News Releases
24/01/2023
Races of the day cancelled on the Martinique Cata Raid
Despite a briefing and a course proposal on the morning of the third day of racing, the decision by the organisers and the race committee to cancel the day's racing was imminent.
The cancellation has now been made official: "Since this morning, and in line with the forecasts, the wind has been in excess of 25 knots and there has been one squall after another in the race zone," explains Bruno Lecomte. It would be totally unreasonable to launch a race in these conditions. We're going to have a look at how the weather develops, but it's highly likely that we'll use the reserve day, scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, to send out a few races.
After two particularly intense days of racing, the news has been welcomed by the racers, who are delighted to be able to take advantage of this break to fine-tune the preparation of their boat, recover physically from the first few days of racing and set off to discover the charms of Martinique: l'île aux Fleurs.
They said :
Gurvan Bontemps/Fred Moreau (French Caribbean - Stickerman)
"Yesterday we were a bit unlucky and we also took some risks that we shouldn't have taken, with a penalty that was a bit harsh. We had a lot of work to do last night which we were able to finish off this morning. The boat is back to 100% and we were motivated to get out on the water, but the conditions are a bit too strong. The organisation and the race committee made a good decision, quite early on, which will enable us to enjoy our afternoon".
Patrick and William Carro
"We finished quite late last night to repair our spinnaker pole. The chainplate sheared clean off and we had to drill, tap, glue and change the spinnaker pole. At the same time, we were working on Gurvan and Fred's boat to repair their rudder and centreboard, which broke yesterday. Quite honestly, for everyone's safety, the decision to stay ashore is a welcome one. Above all, we're here to enjoy ourselves, not to smash things up."
Programme for the week:
- Saturday 20 January: Opening drink
- Sunday 21 January: Training day
- Monday 22 January: Constructed course
- Tuesday 23 January: Long distance (Canceled)
- Wednesday 24 January: Constructed course
- Thursday 25 January: Rest day
- Friday 26 January: Long distance
- Saturday 27 January: Constructed course and prize-giving ceremony
Rankings to be found on the Martinique Cata Raid website
Follow the race : On the race website (image bank access), social networks (Facebook and Instagram)
Photos On the race website
Videos on the Youtube channel
Select another news release
Fifth leg of the Martinique Cata Raid Le Marin - Le Robert: Fully cooked!
31/01/2025It was time this morning to leave the translucent waters of Le Marin, where the Martinique Cata Raid fleet had been for the past two days. This penultimate leg, which we knew would be tough and potentially decisive, lived up to all its promises. Victorien Erussard and Fred Moreau (Energy Observer) took their third victory in Le Robert at the end of a physically demanding battle.
Kiff & Rock'n Roll on the fourth leg of the Martinique Cata Raid
30/01/2025It was supposed to be a ‘Champagne Sailing’ day, with fine weather and beautiful seas! Some racers were hoping for a ‘calm’ day this morning, to recover from 3 physically demanding days! The sun was out in force, but so was the wind! As soon as the Anse des Trois Rivières was overtopped, the trade winds were quite strong, gusting to between 20 and 30 knots, which was enough to dampen the recovery hopes of the most tired. But that's what the Raid formula is all about, as demanding as it is committed!
A great breakaway for Gurvan Bontemps and Benjamin Amiot
28/01/2025We knew that today's stage would be extremely tactical, but nobody was disappointed! To win today, you needed a nose for the road and perhaps a bit of luck; for the others, you had to work hard to come back and try to limit the damage! With a 13-minute lead at the finish, Gurvan Bontemps and Benjamin Amiot (Stickerman - French Caribbean) won the race, took the lead overall and were congratulated by all their rivals! Hats off to them!
Le Robert - Le Prêcheur A tough leg and a lot of fun!
27/01/2025The 34 F18 and F16 catamaran crews and 9 wingfoil riders had a great time on this marathon 30-mile leg between Le Robert and Le Prêcheur. With strong conditions at the start, a series of desalinations off Grand Rivière and misty conditions at La Perle, this first leg was lively to say the least!
The sporting standard has been raised yet another notch on the Martinique Cata Raid
26/01/2025‘This is it! ‘ The 34 F18 and F16 crews are delighted to be back on the magnificent waters of the Martinique Cata Raid. It's a pleasure they're sharing this year with a dozen wing foil riders, who've come to test the raid formula around the Ile aux Fleurs.
This Sunday, the whole crew is gathered in Le Robert for a training regatta, an opportunity to test the equipment, get their bearings, look ahead to the week ahead and, above all, gauge the competition. It has to be said that this year's competition promises to be particularly open in all categories!
Martinique Cata Raid 2025: 10 years on, wing foils on test and a brand new leg!
21/12/2024For its tenth edition, which takes place from 26 January to 1 February, the Martinique Cata Raid is taking on a new dimension by welcoming, in addition to the F18 and F16 fleets, around fifteen wing foils. The fast-growing discipline has been lacking a long-distance event, but this is now a thing of the past, as the competitors will be following the same circuit as the sports catamarans around the Ile aux Fleurs.
Things to remember:
The Martinique Cata Raid is celebrating its 10th anniversary!
Around fifteen Wing Foil boats on the Martinique Cata RaidA new offshore leg between Le Marin and Sainte Lucie
