins captured by less than a boat length is a taste of the highly competitive action at the 5th Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time.

The USVI’s Peter Holmberg leads after day two of competition with 13 wins. Holmberg, formerly the top ranked match racer in the world and an Olympic Silver Medalist, is sailing with an all Virgin Islands crew: Maurice Kurg, Morgan Avery and Ben Beer. Right behind him is the USA’s Dave Dellenbaugh, who won all his matches today for a total of 12. Dellenbaugh was the tactician and starting helmsman on America3 during her successful defense of the America’s Cup in 1992 and sailed in three other America’s Cup campaigns, so he certainly has an incredible depth and history of experience.

However, says Dellenbaugh, ““I’ve only competed in one match race in the past three years. But, I’ve been thinking about the sport constantly.”

Dellenbaugh spent much of the past few years coaching Anna Tunnicliffe and her crew as they represented the US in Women’s Match Racing at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In the CAMR, Dellenbaugh is sailing with a team of women that includes his daughter, Becca, who was one of the top contenders who sailed against Tunnicliffe for the Olympic match racing slot.

“I’m looking forward to competing on the new women’s match racing circuit that will begin next year,” says Becca Dellenbaugh. “Match racing is such a blast. We’re having such a great time.”

The USA’s Sally Barkow, 6th ranked woman match racer in the world, rounds out the top three teams with 11 wins.

In other scores, the USA’s Dave Perry posted 8 wins, Brazil’s Henrique Haddad 7 wins, the USA’s Chris Poole 6.5 wins, and the USVI’s Tyler Rice 6 wins.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s Renata Decnop enjoyed a better day to score a total of 5 wins.

“Sailing in this venue two years ago in the same boats does help, especially in knowing how shifty the wind can be,” says Decnop, who will look to represent Brazil in the Women’s 470 Class in the 2016 Summer Olympics. “Yesterday, we started well, but we had trouble coming together as a crew. Today, with yesterday’s experience, we are much better and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

Rounding out the 11 team fleet are the USA’s Stephanie Robles tied with Denmark’s Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen each with four wins, with Germany’s Sven-Eric Horsch at 2 wins.

This four-day regatta, sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s, will continue Saturday with the remainder of the second round-robin and start of the Semi-Finals. The Finals will be broadcast live locally on WVWI (AM 1000).

Up for grabs is a distinctive Ulysse Nardin precision timepiece for the winner.

A group of Virgin Island’s youth will have an opportunity to try-on match racing during the Carlos Aguilar Match Race Youth Regatta, which will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

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. Spectators are invited to watch the racing under tented bleacher seating where there will be live narration. Viewers around the world can watch via a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com. Racing starts at 9 a.m. (GMT – 4 hrs) daily.

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).

DAY TWO - PRELIMINARY RESULTS
(Number of Wins)

Peter Holmberg, ISV, 13
Dave Dellenbaugh, USA, 12
Sally Barkow, USA, 11
Dave Perry, USA, 8
Henrique Haddad, BRA, 7
Christopher Poole, USA, 6.5
Tyler Rice, ISV, 6
Renata Decnop, BRA, 5
Stephanie Robles, USA, 4
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 4
Sven-Eric Horsch, GER, 2

CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE SET FOR DECEMBER 5-9

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (November 28, 2012). Twelve Open teams representing some of the best match racers in the world, both men and women, will put their skills to the test in the 5th Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, December 5 to 9, 2012.

Homegrown talent will be among the toughest and include America’s Cup winning helmsman and 2009 CAMR winner, Peter Holmberg.

Five top-ranked women skippers are confirmed to compete and include: the USA’s 5th ranked Sally Barkow, who narrowly lost to Finland’s Staffan Lindberg in last year’s finals; Brazil’s 15th ranked Renata Decnop; the USA’s 26th and 31st ranked Stephanie Roble and Beca Dellenbaugh, respectively; and Denmark’s 30th ranked Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen.

Other skippers that will vie for the championship include the USA’s Dave Perry and Chris Poole, Germany’s Sven-Eric Horsch, Brazil’s Henrique Haddad and the USVI’s Tyler Rice.

The winner of the British Virgin Islands’ Pete Sheals Memorial Match Race, set for December 1 to 2, will also receive an invitation.

The Open champion in this International Sailing Federation (ISAF)-provisional Grade Two event will be awarded either an Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver or Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver precision timepiece.

Past winners of the CAMR read like a Who’s Who of sailing: Finland’s Staffan Lindberg won the Open Division in 2011, while the USA’s Genny Tulloch triumphed in 2008 and 2010 and France’s Claire Leroy in 2009 in the Women’s Division, and it was the USVI’s Taylor Canfield in 2008 and Peter Holmberg in 2009 and Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team in 2010 that won in the Open Division.

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 and a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com where a global audience is expected to follow this nautical chess match. Racing starts at 9 a.m. (GMT – 4 hrs) daily.

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 for the fifth year and invite our visitors to watch some great match racing off Charlotte Amalie, a town that is also known as the shopping capitol of the Caribbean."

