Snipe Winter Circuit: The Bacardi Cup

Nassau, Bahamas (March 26, 2014) – The day dawned bright and breezy on beautiful Montagu Bay as the Royal Nassau Sailing Club prepared to host the third event of the Snipe Winter Circuit – The Bacardi Cup.

The wind conditions were a little too breezy at 22 knots out of the northwest with an ebb tide making lots of chop. Racing was postponed until the afternoon, leaving people to enjoy the wonderful sun and hit the closest shopping center with food court, coffee shop and liquor store for later.

The winds had subsided by 1pm to 15-16 knots with gusts to 19. With the direction out of the north-northeast and an incoming tide, the water was fabulously flat. An Olympic course was set and after a great and very close race Birger and Janette Jansen were first, leading the local sailors Fernando deCardenas and Sarah Morley in second, Jimmie Lowe and Carmeron Symotette in third and Robert Dunkley and Michelle Love fourth.

A couple of the remaining registrants had let the morning blow get to their heads and missed some great sailing. Even the heaviest boat in the race got up on one of those beautiful Bahamian planes on the reaches. Is this not why we sail?

Since the weather was so fabulous, the race committee set another Olympic course during which Jimmie Lowe and Cameron Symonette managed to pass Birger and Janette Jansen for first with Hanna-Lena and Juha Lehtinen acting the bandits and passing Robert Dunkley and Michelle Lakin for third. Fernando de Cardenas and Sarah Morley had issues with their traveler and ended in fifth.

So the top few places after two races of the three race Bacardi Cup are Birger in first with 3 points, ahead of Jimmie Lowe with 4 points and close behind Fernando with 7 Robert with 8 and Hanna-Lena with 9. It will be close sailing again on Thursday.

Click here for day one results.

Report by Lori Lowe