By Katrina Condie From Milton Ulladulla Times

Father and daughter sailing duo Rob and Nicole Douglass smashed 20 races as part of the VX One Caribbean Cup and are heading home to Milton after placing third overall.

The pair teamed up with skipper was Andrew York for the series which included the St Thomas International Regatta in the US Virgin Islands, with nine races from March 25-27, and the British Virgin Islands Spring Regatta sailed from the island of Tortola, with 11 races from April 1-3.

The event was fast gruelling and tough, with Rob trimming the mainsail and Nicole on the bow trimming the jib or foresail and the spinnaker.

The VX One is a 20 metre sports boat, that is a cross between a smaller racing boat and a yacht, which Nicole has sailed for two years on and off, while Rob is new to the vessel.

“Andrew is one of the Australian dealers of the VX One and was correct in thinking that adding the dynamic Douglasses to his team would make a successful combination,” Nicole said.

While Rob is heading home to Milton, Nicole, a journalist, will this week set off to the Les Voile Des St Barth regatta also in the Caribbean this time to work.

She will catch up with some of the key teams on the global yachting circuit including Comanche, the winners of the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Nicole runs an online sailing blog and Youtube channel and also does spots on television and radio.

She is making waves in the sailing world and last year covered 43 events globally and sailed 15 of them.

Earlier this year she won the Australian Sports Boat Nationals, for smaller end keel boats, with team mate Matt Craig of Burrill Lake

She also took out the NSW VX One State Titles and the Spiral National Titles.

Nicole will be home at the end of April, before heading on to New York to cover the America’s Cup World Series.

IMAGE: FAST AND FURIOUS: Rob and Nicole Douglass, together with skipper Andrew York, reached speeds of more than 20 knots during the inaugural VX One Caribbean Cup. Photo: Ingrid Abery Photography

For more on this story go to: http://www.ulladullatimes.com.au/story/3830530/caribbean-third-an-island-dream/