Supporting sponsors of the CAMR are the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, Heineken Beer and Captain Morgan Rum, distributed in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Bellows International Ltd., Budget Marine, Hooters, Choice Communications, Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, Yacht Haven Grande, Gill and St. Thomas Yacht Club.

SEMI-FINALS START AT 4TH ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 3, 2011). A north wind blowing 10 to 15 knots made for faster matches and this enabled the Semi Finals to get underway at the 4th Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time. The top four teams advancing into the Semi-Finals are Finland’s Stefan Lindberg, the USVI’s Taylor Canfield and USA’s Sally Barkow and Dave Perry.

The bigger breeze also created conditions for some spine-tingling match racing. One of the most thrilling matches happened just before Noon when two USA skippers, Stephanie Roble and Dave Perry, both double broached. Up for grabs for the match’s winner was a slot in the Semi-Finals, so the competition was definitely keen.

“We were trailing into the finish with a penalty,” explains Roble, who is the 30th world ranked woman match racer. “We tried a move, a double gybe, to try and take Dave out and we both ended up wiping out. It was crazy, but it was definitely more fun racing with the breeze. We even had one of our crew do nothing but call the puffs.”

Perry ultimately won the match and the Semi-Finals slot, yet Roble says she’s gained crucial experience that will help her team’s bid to represent the USA in Women’s Match Racing in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

“Teamwork, tactics and calls are something we’ve been able to work on at this regatta, especially when sailing against some of the top teams in the world,” says Roble. “The Open format and opportunity to sail against guys was also helpful. They pull different moves, their timing is different and they sail more aggressively. I think we’ve learned to become more aggressive as a result and that’s good.”

One of the men Roble was up against as positions 5 to 8 were decided was Greece’s Stratis Andreadis. This is the second year Andreadis has competed in the CAMR.

“We knew from sailing here last year to expect very shifty winds,” says Andreadis, who is ranked 31st in the world. “This year we didn’t make the same mistakes, we made new ones. For example, one thing we learned while racing against Taylor (the USVI’s Taylor Canfield, 28th world ranked) is the advantage of calling for room at the sea wall. That really helped us in a couple of matches.”

The USVI’s Tyler Rice was also in the mix for positions 5 to 8, ultimately finishing sixth behind Andreadis and ahead of Roble.

“We thought we had a shot at the Semi-Finals because we almost beat the top-ranked sailor, Stefan Lindberg, this morning,” says Rice, a sophomore at Brown University. “We controlled the starts, but they ended up making fewer total mistakes.”

The Carlos Aguilar Match Race Youth Regatta, sponsored by Budget Marine, took place at Noon. Twenty students from the Gladys Abraham Elementary School and youth organizations, Sankofa Saturdays and the Environmental Rangers, paired up with six of the CAMR’s skippers in a three-lap fleet race. The competition was close and all boats finished seconds apart making everyone a winner.

“This is the first time I’ve sailed this type of boat and I really liked it,” says Lukata Samuel, a freshman at Charlotte Amalie High School and Environmental Ranger, who took the helm with the help of Greece’s Andreadis calling tactics. “The tacks and gybes were the most fun.”

Gladys Abraham fourth-graders Me’Kayla Creque, Mahlania Percival and Yaneiri Sanchez sailed as timer, helmsman and cheering squad, respectively, with Finland’s Stefan Lindberg.

“I’ve never sailed before so I wanted to see what it was like,” says Creque.

“Going fast and being able to steer was fun,” added Percival.

“I like to touch the water while we sailed,” chimed in Sanchez.

Participation in the Youth Regatta was a great learning experience for the youngsters, says Dara Cooper, founder of Sankofa Saturdays and a parent and volunteer at Gladys Abraham Elementary School. “It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to get a hands-on experience in something that is all around them. It also creates what we call positive peer pressure. Who better to talk up the fun they had out on the water to their friends?”

This four-day regatta, sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s, concludes with the Finals on Sunday. The CAMR Finals will be broadcast live locally on WVWI (AM 1000) between Noon and 2 pm.

Up for grabs is a distinctive Ulysse Nardin precision timepiece for the winner. In addition, the winner also receives an invitation to the prestigious Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, Sweden, in the summer of 2012. The CAMR is an Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2012 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) (www.worldmatchracingtour.com).

Supporting sponsors of the CAMR are the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; Heineken Beer, distributed in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Bellows International Ltd.; Budget Marine; Hooters; Patron, distributed by Premier Wines & Spirits; Choice Communications; Bolongo Bay Beach Resort; Yacht Haven Grande; and St. Thomas Yacht Club.

DAY THREE – PRELIMINARY/UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Semi-Finals (Best of 3)*
Stefan Lindberg, FIN 2-0 vs Dave Perry, USA 0-2
Sally Barkow, USA 1-1 vs Taylor Canfield, USVI 1-1
*Uncompleted

Places 5 through 13
5. Stratis Andreadis, GRE
6. Tyler Rice, USVI
7. Stephanie Roble, USA
8. Colin Rathbun, BVI
9. Jorge Santiago, PUR
10. Sandy Hayes, USA
11. Nikole Barnes, USVI
12. Louise Bienvenu, USA
13. Mauricio Gallardo, ESA

LINDBERG, BARKOW & CANFIELD LEAD AFTER SECOND DAY AT 4TH ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 2, 2011). Seaplanes, ferries, day sail boats and even a replica of the HMS Bounty filmed in the 1962 version of ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’, didn’t daunt the 13 teams competing in the 4th Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, as they sailed in the busy Charlotte Amalie harbor. Finland’s Stefan Lindberg, the USA’s Sally Barkow and the USVI’s Taylor Canfield each emerged at the end of the double round robin with 10 wins and two loses.

