In an emotional finish to Grenada Sailing Festival’s Westerhall White Jack Workboat Regatta, the title of Champion of Champions came back to Gouyave once again – with the win dedicated to the memory of Lennon Marshall, a passionate workboat sailor, who skippered Gouyave Sloop ‘Riot Act’ to many memorable victories. Owner Barry Alexis, with his skipper Ted Richards and talented crew from Classic, lead from the start in GSF16 Tomorrow’s Worries, and stormed through the finish line well ahead of the rest of the fleet in the 2020 Match Race Final.  The winners took away the major prize of US$1,000.00, sponsored by Republic Bank, plus a Yamaha outboard engine presented by McIntyre Brothers. 

Sailing action was centre stage on Grand Anse Beach Saturday and Sunday 1 & 2 February when the Grenada Sailing Festival Westerhall White Jack Workboat Regatta took place, bringing high adrenalin racing and fun feting to the crowds who came to enjoy this unique sailing experience – both local supporters and overseas visitors. The fleet of boats from Gouyave, Grand Mal, Petite Martinique, Sauteurs, and Woburn lined Grand Anse Beach – bringing their well-known and much- loved colour to its shores again.

The racing was as close and competitive as ever in the Community Classes, with every skipper and crew sailing hard to take first place and the chance to go through to race in the Westerhall White Jack Champion of Champions Match Race Final. At the end of the first day positions were close, leaving everything to race for on Sunday.

Once the crowd had enjoyed the excitement of the last race of the day on Saturday, they moved into Camerhogne Park & enjoyed great music with a live performance from popular local band Mystykk , followed by DJ Blackstorm taking the event to a close. 

After another two races in The Community Class Series on Sunday morning the scene was set for an afternoon of Match Race Finals. The excitement levels moved to a new high as the growing crowds on Grand Anse Beach waited for the boats and teams to be picked for the Budget Marine and Carib National Team Sailing Match Races using the fleet of GSF16s – the 16’ matched design workboats owned by the Grenada Sailing Festival. 

The racing was as tough as ever and in the Budget Marine Junior Final, Team Gouyave, sailing in Pink Gin, came through at the finish line to take first in front of Woburn in Tomorrow;s Worries, followed by Sauteurs in Gybe Talk. Sauteurs Community is to be congratulated for working hard to bring a Junior crew back to the event.  The crowds were treated to more high-octane racing in the Senior National Team Sailing Final sponsored by Carib, with Team Gouyave and Pink Gin crossing the finish line first in front of Woburn in Tomorrow’s Worries with Sauteurs sailing Gybe Talk in third place. 

The afternoon ended when the winning skippers and crews from the Community Class Race Series battled it out in the Champion of Champions Final. As the sun went down, crowds lined the water’s edge to watch the five crews race for the Big Prize. The crew from Classic, the winner of the Gouyave Sloop Community Class, sailing the GSF16 Tomorrow’s Worries, came home in style to take the Title, trophy, US$1,000.00 and the prestige prize of a Yamaha outboard engine donated by McIntyre Brothers. 

There was great action on the beach as well, with Festival favourite DJ Blackstorm keeping the atmosphere to ‘D’Max’. Crowds also enjoyed all the best traditional dishes from Oil Down to Lobster at Community Kitchen food stalls and sampled the range of Westerhall Rums, plus ice-cold Carib beers, the Official Beer of the Festival, and refreshing Glenelg Natural Spring Water at the Festival Beach Bars throughout both days. 

After the final Prize Presentation, the party continued with DJ Blackstorm, and the whole event was rounded off with a wonderful firework display courtesy of Spice Island Fireworks, Dodgy Dock and True Blue Bay Boutique Resort — a true high spot to start the week of Independence celebrations.

Grenada Sailing Festival wishes to thank Sponsors, Supporters & Festival Friends who make the event possible: Westerhall Rums; Grenada Tourism Authority; BLAST Grenada; Budget Marine; CARIB – the Official Festival beer; Glenelg Natural Spring Water – the Official Festival water; SIFH Group; True Blue Bay Boutique Resort & Dodgy Dock; McIntyre Brothers & Yamaha; Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina;  Mount Cinnamon & Port Louis; COURTS Grenada; Waggy T; Bryden & Minors with Smirnoff & Campari; Republic Bank; Ramdhanny’s True Value & Harris Paints; DeSign Factory; Coca-Cola Grenada; Umbrellas Beach Bar; Horizon Yacht Charters; Laura’s at Grenada Marine; Andy’s Soup House;; Victory Bar; Savvy Grenada Sailing Charters; Island Dreams Yacht Services; Century21; ACE Home Hardware; Turbulence Grenada Ltd; Tropical Sail & Canvas; Esther’s Bar; act-artanddesign;; Bulk Buy; Sanvics Skip Rental; Amalgamated Security Services Grenada & Spice Island Fireworks.

Thanks also goes to the Royal Grenadian Police Force; the Grenada Coastguard; Grenada Lifeguards; GTA Beach Cleaning Crew; Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority; St. John’s Ambulance and W & R Electrical Contractors for their support.

WESTERHALL WHITE JACK WORKBOAT REGATTA 2020 – RESULTS

Full Results as follows:

Community Class Racing:

Gouyave Sloop

1. Classic – Skipper Ted Richards
2.  Volcano – Skipper Sevon Sampson
3.  Swift – Skipper Joshua James (Visiting boat – Grand Mal)

 Sauteurs

1. No Retreat No Surrender – Skipper Marvin Jeremiah
2. Flying Dutchman -Skipper Huddie McIntosh
3. Climate Change – Skipper Boyo Richardson

Woburn  Traditional

1. Unity – Skipper Pabon Bernadine
2. El Tigre – Raymond Myland

Woburn Sport

1. D’Rage – Skipper Andy De Roche (Visiting boat- Petite Martinique)
2. Loose Cannon – Skipper Adian Bethel
3.  Savvy Baby – Skipper Shahim

Match Race Finals – raced in the Grenada Sailing Festival’s own fleet of workboats – the GSF16s:

One Crew is nominated by each Racing Community to represent them in the National team Sailing Finals:

National Team Sailing – Junior – Sponsored by Budget Marine

1. Team Gouyave – sailing in Pink Gin
2. Team Woburn – sailing in Tomorrow’s Worries
3. Team Sauteurs – sailing in Gybe Talk

National Team Sailing – Senior – Sponsored by Carib

1.  Team Woburn –- sailing in Tomorrow’s Worries
2. Team Gouyave –- sailing in Pink Gin
3.  Team Sauteurs – sailing in Gybe Talk

Westerhall White Jack ‘Champion of Champions’  Match Race Final 

The Skipper & crew from the winning boat in each of the Community Racing Classes qualify to enter a Match Race Final in the GSF16 workboats to find the ‘Champion of Champions’

2020 ‘Champion of Champions’:  

Winner – Gouyave – with a crew from Classic (winner of Gouyave Sloop Class) sailing GSF16 Pink Gin – Skipper & Owner Barry Alexis – winning US$1,000.00 provided by Republic Bank,

& also winning a Yamaha outboard engine from McIntyre Brothers

Second: – Woburn – with a crew from Unity (Winner of Woburn Traditional Class) sailing GSF16 Tomorrow’s Worries – Skipper Pabon Bernadine – winning US$500.00

Third: Woburn – with a crew from D’Rage (winner of Woburn Sport Class) sailing GSF16 Gybe Talk- Skipper Andy De Roche – winning US$250.00