Eight Bells: Felix Hunter-Andre

Felix Hunter-Andre

Felix Hunter-Andre, an active contributor in Jamaican boating, suffered an aneurysm and died suddenly on March 3 while on vacation with her husband, Etienne Andre, in her first home, Guyana. She was 69 years of age.

Felix was the Race Coordinator for the Pineapple Cup for decades, from her arrival in Jamaica in 1972, spanning the reign of the Fletchers, to the early 2000s. She was a hardworking, meticulous and persistent organizer who took care of every detail for this major event.

Through good years and bad, she carried on. Who’ll forget 1984, the year some of the fleet sailed into Cuban waters and were taken into custody by the army. Thanks to our long time member and three time Pineapple Cup winner, Ted Turner, a phone call to his friend Fidel resulted in their release 24 hours later.

She also organized several Montego Bay Yacht Club fishing tournaments. Most memorable of these was the year the Club adopted “tag and release” rules. This caused something of a riot with the old timers but she talked them into it. When the first boat released a marlin and reported in on the radio, the crew burst into song with “Please release me, let me go” saying this one’s for you, Felix!

Everyone who ever raced the Pineapple Cup or sailed into MBYC knew Felix. She will long be remembered for her amazing contribution to the Club even being the first ever female flag officer at MBYC. She married Etienne in 2009 and they moved to Kingston, and later to live six months of the year in France.

Felix will be greatly missed by her husband, Etienne, her brother, Bobby and sisters, Carrie & Allison, as well as cousins and all her friends in Guyana, Montego Bay, Kingston, America and France. – Nigel Knowles, MBYC Commodore