Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine November 2015

BUSINESS BRIEFS
The Caribbean you’re looking for
Barbados Targets Yachting Sector
The CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., William Griffith, has announced a
new partnership between Barbados and Team Concise, a British offshore yacht racing
team. The aim is to attract more yachts to Barbados, and in particular to draw
attention to January 2016’s Round Island Race, commemorating 50 years of
Independence for Barbados as well as celebrating former Prime Minister Errol
Barrow’s passion “for all things sailing”.
The Minister of Tourism, the Hon Richard L. Sealy, commented, “We Barbadians
want more yachtsmen and racers to stop by and enjoy our beautiful island. We
have excellent clearance facilities, two welcoming yacht clubs, new marinas and
Government is building more visitor berths in time for the coming winter season. I
Racing is a
key component
in Barbados’s
yacht tourism thrust
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believe that working with a highly regarded sailing organization like Team Concise
will help us raise our profile and attract more boats to our marvelous island and its
ever-improving yachting facilities.”
Two of Team Concise’s yachts, the 70-foot trimaran Concise 10, and the Royal
Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Class 40 champion, Concise 8, will be branded Ms.
Barbados for the coming winter season. They will then fly “Barbados’ colours” in the
UK, France, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Brazil, before heading to their new
base near Bridgetown for the Eastern Caribbean winter racing season. With the trimaran
carrying a 30-foot tall “Trident”, the iconic symbol of BTMI, on its headsail, the
Barbados “brand” will be highly visible on race courses on both sides of the Atlantic.
The yachts are expected to arrive in Barbados around mid-December, after
Concise 10 completes the RORC Transatlantic Race, and Concise 8 the Transat
Jacques Vabre race. Then, as part of their program, the two boats will make
repeated runs around Barbados attempting to establish new records for the fastest
time around the island. This will be a visual feast of speed for visitors on the beaches
as well as local Bajans who have a passion for anything fast, on or off the water.
Barbados has also announced a welcome expansion in its facilities for cruising
yachts. Minister Sealy, as the Minister responsible for International Transport, has
approved the construction of 35 new berths located in the Shallow Draft Facility
within the port of Bridgetown. The berths will have access to onshore power and
water supplies, as well as offices for Customs, Immigration and Port Health. These
new berths will be available from December, in time for the arrival of the inaugural
Islands Odyssey, which left the Canary Islands in October, bound for Barbados after
making a stopover in the Cape Verdes.
In 2016, as part of the celebrations planned for Barbados’ 50th anniversary independence
celebrations, the Barbados 50 sailing rally will trace the historic route from
London down to the Canaries and on to Senegal and Gambia, before continuing
on to the Caribbean and a chance to join Barbadians in their celebrations.
Yachts taking part in the Islands Odyssey and Barbados 50 will also be able to use
the Inner Basin in the heart of Bridgetown, which has recently been upgraded to
accommodate around 30 yachts, with new moorings and stern-to docking, as well
as shore power and water access.
“The absence of a conveniently located marina and yachting facilities generally
has been the greatest handicap for Barbados to fulfill its potential as a destination
of choice for yachts crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean,” commented Jimmy
Cornell, Founder of the ARC and Director of Cornell Sailing Events. “Thirty years after
the first ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) made landfall in Barbados, Cornell Sailing
Events will use this new opportunity to ensure that once again Barbados can lay
claim to being the logical ‘Gateway to the Caribbean’.”
See What’s New at Island Water World
Birgit Röthel reports: Island Water World just a got a new line of dinghies in — called
Aruba, this new line of fiberglass RIBs promises the very best in craftsmanship, performance
and value, so you can have more fun on the water.
As their website says,
Aruba RIBs start with
proven Italian design
— they’re lightweight,
fast and good-looking.
But what truly sets
Aruba apart from the
competition is the
attention to detail and
care in manufacturing.
State-of-the-art manufacturing
technology is
blended with meticulous
craftsmanship to
produce durable
tubes and surprisingly lightweight fiberglass hulls that offer exceptional quality and
rugged reliability.
Once you’re on the water, you’ll feel the performance built into every Aruba RIB.
The Lite Series features a stepped hull that gets these smaller tenders up on plane
quickly. Lifting strakes on the Comfort and Nova Series hulls get the tubes entirely out
of the water when on plane, so you get a fast, dry ride.
—Continued on next page