Antigua Classics Regatta 2012

 28.4.2012

What an amazing spectacle!! It really is a celebration of sailing history, traditions, and craftsmanship over the years. It brings together Classical, Traditional, Vintage, and Spirit of Tradition yachts, ranging in size from 24ft to 183ft, and in ages from 1908 to 2011.

                          

The aim is to encourage owners and crews of Classic and Traditional, and Vintage boats to sail alongside one another, on courses designed for these classes, so that racing is “fun”, with the emphasis being on “ just sailing together”, in ideal Caribbean conditions. (my précis from the official programme!)

This was the 25^th Anniversary of the event, which has contributed enormously to the resurgence of Classic yacht design and restoration. The inclusion of the Spirit of Tradition class, allows the inclusion of yachts built recently, using modern methods and materials, but retaining the “grace and style” of old classics. The class A division in this Grouping, includes, for example the 183ft, Hoek designed “Athos”,  the 140ft German Frers designed “Rebecca”,  The Cape Town built German Frers  105ft “Bolero”,  as well as the new 115ft , Hoek designed F class pioneer yacht, “Firefly”, which is a modernized version of the old “J Class” yachts.

REBECCA

BOLERO

ATHOS

FIREFLY - F-CLASS PIONEER

(The J Class yachts “Endeavour”, “Ranger”, “Velsheda”, and “Shamrock V”, were sadly enticed away to an Olympic special event this year) . Nevertheless, entries were 6 up on last year, with 56 boats entered.

Spectators are able to view the event from a number of high vantage points between Falmouth and Shirley Heights, or from the water on their own boats.  I had the opportunity of viewing two races from front row  positions on Middle Ground,  the 3^rd , on board Andre and Alison’s catamaran, “Ratcatcher”, and  the 4^th , as a crew member on the 1943 Traditional yacht “Gaucho”.

 

The Race committee was superb, combining efficiency , excellent communication,  with a lovely sense of humour!  The 5 main classes are further broken down into subclasses based on size and speed, making 14 classes in total. These were then consolidated into 5 starting flag groups, 15 minutes apart, with the smallest boats leaving first, and the fastest ones last. The sight of some of the 100ft plus yachts bearing down at high speed on smaller was awesome, and for some, intimidating!

TUIGA

ELENA

The racing was keen, but courteous, with the emphasis on enjoyment. Protesting was permitted, but NOT encouraged. Shouting, cheering and yelling are encouraged!! A 30ft yacht on starboard tack, doing 6 knots, can hardly expect the 139ft  gaff rigged “Elena”  doing 14 knots, and requiring a rugby field area, plus 3 to 4 minutes to come about, to comply very happily with standard racing rules of the road!  (In 5 races there was only one protest involving a collision, and broken bowsprit!)

“Elena” is in fact a 2009, exact replica of the 1911 Herreshcoff designed gaff rigged schooner, of the same name, which won the Kings Plate trans Atlantic race in 1928, in 16 days and 21hours. Other special boats in the event were “Tuiga”, the 76ft W.Fife Gaff sloop, the 65ft  1927 Herreschoff “”Mary Rose”, and the 74ft van der Staadt, “Stormvogel”, plus a host of other beauties too numerous to list!

Mary and I will never forget the 2012 Antigua Classic Week!

MOYA

CORAL

ELENA

ELENA

KATE

STORMVOGEL

GODSPEED

EILEEN

A change of cruising plans and Barbuda

                                                                                                               17/4/2012 

There is still so much to see and enjoy within the Caribbean, before rushing up to the USA! (The seemingly non stop radio networking yada yada of cruisers from those shores might also have influenced our thinking!)

Whatever! We decided having seen some of the magnificent Classic yachts, congregating for the Antigua Classic, that we just had to stay on, to witness this once in a lifetime opportunity of seeing this “celebration of sailing” !

This also meant that we had about 10 days to spare, before making our way back to Falmouth, to find a suitable anchorage, and to research all the best viewing points. So it was off to Barbuda!

Jervon and ourselves stocked up with provisions at Jolly Harbour, and went on to Deep Bay from where we sailed to Coco Point, Barbuda. We both made good time and were anchored off the pink beach near the Coco Beach Hotel, and inside the reef, by lunch time. Barbuda is a very flat pancake like island just over half the size of Antigua, but with a population of only about 2000, mainly living in Codrington. As a result, we enjoyed the wide open spaces, with hardly a person in sight!

The sad aspect, again, was the nearly empty Coco Beach hotel, and the enormous K Club resort, further along the bay, which was once the playground of the rich and famous, has been boarded up and closed for the past 7 years.

From our very selfish perspective, it was great! No people, jet skis, glass bottomed boats, and plenty of reefs to explore. We met Andre and Alison on “Ratcatcher”, another RSA couple who had done the Cape to Rio race, and were now enjoying the Caribbean. They collected a whole bunch of green coconuts from the laden palms around the K Club, and we were the lucky recipients of 10. The coconut water makes a thoroughly refreshing and nutritious drink when chilled, and diluted with a little rum!

