Nations descend on Grenada Race Week

Sailors from at least 18 different nations will be racing at the eight edition of Grenada Sailing Week, January 26-31, 2020. At least six Caribbean islands will be represented; Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Trinidad, and St. Lucia. North American entries come from Canada and the United States.

European teams from Austria, France, and the United Kingdom will be competing. Among the teams racing will be crew from Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Romania, and Switzerland.

“Grenada welcomes all participants to Grenada Sailing Week,” commented Regatta Manager Karen Stiell. “We are excited about the regatta this year, starting on the West Coast of Grenada with the last 2 race days on the more challenging South Coast, ending the regatta in Mount Hartman Bay.”

Proven winners will be returning this year, as well as new teams and long-standing entries. Up to ten races are scheduled for CSA1, up to nine for CSA 2 &3 and the Cruising Class. Classics and Carriacou Sloops will have a more leisurely program of five races, whilst the J/24s will have up to eighteen high-octane close encounters.

Peter Morris’ Frers 43 Jaguar from Trinidad has enjoyed tremendous success at Grenada Sailing Week winning class on five occasions. “We have raced every year for the last 15 years, it is an annual holiday for the team,” commented Peter. “Emily of Cowes was stiff competition last year.”

According to owner Richard Oswald, British Elan 450 Emily of Cowes has been chartered to Rob Mclean and his team from the Cork 1720 Spider Pig, which they race all season in the UK. She will be racing as Emily and the Piglets.

Pamala Baldwin’s Antiguan based J/122 Liquid will be skippered by Jules White. “We love to race and we are like a family, all of the crew apart from myself are under 30. This will be the fourth year in a row we have raced, making the podium every regatta, winning the Traveller’s Trophy 2019 for best Caribbean racing yacht.”

Antiguan Bernie Evan-Wong has been coming to Grenada Sailing Week for the last 15 years making the podium with his former boats Hi Tension and Huey Too and will be racing this year with his all-carbon RP36 Taz. “Grenada is one of my favorite Caribbean Islands, it is stunningly beautiful,” commented Bernie. “The people are just so naturally friendly and welcoming that even though we have to sail 350 miles each way, it’s well worth the trip.”

The J/24 Class offers some of the hottest racing at the regatta. Gus Reader has been coming every year since 2007 and this year will be with his Barbadian team racing Fadeaway. Nick Forsberg from Rodney Bay St. Lucia is also a regular at the regatta but claims; “it is all a bit hazy before 2018 but we love the rivalry and the friendship.”

From Austria, Dieter Huppenkothen will be racing his Swan 43 Rasmus, which has been racing nearly every year since 2005. Rasmus’ best result is second and the team from Vienna will be hoping to get that elusive win. Johnathan Gittens has sailed his Morgan 41 Shangri La down from Barbados, this will be their fourth regatta having won class in 2015 and 2017.

Jean-Michel Figueres returns with his Martinique team racing Farr 40 Maisons Satec, this will be their third regatta. Debutants for Grenada Sailing Week include Edward & Jonathan Kacal’s First 38 Petit Careme, from Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The two largest entries at Grenada Sailing Week are Mathew Barker’s Alfred Milne designed classic The Blue Peter and Peter Anthony’s Antiguan Farr 65 Spirit of Juno. The latter has kindly offered to take two Grenadian youth sailors on board for the week along with their charter guests.

Grenada and its islands have over 200 years of history in boat building and the locally built Carriacou Sloops will be racing in the Classics class at Grenada Sailing Week. Danny Donelan’s Savvy Yacht Charters has three entries. Savvy will be skippered by Danny with a crew from Louisiana and Texas. Free In St Barths will be skippered by Cal Enoe with a Canadian team and Zemi will be skippered by Walter Ollivierre.

Cal is the son of Alwyn Enoe, the celebrated family which is featured in the movie Vanishing Sails. Walter has been racing Carriacou Sloops for over a decade and is himself a renowned boat builder. Crew spots are still available on Zemi, and for sailing fans in Grenada that would like to watch, rather than race, the traditional Caribbean schooner, Jambalya, is available for groups or individuals to watch the racing in style.

Event Details – www.grenadasailingweek.com

Source: Louay Habib