Team Island Water World sailing in the Anguilla Regatta.
SIMPSON BAY— Competitors in this year’s Anguilla Regatta were in for a treat, with plenty of wind to complete two great races and lots of fun on the beach in Road Bay.
Co-hosted by Sint Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC) and the Anguilla Sailing Association, the racing action kicked off on Simpson Bay at 11 am on Saturday, May 23 with three CSA boats on the start line.
With a strong easterly wind in the upper teens, gusting into the mid twenties, it was going to be a fast ride over to Anguilla. After a short upwind leg, the boats turned northwest and rocketed towards the corner of St. Maarten with a couple spinnakers showing on the horizon.
After crossing the bumpy Anguilla Channel, competitors reached the west end of Anguilla and shifted into upwind mode. Compared to the channel, the north side of the island was relatively calm with strong gusts coming off the land.
The finish in Road Bay was tight, and when the results were in, it was the Melges 24 Team Island Water World in first place. The J/105 More Zessin’ was second and the Beneteau 47 Dauntless was third.
“Anguilla is known with a long sailing history Thelocal boat racing was part of their culture for many years So it no wonder that Around 20 years ago the SintMaarten YC and the Anguilla sailing school organized together the Anguilla Regatta .
Starting on fridays in afternoon the Yachts would race from SXM to Anguilla , raced on Saturdays in the beautiful waters of Snguilla and then race back on Dundays to SXM where the prize giving would be..
It all came to a halt after hurricane Irma when the sailing school was destroyed and many boats where damaged
Last year the Anguilla regatta was revived with the revival of their sailing school,” explained Frits Bus skipper of Island Water World.”
Then it was time to party on the beach! The Anguilla Sailing Association knows how to play host, and this year was no exception. After the teams cleared in with customs and immigration, drinks on Sandy Ground beach flowed as racers recapped the race over. Dinner and an excellent party, which included a DJ, capped off the day’s events.
Sunday morning started with breakfast for the teams and then one race in Road Bay. The breeze was still strong and the competition continued to be tight along the beautiful north coast of Anguilla. It’s no secret that this is an impressive place to sail.
When the day’s race was finished and the cumulative scores for the regatta were in, it was again Team Island Water World standing atop the podium in first place. Team IWW managed just to beat Zessin by only 1 second! More Zessin’ was second and Dauntless was third.
“We had an amazing regatta in combination with a great party. A special thanks to the team of the Anguilla Sailing Association for putting in all their efforts. I would encourage more sailors to join in the next Anguilla Regatta!” said race officer Lars Ouwens.
