Carriacou Regatta Festival 2007 - Caribbean Compass

—Continued from previous page
Well, all dem sailors partyin’ an’ arguin’ who mek bad
tack an’ who go’ get dem ass cut tomorrow, very good,
back to town.
Well, is Sunday mornin’ an’ ah look down on de harbour
an’ fo’ tell de truth, it pretty fo’ so but fo’ swimmin’
an’ snorkellin’ not fo’ sailin’. Is like glass on de
Some 40 indigenous boats coming from seven islands
raced in ten classes at this year’s
Carriacou Regatta Festival
water. It got ah small tanker in de harbour — ah was
wonderin’ if she pump out she oil in de bay, it so calm.
Eleven o’clock now an’ ah feelin’ ah little air on me skin
an’ ah shadow on de water, good sign. De little air
comin’ from de south so de land tekin’ half. Dem got
two races today, about 40 boats sailin’ including eight
deck sloops, nice fo’ see dem increasin’. Last time ah
was here, dem had t’ree left after de hurricane but now
dem buildin’ back. Dey does look so nice downwind wid
all de pretty spinnakers. Well, as ah say, 40 boats out
in de harbour, lookin’ good, but my eyes on de long
open boats as dey call dem down dey. We also got
Tornado, Divine, Worries, Sweet Image an’ My Love from
Bequia. Ah don’t know all de names so, as de old people
say, ah go’ tell yo’ what ah know. Dem do dey laps
an’ comin’ to de finish, Passion in de lead, Bluff in second
place — but not fo’ long. De wind cut about 100
feet from de finish. Ah stand up ’pon de end ah de
wharf, me heart in me mouth. Cloudy Bay 100 yards
behind an’ got ah puff comin’ wid ah bone in she t’roat.
Bam! She pass Bluff 20 feet to de mark an’ tek second
place. Ah couldn’t believe it although ah see it happen
already right here in Carriacou. Limbo
beatin’ Ace by a long way, Sweet Image
just’ beatin’ out Worries, an’ Tornado
behind by ah long shot.
De second race start about half past two,
still de same conditions, same course, not
much change only dis time, Bluff in second
place. So yo’ know who behind. Ah hope it
blow ah little wind tomorrow but de weatherman
say stable conditions affectin’ de
islands — we go’ see.
Well, Monday is here. Last race today an’
no change in de harbour, calm like a pond
as dey say. Eleven o’clock reach an’ not
much difference, only some clouds hangin’
about, puttin’ doubt in dem skipper mind
it go blow or not: yo’ t’ink we should
change de sail? Yo’ t’ink we should carry
mo’ ballast? Well, ah tell Bluff go wid what
she carry yesterday, blow or not — she
stiff, she go’ stand up. Dem start; downwind
dem go, Passion in de lead, Bluff,
Cloudy Bay. Dem in de second lap now an’
same position but de wind doin’ ah shift
aroun’ every now an’ den. As ah say,
Passion in de lead, Bluff right behind. Is de first time in
de four races dey ha’ fo’ tack, Passion on starboard,
Bluff on port — watch it! Bluff tack fo’ get out she way
an’ mo’ tack to de finish, Passion still in front. About
100 feet to de finish, de wind drop. Passion stop in she
tracks, Bluff jump she sheets, tek de little air an’ slide
right past Passion fo’ tek de first! Ah know me friend
Leo nah like dat. But, after all, he know anyt’in’ over 12
knot, Bluff is better dan Passion. Cloudy Bay trudgin’
behind, Limbo way ahead ah Ace, Sweet Image way
ahead ah Worries. Imagine, wind at five knots an’
Worries capsizing. Fo’ all de year ah know Andy sailin’,
he cyan’t complete ah regatta without swimmin’!
All in all, ah enjoyed meself. It was ah very good
regatta, ah bit low-keyed, but so ah like it. I must
thank Leo an’ Bernard an’ de rest ah de regatta committee
for mekin’ my stay an enjoyable one an’ puttin’
on ah good show. Hats off — see yo’ next year.
Carriacou Regatta
2007 Winners
Small Open Boat A
1) Ark Royal, Roy Delisle, Petite Martinique
2) Pimpy, Verrol Compton, Carriacou
3) Wet, David Noel, Carriacou
Small Open Boat A1
1) Sweet Image, Robert Hazell, Bequia
2) Worries, Andrew Mitchell, Bequia
3) Tornado, Kingsley Stowe, Bequia
Small Open Boat B
1) Now For Now, Clayton DeRoche, Petite Martinique
2) Parasite, Clint Bethel, Petite Martinique
3) Perceive, Adlion Bethel, Petite Martinique
Small Open Boat C
1) My Love, Stanley Harry, Bequia
2) Bad Feelings, Samuel Forde, Mayreau
3) Hard Target, Victor Hazell, Mayreau
Small Open Boat D
1) Swift, Sean Martin, Sauteurs
2) Classic, Ted Richards, Gouyave
3) Passage, Nicholas Bethel, Sauteurs
Long Open Boat A (Budget Marine)
1) Passion, Matthew Joseph, Carriacou
2) Bluff, Lashie King, Bequia
3) Cloudy Bay, Arnold Hazell, Bequia
Long Open Boat B (Budget Marine)
1) Limbo, Alec Daniel, Bequia
2) Ace, Devas Joseph, Carriacou
Stern Boat
1) Out-Rage, Emmanuel Bethel, Petite Martinique
2) Ghost, Emmanuel Clement, Petite Martinique
3) East Wind, Gerald Bethel, Petite Martinique
Large Decked Sloop (Republic Bank)
1) Margeta O II, Bernard Compton, Carriacou
2) Glacier, Cheesman Patrice, Carriacou
3) Marie Stella, Michael Bethel, Carriacou
Small Decked Sloop (Republic Bank)
1) Rosalina, Petroc Patrice, Carriacou
2) Run Away, Javid McLawrence, Carriacou
3) Small Pin, Hope McLawrence, Carriacou
Round-D-Island Race (PSV Resort)
1) Glacier, Cheesman Patrice, Carriacou
2) Marie Stella, Michael Bethel, Carriacou
3) Margeta O II, Cyril Compton, Carriacou
Long Open Boat Saturday
1) Passion, Leo Joseph, Carriacou
2) Out-Rage, Emmanuel Bethel, Petite Martinique
3) Ghost, Emmanuel Clement, Petite Martinique
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SEPTEMBER 2007 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 15