What did prove challenging for all the teams was the light and shifty winds.

“The shifts and the light breeze got us more today than the match racing tactics,” says the USVI’s Nikole ‘Nikki’ Barnes, who is sailing her second match race as a skipper and finished the day with three wins total. “We were able to put penalties on some of the top sailors such as Dave Perry when we raced against him. At the same time we’ve learned so much – when to be aggressive versus soft, timing, and a lot about planning ahead and strategy.”

Barnes, a senior at Antilles School on St. Thomas, is one of five CAMR skippers that hail from the Caribbean. Like her, the majority of Barnes’ Caribbean counterparts are gaining valuable match racing experience from the participating world-ranked sailors. This has the benefit of growing the global pool of match racing talent.

Jorge Santiago, who is the head sailing coach at the Ponce Yacht & Fishing Club (PYFC), in Puerto Rico, is another Caribbean-based novice match racer who is eager to learn more.

“We’ve learned how to call for water, the flag sequences and which part of the box to enter at the start,” says Santiago, who hosted a match race clinic at the PYFC in July, taught by the USVI’s Peter Holmberg and attended by nearly 30 local sailors. “We plan to enter every match race event in the Caribbean and hopefully host a match race in Puerto Rico in January.”

Match racing in the Caribbean is indeed on the upswing.

“The CAMR put match racing on the scene in the Caribbean and I think we’ll see more events. We already have at least four match races – two in the BVI, this one and St. Maarten,” says the BVI’s Colin Rathbun, another Caribbean sailor who has excelled at match racing and is now ranked 74th in the world.

Rathbun had a particularly good day. His team won six matches and lost only one to the USA’s 4th ranked woman match racer, Sally Barkow.

“We beat Stefan Lindberg (15th world-ranked) today and that was huge for us,” says Rathbun. “We kept it simple. We got a nice shift off the start, and then it was cover, cover, cover. He got ahead of us, but then we closed in at the top mark and extended our lead to the finish.”

This four-day regatta, sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s, will continue Saturday with the quarter finals. Midday, a group of Virgin Island’s middle-schoolers from the Gladys Abraham School and Sankofa Saturday’s youth group will have an opportunity to try-on match racing during the Carlos Aguilar Match Race Youth Regatta, which will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The CAMR Finals will take place Sunday and will be broadcast live locally on WVWI (AM 1000) between Noon and 2 pm.

FINLAND’S LINDBERG & USA’S PERRY LEAD AFTER FIRST DAY AT 4TH ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 1, 2011). Two skippers finished undefeated after the first day’s round-robin racing in the 4th Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time. Finland’s Stefan Lindberg, who is currently ranked 15th in the world, sailed to 6 wins in Group A, while the USA’s Dave Perry, world-ranked 36th, topped the Group B with 5 wins.

The USA’s Sally Barkow, the 4th-ranked woman match racer who has sailed this regatta twice as crew and now twice on the helm, lost her only match of the day to Lindberg.

“It was a fun day, a shifty day,” says Barkow, speaking about the many times the 8 to 10 knots of breeze changed direction. “Even though we lost one to Stefan in the end, I think the team sailed well. We continuously worked on our communication and boat handling.”

Barkow’s Team 7 is one of four that hopes to qualify to represent the USA in Women’s Match Racing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. While this is the first time Women’s Match Racing will be an Olympic event, Barkow is not new to Olympic level competition. She skippered the three-person Yngling in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and missed a bronze medal by only one place.

“We’ll be training in Miami after this regatta and then sailing in the Olympic Class Regatta in January,” says Barkow. “After that, there’s only four months left to the final qualifier in Weymouth in May where we’ll see who will go on to the Olympics.”

One of the teams new to match racing is from El Salvador. In fact, this is the second match race Mauricio Gallardo has skippered, the first being the 2011 Nation’s Cup North American Qualifier in Texas this summer where he finished third.

“We don’t have any match racing in El Salvador, but we do fleet race J/24s,” says Gallardo. “So to prepare for this event we used two J/24s and match raced. Still, we learned a lot out there today. In fact we learned something new in every race and look forward to racing again tomorrow.”

The USVI’s Peter Holmberg, America’s Cup-winning helmsman for Alinghi and 2009 CAMR winner, spent the afternoon on the waterfront providing a running commentary of the racing for spectators. Asked how he would characterize the level of talent in the 13 team fleet, Holmberg says, “It’s a diverse field. There’s everything from the beginning rookies to the hardened world champions. It’s the biggest spread of talent and experience we’ve seen to date in this event. But I think it’s good for an event to not just have all rock stars. It provides openings and opportunities.”

