After record yachts had taken part in the Grenada Sailing Festival Port Louis Racing Series, the sailing action continued with record crowds on Grand Anse Beach over the week-end of 6 & 7 February, in two days of extremely competitive racing at the Grenada Sailing Festival Digicel Work Boat Regatta, staged for the first time as part of the island’s Independence celebrations.

The fleet of thirty two boats made a colourful and impressive sight drawn up along the shoreline and included twenty-two boats from the sailing communities of Gouyave, Grand Mal, Sauteurs and Woburn, plus ten boats from sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. At the morning briefing, all skippers received a toolbag courtesy of Southern Electrical, with flashlight, multi-purpose lamp or penknife, together with Tshirts, Digicel caps and phone cases.

Racing spanned over Saturday and Sunday, starting with Class racing, a series of six tightly fought races to find the skipper and crews to enter Skipper of the Year GSF16 Match Race Final, staged on Sunday.

Close supporters, spectators and hotel guests visiting the beach were treated to great sailing action, with some very close results. Participating sailors crowded round the scoreboard as the results were put up and commiseration and celebrations followed.  In the Gouyave Canoe Class  Etieron proved unbeatable with straight first places, followed by Dat Pay Dat and Vat Flu;  in the Gouyave Sloop Class Classic once again took first in front of Riot Act and Reborn; a new boat No Retreat, No Surrender took first place in the Sauteurs Class, with La Diablesse and Mill Reef taking Second and third;  another straight set of firsts brought Unity once again into first place in the Woburn Class, with newly built 48 Hours in second place and well-known Top Ranking in third.

While the sailing action took place on the water there was plenty of fun and entertainment to be enjoyed on the beach. Kiddies Corner proved a fun attraction for families, with a Bouncing Castle run by Grensave, races and games, and as ever, the Horizon Yacht Charters Bungee Run proved a great hit. There was also promotions, prizes and give-aways from sponsors Digicel, ScotiaBank and FLOW. Music from DJ Blackstorm and live performances from the Digicel South Florida Pan Side, bands Roots and Harmonies With Brass kept the atmosphere hot throughout the week-end. The food and drinks were plentiful, with bars run by the Rotoract Group, and food tents by Deyna’s, plus for the first time this year, a Community Kitchen tent, with a fantastic mix of local dishes for everyone to try – saltfish and bakes, Oildown, fresh grilled fish, even lobster.

The excitement started to build up through Sunday in preparation for the GSF16 National Team Sailing Match Races with Budget Marine/Coca Cola sponsoring the Juniors and United Insurance the Seniors. Before the races started, Community representatives had to make a blind pick for the GSF16 boat their teams were to sail – Gouyave  picked Tomorrow’s Worry, Sauteurs got Pink Gin, Woburn was to sail in Gybe Talk, Carriacou took Homer and Petite Martinique picked Mr. X.  The Junior Teams took to the water first and after a race full of thrills and spills, Petite Martinique in Mr.X, skippered by Jenik Bethel came through to win in front of Shevon Sampson and the Gouyave Team In Tomorrow’s Worry, followed by Odiand Decoteau & his crew from Carriacou in Homer. The United Insurance Senior Team race proved just as exciting, with Carriacou, Gouyave and Woburn in contention from the start. Finally it was the Carriacou team in Homer, skippered by Christopher Ewer who crossed the line first, with Shakeem Collins and the Woburn crew second in Gybe Talk, and Gouyave taking third in Tomorrow’s Worry, with Kevin Banfield at the helm.

Then it was time for the race everyone had been waiting for – the GSF16 Skipper of the Year Match race Final – for US$1,000.00. Before the start, there was a race-off between the Gouyave Sloop & Canoe Class winners to fill the one place in the final for Gouyave.  Etieron and Classic fought it out, with Classic and her crew winning through.

At last the final five lined up on the waterline and the race got underway. Positions changed, tactics came into play, wind conditions changed – all combining to make the final race the height of tension, as the crowd waited at the water’s edge cheering on their teams. In the final run to the finish line Ted Richards in Tomorrow’s Worry for Gouyave caught the breeze and sailed through to take the coveted prize of US$1,000.00 and Skipper of the Year title, followed by Jason Charles and his crew from Sauteurs in Pink Gin, winning US$500.00 – a very popular win for the Community, with last year’s title winner Andy de Roche of Petite Martinique taking third prize of US$250.00 with Mr.X.

The Regatta ended with a glittering prize presentation on stage attended by Patricia Maher, Country Manager, Digicel, Sterl Lyons of ScotiaBank, Trevor Renwick of United Insurance, Alyssa Bierzinski of Coca Cola, and Ricky Redhead from Budget Marine. The first presentation was to the winners & participants in the Grenada Sailing Festival Junior Dinghy Sailing Day which took place on Saturday, 30th January. Following this, Grenada Sailing Festival Digicel Work Boat Regatta winners were presented with trophies, cash prizes, Budget Marine Vouchers and Special Package Prizes from FLOW; ScotiaBank crew back-packs; and Mount Gay Rum and Heineken. Finally there was a grand finale firework display courtesy of Spice Island Fireworks and a live performance from Boogie B.

The Grenada Sailing Festival would like to thank all sponsors and supporters for making this event such a success: Digicel; the Grenada Government & Grenada Board of Tourism; ScotiaBank; United Insurance; FLOW; Camper & Nicholsons & Port Louis; Heineken, Mount Gay, Water One and Bryden & Minors; Southern Electrical; Courts; Independence Agencies; Deyna’s; Spice Isle Fish House; Grenada Electrical Contractors; Horizon Yacht Charters; Island Dreams Yacht Services; Presents; and Spice Isle Jewellery, Magical Dreams; Bryden & Minors Bermudez Biscuits Division; Noelville Nutmed Spray. Also many thanks go to the Royal Grenada Police Force, Grenada Coastguard, Grenada Solid Waste Management and particularly the Grenada Board of Tourism Clean-Up Crews who worked tirelessly through the week-end.