 |
|
 |
|
|
|
1999 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 12th annual Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta was a true festival of sail, blessed with a good stiff breeze and a fine selection of yachts and work boats. This year the conditions were perfect for the first meeting of three “J” Class yachts since the late 30's | |
| The Boat International Concourse
d' Elegance started off this years event and a
good portion of the fleet was docked stern to
Carlo Falcone's Antigua Yacht Club Marina. A
historic record was set as the three magnificent
J boats docked side by side for the first time
ever. The varnish and up keep on all of the
yachts was stunning from the 26 ft Cora to
the 176 ft Fleurtje who took home first
place in the Classic Class. The overall winner
was Sumurun, in perfect condition,
returning to Antigua for the first time since the
first event in 1988. Other winners this year are Manawa
Nui, Summer Cloud, Avatar, and Magic Carpet
with special mention to Shamrock V, White
Wings, and Wild Horses. On Saturday the first race, “Old Road”, started off with 18 to 22 knots of wind and everyone raced off to the offshore mark with full canvas and full speed. As helicopters and spectator craft followed the starts, the “J boats”, led by Velsheda, powered off to the first mark. On the second leg Velsheda and Endeavour tried to set MPS's in the shy reach down to Old Road, but Shamrock V, the smallest and most original of the three, kept pace with the others. At the end of the fourth leg, just as Endeavour had overtaken Velsheda she retired with rig damage. Shamrock V managed to hold her own and win on corrected time despite a pre start injury, which was dealt with quickly and efficiently by the paramedics in the donated rescue boat. |
 Three "J" Class yachts racing together for the first time ever. |
 Summerwind & Summercloud in Traditional Class A |
In Vintage Class A, Sumurun
out sailed her Fife counterparts and bagged a
first over Belle Aventure and Mariella.
In Vintage Class B, Good Hope, the ex
racer from Long Island Sound beat the six meter St
Kitts III and the locally owned Torridge.
Summer Cloud showed that a local Island sloop
from Carriacou can be just as quick as the rest
in her race against Summer Wind, Marguerite T,
and Cassiopiea in Traditional Class A. Cora owned by regatta organizer Jane Coombs and her all female crew finished second in her class behind the runaway Red Robin. The Dutch yacht Ibis surprised every one with her turn of speed, and the perfectly proportioned Danish built sloop, Snipe beat the S & S Inverness by 4 minutes on corrected time. Truly Classic, last years winner of the Spirit of Tradition class upheld her honor whilst Vittefarne had to retire when the top section of her mast fell over the side on the beat up the third leg. The beautiful Whitehawk veteran of many Classic Regattas easily beat Saphire and Fleurtje |
| Sunday morning broke
with a 40-kt squall and rain leaving many
competitors wondering if they were still in the
Caribbean as they sipped their coffee. Many were
nursing their heads after the previous night's
musical entertainment at the Yacht Club where the
sponsored Mt Gay Rum and Wadadli beer flowed
freely. Laurie Stephens and Frank Pierce
entertained the crowds, along with a host of
musical talent from the yachts. A second squall
just before the first start forced a couple of
the yachts to retire, only to leave the rest
drifting at the start with no wind. By the time
of the last start at 11:30 the wind had filled in
and the day turned into a perfect Caribbean trade
wind sailing day with, 15 to 18 kts and moderate
seas. With Endeavour out of the race, Shamrock
V steadily tailed Velsheda for her
second win on corrected time. The Mylne designed, William Fife built Mariella, triumphed over the other two Fife's boat for boat in Vintage Class A while Ticonderoga, holder of many long distance ocean race records and carrying a rating which is not conducive to `round the cans racing' kept up steady pressure with her long waterline. Ti's big sister, the Bruce King designed Whitehawk pulled her second win over Saphire in the Classic A division. |
|
| Avatar, the magnificent
hand crafted Hinckley 70 managed a win over the
Andre Hoek designed, Braveheart, Truly
Classic, and Copihue, as well as the
two “W Class” one design yachts White
Wings and Wild Horses owned by Gold
sponsor Donald Tofias and the Padanaram Yacht Co.
