Today is Tuesday April 4th and we have been on the island of Bequia for five exciting and interesting days. If you had told me that I would be racing on a 45 foot Jeanneau before I came I would have said "NO WAY...I don't ever want to race and besides I could never deal with the heeling of the boat?!" Well never say never.
The Bequia Easter Regatta is sponsored by both Heineken and Red Cap Mount Gay Rum. Anyone who races in the regatta gets a red cap.
Rob had raced when he had been here 13 years ago and wanted to get involved again. I said I would be the official photographer. Rob met David, a racer from Antigua who needed crew for the first race. Rob agreed and joined David and his crew David on Fiesta. He had also talked to a Canadian boat called Skye 1 who needed crew but had not made any commitments. On the morning of the first race Rob left to join Fiesta and the two Davids and I settled down for a quiet relaxing morning in the cockpit. Captain Pat of Skye 1 arrived to see if Rob was still available and of course I said he had left. Well the rest is history. Within 15 minutes I was dressed in boat shoes, sailing gloves, a red cap, a Bequia regatta T-shirt and ready to race.
The regatta is divided into different categories and both Skye and Fiesta were classed as cruising boats and placed in racing class 2. A larger boat has to give so many minutes of time to smaller boats based on size and sail in order to make the race fair.
I took a picture of Fiesta soon after we started the race. You can imagine the look on Rob's face when he saw me on Skye 1. It was an exciting race and Skye placed 4th, and Fiesta came in a minute ahead of us with a third place. This was in a field of 17 registered boats. We actually were second across the finish line; however when the times are adjusted based on size of sail etc. we were given the 4th place.
Here is a picture of the happy crew at the regatta party on race day one. Captain Pat and his wife Miriam and their friends Gerry and Brenda (showing 4 fingers) from home.
Home is New Brunswick for both couples. Pat and Miriam have been sailing in the Caribbean for many years and have lots of years of experience. Pat has even been through a coast guard helicopter rescue 150 miles from Bermuda. He and four other men were delivering a boat to the Caribbean in November and broke their rudder and got caught in 25 foot seas and squalls. He has great respect for the coastguard and the specialized swimmers that rescue you in the water. The swimmers have to tow the victims to the helicopter basket. For obvious reasons the helicopter can not be hovering anywhere too near the sailboat.
The sponsors provide free drinks for about the first hour of the party so there are usually plenty of smiles on everyone's faces whether they have won or not.
On the second day of racing Rob joined Skye 1 as crew as the Davids had crew for Fiesta. It was a long and arduous race around the island of Bequia.
This picture was taken by a professional photographer of us sailing on day two. Rob bought the picture for Capt. Pat and Miriam. If you have any doubt of the speed we were sailing the picture says it all. Unfortunately Skye's sails were starting to blow out and before the day was done we were roller reefing the main and duct taping the head sail because of damage. Despite the problems we came in 7th and Fiesta was 5th with her new French crew member.
On the lay day from racing we had happy hour on board Skye and they told us that they had decided not to sail in the third race. A combination of sail damage, sailing stress and a decision to move on to show Gerry and Brenda some other islands were no doubt the reasons. Interesting enough even without the last race points Skye came in 6th overall.
Six boats did not race in the third competition and unfortunately because of this we were not awarded our consolation prize....often a bottle of rum and Pat and Miriam had authorized us to pick it up. We can't help but wonder how Skye would have done if we had raced in the final bay race? As it happened I was glad that I wasn't racing on the third day as I was able to get some wonderful pictures of the local double enders sailing.
Fiesta ended up in second place overall in cruising class 2. The two Davids and their two pick up crew accepted a lovely wooden half boat carved in Bequia as their prize from the Minister of Tourism for St. Vincent and The Grenadines. Both Davids live, sail and race in Antigua so they are no strangers to racing. Nothing like being pick up crew and being on a boat that places in the top three.
Bequia is an island of sailing, fishing and boat building. They also have a long history of whaling and they are still allowed to take two whales each season in the traditional way using a wooden sailing vessel. Gratefully we have heard that the number of men who have the skills to do this are dying off and not being replaced. Another of the skills that are passed down on this island of five thousand is wooden boat carving. Rob has always wanted one of the wooden double enders. He bought a model from one of the local craftsmen ....but the harpoons had to be removed!
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