This four-day regatta, sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s, will continue Friday with the completion of the round robin. Semi-Finals will take place Saturday and the Finals on Sunday. The Finals will be broadcast live locally on WVWI (AM 1000) between Noon and 2 pm

FOURTEEN INTERNATIONAL TEAMS READY TO SET SAIL IN CHARLOTTE AMALIE HARBOR

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (November 27, 2011). Some of the world’s top-ranked match racers will set sail in scenic Charlotte Amalie harbor, December 1-4, in the 4th Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time.

The new Open Division format follows the international sailing world’s trend of featuring mixed teams of men and women and pitting both sex skippers head-to-head.

“I think it is great to be a part of CAMR as an Open event,” says the USA’s Sally Barkow, currently the 4th ranked woman match racer in the world and two-time Women’s Match Race World Champion. “We really look forward to good, tough competition for the whole event!”

In addition to Barkow, other top-seeded skippers include Finland’s Staffan Lindberg (15th ranked Open), the USVI’s Taylor Canfield (28th ranked Open), the USA’s Stephanie Roble (30th ranked Women), Greece’s Stratis Andreadis (31st ranked Open), and the USA’s Dave Perry (35th ranked Open).

Canfield, who won the inaugural event in 2008 as a Boston College sophomore and finished second in 2009, is the local favorite. A win could catapult this native Virgin Islander and sailing director at the Chicago Match Race Center onto the global match racing stage. The CAMR champion receives an invitation to the prestigious Stena Match Cup, to be held in Marstrand, Sweden, in the summer of 2012. The CAMR is an Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2012 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) (www.worldmatchracingtour.com).

The winner also receives a distinctive Ulysse Nardin precision timepiece.

The 2012 CAMR will debut two teenage Virgin Islands sailors skippering in the regatta for the first time. One is Boston College sophomore, Tyler Rice, who most recently finished second in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association’s Pine Trophy Match Race in September at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and who spent the summer working and sailing at the Chicago Match Race Center. The second is Antilles School senior, Nikole ‘Nikki’ Barnes, who finished 5th in her first match race as a skipper at the BVI’s Pete Sheals Memorial Match Race in November. Barnes and crew Agustina Barbuto of St. John have excelled in dinghy fleet racing by winning the U.S. Virgin Islands’ first medal (bronze) at the 2011 ISAF Youth World Championships in Zadar, Croatia.

A strong contingent of Caribbean skippers includes the BVI’s Colin Rathbun, currently ranked 74th in the world and four-time entrant in this regatta; Puerto Rico’s Jorge Santiago, who won a silver medal fleet racing J/24s in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games; and St. Maarten’s Frits Bus, who has sailed to numerous fleet racing victories in dinghies and keelboats.

Rounding out the roster of impressive skippers is the USA’s Sandy Hayes, three-time Rolex Women’s Match Race champion; the USA’s Team New Orleans, Louise Bienvenu; and El Salvador’s Mauricio Gallardo.

The race format will be a double round robin where the top three teams move forward. The remaining teams enter a repechage event where the top two teams advance. This offers everybody two tries to make it into the finals, which will take place on Sunday and be broadcast live locally on WVWI (AM 1000) between Noon and 2 pm. Spectators are invited to watch the racing under tented bleacher seating where there will be live narration. Viewers around the world can watch via a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com. Racing starts at 9 a.m. (GMT – 4 hrs) daily.

A group of Virgin Island’s youngsters will have an opportunity to try-on match racing during the Carlos Aguilar Match Race Youth Regatta, which will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday December 3.

4TH ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE MOVES TO OPEN FORMAT – MEN & WOMEN SKIPPERS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN CHARLOTTE AMALIE HARBOR

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (November 8, 2011). Watch match-racing at its best in scenic Charlotte Amalie harbor when over a dozen of the world’s best men and women’s skippers will duel in Inter-Club (IC)-24s in the 4th Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, December 1 to 4. There will be waterfront viewing plus a live webcast of this International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade Two Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2012 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

“As women’s match racing has become more competitive and crew weights between women and men are close to the same, we’re seeing more women and men go head-to-head in the match racing world,” says principal race officer, Bill Canfield. “This year, we’ll follow this trend by making the Carlos Aguilar Match Race an Open event where women and men will sail together in mixed teams as well as against one another.”

The USA’s Sally Barkow, Women’s Match Race World Champion in 2004 and 2005 and currently the 3rd ranked woman match racer in the world, will be one of the skippers who will return this year to compete.

“I think it is great to be a part of CAMR as an Open event,” says Barkow. “We really look forward to good, tough competition for the whole event!”

In addition to Barkow, the USA’s 38th world-ranked Stephanie Roble will also sail.

“The new Open Format for the CAMR is going to be a fun addition to the regatta. The format will bring new competition to our plate as well as a different strategy for sailing the event. We are excited to sail against and learn from our competitors and hopefully prove ourselves in this awesome group of sailors,” says Roble. “I think competitors and spectators are going to have a great time experiencing unexpected wins and losses that I believe will result from the new format.”

