Around the Island in Two Days
The annual Round the Island Race sanctioned by the Antigua Yacht Club was held over the weekend of January 22nd and 23rd. Racing began on Saturday morning at Falmouth Harbour on a beautiful day with good winds and 6 to 8 foot swells. The yachts set course around the island in a counter clockwise direction following a course by All Islands, Bird Island, the Diamond Mark and Sandy Lane with a finish at Five Islands.
Participation was high this year with ten French yachts (all from Guadeloupe), a yacht from St. Thomas and approximately twenty Antiguan yachts. At the end of day one, participants moored at Jolly Harbour and celebrated with a theme party at Castaways Restaurant.
Day two of racing started at 11:30 at the Five Island finish -- the start was supposed to be a Spinnaker leg but there was a marker misplacement and everyone started upwind! The course passed by Ffryes and then on to Cades with a finish back at the mouth of Falmouth Harbour.
The results were as follows:
Best Dressed – Gilligan’s Island : Psy
Nouf Nouf Prize – Nouf Nouf
Best French Yacht – Marina Du Port
Trouble Class – Encore
Speed Challenged – Maja 11
Live Aboard – Fennela
Cruising/Racing – Huey Too
Racing – Lost Horizon
Old Record – Anthem with 7:23:44
New Record – Hotel California 7:17:05
Overall Winner – Lost Horizon
I must admit I am proud to say that my stepson, Tristan Frisell, crewed on the Overall Winning yacht Lost Horizon and has reported to me that he had a ball! This being my first Round Island race weekend, it was amazing how quiet Falmouth Harbour was on Saturday. I found myself at the yacht club complex around 5:00 Saturday evening…. cocktail hour to most of us, and it almost seemed as if it were off-season. Obviously, a popular and fun event that should be experienced every year!
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