Louay Habib Caribbean blog: Throw Back at Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
by Louay Habib 23 Apr 2014 08:49 BST
17-22 April 2014
Antigua has just gone into a time warp, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta is a magnificent spectacle for traditional boats. From the mighty J/Class Rainbow to the beautiful petite Herreshoff S Class - Classics is a must for the wooden boat junkies!
The oldest yacht racing this year was Richard Oswald's Coral of Cowes built in 1902 and probably the most famous was Stormvogel. Can you think of another yacht that has won the Fastnet, Hobart, Cape to Rio and the Middle Sea Race?
Back in the 80s, Antigua Sailing Week was 200 boat strong but there was a massive difference in the boats competing. GRP and even early Carbon fibre yachts were difficult for the traditional boats to beat. Kenny Coombs and a group of locals decided to start a new event and the Antigua Classic Regatta was born. Unlike other classic regattas, they decided to allow boats that weren't made of wood but were in the spirit of traditional boats. Old Bob is a good example, owned by Dave Buller. Old Bob is made of concrete, hence the Old Bob T-Shirts 'Old Bob Rocks'. Dave bought the boat second hand and increased the length of its foremast by welding a traffic sign pole on it! The crew blow party hooters and sing sea chanties as they go round the course and everybody chants "Old Bob!Old Bob!" As they pass. Old Bob more is not elegant but she is a fine example of the spirit of ‘Classics.
In my opinion, the most stunning yacht at the regatta was Juno, designed by Nat Benjamin and built by Gannon & Benjamin in Martha's Vineyard, Juno was launched in 2003 and the 65' foot schooner displaces 92,000lbs, the quality of the workmanship is outstanding and the boat is meticulously maintained by the owners, Robert and Melissa Soros of New York city. Juno scored straight bullets at the regatta and to see her beautifully set in glorious Caribbean conditions was just mind blowing.
The Carriacou Sloops at the regatta are a colourful bunch, there is a lot of micky-taking on the dock as well as a few swigs of jack iron rum after battle. The racing is incredibly competitive, most of the boats are built in Carriacou or Petit Martinique and they are all wood, with long lead keels and they really fly, especially on a reach, the oversized gaff rigged mainsail produces incredible power. Most of the sailors are young and a mixture of islanders and wooden boat enthusiasts from the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Canada.
Party-wise, there is something going on just about every night. The open-mic talent contest is a personal favourite. Musicians or even slightly tipsy journalist get to play with a top band, namely Itchy Feet and entertain the crowd. The stand out performer was John Nobbs and his motley crew, John is an expert clarinet player and got the biggest cheer and a conga going.
Next up - Antigua Sailing Week, where the modern yachts like ICAP Leopard, Tonnerre, Monster Project and over a hundred more will be screeching around the Caribbean.
For more information visit www.antiguaclassics.com