Antigua Sailing Week series opened with a 40-mile course to Barbuda
This gave the biggest boats including, Pyewacket 70, the VO65s I Love Poland and Sisi, plus Adrian Lee’s HH66 catamaran Lee Overlay Partners III to stretch their legs, in glorious sailing conditions for nine classes racing in 12-16 knot tradewinds.
Competitors in CSA Racing Class 3 enjoyed super-close competition, with the top three boats separated by only 40 seconds on corrected time at the end of their first race.
All three started close together, with double Olympic gold medallist Poul Høj Jensen’s Danish Blue closest to the pin end of the line, Sir Richard Matthews’ J/122 Team Oystercatcher, right on their windward quarter, and Steve Rigby’s El Ocaso just to windward.
However, line honours went to a local boat with a young Antiguan crew, Jim Vos’ Reichel Pugh designed RP37 Warthog. Nevertheless, they slipped to fourth place on corrected time, leaving Rigby’s team to take victory, just 32 seconds ahead of Danish Blue, with Team Oystercatcher taking third a mere 8 seconds later.
They were one of three classes with two races scheduled Sunday. El Ocaso took another win in the second race, with Danish Blue again second, while Marc Emig J/133 Credit Mutuel – Jivaro squeezed into third place, 14 seconds ahead of Team Oystercatcher.
After racing, the Antigua Yacht Club grounds were again packed for the prize giving sponsored by English Harbour Rum, which was followed by an evening of live music. Racing continues Monday with the Marina Resort Women’s Race Day.
