Antigua Racing Cup: Trade Wind Rhythm, Caribbean Blues

The Antigua Racing Cup was once again blessed with solid breeze for the second day of the regatta but with a subtle difference to the opening day. The trade winds had veered to the ESE adding subtle shifts and lifts but the gradient breeze was up to 20 knots; the ‘trades were pumping up the action on the southside of Antigua.

The Race Committee set a variety of courses including tight windward leeward race tracks, plus courses with reaching legs using virtual waypoints located in the deep water south of Antigua. All classes enjoyed up to five hours of outstanding racing.

CSA 1

Dan Gribble’s Tripp 65 Custom Prevail (USA) took line honours and won both of today’s races in the big boat class after CSA time correction. John McMonigal’s Oyster 82 Zig Zag (GBR), skippered by Carl Raynes, was second in both races. Unfortunately for Lennart Davidsson’s S&S 79 Kialoa III, gear failure resulted in no races completed today. The team are safe and well and effecting repairs. Kialoa III hopes to be back on the race course tomorrow.

CSA 2

The duels keep coming in the high performance class. In Race 3, Steve Rigby’s GS46 Belladonna (GBR) took the CSA corrected time win by 1 minute 28 seconds from  RP37 Warthog (ANT) skippered by Jules Mitchell, with Bruce Chafee’s RP42 Rikki (USA) third, 3 minutes 55 seconds off the pace. In Race 4, Warthog hit back to win by 2 minutes 40 seconds from Rikki, while Belladonna was just 20 seconds further back in third. Race 5 saw Belladonna return to the top, beating Warthog by 3 minutes 26 seconds on corrected time, with Rikki third, only 26 seconds behind Warthog. Across the day, Belladonna and Warthog shared the race wins, but the margins stayed razor thin and Rikki remained firmly in the mix throughout, underlining just how competitive CSA 2 has proved to be.

CSA 3

Danish Blue continues to set the pace but the chasing pack kept the pressure on throughout the day. In Race 3, Poul Hoj-Jensen’s Danish Blue (ANT) took the CSA corrected time win by 3 minutes 56 seconds from Katy Campbell’s Panacea X (CAN). J-Aguar Powered by Heat Wave, skippered by Gary Weisberg (USA), was third, 1 minute 30 seconds further back. Race 4 belonged to Panacea X, which turned the tables to score their first bullet by 57 seconds from J-Aguar Powered by Heat Wave, while Danish Blue had to settle for third. In Race 5, Danish Blue struck back, taking the corrected time win by 1 minute 44 seconds from Panacea X, with Team Strada Awaken third, another 2 minutes 05 seconds adrift. Across the day, CSA 3 delivered another superb contest, with Danish Blue proving hard to beat and Panacea X showing they have the speed to challenge all the way. 

CSA 4

Ashley Rhodes’ Melges 24 Whiplash (ANT) was untouchable across all three races  but the battle behind was incredibly tight. In Race 3, Whiplash took the CSA corrected time win by just 13 seconds from Sigma 38 The Project, skippered by Lee Oldak (USA), with Jean-Mallory Rousseau’s First Class 10 Montebello Pepsi (FRA) third, 57 seconds further back. Race 4 was another thriller, with Whiplash again on top, this time by 55 seconds from The Project, while Montebello Pepsi was only 6 seconds behind in third. Race 5 was even closer, as Whiplash completed a perfect day, edging Montebello Pepsi by just 2 seconds on corrected time, with The Project a mere 3 seconds further back in third. Across the day, Whiplash kept the unbeaten run alive, but the margins were razor thin and CSA 4 produced some of the closest racing in the regatta.

Sundowners in Nelson’s Dockyard is a great finish to a phenomenal day’s racing at the Antigua Racing Cup. The daily prize giving becomes the social heartbeat of the regatta. Crews come ashore with the day’s battles still fresh in their minds, ready to relive the key moments, catch up with rivals and friends, and enjoy the warm hospitality of complimentary English Harbour Rum and Amstel Beer. Followed by the regular National Parks Seafood Friday, always a big attraction.

For the day’s winning teams, it is also a chance to savour success before doing it all again tomorrow. Here is what some of the sailors had to say:

CSA 1 – Zig Zag’s Carl Raynes

Oyster 82 Zig Zag, skippered by Carl Raynes, has four Y2K sailors on board. For six years, the Youth to Keel programme has been a key part of Antigua Sailing Week’s drive to bring more young Antiguans into big boat sailing, and it now forms part of the Antigua Racing Cup. Sailors from the National Sailing Academy and Antigua Yacht Club programmes sign up to crew.

“For us, having the Y2K sailors on Zig Zag is about much more than giving them a ride on a big boat, it is about giving them a real pathway into the sport. Zig Zag’s owner John McMonigal is hugely committed to helping young Antiguans come through from dinghies into keelboats, and we wanted to make sure they were fully involved in that process. Connor Imhoff, Imani John Polanco, Johan Salmon and T’Quan James have all been part of the team, learning the huge loads, the timing, the sail handling and the teamwork that big boat racing demands. They are properly involved and taking on real responsibility. What we get back is seeing their determination, their willingness to learn and their enthusiasm for the sport. That is hugely rewarding. The aim is to give them the skills and confidence to sail not just on Zig Zag, but on other boats in the future as well.”

CSA 2 – Warthog’s Jay Keeshan (Fleet Captain Stamford YC, CT, USA)

“The Antigua Racing Cup has been fantastic, really the sort of sailing you dream about. Coming from Stamford Yacht Club in Connecticut where conditions on Long Island Sound can be beautiful one day and completely fickle the next, to race here in steady breeze, warm water and a properly run regatta is a real treat. What I love about Warthog is the mix on board. We have experienced sailors with long backgrounds in the sport, but also talented young Antiguan sailors who bring huge energy, skill and sharpness. That blend makes the boat a special place to race. For me, it is not just about results or ratings, it is about sailing well with good people and enjoying the challenge. Every day here tests you, and every day you come off the water feeling sharper. That is what makes this regatta so rewarding.”

CSA 3 – Panacea X’s Katy Campbell

Katy Campbell’s North American team on Panacea X notched up their first race victory today but it was a far from easy day for the charter crew led by the highly experienced Canadian skipper.

“It was a challenging day for us, but I am incredibly proud of the crew for the way they kept fighting. We had the main halyard go in the first race, then the jib tack blew in the second, so we definitely had our share of problems on board. But this team knows how to dig in, stay calm and keep going, and that made all the difference. A lot of us have sailed together before, and that experience really showed today. We know our good stuff is excellent, so the goal now is simply to make fewer mistakes and keep sailing clean. We have huge respect for Danish Blue, they are a very good team, but we feel we are learning and building every race. Antigua is the sort of place where you are tested hard, and today I think our crew showed real character.”

CSA 4 – The Project’s Lee Oldak

After a decade of trying, Sag Harbor’s Lee Oldak from the Breakwater YC won the Antigua & Barbuda Hamptons Challenge winning an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in Antigua. Lee races his Henderson 30 Purple Haze back home and this is the first time he has ever been in Antigua.

“It has been an amazing experience to finally get to Antigua after trying to win the Antigua & Barbuda Hamptons Challenge for so many years. This is my first time here, and everything about it has felt special. The racing is very different from what we are used to back home in Sag Harbor, both in the breeze and the style of boat, so there has been a lot to learn. But that is part of the excitement. The competition has been incredibly close, and to be in the mix has been a real thrill for our team. Honestly, it feels like we had already won before we even arrived in Antigua.”