(St Georges, Grenada, West Indies)- Racing for the international fleet at Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week started last Monday 27 January and completed this past weekend. Grenada delivered nearly perfect conditions for the four days of racing with trade winds predominantly from the southeast in the 10 to 18 kts range. The regatta featured enthusiastic fleets of CSA Handicap classes and a very hot fleet of J/24s.
In the huge and competitive fourteen-boat CSA 1 Class, Pamala Baldwin's J/122 LIQUID team from Antigua was the overall winner of the class (pictured above). The young team led by Pamala scored podium finishes in all ten races, including scoring five bullets!
"This is a great start to our season," commented Baldwin. "Our consistency comes from great preparation from the team and the ability to minimize the effect of problems when they occur. The team is also very fit and when you are competing in up to three races a day, fatigue is a big factor in the last race because it can effect concentration which can cause errors."
Peter Lewis's J/121 WHISTLER from Barbados finished the regatta in style taking the win in the last race and finishing just "out of the chocolates", 2.5 pts from third place on the podium. There's was the story of getting their new J/121 dialed-in for tuning and boatspeed, refining and optimizing their teamwork, and getting out of the starting blocks in better position while minimizing down-the-race-track tactics and strategies.
The overall lead in the J/24 Class changed every day of the regatta, such had been the intensity of the competition. After 18 hard-fought races (16 counting after 2 discards), Robbie Yearwood's DIE HARD from Grenada came back off the ropes to win by a single point from Nick Forsberg's JABAL from Santa Lucia. Gus Reader's FADEAWAY from Barbados won the last race of the regatta but finished third just three points behind the winner.
"We are called Die Hard because we never give up," smiled Robbie Yearwood. "We are level-headed, never get twisted, and don't harbor bad thoughts when things go wrong. That's history, we look forward not behind. The J/24 Class is one-design, so it is very, very close. After 18 races, it could not have been a tighter or harder fought battle on a tactical basis. We often crossed the finish line overlapped with 2 to3 boats! Socially, we get together after racing, we help each other fix the boats, and we have a couple of beers together. We had an additional bet between us, so we have a great bottle of rum to enjoy!"
The Prize Giving for Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week was headlined by the "Mount Gay Rum Red Cap Party" at The Aquarium Restaurant on Magazine Beach. Guest of Honor was Brenda Hood, Chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority, who congratulated the winners, sponsors and organizers of Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week. Brian Sylvester represented Mount Gay Rum livened up the proceedings before DJ King Turbo and Solid the Band, played a spectacular live set. The Aquarium is one of Grenada's finest restaurants, established in 1996 by Ulli Khun, it has a long history of hosting the awards ceremony for the regatta and that has now returned to its roots! Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com For Grenada Sailing Week scores For more Grenada Sailing Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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