We sailed up around Palmetto Point to Low Bay, on the 11 mile beach , which stretches from the Reefs in the north to Palmetto point.  

We snorkeled over the reefs there, and looked at the prices on display at the very up market (but empty) Lighthouse Hotel Resort. The cheapest bottle of wine was US $ 90 and there was one for US$ 1000 if you were feeling flush! Beers were $8.00. There is apparently a reasonably priced restaurant across the lagoon in Codrington, but a water taxi boat to take you the 2 miles over the lagoon will cost $40 before you look at the menu. The strip of land which separates the sea from the lagoon is only about 50m wide, at Louis Bay. (So named after hurricane Louis washed away the strip of beach for a while) It used to be quite easy to man handle one’s dinghy over the spit, and visit town for provisions or a restaurant. The water taxi owners have now built a fence along this narrow strip to force the yachties to use water taxis! 

A visit to the Frigate Bird Rookery (2 miles up the lagoon) will also cost you $60 to go with a compulsory guide, but you still have to get to Codrington by water taxi first! Needless to say we gave it a miss!

 Walking along the beautiful beach, one can clearly see the millions of fragments of pink shells, which give the beaches their pink hue in the sunlight.

We loved our visit to Barbuda, and were sad to leave. We managed to pick a good easterly to romp back to Jolly harbour, where we again stocked up with fresh foods at the supermarket. Two days later, we motored the 11miles to Falmouth in calm conditions, and luckily found ideal anchorage positions off  Pigeon Beach, before all the other yachts  flocked in to watch the Classic Race Week from 19^th to 24^th April.

Antigua, and Kate’s visit gone in a flash!

                24/3/2012

After our boisterous romp from Deshaies to Falmouth, we had a couple of days to check in at Nelsons Dockyard, and learn a little about Antigua before Kate’s arrival.

We then took a taxi out to the airport, which is in the North and at the opposite end of the island from Falmouth. What an island of contrasts!

We drove past the brand new Viv Richards Cricket Stadium, financed and built by China, and passed the “China Town”, which seems to be the legacy of all China’s Caribbean benevolence. We had seen the same pattern in other islands where China has financed and built, using Chinese labour, harbours, fish markets, jetties and markets, as well as the roadworks in Dominica. Right now there is a big issue in Antigua over the fact that the Chinese are paying all the fishermen over the set prices for lobster, buying up the islands entire catch, and shipping them out by the container load. Same old recipe! Exploit a species, drive it to the brink of extinction, to push up prices, build a monopoly, and milk the rewards! If that’s what they are doing here, I am pretty sure that they are doing the same in the other Caribbean islands in which they have left their “workers”!

The airport approach is through magnificent gardens, hotels, and another brand new cricket stadium. These developments were part of Alan Stamford plans to revitalize West Indies Cricket, using regional Twenty –Twenty cricket to attract and discover new talent. The stadium is named after him, and it all looks very impressive. Sadly, however, it seems that his methods of raising finance from investors left much to be desired, and he is now fighting legal battles to avoid  a lengthy period in jail. A grand vision turned sour.

NELSONS DOCKYARD

LEANDER

The taxi ride back gave Kate an overview of the islands extremes…the run down airport, the new and impressive stadiums, the local homes and corner pubs, back down to Falmouth with the incredible number of Superyachts on show! We later walked over to Nelsons Dockyard in English Harbour, where a number of the magnificent Classic yachts and Classic replica’s were gathering for Antigua classic sailing week. Another impressive motor yacht (ship!!), was the” Leander”, which was on loan to the Royal Family for a State Visit, by Prince Edward and his wife Sophia, to various Caribbean states.

ZEPHIRO

“Zephiro”, Gerhard Reuters  impressive new Southern Wind  100 foot yacht  arrived and anchored beside us. Twice in as many days, my services were called upon to get them out the dwang! Firstly, a 25knot breeze came up suddenly, and Zephiro started dragging its anchor, while Gerhard, the skipper and guests were having dinner ashore. Left on board were his two Burmese crew, who yelled to me, “ Please help, we are sliding!”  I got them to let out another 80 foot of chain. The extra chain did the job, and the anchor re-set. I then went to the restaurant, to alert Gerhard and the skipper to the problem. The following day, I noticed the Zephiro tender, drifting away in the wind, with Gerhard and guests on board, and an engine which they could not start. Once again….Rod to the rescue!

VIEW FROM SHIRLEY HEIGHTS

The next day, by way of thanks, Gerhard and Regina came over bearing gifts of wine, T-shirts, and an invitation to join them for the famous Sunday night Music and Barbecue up on Shirley Heights.  All gifts were graciously accepted, and we all enjoyed a wonderful evening together, watching the sun set over Falmouth and English Harbours, enjoying the Pan music, Reggae, spare ribs, and Rum!  

