What a great
weekend! With four windy races and with
Mt Gay and RTW as sponsors (giving all entries the coveted MT Gay Red Racing
Hat) The West End Yacht Club successfully held their 27th
Sweethearts of the Caribbean (Schooners) and 23rd Classics of the
Caribbean (designs over 30 years) at Sopers Hole, West End, Tortola on Feb. 12th
and 13th.This weekend is
always special but as we all become a little older (both yachts and captains)
it moves up the scale in camaraderie.
Hosted by the Jolly
Roger Restaurant, home of the WEYC, the weekend showed plenty of spunk in winds
as well as partying.Saturday produced
only some 12 – 15 knots while Sunday winds easily reached 25 knots with gusts
even higher.Race Chairmen Dave Cooper,
with Martin Van Houten, ran the registration on Friday night in addition to the
races.END OF THE DAY, owned by Al Sousa & Mitzi McLean, was the
Committee Boat out of Nanny Cay with Neil Bails, Mike & Di Kirk and Robin
Pinfold comprising the Race Committee.
SNAP, a beautiful custom 1983 52′ Schooner from St John, won the “Spirit of
the Sweethearts” Trophy – a new trophy this year dedicated to the memory of
Fletcher Pitts, captain and owner of LIBERTY,
a 1929 schooner from St John that has many past wins in this regatta as well as
Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta on Memorial Day weekend.
Fletcher died on Christmas Day 2004.
In a most humble moment the crew of LIBERTY sailed the schooner over from St. John on Sunday afternoon
where she dipped her gaff and fired a cannon in tribute to the West End Yacht
Club and their dedication to classic yachts.
We are all saddened by the loss of Fletcher, which is why there will be
a perpetual trophy in his name for all future races.
Governor Tom Macan took the stand to report
about the status of the Tortola Island Sloops.
All funds from the regatta go towards the Restoration of Vigilant
Fund.VIGILANT is the oldest Island Sloop in the Caribbean being built in
East End, Tortola, in 1880, Geoff Brooks and Al Frasier, from the H. Lavity
Stoutt Community College, were on hand to show off MOONBEAM, an Island Sloop that raced on Sunday and to tell about
the Island Sloop Program.To the
Committee’s delight Denise Georges, a USVI Park Ranger and organizer of the 14th
Annual Folk Life Celebration on St. John, came over and participated as crew on
Moonbeam.
She reported having a great time.
Parties were held
all three nights of the event with many local and visiting cruisers joining in
the fun.The music was fantastic, as
usual, with “MJ Blues”, “Cruise Control” and “T-Bird & the Sand Devils”
playing for the delight of all.
Results were as
follows –
Saturday the 12th –
27TH SWEETHEARTS OF THE CARIBBEAN
– schooners only
1st- SNAP – Robbie
Hoyt – St. John, USVI – WINNER OF THE “SPIRIT OF THE SCHOONERS” Award
SINGLE HANDED RACE – top 5 only
1st – HOTEL CALIFORNIA –
Steve Schmidt – USA – 1:46:07
2nd – LYDIA – Charlie
Haines – BVI – 2:17:45
3rd – AIR BISCUIT – James
Buchanan – BVI – 2:21:23
4th – WINDSHIFT – Ralph
Fette – USVI – 2:24:06
5TH – RUFFIAN – Dr. Marty
Halpern – BVI – 2:46:08
Sunday the 13th – top 5 only
23RD CLASSICS REGATTA (designs 30
years and older)
1ST – LYDIA – Charlie Haines – BVI
– 2:08:00
2nd – DIVA – Dr. Robin
Tattersall – BVI – 2:08:20
3rd – RUFFIAN – Dr. Marty
Halpern – BVI – 2:12:30
4th – WINDSHIFT – Ralph
Fette – USVI – 2:14:39
5th – TIGER MARU –
Tristan MacDonald – USVI – 2:17:41
CLASSICS WANNABE REGATTA (designs 20 – 29
years) top 5 only
1st – HOTEL CALIFORNIA – Steve Schmidt – USA –1:38:15
2nd – CONCHERER – Bill Guy – USVI – 1:40:53
3rd -BLACK PEARL –
Mike Masters – BVI – 1:46:25
4th – KAHULI – Tracy
Obert – BVI – 1:54:10
5th – WEMICUS – Harry
Berfelz – BVI – 2:02:23