St Kitts III prevailed over Good Hope
and Torridge and the Concordia Yawl Golondrina
from Maine found the groove in Classic Class B. Red
Robin and Ibis still ran away with
their divisions. Alexis Andrews and his Summer
Wind, which he had repaired after a slight
crunch on race one, beat Summer Cloud in a
closely contested battle. Sir Robert Baden
Powell retired, leaving Irene
unchallenged and allowing her to pick up her
second win over Kathryn B the three masted
gaff schooner from Maine. Sunday also saw the first of the Tall Ship Races as Star Clipper, a 366 ft Barquentine, sailed a peripheral course. The times of several of the competitors in Traditional Class and Fleurtje were being applied to the results of Tall Ships World Peace Cup Trophy, which was won by Star Clipper last year. |
Star Clipper |
| Sun down saw one of the best dock
parties of the year, celebrating Belle
Aventure's 70th birthday, keeping
the crews well entertained with music, dancing,
and a good Mt Gay Rum Punch, well on into the
night. Ashore, “Marty” was entertaining
the crowds at The Last Lemming below the deck of
the Antigua Yacht Club. |
|
 Endeavour |
On Monday morning and the day of the infamous
“ Cannon “ course, cries of “Reef
the Main!!” were heard throughout the fleet
as the winds clocked between 20 and 25 kts at the
start. Endeavour had managed to contain
her rig damage and started along with Velsheda
with reefed down sails and finished the 27 mile
course, which had an extra leg for the Spirit of
Tradition Class, just behind the latter, giving
her a first on corrected time. Velsheda
still proved to be the fastest on the water. Shamrock
V again sailed a steady race and after
shaking out her reef in the main, she roared down
the last leg to the finish with scores of
dolphins leaping and frolicking in her bow wave.
She held a second place on corrected time for the
race which gave her a first place over all in the
Spirit of Tradition Class winning the Ticonderoga
Trophy as well as the Velsheda Trophy for best
performance of a J Class Yacht.
|
| Mariella nipped Belle
Aventure by one second to win the Stormy
Weather Trophy for first overall in Vintage
Class. Vileehi came from a fifth position
to win the day proving that she didn't like to
beat to windward on the previous days racing,
however Torridge managed to win the
Vintage Class B over St Kitts III and Good
Hope. Rainbow, not worried by the
strong winds and rough seas, took off like a
rocket with her topsails set and upset Red
Robin, giving her a tie for second which
nudged Cora to third on the tie break in
Vintage Class C. Dunlin built in 1890 and
the oldest boat in the fleet, bravely finished
the last two races after having to retire from
the first race due to a problem with her
bowsprit.
|
|
| Avatar beat Truly Classic by
seven seconds for a win, but Truly Classic
prevailed in points for first overall in class. Saphire
found the conditions delightful and won the day
in Classic Class A by a minute. Whitehawk,
racing with both main and mizzen sails well
reefed, came second and won out on points to win
her class overall. Trinka completed her
sweep with 3 firsts in the Classic Class D for
fiberglass boats over Moon Shadow and last
years winner Brett Ashley. Curlew finally
beat Ibis on the third race but Ibis prevailed
on points to win her class and Snipe won
again to clench victory in Classic Class B. Sadly Irene lost the top of her mast on the jibe at the outer mark after taking two firsts in the previous races and proving that she needs a bit of wind to get her going. Kathyrn B sailed steadily for three races and won the class over Sir Robert Baden Powell who had to retire after blowing out two sails in the squalls in previous day's race. Harold Neel, the winner of last years Spirit of the Regatta award and his gaff schooner Cassiopiea from St Johns USVI, beat the Carricou sloops in the drag race, but bowed to Summer Wind for the overall prize on points. |
 Curlew |
| On the horizon, the Star
Clipper and the Barefoot Windjammer Mandalay
dueled in the Tall Ships Class. The crews then
joined together on the beach for dinghy racing,
knot tying, tug o war, and Mt Gay rum drinking
competitions. These competitions were all part of
the Tall Ships World Peace Cup, which is expected
to attract many of the worlds training and tall
ships in the years to come. This trophy is the
mastermind of Capt. Uli Prusse of the Star
Clipper and also original driving force
behind the Classic Yacht Regatta when he was
skipper of Ashanti of Saba. The
experienced crew on Fleurtje easily won
most of these categories at the Tall Ships
Prize-giving ceremonies in the Admirals Inn. The
rest of the crews were enjoying an well-attended
beach party hosted by Velsheda at the
Falmouth Beach Apartments and once again, The
Last Lemming was packed for the live
entertainment and rocked on into the wee hours
now that the racing was over.
|
|
 A model by Den Philips of Dominican Republic |
The Heritage Festival in Nelsons Dockyard, which was well attended this year, included excellent photography by Tim Wright and Den Phillips, exquisite ships models from the Dominican Republic, and top quality oil paintings by renowned marine artist Don Scafidi. The Gig Racing, which was well organized by Olympic sailor Karen Portch enhanced this atmosphere. The skiffs and gigs were sailed, sculled, and rowed around the waters off the beautiful Admirals Inn with the contestants dressed in period costumes, while the spectators enjoyed cream teas on the lawn. Andrew Robinson won the Concours d'Elegance for the best dinghy which he had built himself. The final prize giving ceremony later in the evening was well represented by sponsors Mt Gay Rum, Charles Heidseick Champagne, and Boat International, and was the pinnacle of the event with an impressive array of trophies, plaques, and giveaways which were won by the deserving crews. |
This year's regatta was simply excellent. Preparations for the 2000 event are underway with plenty of sponsorship opportunities available. Please visit our Web Site www.antiguaclassics.com for contact information, full details of the results, and an array of excellent photographs by Tim Wright.