Other women skippers include the USA’s three-time Rolex Women’s Match Race champion, Sandy Hayes; skipper of Team New Orleans, Louise Bienvenu; and USVI teenager Nikole Barnes, who is new to match racing but a bronze medal winner in I420s with crew Agustina Barbuto at the 2011 ISAF Youth World Championships.

Men skippering include Finland’s 11th world-ranked Staffan Lindberg; the USVI’s 30th world-ranked Taylor Canfield, who finished 2nd at the 2009 CAMR and most recently finished 2nd at the US Match Racing Championship; the USA’s 36th world-ranked Dave Perry, four time winner of the US Match Racing Championship; Greece’s 38th world-ranked Stratis Andreadis, who represented his country in the 2011 Nation’s Cup; El Salvador’s Mauricio Gallardo; the British Virgin Islands’ Colin Rathbun; Puerto Rico’s Jorge Santiago, and USVI teenager, Tyler Rice, who finished second this fall skippering for Brown University in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Pine Trophy Match Race.

The winning skipper will receive an invitation to the Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, in the summer of 2012, as well as an Ulysse Nardin precision timepiece.

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 and a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com where a global audience is expected to follow this nautical chess 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, Heineken Beer, distributed in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Bellows International Ltd., Budget Marine, Hooters, Choice Communications, Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, 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 for the fourth year and invite our visitors to watch some great match racing off Charlotte Amalie, a town that is also known as the shopping capitol of the Caribbean."

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 one store in St. Thomas (Main Street) 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, Oris, Hamilton, Michael Kors, Alpina, Frederique Constant, Bovet, Jaquet Droz, Bell & Ross, U-Boat, Graham and Technomarine.

CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE SET FOR NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 4, 2011 IN ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (June 1, 2011). The 4th Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, will set sail in the scenic Charlotte Amalie harbor on November 30 to December 4.

Eight Women’s and eight Open teams representing some of the best match racers in the world will put their skills to the test in fast-paced highly-competitive sailing action along the spectator-friendly Waterfront.

Past winners of the CAMR read like a Who’s Who of sailing: the USA’s Genny Tulloch triumphed in 2008 and 2010 and France’s Claire Leroy in 2009 in the Women’s Division, while it was the USVI’s Taylor Canfield in 2008 and Peter Holmberg in 2009 and Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team in 2010 won in the Open Division.

Women’s and Open champions in this International Sailing Federation (ISAF)-provisional Grade Two event are awarded an Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver and Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver precision timepiece, respectively.

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

USA’S TULLOCH & PORTUGAL’S MARINHO WIN 3RD ANNUAL CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 5, 2010). The ability to recover and learn from mistakes made early in the regatta paid off in a Women’s Division win for the USA’s Genny Tulloch, while it was a crack crew that could read the tricky wind shifts that led Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team to champion the Open Division at the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time.

Both divisions started this final day of racing by completing the Semi-Finals, then moving right into the Finals.

In the Women’s Division, Great Britain’s Lucy MacGregor handily beat the Netherland’s Klaartje Zuiderbaan (3-0) in the Semi-Finals and the USA’s Genny Tulloch bested the USA’s Sally Barkow in extremely close matches (3-2) to give both MacGregor and Tulloch berths into the Finals.

In the Finals, both MacGregor and Tulloch sparred so closely that after two races the score was tied with each team winning one race. The decider came in the third race when Tulloch took the start and handed MacGregor a penalty at the same time. MacGregor fought back and caught a puff the USA team missed to overtake them at the first windward mark. Tulloch caught up and passed MacGregor on the second upwind run and stretched her team’s lead over the Brits to nearly eight boat lengths by the finish.

“It was good for us to take our losses early, figure out what we did wrong, do it better and clear our heads,” says Tulloch. “I think that mental regrouping was a big reason for our success.”

Tulloch’s GETsailing Team includes Liz Hall, Jen Chamberlin and Alice Leonard.

The title earned Tulloch a Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver precision timepiece. Championing this International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade Two event also means a notch up in the ranking for Tulloch, who is currently ranked 12th in the ISAF women’s match race standings. MacGregor is ranked 2nd.

In the Open Division, Semi-Final action saw the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Peter Holmberg beat the USA’s Dave Perry (3-1) and Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team triumph over the USVI’s Taylor Canfield (3-1), thus launching both Holmberg and Marinho into the Finals.

Holmberg, Open Division defending champion, didn’t let 14th-ranked Marinho off easy and the first two finals races, like the women, ended at an even score with each team winning one race. In the final race, Marinho pulled ahead of Holmberg at the start and held his lead, albeit sometimes a very slim one over Holmberg and his ace crew, right to the end with the Virgin Islander’s nipping at the Portuguese team’s heels the whole way.

“This win is huge for us,” says Marinho. “Not only was it great to win the event, but to beat someone as good as Peter Holmberg was incredible. The local guys were very tough. My crew did a great job and I think our success came in calling the shifts right.”

Seth Sailing Team crew members included Luis Brito, Nuno Barreto and Antonio Fontes.

Marinho pocketed a Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver precision timepiece for his win.

The (CAMR) is an Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2011 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) (www.worldmatchracingtour.com). Marinho’s victory earned his Seth Sailing Team an invitation to the Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, July 4-10, 2011.

