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USVI and Puerto Rico Boats Capture 31st Foxy's Wooden Boat Regatta

What a weekend!!! Thanks to sponsors Mount Gay, Heineken & Road Town Wholesale more than $2,000 in cash was awarded to the winners of a highly successful 31st Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta held on Jost Van Dyke, May 27th – 29th. With 19 entries and winds ranging from the southeast at 10 – 15 knots, both days of racing were filled with loads of fun and great competition. Foxy and Tessa Callwood served as hosts to some 300 sailors and guests during the weekend regatta – the only all-wooden boat regatta in the Caribbean. The music was going all weekend as sailors reunited and told tall tales of sailing throughout the year. Foxy entertained, as usual, as did KI. St. Thomas’ Gary Key played both afternoons with the Shango and X-Treme Bands playing in the evenings. After three decades, this regatta is really more like a large extended family holding a reunion each year.

BVI Governor Tom Macan helmed the only BVI entry, Moonbeam, an Island Sloop owned by the H. Lavity Stoutt College – he came in 2nd in Class A Island Sloops. Moonbeam is one of the historical sloops that is sponsored by the college and maintained by HLSCC staff Geoff Brooks & Al Fraiser, also on the WEYC Race Committee. Nanny Cay Marina hauls the BVI Island Sloops free before Foxy’s each year and also provides free dockage for the boats so that they can be viewed from the dock while visiting the marina. Island Sloop building is a historical part of BVI tradition. It is hopeful that the two other BVI Sloops, Youth Instructor and Vigillant (the oldest sloop in the Caribbean built in East End in 1882), can be restored and sailing up for Foxy’s 32nd regatta in 2006.

Dragon – a full-keeled 22’ Island Sloop with an 8’ beam and a modern Marconi Rig won the best in its class, the Single-Handed Race and the “Fastest Boat Award.” Built in 1990 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, it was raced by owner Edwin Cruz. Several of the larger boats, making final preparations – Penelope, owned & raced by Les Anderson of St John, Yankee owned and raced by Brad Glidden of St. Thomas and Windolee owned and raced by Rob Kunkle of St. John, had left Independent Boat Yard in St. Thomas just days before the regatta in order to compete. Bobby Danet, who built his lovely Seanonda Rose in French Town, St. Thomas, brought his sons to crew along with his wife Rose. This family is a real supporter of keeping the history of Island Sloops alive in the USVI.

The regatta, run by the West End Yacht Club under the leadership of Robin Pinfold, Race Captain, is a three-day event that brings wooden boat lovers each year to the BVI. This year, as a new addition, Captain Kevin Gray was on hand to give personal tours on the new Jost Van Dyke Sloop that is being built at Foxy’s Outback. He also arranged for the primary school children of Jost to view the regatta on the famous day sail schooner White Squall from Road Town.

The BVI Tourist Board donated the Captain’s Bags with Voyage Yachts and The Moorings donated yachts for accommodating visiting yachtsmen. WEYC’s Peter Ratcliff captained the vessels. Elliott Hooper’s 110-foot schooner, Silver Cloud was the Committee Boat from St. John. Built in 1899, it is the oldest working schooner in the Caribbean. Elliott has donated one entire decade as Committee boat and was given a round of applause by everyone. WEYC Commodore Dave Cooper was the MC for the Awards Ceremony assisted by Carter Powell, Jane Cheesman and Di Kirk. Martin Van Houten did the handicaps with Parker Hall painting the winners names on the wooden boards that adorn Foxy’s restaurant. Ron Arens & Carol King gathered support from over 50 Virgin Islands merchants who supported the event with prizes and award certificates. Winners also received donated gifts from the entire BVI/USVI community.

First Place winners were

Class AA1 – Island Sloops –

Edwin Cruz on Dragon (Puerto Rico) – 1:17:11

*Dragon was also the winner of the Single Handed Race as well as the Fastest Boat Award

Class A – Island Sloops –

Bobby Danet on Seanonda Rose (St. Thomas) – 1:38:20

Class B2 - Traditional Rig –

Dave Firebrand on Taurus (St. John) -1:37:47

Class B3 - Traditional Rig –

Rob Kunkel on Windolee (St. John) – 1:43:57

Class C1 – Modern Rig –

Parker Hall on Peace Pipe (St. Thomas) – 1:27:16

Class C2 – Modern Rig over 40 feet –

Tory Lane on Jezephyr – 1:54:31

Class C3 – Modern Rig over 50 feet –

Neil Newhard on Hirondelle (St. John) -1:72:04

Class D – Fin Keel –

Julian Daves on Tiger Maru – (St. John) – 1:71:3

SPECIAL AWARDS

Nature's Basket Plane Award – Island Sloops – SEANONDA ROSE
Most Determined Skipper Award – Neil Newhard

Bougainvillea Cup Award – (30’ – 40’ Modern) – JEZEPHYR

CaribbeanBoating Model Award – (40’ – 50’ Modern) – HIRONDELLE

BVI Shipwrights Whale Award – Modern Single – handed – DRAGON

ElmBeach Suites Award – Modern Island Sloops – DRAGON

SV Robben Porthole Award (30’ – 40’ Traditional) – PENELOPE

Richardson's Rigging Block – (40’ – 50’ Traditional) – WINDOLEE

Foxy's Belaying Pin – Fastest Monohull - DRAGON

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