Event Briefing
(Sunny) reset
A great deal of effort has gone into planning the 2021 Caribbean regattas and the organisers are increasingly optimistic about entry numbers. They deserve your support... And you deserve some Caribbean tradewind fun
One of the most remarkable traits of those living in the Caribbean is that when adversity strikes, the result is a common strength of spirit in forging a way forward. This resilience, honed by natural disasters like hurricanes over the years, is as predictable and dependable as the steady trade winds that make the Caribbean one of the world’s best places to race. This spring, as borders were closed and regattas cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers of the regions 14 major international sailing events immediately jumped on weekly Zoom calls to discuss how to navigate in the present waters, i.e. helping crews and boats get back to home, and to plan ahead. The result of this collaboration was a collective agreement that there would indeed be a 2021 Caribbean regatta season. Events will likely have “new normal” in place, as in the rest of the world. However, what will remain the same and in fact take on an even greater focus is the racing itself. What better way to social distance and have fun
than in venues like the southern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea?
2020 Recap
The year 2020 started literally and figurately sunny and bright. Barbados Sailing Week and Grenada Sailing Week happened in January, St Maarten’s second annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge and the RORC Caribbean 600 took their starts in February and the St Maarten Heineken Regatta and Antigua Superyacht Challenge were held in early and mid-March. Then, proactive measures ordered by island governments to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the virus ramped up to pandemic proportions across Europe and the US meant the region’s regatta season abruptly came to a halt. The St Barths Bucket and St Thomas International Regatta scheduled for late March, the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Les Voiles de St Barths and Antigua Sailing Week all in April, followed by
Above: the distance race format is increasingly in vogue at Caribbean regattas.
They include a 60-mile round the island race in Barbados, St Thomas’s Round the Rocks Race, the BVIs’ 165 mile Full Moon Race, Antigua Sailing
Week’s 52- mile Round Antigua Race and (pictured) the Richard Mille Record Trophy at Les Voiles de St Barths
the Antigua to Bermuda Race in May were all postponed or cancelled.
Looking Ahead to 2021 In general, cases of COVID-19 in the Caribbean have been fewer than in other countries and in many islands the pandemic is under control. What makes the region attractive for its multinational flavour creates a challenge for those planning to visit and race in more than one destination. That is, there is no one overall plan for managing the COVID- 19 pandemic in the islands. Each island’s government sets its national protocols. Regatta directors throughout the Caribbean have and are working closely to create safe events in tune with its government’s official mandates. It's best however to speak with each regatta’s organisers for up-to-date information about their event and what is required in their locality. Additionally, sailors who know now they will race should register early so organisers can plan their event accordingly.
SEAHORSE 73
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CHRISTOPHEJOUANY
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