Igoodia Wins 36th Annual Pusser's Round Tortola Race
The winds were great for this year’s annual Round Tortola Race when some 22 boats assembled for the all day 35-mile event. Both Racing and Cruising Classes started in Sir Francis Drake Channel outside of Nanny Cay Marina and sailed anti-clockwise around Tortola. The Cruising Class had their finish in West End while the Racing Class had to complete the entire island with a finish back at Nanny Cay. With winds clocking 20 knots plus on the northern side of Tortola there was much excitement in this event. Bill Bailey’s Hughes 38, Second Nature, tore his #1 Genoa and still managed to capture first place in the Cruising Class. The boat I raced on, a very fast J-120, Shamrock, tore out the clew on her main going across the start but still managed to compete due to some fast teamwork in a quick reefing job. The real competition was between Mistress Quickly and Pipe Dream who finished second and third respectively, battling it out during the long down wind leg along the northern coastline of Tortola.
Most of the boats took long tacks up the Sir Francis Drake Channel heading east on the first leg. Upon rounding the eastern corner the three top boats in Racing Class kept close to the shore, rather than sailing out down the backside, with the rest of the fleet, and made much better time. Helmsmen that I spoke with agreed that the final leg, tacking east again up the channel to the finish, was the most difficult stretch of the race.
The Awards dinner and prizes were given at Pussers Landing, Sopers Hole. Congratulations to Igoodia who carried home the perpetual Pussers Trophy while the top winners in both classes won Pusser's Rum ships decanters, flagons and hip flasks.
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