Action on the water

The Barbados Sailing week is set to sail off from today as the plans for the next nine days were revealed at a media conference held at the Drift, The Beach House yesterday.

Once called the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series, this year it has been rebranded with a new logo and all to the Barbados Sailing Week.

Present at the media briefing were Howard Palmer member of the organising committee, Devon Chase – Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI); Bryn Palmer Commodore Cruising Club; Ramsey Browne, Events and Luxury Brand manager Mount Gay and Peter Gilkes Yacht Development consultant at the BTMI.

According to Devon Chase, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) Sports Manager, “We are celebrating both things old and things new.”

“The rebrand to Barbados Sailing Week gives us greater latitude to promote this unique experience in our top source markets the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe as well as the Caribbean and Latin America. The new logo is fun, it’s fresh, and it’s colourful, embodying the pillars of Barbados Sailing Week. And the parties and activities, such as the Regatta Surf and Turf Polo at Holders on Saturday invite an atmosphere of excitement and inclusion for which the Barbados brand is so well known and loved.”

Despite the destruction which has happened last year in the region, Howard Palmer said that they have still managed to attract a healthy number of competitors though there are some which have decided not to come.

Barbados is traditionally the start of the sailing season in the region and with many of the other ports damaged, Palmer is hoping that competitors still come and see that the other islands still have something to offer in terms of sailing.

Some making the trip will be superyachts Adix (65m) and Alena (55m), ‘The Blue Peter’ – a 65ft classic yacht and CQS, a 100 foot high performance super maxi racing yacht with an aqua foil system.

The Barbados Sailing Week promises to be a diverse celebration of Barbados’ sailing and yachting racing, as there will be windsurfers, classic yachts and a variety of different vessels competing over the next few days.

The round the island race is slated for Errol Barrow Day and the BTMI plans to have something at the East Point Bar and Grill to encourage supporters who wish to take in some of the racing around the island.

There is still the captain’s weight in Mount Gay up for grabs should any of the current records be broken and the week kicks off this evening with the Skipper’s Briefing at the Radisson Aquatica Resort.

The action takes to the water tomorrow for day one of the Coastal races in all classes except the J24.

On Saturday there will be the Regatta Surf and Turf Polo match at the Holder’s Polo Field before they all take to the sea on Sunday for the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race which gets going at around 7 am, with varied starting times for different classes of boats. (CG)