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It’s a wrap for a vintage season of winter sun regattas

Caroline Blatter

Caroline Blatter 08 May 2019 Antigua / Antigua and Barbuda / St. Maarten / St. Martin / St. Barth’s / Regattas & Cruising Rallies

The close of the 52nd Antigua Sailing Week marks the end of the Caribbean racing season. It’s been a busy season – the islands that were so badly damaged by the autumn 2017 hurricanes, with some struggling to run events this time last year, have made a remarkable recovery thanks as much as anything to the huge efforts of their local communities and dockside businesses, supported by international communities.

The world’s racing superyachts were welcomed once again to the warm hospitality of the West Indies for some great action in 2019!

The season’s opener was the Superyacht Challenge Antigua at the end of January, with daily races off English Harbour and overall wins for 112ft Sparkman & Stevens sloop Kawil (formerly Gitana) and 112ft Baltic Nilaya.

The eleventh 2018 RORC Caribbean 600, 600nm of non-stop racing, took in eleven islands from St. Martin in the north to Guadeloupe in the south, attracting the sailing giants seeking line honours amongst its large fleet. That credit went to 115ft Baltic Yachts Nikata with Farr 96 Sorceress close behind. 

Another popular regatta which welcomes the maxi racing fleet is the Heineken Regatta SXM in St Maarten, WI, which started on 26 February.  Its 80ft plus maxi class included Wendy Schmidt’s Swan 80 Selene which took first place and another Swan 80 Bill Titus’s Umiko which tied with Tomek Ulatowski’s Swan 100 Varsovie for the third place on the podium.  The newest of Irvine Laidlaw’s many Fling’s, not quite a maxi but with all the slick maxi speed, was the in-between second.

St Barth’s Bucket, unquestionably the most must-go-to regatta of the Caribbean season was next up, from 21-24 March.  One of the islands heavily damaged by the hurricanes, St Barth’s is fully open for business again and welcomed a staggering 34 of the great racing machines for four days of racing.  The largest, at 67m was the stunning retro-classic Hetairos, and the smallest, still an impressive 31m Swan competed in the form of Varsovie.  Now a quarter a century old, the Bucket presented three days of exquisite scenery and racing. 

Six classes, all of which are elegantly named to match the magnificence of the superyacht lifestyle included the most performance-oriented, Les Gazelles des Mers, won by Hetairos, which was also the overall winner claiming the covered Bucket Trophy.   Class B, Les Elegantes des Mers, was won by Sojana which took firsts in every race, and Class C, Les Mademoiselles des Mers, went to Aquarius.  Class D, Les Femmes des Mers, belonged to Blue Too, another clean sweep winner, while class E, Les Grandes Dames des Mers, was dominated by Rosehearty.  Finally, for those who like to enjoy a more laid-back competitive experience, Les Voiles Blanches (Corinthian Spirit) went to Ohana.

And finally, the winter sun regattas end for another year.  We are brought up to date in Antigua with the close of Antigua Sailing Week and the 32nd edition of Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, sponsored by LOCMAN, which was characterised by some stiff breezes easing for the last race when the standard of competition reached a crescendo, many of the class winners only decided on the very last race!
Eight truly beautiful examples of classic superyachts took part, amongst a fleet of classics of all sizes.
In the Classic Schooner Class, the 141' schooner Columbia, owned by Brian D'Isernia was runner up, showing she has a racing pedigree despite being designed on the lines of a Gloucester Fishing Schooner.
Another US based supersized schooner took a podium position in the Vintage Schooner Class - Cameron Riddell's 115' Eros, built in 1939, was third.
Vintage yachts were showing they were still in their prime against the moderns - Carlo Falcone's 1938 79' Alfred Mylne yawl Mariella, was runner up in the regatta, which was won by a 1936 41' Rasmussen sloop Seefalke II, skippered by Oliver Greensmith.    

The 52nd Antigua Sailing Week (27th April - 3rd May) closed the Caribbean Regatta season for another year - kicking off with the Peter's and May Round the Island Race, then 5 days of superb Trade wind racing, with the traditional Wednesday Layday festivities on Pigeon Beach. The 10th anniversary of Reggae in the Park - a legendary big party night brought thousands of revellers to Nelsons Dockyard...transformed into an open air concert theatre.

There were positive changes affoot this year from the organising committee - with two new classes - a double handed & high performance class, new racing marks facilitating longer leg coastal courses, new ASW safety rules and daily prize givings on the lawns of Antigua Yacht Club for the 1000+ international sailors taking part.

With a fleet of 80+ strong, the largest yacht competing, Peter Harrison's British Farr 115 Sojana - won the CSA Class with a clean sweep of First's all week - and retained the coveted Lord Nelson Trophy - making it a hattrick for a delighted owner, with ASW wins in 2011, 2018 and 2019!


As yachts head to new cruising grounds, we look forward to reporting on various events globally:

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