Classic Caribbean light-wind conditions with little swell combined to make this year’s Latitude 18 Halyard Challenge Yacht Race great fun for all! In the Royal BVI Yacht Club’s first race of 2011, honours went to Pipe Dream (skipper Peter Haycraft) as winners of Racing Class, and Reba (skipper Jon Charlton), winners Cruising class.
There was an exciting start to the first race inside Road Harbour, where a cruise ship had to be negotiated. After that it was a straight upwind race to Cooper Island, then downwind to the finish in Dead Man’s Bay, Peter Island. In Racing Class, Pipe Dream pipped Rushin’ Rowlette by one second on corrected time.
The fleet rafted up in Dead Man’s Bay at lunchtime, where the second event of the day, a swimming competition, produced lots of fun and frolics! Each boat entered a swimmer, who had to swim twice around the rafted boat fleet. The swimming was made even more challenging by virtue of the hordes of other yacht crew running interference in the water! As well as bragging rights, the first three in the swimming race received a boost to their handicaps for the second yacht race of the day.
After the swimming and lunch, it was back to yacht racing, with the second race of the day taking the fleet around Dead Man’s Chest, downwind to Nanny Cay, and then back up to Road Town Harbour for the finish. Latitude 19 with Andrew Waters at the helm took the honours in this race.
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Prize giving at the Royal BVI Yacht Club was well attended on Saturday evening, with prizes for the first three yachts in each of cruising and racing class. There was also a tongue-in-cheek prize for “most unsportsmanlike behaviour in the swimming race” of a bottle of vinegar which went to the crew of Sorceress. The vinegar was duly drunk by their skipper, Heath Copland.
Captain of Sailing at RBVIYC, Guy Phoenix, commented “Everyone had great fun today and we’re delighted the event was such a success. We are making a big effort to make our events more fun and family-friendly, and we hope to attract more yachts into cruising class as a result of this.”
The Royal BVI Yacht Club wishes to thank sponsors Latitude 18 for their continued support of this event. Thanks also to Colin Rathbun for providing the committee boat, and the race committee volunteers Dave West, Jane Metcalf and Judy Petz. The next Royal BVI Yacht Club race is the Governor’s Cup on 22nd January, in the presence of HE the Governor Boyd McCleary. There will be spectator places available on the committee boat. Please contact [email protected] or visit www.royalbviyc.org for more information.
Pipe Dream. Photo courtesy of RBVIYC.
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Overall Results 2011 Latitude 18 Halyard Challenge
Cruising
1st Reba Jon Charlton
Racing
1st Pipe Dream Peter Haycraft
2nd Latitude 19 Andew Waters
3rd Rushin’ Rowlette Kevin Rowlette
4th Lime Colin Rathbun
5th Sorceress Heath Copland
6th Luxury Girl Guy Phoenix
