Simpson Bay, St Maarten: Unique by its magnitude and design—a dedicated cruising rally run in conjunction with the racing regatta that’s been the hallmark of the event—the seventh edition of the annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge Race and Rally, which took place from January 30 to February 2, was an undeniable success.
As the event continues to grow and evolve, it’s an ideal time to look back at what transpired this year and ahead to the next edition, scheduled to take place next January 28 – February 1, 2026. Discerning sailors have already saved these dates!
CSA Race: Classic Winds, Modern Wins
The entries in this racing division have been fighting for four days to get top honors. Having a look at the variety of boat designs, one may wonder how to compensate the difference between “scratch results” – time to sail from start to finish line – and “corrected time” deciding the “real” winner. Here is the explanation:
Boat length, sail area, appendage type, etc. differ from boat to boat. Every single boat has its own speed potential. To take that into account and to be able to reward the most performant crew, CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association) has set up a rule.
The intent of this Rule is to handicap fairly the broad variety of multihull yachts which race within the Caribbean region. The rule will compute a RATING for each yacht which is intended to be representative of its true speed potential. “The real star of the show is the CSA rating rule that is excellent and making it possible for a variety of multihulls to compete fairly on our courses. Congratulations to all at the CSA!’ says Robbie Ferron, CMC Race Director.
As a matter of fact, CSA works great Eg: HH66 LEE OVERLAY PARTNERS has been crossing the finish line first in most of the races, but its rating says it should give time back to other boats, while old-school looking design like Crowther design OCEANS TRIBUTE, skippered by Guy Chester, has benefited from a bonus. Hence the final results: GUNBOAT72 LAYLA becomes the overall winner. Owners Andrew and Anne, newcomers to the CMC, loved it: “it’s been a fantastic week, our crew had so much fun. We’ll definitely talk about the CMC to our friends and other multihull owners, hoping to see more yachts next year on the starting line”. Loud and clear!
Diam24: Navigating Success One Race at a Time
With a successful number of participants (9 entries), this racing division has been exciting to watch. With a mix of beach-side and offshore coastal races, the show was permanent for spectators, and the adrenaline spikes are a routine for racing crews.
Pierre Altier, CMC’s Steering Committee member, and key to this one-design rebirth in the Caribbean region, is confident in the further development of this section: “I’m delighted to see that this class has been a success in this year’s edition. No need to spend fortunes to have fun: this little sporty and affordable trimaran (that can be traveled in a container) has it all! We’ll continue to import and refit more of these, as the World Diam Tour is attracting more and more crews from all over the world”.
As for the CMC, although competition has been fierce, the scoreboard has never been so easy to read: except a disqualification in race #4, Argentinian skipper Jan Sotelo and his crew have placed their Diam24 ANOMALY in first position in the remaining 11 races! “Of course, we’ll be back next year” said Sotelo at the prize giving ceremony.
Rally: Sun-Kissed and Sea-Pawed
The growing success of this division means that CMC’s future is solid and promising. When CSA has its ratings and rules, the Rally has his own, too: fun, fun and fun!
Sailing from bay to bay, hopping from one island to another, enjoying beach parties and time trials during transits have made the Rally program appealing for an eclectic and diverse fleet.
No matter the boat size and the crew’s background, all they have in common now are unforgettable memories, shared emotions and more than 70 nautical miles under the hulls!
“It’s not about the destination, it’s all about the journey” summarized CMC’s steering committee member Petro Jonker, responsible for the rally activities.
What to expect for the next edition? More participating crews, more surprises, and maybe an extended rally where sailors would navigate further and longer. Why limit the fun?