Spectators, which included the public, local officials and Virgin Islands Olympic Committee members, filled the tented bleacher seating to watch the racing which was narrated live by America’s Cup-sailor-turned commentator, Geordie Shaver. Arm chair viewers around the world also tuned in via a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com.

The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) and the Virgin Islands Sailing Association (VISA) were the joint organizing authority for the CAMR, which was sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s. The U.S. Virgin Islands is no stranger to hosting world-class match racing events, having hosted six major regattas of this type in the last twelve years.

The CAMR is presented by Ulysse Nardin, exclusively distributed by Trident Jewels & Time. Major sponsors include 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, and Yacht Haven Grande.

Budget Marine also sponsored the Budget Marine Youth Regatta on Saturday, which gave nearly a dozen teenage members of HYPE (Helping Young People Excel) a chance to learn how to sail.

Daily race results and copyright-free high-resolution downloadable images by Virgin Islands-based photographer, Dean Barnes, will be available for editorial use on the official event website at: www.carlosmatchrace.com/pr.php

DAY FOUR RESULTS – FINAL STANDINGS

WOMEN’S DIVISION
1. Genny Tulloch, USA
2. Lucy MacGregor, GBR
3. Sally Barkow, USA
4. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED
5. Julianna Senfft, BRA
6. Renata Decnop, BRA
7. Sandy Hayes, USA
8. Kelly O’Brien-Uszenski, USVI

OPEN DIVISION
1. Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team, POR
2. Peter Holmberg, USVI
3. Taylor Canfield, USVI
4. Dave Perry, USA
5. Colin Rathbun, BVI
6. Laurie Jury, NZL
7. Chris Van Tol, USA
8. Stratis Andreadis, GRE

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.

BARKOW & HOLMBERG LEAD AFTER DAY TWO AT CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 4, 2010). Top-ranked and first-time sailors headlined day three of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time.

In the Women’s Division, Great Britain’s Lucy MacGregor beat the Netherland’s Klaartje Zuiderbaan twice in the first two races of the first-to-three-points Semi-Finals, while the USA’s Genny Tulloch similarly earned two bullets over the USA’s Sally Barkow.

In the Open Division, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Peter Holmberg finished neck-and-neck with the USA’s Dave Perry after both sailors each won a race in the first two Semi-Final races. Similarly, the USVI’s Taylor Canfield and Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team each won a race and lost a race.

The winds continued unseasonably light and shifty as the Open teams took to the race course set in Charlotte Amalie harbor in the morning and the Women in the afternoon.

In the Open Division, the Race Committee abandoned a few of the last remaining matches due to lack of time.

“Those matches would not have affected the final result,” says principal race officer, Bill Canfield.

Portugal’s Seth Sailing Team posted two wins for the day and earned entry into the Semi-Finals, a position that skipper Alvaro Marinho was pleased.

“We are used to strong winds and not so shifty,” says Marinho. “In these conditions, no race is ever over until the finish. But we’ve been sailing better each day and in each race.”

Laurie Jury’s team from New Zealand didn’t make the top four, but they did win two races for the day. “I’ve got a new crew and it has been a learning curve for us,” says Jury, who added, “Our boat handling was definitely better today.”

In the Women’s Division, the USA’s Genny Tulloch looked on the positive side. “You don’t often get conditions like this, so it’s good training.”

Tulloch has one eye focused on fellow USA sailors, whom she will compete against for a berth into the 2012 Olympics, and the other on the international skippers whom she may meet in London. Likewise, Brazil’s Julianna Senfft was closely watching fellow Brazilian Renata Decnop, as well as the rest of the fleet.

“I really like the fast-paced action of match racing,” says Senfft, who added that this event is good practice for the Brazilian Nationals, which are part of the country’s Olympic trials, which will start mid-December.

In between the action, nearly a dozen local teenagers got their first taste of handling a tiller and calling tactics in the Budget Marine Youth Regatta.

“I got to steer, it was so much fun,” says 13-year-old Shamoi James.

Davis Polius, Jr, also age 13, called tactics. “I’d like to do it again.”

The young sailors were all members of HYPE (Helping Young People Excel).

Racing will conclude on Sunday with the Semi-Finals and then Finals.

Up for grabs is an Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver and Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver precision timepiece for the top Women’s and Open skippers, respectively. In addition, the Open winner receives an invitation to the prestigious Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, July 4-10, 2011. The CAMR is an Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2011 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) (www.worldmatchracingtour.com).

Spectators are invited to watch the racing under tented bleacher seating where there will be live narration provided by America’s Cup-sailor-turned commentator, Geordie Shaver. Arm chair viewers around the world can watch via a live webcast on www.carlosmatchrace.com. Racing starts at 9 a.m. (GMT – 4 hrs) daily.

The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) and the Virgin Islands Sailing Association (VISA) are the organizing authority for the Grade 2 CAMR, namesake for the late Carlos Aguilar, who was an avid sailor and match racer. The U.S. Virgin Islands is no stranger to hosting world-class match racing events, having hosted six major regattas of this type in the last twelve years.