We sailed around to Jolly Harbour, Five Islands Bay, to Deep Bay, enjoying the turquoise waters, numerous beaches, and some wreck diving.

DIVING "ANDES" IN DEEP BAY

At the same time one cannot help noticing the low level of tourism in the Caribbean, and the number of empty hotels, closed shops, premises to let, and developments where everything has a “For Sale” notice. Clearly, the global financial crisis has exacerbated the problems here, In Jolly Harbour, for example, one could have a choice of any number of waters edge condominiums( each with their own mooring dock in front), for between  US $230 000 to $280 000. The massive Casino there stands unused and shut down. In other respects, prices just seem to be increased to compensate for the lack of business. A beer will cost between US $5 and $8, and a hamburger about $30. In addition there is a 15% tax, and a 10% service charge! There seems little attempt to attract new business by way of daily specials, or Happy Hours, which are common in St Maarten, or Grenada.

As a cruising ground, however, Antigua is right up near the top, with its blend of history, anchorages, beaches, coral reefs, and bays to explore. On top of that, Barbuda is only 30 miles away.

Kate’s two weeks, sadly passed in a flash, but she returned home to RSA a more relaxed, suntanned and happier young lady!  She is looking forward to her new job, knowing that she did well at Merrill Lynch, but confident that in her new job, she will be able to restore a little more balance to her life, and do more of the things she wants to do.                                                                                                       

Back in France!! (Marie Galante, The Saints, Guadeloupe)

 3 /3/2012
 

MARIE GALANTE MARKET

Christopher Columbus ran out of Saints’ names, so he named the little pancake island of Marie Galante after one of his ships. We had never visited the island as it calls for a tough beat from Portsmouth. The introduction of compulsory mooring balls in the “Saints” at 8 Euro per night decided us, having been to the Saints twice before.

HARBOUR AT MARIE GALANTE

Once again we found the quiet, quaint French charm. A neat little town, serviced by an excellent Fishing /Ferry harbour, together with easy and accessible FREE Poubelle bins!

The yacht anchorage between the reef and the harbour wall was very rolly, so we only lasted 3 days, before heading on to the Saints. (Our Navionics Charts were again wrong!! They indicated that we were anchored outside the reef…..approx 650 feet out!!)

MURAT RESIDENCE

OLD RUM DISTILLERY

Before we left, however we went for a walk up to the old Murat Residence and Rhummary, which was built in 1810 .Enormous, gracious and elegant… typical of the pre French Revolution aristocracy and opulence. The ruins have been partly restored and have been converted into a museum, complete with the original medicinal herb and spice garden. The masonry and stonework is very impressive, as were the brass bushed bearings, cogs and gears with which the windmills crushed the sugarcane. The precision and workmanship is quite amazing, given that  they are 200 years old!

On the walk back, I picked up a calabash gourd, which I turned into our  cockpit light .

CALABASH COCKPIT LIGHT

We had a quick 16nm downwind sail to the Saints, where we at first resented having to pick up one of the 57 new mooring balls. We had never been there in peak season, and were forced to rethink our initial opinions. When all the buoys are taken, they only allow 23 more yachts to anchor (for the same fee of 8Euros). This restricts the number of visiting yachts to 80, and it was at this level while we were there, and they were stretched to breaking point trying to cope with the Poubelle removal and water demands. Prior to the buoys and the limits, they just could not cope. As it was, the refuse removal and water ferries were running 24/7 to keep up with the 80 yachts and cruise ships. We left understanding the 8 Euro charge!

MAIN STREET,  BOURGE DES SAINTES

After 3 days , we headed for Pigeon Island half way up Guadeloupe, where anchoring was safe and free!! In addition we found a big Leader Price Supermarket, where we could again stock up on French goodies!! On the way to the shops, we passed a car wreck with the number plate “ANC 1”. Prophetic perhaps???

                                                                                                    

Pigeon Island is the Jacques Cousteau Diving reserve, and an important tourism destination in Guadeloupe.

 We sailed on to Deshaies after a few days, from where we could wait for the right weather slot to do the 50nm leg to Antigua. Kate was due to arrive in Antigua in another week. We took one look at the gribs (computer generated weather predictions), and decided that our best chance was the next day, despite the predictions of  20- 25knot ENE winds and 3m-4m swells. It was only going to get worse during the next week! We left at 6.00am, and the forecast was accurate. With an Easterly current set of 2knots, we had to sail hard and fast, to minimize its effect. With 2 reefs in the main, the staysail, and about a No 3 genoa, we covered the 47 miles to Falmouth in exactly 7 hours. It was rough, wet, and quite uncomfortable, and we were very happy to drop the hook in time for lunch. We later met up with a NZ couple who had left Deshaies at the same time in their 52ft yacht, and took 9 hours for the crossing! Go Sheer GO!!