Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - March 2020

An Integral Part of
Our Campaign
Caribbean Compass have been
huge supporters of Grenada Sailing
Week for many years and they
have been an integral part of our
campaign in reaching out to sailors
and yachties throughout the region
about our event.
The whole team have been incredibly
accommodating over the years,
but most of all they are always a
real pleasure to work with. We look
forward to many more years working
together.
Karen Stiell, Regatta Manager
Grenada Sailing Week
REGATTA NEWS
‘Viking’ Rally Arrives in St. Vincent
Mike Westin reports: The third edition of the ”Viking
Explorers” transatlantic yacht rally arrived in St.
Vincent in early February. Approximately 20 yachts —
mainly Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, hence the
Viking name — started in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
early January and stopped in Mindelo, Cape Verde
Islands, en route.
The youngest skipper was David Westervik, 24, from
Norway, leading a crew of four persons, all under 25
years. Their entry fee was waived, as the Viking
Explorers team wants to encourage more young cruisers.
The young crew plans to cruise for a couple of
years, inviting friends to join them along the way.
Some 60 sailors enjoyed arriving in the Blue Lagoon
marina after two to three weeks at sea. All reported
an unusually easy crossing with light winds and a lot
of energy remaining to discover the island of St.
Vincent. After that, most participants planned to
move on to the Grenadines and stay for a few
weeks. St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Minister of
Tourism, the Hon. Cecil McKie, welcomed participants
during the prizegiving ceremony on February
7th. The ceremony was followed by a dock party
courtesy of Blue Lagoon Marina.
The fourth edition of Viking Explorers, starting January
6th 2021, is already fully subscribed, but organizers are
hoping that the destination marinas might be able to
march 2020 CARIBBEAN COMPAss pAGE 12
It Has Really Helped Us
Antigua Sailing Week is delighted
with the support Caribbean
Compass has shown us over the
years. From publishing our event
dates consistently to picking up key
press releases for the Regatta News
section, it has really helped us get
the word out to the sailing community
in the region.
A huge thank you to the Compass
team for all their hard work.
Congratulations on reaching this
key milestone.
Alison Sly-Adams
President and Commercial Director
Antigua Sailing Week
The crew of Elara arriving in Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent. The Viking Explorer Rally wants to encourage more young
people to cruise.
accommodate more boats or that additional destinations
might be added.
Visit www.vikingexplorers.eu for more information.
ON THE HORIZON
New Race Director for St. Maarten Heineken
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club Regatta Foundation
has appointed Marc van Dongen as the new
Race Director for the 40th edition of the St.
Maarten Heineken Regatta, to be held March 5th
through 8th.
After collecting feedback from past and current
competitors, changes were made in Race
Management. The new Race Director came highly
recommended by well-known sailors and is supported
by a team of experienced volunteers who have been
involved with the event for decades.
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