Match racing pits one identical boat against another on a short course oftentimes near to shore. The most recognized example of match racing is the America’s Cup. On-the-water umpires make instant calls and enforce the rules. The result is very exciting racing up and down the Charlotte Amalie waterfront.

DAY THREE RESULTS
(Number of Wins-Losses)

WOMENS DIVISION – FINAL ROUND ROBIN STANDINGS
Lucy MacGregor, GBR, 13-1
Sally Barkow, USA, 13-1
Genny Tulloch, USA, 9-5
Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 7-7
Julianna Senfft, BRA, 5-9
Renata Decnop, BRA, 5-9
Sandy Hayes, USA, 3-11
Kelly O’Brien-Uszenski, USVI, 1-13

OPEN DIVISION – FINAL ROUND ROBIN STANDINGS*
Peter Holmberg, USVI, 12-1
Taylor Canfield, USVI, 10-3
Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team, POR, 9-3
Dave Perry, USA, 7-5
Colin Rathbun, BVI, 5-9
Laurie Jury, NZL, 4-9
Chris Van Tol, USA, 3-10
Stratis Andreadis, GRE, 2-12
*Some matches abandoned in last two flights

WOMENS DIVISION – SEMI-FINALS AFTER TWO RACES
Lucy MacGregor, GBR, vs. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 2-0
Sally Barkow, USA, vs. Genny Tulloch, USA, 0-2

OPEN DIVISION – SEMI-FINALS AFTER TWO RACES
Peter Holmberg, USVI, vs. Dave Perry, USA, 1-1
Taylor Canfield, USVI, vs. Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team, POR, 1-1

BARKOW & HOLMBERG LEAD AFTER DAY TWO AT CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 3, 2010). It wasn’t inter-island ferry wake, seaplanes landing or a pirate ship full of visitors that proved challenging for sailors competing in Charlotte Amalie harbor on day two of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, it was the wind. Or, lack of it. Yet, the USA’s Sally Barkow certainly figured it out and remains undefeated in the Women’s Division, while St. Thomas’ Peter Holmberg is leading the Open Division with only one loss.

“It was more light than shifty,” says Holmberg. “The pressure changed all the time and we often had to keep an eye more on where the next puff was coming from than our competitor.”

Holmberg, Open Division defending champ, easily beat fellow Virgin Islander and favorite, Taylor Canfield, in their first match-up of the regatta. “Taylor is definitely sailing better than last year. But, we won the start when he was over early and it gave us a huge advantage.”

Interestingly, Holmberg’s crew includes the two innovators of the IC-24, Virgin Islands’ sailor, Chris Rosenberg and fellow-islander and boat-builder, Morgan Avery. The idea for the IC-24 began in 2000 when Rosenberg, Avery and other St. Thomas Yacht Club sailors pondered how to jump-start racing following the decimation of the Club’s sailing fleet after successive hurricanes. Their goal was a design that was economical, fast, dependable and comfortable. Enter the IC-24.

Avery says, “The idea was to create a more comfortable cockpit.”

To do this, Avery took a used J/24 hull and fitted it with a new Melges 24-style deck mold that was wider, had no traveler, and was ideally sailed with four crew members with a combined weight of 750 pounds. There is an inside track for a genoa, but no bow pulpit and the transom is closed. The stanchions are lower and covered.

Comfortable it is, says Avery. “You wind up with fewer bruises at the end of the day than in a J/24.”

In spite of the challenging conditions, some skippers really excelled. For example, in the Women’s Division, Brazil’s Julianna Senfft moved from sixth to fourth place by winning three matches. In the Open Division, Portugal’s Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team, moved into third place by winning four matches.

Each division completed one round-robin and three flights of the second round-robin today. Tomorrow, Saturday, the race committee hopes to finish round-robin racing and start the Semi Finals.

A Youth Regatta will take place on Saturday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (GMT – 4 hrs).

Finals will be sailed on Sunday.

One of the stalwart spectators has been Julia Requel Aguilar, sister of regatta namesake Carlos Aguilar.

“I know if he was here he would be so happy,” says Aguilar, who tells that her brother started sailing with she, her sister and their father on the lakes of their native country of El Salvador as a young boy and continued in his passion for the sport after moving to the Virgin Islands to work as an architect. Carlos Aguilar died in 2007.

The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) and the Virgin Islands Sailing Association (VISA) are the organizing authority for the Grade 2 CAMR. The U.S. Virgin Islands is no stranger to hosting world-class match racing events, having hosted six major regattas of this type in the last twelve years.

DAY TWO RESULTS
(Number of Wins-Losses)

WOMENS DIVISION
Sally Barkow, USA, 10-0
Lucy MacGregor, GBR, 9-1
Genny Tulloch, USA, 7-3
Julianna Senfft, BRA, 4-6
Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 4-6
Renata Decnop, BRA, 4-6
Sandy Hayes, USA, 1-9
Kelly O’Brien-Uszenski, USVI, 1-9

OPEN DIVISION
Peter Holmberg, USVI, 9-1
Taylor Canfield, USVI, 9-1
Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team, POR, 7-3
Dave Perry, USA, 6-4
Colin Rathbun, BVI, 4-6
Laurie Jury, NZL, 2-8
Chris Van Tol, USA, 2-8
Stratis Andreadis, GRE, 1-9

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.

