Just two years ago, Gilbert Le Bris, mayor of Concarneau, and Michel Magras, vice-president of the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy, talked about combining their efforts in the race and in turn giving a chance to two young hopefuls in the open sea racing.  The discussion ended with a promise and a handshake to seal the deal.  Now, the two are seeing their dream become a reality.

St Barts Island :: 2004 Transat Ag2r Race

Since the very first edition of the Transat Ag2r, St Barts has hosted the arrival of this bi-yearly event.  The race itself is quite unusual because all of the Figaro Bénéteau boats in the race are identical single-hull sailboats designed by architect Marc Lombard; each with the same fittings, the same sails, and same safety equipment, the boats are outfitted in the same manner. This years race will begin at the port of Concarneau in Brittany, France on April 20. 

So, who are the two lucky sailors?  26-year-old Eric Péron from Concarneau is a sail maker and a regular on the Figaro circuit; he participated in the Transat Ag2r in 2004.  The other is 22-year-old Miguel Danet, a professional skipper aboard Privilège 45 for Top Loc; this will be his first time in the transatlantic race.  Neither has sailed with the other before, so as of next month, they will be under rigorous training.  Their boat, called "Concarneau-Stain-Barth" will also be involved.

There is no telling how this race will end.  Typically there are about 30 teams involved in the race with varying levels of experience.  Regardless of how this team places though, Michel Magras has promised that their arrival will be celebrated in typical St Barts fashion – big.

St Barts Island :: Golfotron :: Photo Credit ~ St Barth Weekly

It’s called the "Golfotron," and it really is quite an interesting contraption.  I know for a fact that they have these in the states, especially the northern ones, and the folks there really seem to like them.  You get to use real clubs, and a real ball, and you essentially hit the ball into a large screen that reminds me of the movies.  The ball is virtually displayed on the screen and lands on the green.  You then finish out your play.

In my opinion, the idea sounds a little quirky.  But I do understand the point.  Really, there’s not a whole lot to do here on the island.  I mean, the women love the great choice of luxury shops, but men aren’t always in the mood to be out shopping for handbags!  A golf simulator might give them something to do while their wives shop – after all, a happy husband and a happy wife make for a very pleasant vacation!

Dengue fever is rare on St Barts, as our small island is much cleaner than most surrounding islands. Yet, this season has been very rainy and hot, helping mosquitoes mutliply.

What to do if you are a tourist: just use mosquito repellents containing DEET. They can be bought everywhere on the island, in supermarkets and pharmacies. Good ol’ OFF contains DEET, so nothing spectacular needs to be used here.

I do not think that this wil have a big impact on St Barts. Sanitary conditions are among the best in the Caribbean, there are lots of qualified doctors on the island, and the local authorities will probably soon enforce a new mosquito eradication campaign. Been there, done that, don’ t worry.

More about Dengue Fever on Wikipedia.

There are quite a few international and local sports events taking place around the island, all around the year (e.g St Barts Bucket, Lorient – St Barth, etc.). The Soualiga challenge is pretty new, but is is growing in popularity.

Here are a few links about this year’s event:

- Summary of the race

- The race as told by the winner, Barry Lewin

- The race as told by the organiser

Soualiga Winner, Barry Lewin, leaving the St Barts shores (Photo credit)