Sports catamaran regatta around Martinique
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10th edition of the Martinique Cata Raid
January 26 to February 1, 2025.
January 26 to February 1, 2025.
Things to remember:
photo : © Pierrcik Contin
With less than a month to go before the start of the tenth edition of the Martinique Cata Raid, the racers already have their eyes set on the turquoise waters of the West Indies. Their boats, sports catamarans, F18s and F16s, loaded into containers from Europe and the United States, have just begun their Atlantic crossing. On site, the Club Nautique Wind Force du Robert is putting the finishing touches to the organisation of this anniversary edition. In its ten years of existence, the Martinique Cata Raid has become a not-to-be-missed event on the raid circuit. As well as the sumptuous scenery, the thirty or so crews are delighted to be sailing in the heart of winter, in the warm turquoise waters of Martinique. Indeed, at this time of year, the island of flowers offers ideal sailing conditions, with well-established trade winds and mild temperatures. The playground is sumptuous, the scenery grandiose and the daily sailing (an average of 30 nautical miles per leg) offers competitors a full range of technical options: offshore sailing or coastal courses, Atlantic swells or flat seas on the leeward coast, this round-the island raid attracts the best in the sport.
photo : © Wingfoilracing
And this year, the F18 and F16 sports catamarans won't be the only ones taking advantage of these ideal conditions. For this tenth edition, the Martinique Cata Raid will be testing around fifteen wing foils in a special event: the Martinique Wing Adventure. It has to be said that this discipline, halfway between windsurfing and kiteboarding, lends itself perfectly to this type of long-distance course.
The idea of combining wing foils with the Martinique Cata Raid has been in the back of our minds for two years now,’ says Bruno Lecomte, the event's organiser and sporting director. So we're taking the plunge this year with the support of Didier Flamme, our race director, who is keeping a very close eye on the development of the discipline.
As soon as we talked about it, the riders were enthusiastic,’ confirms Didier Flamme, ’especially as he has very few long-distance events at the moment. This test will take place over the same stages as the F18 and F16. The format will obviously be adapted, with specific starts and dedicated safety boats.
Fifteen international riders will have the privilege of inaugurating this new format, including Oscar Leclair and Orane Céris, who both shine on the European and world podiums in the discipline.
photo : © Pierrcik Contin
The Martinique Cata Raid may be the stuff of dreams, but it's also a highly committed competition in sporting terms. And the first leg is no exception, with almost 40 miles to cover between Le Robert and the town of Le Prêcheur. After that, we'll have to deal with the slopes of the coast as far as Schoelcher before reaching Le Marin.
And to make this tenth edition even more special, the Martinique Cata Raid has a brand new stage with a return trip between Le Marin and the neighbouring island of Sainte Lucie; an offshore course that promises to be particularly spicy. However, the 31 miles of the penultimate leg between Le Marin and Le Robert before the final race in the Bay of Le Robert will need to be kept under control.
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