MACGREGOR, BARKOW & CANFIELD GO UNDEFEATED IN FIRST DAY OF 2010 CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 2, 2010). Great Britain’s Lucy MacGregor and the USA’s Sally Barkow in the Women’s Division and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Taylor Canfield in the Open Division, went undefeated after completing five races in the first flight of competition in day one of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race, (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time.

Barkow, who has sailed this regatta twice before as crew before taking the helm this year and who is hoping to qualify to represent the USA in Women’s Match Racing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, says, “It was tough, really shifty. We had a few leads cut short and some close finishes. Technically, though, we sailed well.”

Shifty conditions also proved challenging for Canfield, a senior at Boston College. “We were far ahead in some matches and in some less than a boat length ahead. None of the matches were easy. We just tried to keep our heads out of the boat, sail the shifts, and sail our own race.”

Canfield will race against the USA’s Dave Perry and fellow Virgin Islander, Peter Holmberg, on Friday to complete the first flight of races. The match between Canfield, the college sailor and Holmberg, the America’s Cup winning helmsman, should prove exciting. Holmberg bested Canfield for the division win in this event last year by winning two races in the best of three Finals.

This four-day regatta, sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s, will continue on Friday with the completion of the first flight and start of the second flight of competition. Semi-Finals will take place Saturday and the Finals on Sunday.

A Youth Regatta will take place on Saturday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (GMT – 4 hrs).

DAY ONE RESULTS
(Number of Wins-Losses)

WOMENS DIVISION
Lucy MacGregor, GBR, 5-0
Sally Barkow, USA, 5-0
Genny Tulloch, USA, 3-2
Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 3-2
Renata Decnop, BRA, 2-3
Julianna Senfft, BRA, 1-4
Sandy Hayes, USA, 1-4
Kelly O’Brien-Uszenski, USVI, 0-5

OPEN DIVISION
Taylor Canfield, USVI, 5-0
Peter Holmberg, USVI, 4-1
Dave Perry, USA, 4-1
Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team, POR, 3-2
Colin Rathbun, BVI, 3-2
Stratis Andreadis, GRE, 1-4
Laurie Jury, NZL, 0-5
Chris Van Tol, USA, 0-5

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.

2009 CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

SKIPPER CHANGE FOR CARLOS AGUILAR MATCH RACE

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (November 14, 2010). Poland’s Marek Stanczyk will replace New Zealand’s Gavin Brady in the Open Division at the Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR). Presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time, the 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.

“Stanczyk and his team requested an invite earlier this fall to attend,” says regatta director, Verian Aguilar. “We were very happy to extend them the invitation and have them accept at this late date. We all feel that we have a very exciting field of match racers in the Open Division making this a solid Grade 2 event.”

The Open Division winner receives an invitation to the Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, July 4-10, 2011. In addition, the Women’s and Open Division champs receive an Ulysse Nardin Lady Diver and Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver precision timepiece, respectively.

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 Senfft (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 and defending his 2009 CAMR title is St. Thomas-born Peter Holmberg, America’s Cup-winning helmsman for Alinghi. Veteran sailor Holmberg will 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), Poland’s Marek Stanczyk (41st), 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 the organizing authority 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.

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

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (November 9, 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 for 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.

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, says, “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 and future Olympians while the open division focuses on interesting match-ups putting America’s Cup skippers against a new pack of young guns.”

Photo for Download available at: www.carlosmatchrace.com

Caption: 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.

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.

Carlos Aguilar Match Race Becomes Part Of World Tour Qualifying Series

The Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR) presented by Ulysse Nardin Watch Co and Trident Jewels and Time is pleased to announce they have been chosen to be part of the World Match Racing Tour as a qualifier for one of the Tours events, Match Cup Sweden. The winner of this year’s open division will be awarded a berth to sail in Sweden at their 2011 event.

The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 10 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status. CAMR in only its third year is thrilled to receive this honor. Verian Aguilar, Event Director said “this a wonderful news for our event and we are proud to be on the cutting edge of match racing in such a short time frame.” The CAMR will be sailed from December 1 – 5, 2010 in the beautiful waters of downtown Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas.

The CAMR is currently accepting requests for invitations to both their women’s division and open division that have applied for a Grade 2 status through ISAF. Event PRO, Bill Canfield commented, “Carlos Aguilar loved match racing and I believe he would be very proud of the direction this event has gone. We have been able to keep a Caribbean flare with entrants from neighboring islands but we also are getting some of the world’s best sailors to attend. Our venue is possibly one of the best in the world for match racing and for spectators alike. We also have tremendous support from our wonderful sponsors Ulysse Nardin and Trident Jewels and Time and without this commitment the event can’t go on.”

In past year’s sailing notables such as Peter Holmberg, Claire Leroy, Anna Tunnicliffe, Dave Perry, Genny Tulloch and Jes Gran Hansen have attended the CAMR.

Contact Bill Canfield at wkcanfield@gmail.com for more information.