Jonty Layfield’s CS40, Sleeper/U-Go stormed to victory scoring eight straight bullets in CSA 8 to win the Best Antiguan and Caribbean Boat in Start Boat B, and the prestigious Lord Nelson Trophy. At the glittering awards ceremony, Jonty Layfield spoke on the stage having been presented with Antigua Sailing Week’s top prize.
“I just don’t believe it, I am astonished. We borrowed a boat that we had never sailed and put together a crew of family and friends, including children, and we have won the biggest prize of all. I am totally speechless, except to say a big thank you to Kathy Lammers and Sir Hugh Bailey and all of the team who make Antigua Sailing Week such a well-run and enjoyable regatta.”
Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster, crewed by the Guernsey Yacht Club was the winner of CSA Racing 5 with eight straight wins. Scarlet Oyster was also the Best British Yacht and the Best Race Charter Yacht at Antigua Sailing Week and won the inaugural Royal Southern Yacht Club Inter-Yacht Club Challenge.
“Ten years ago, Tim Thubron and I were on a yacht that had the best score of any yacht, but we were told the Lord Nelson Trophy went to the big boat class. So we are naturally disappointed but very happy for Jonty and his crew for their success. Scarlet Oyster was in a very competitive class and all you can do is aim to win your class and we have done that with a perfect score, even though we won two races by just a couple of seconds – we couldn’t have done any better,” Applebey said.
Local sailor Bernie Evan-Wong’s RP37TAZ was the winner in CSA Racing 4 and the Best Caribbean and Antiguan Boat in Start Boat A. “TAZ needs to be sailed really well to get the best out of the boat and this week we have learned so much more about unlocking the pace in the boat. When I look back at the ability of my team a few years ago, we have improved tremendously and Antigua Sailing Week has been a big part of that improvement,” Evan-Wong said.
The overall winner of the Bareboat Division and Bareboat 1 was Martin Sager’s KH+P Cayenne winning the Sunsail Trophy and a US $2,500 voucher from Sunsail for a future Antigua Sailing Week charter. Alice Martin’s Team Painkiller was the winner of Bareboat 1. Christoph Nielsen’s Tintamarre was the winner of Bareboat 3 and the Best German Yacht.
“Harmut Holtmann (of KH+P yachtcharter) has brought more sailors to Antigua than Lord Nelson,” joked awards ceremony MC, Tommy Paterson.
In truth, Harmut’s German-based Company, KH+P yachtcharter, has been bringing bareboat teams to Antigua for the last 25 years.
“Everyone is safe ashore after an excellent regatta which is always satisfying,” Harmut said. “Looking to the future in 2017, it will be the 50th Antigua Sailing Week and we hope to have brought 500 yachts to the regatta by then.”
The Awards Ceremony was held in Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour. The glittering prize giving was attended by His Excellency the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Rodney Williams; Asot Michael, Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy, and Kenneth Kwok, Vice President of Yida International Investment Group, Antigua Sailing Week sponsors. Thousands of people applauded each winner as they took to the stage and then danced the night away to Antiguan band, Itchy Feet, featuring the sultry vocals of lead singer Asher Otto. DJ Purist kept the party buzzing well into the night.
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MORE RECORDS FOR Phaedo3
Glorious mild weather and light winds did not stop Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70, Phaedo3 setting a new record for the Pearns Point Round Antigua Race of 3h, 26m, 09s, raising the bar by over an hour.
Phaedo3 tactician Brian Thompson left no one in doubt as to why the trimaran can achieve such phenomenal speeds, even in light winds: “The simple fact is that Phaedo3 has a very high power to weight ratio. The boat only weighs seven tonnes and the hulls have very low drag, plus only two of them are in the water at any time. Sojana (monohull), which held the previous record, probably weighs more than 60 tonnes and the hull shape has a lot more drag. Phaedo3 can harness whatever wind there is and turn it into boat speed which is nearly twice as fast as the wind.”
Report by Louay Habib. Additional reporting by Gary E. Brown.
Photos courtesy of Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com
