Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - January 2018

REGATTA NEWS
Not Too Late to Enter Grenada Sailing Week!
Rosie Hoggarth reports: There is still time to sign up for the 2018 Island Water World
Grenada Sailing Week! The regatta starts on January 29th and runs through to
February 3rd with four days of fantastic racing, a lay day and plenty of parties.
GRENADA SAILING WEEK
Antigua’s Eighth Superyacht Challenge
The Superyacht Challenge Antigua 2018 will be held from January 31st through
February 4th. Yachts in excess of 80 feet (24 metres) are invited to participate. The
regatta will have a limited entry of 12 to 15 yachts, depending on the type of vessels,
to ensure that Nelson’s Dockyard can host the event comfortably. The event
has no title sponsorship, to ensure that it will be held for the pure enjoyment of the
participants without any conflict of interest.
The eighth edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua features an extended programme
of five races held over four days. From a Start/Finish line off the entrance to
English Harbour, the course marks for the three 12- to 30-mile (approximately) Pursuit
Races are set daily according to the prevailing conditions.
Four impressive superyachts made their debut last year, and were among the first
to commit to this year’s event. These include Danneskjold, the 105-foot (32 metre)
sloop from the drawing board of Dixon Yacht Design; and the 112-foot (34 metre)
Spiip, designed by German Frers. Classic designs abound in the regatta, and returning
for 2018 are two Hoek designs: Arcadia, a 90-foot (28 metre) cutter, and the 172-
foot (52-metre) ketch Elfje.
Every social event is held in the historic surroundings of Nelson’s Dockyard.
Visit www.superyachtchallengeantigua.com for more information.
JANUARY 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 14
A record number of racers from all over the Caribbean, North America and Europe
are lining up to compete in this highly competitive yet fun regatta. Classes include
Racer, Racer/Cruiser, Classic and J/24.
Seasoned Caribbean sailor Mark Norman, who helmed Andrew Yates’ Dufour 44,
Piccolo, in the 2017 Racer/Cruiser class says, “This year [2017] we have raced
Piccolo in Grenada, Antigua, and Cowes in the UK. Grenada Sailing Week — with
sun, fun, good breezes, mishaps and races won and lost by seconds — was the best
regatta by far!”
Everyone is welcome, so come along and take part in the racing, cheer from the
shoreline or just join in the fun at the after parties.
Register online at www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4444. Final registration
will take place at Secret Harbour Marina on January 29th.
Race Documents are posted at www.grenadasailingweek.com. E-mail us at
info@grenadasailingweek.com, and find us on Facebook: GrenadaSailingWeek,
or Twitter @grenadasailweek.
For more information on Grenada Sailing Week see ad on this page.
Huge Variety for RORC Caribbean 600
As this issue of Compass goes to press, more than 50 yachts have already entered
the tenth edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, starting from Antigua on February
19th. The entry list for the 600-mile offshore event so far boasts a huge variety of
yachts, ranging from maxis and racing multihulls to cruising yachts.
RORC Chief Executive, Eddie Warden Owen, says, “It was in May 2008 that I
received a phone call from John Burnie and Stan Pearson about creating the first
offshore race in the Caribbean, and we had no idea then that ten years on it
would be one of the ‘must do’ races on the world offshore racing calendar. We
thought it would be popular — warm water, guaranteed tradewinds, big surf and
beautiful scenery, all in the middle of winter — what’s not to like? We never
thought we would ever get 80 boats, and most of them from outside the
Caribbean, and all because of local enthusiastic volunteers and supporters who
make the race so special.”
George David has been a longtime supporter of the race, taking Line Honours
on four occasions. Rambler 100 reveled in heavy conditions in 2011, setting the
race record that still stands (one day, 16 hours, 20 minutes and two seconds).
Rambler 100 also lifted the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy that year for the best corrected
time under IRC. David’s Maxi Rambler 88 will be returning in 2018
and will be hot favourite for Line Honours, and if the conditions are right, a tilt
at the record.
“Last year we had a full-on reach all the way from St. Barths to Guadeloupe,”
David says. “When you are at the helm and the boat is beautifully balanced and
you are doing 20 knots with a poled out J1 and staysail for 150 miles, you can’t help
but smile!”
The race is becoming ever more popular with multihulls, as the complex course with
fast reaching legs is ideal for them, and eight teams are among the early entries.
Visit caribbean600.rorc.org for more information.
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