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(Left to right) Marilyn Sealy Director of Communications at FLOW, Howard Palmer Event Organiser, Devon Chase Manager of Sports at BTMI and Terry Vaughn Brand Manager during yesterday’s Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series media briefing.  

Excitement in the air for Round Barbados 2017

The race is on to see whether or not Ms. Barbados will be taking home her skipper’s weight in rum again this year as anticipation builds for the 2017 edition of the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series. Scheduled to set sail from today, the event will see last year’s winners leading a fleet of just over 30 vessels in the feature race on Errol Barrow Day, January 21st.

With coastal races to get going today as teams get themselves in gear for the big event, details surrounding the 81st installment were revealed yesterday during a media conference held at the Shallow Draft. Speaking during the launch, Manager of Sports at the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) Devon Chase noted that 2017 was a year designated to sports and that the event was a fitting way to kick off the year. Highlighting the series’ success since being revived in 2011, Chase said that it continued to pay dividends for the island. “Over the years, the Round Barbados Race Series has developed into one of the most-widely anticipated events on our sporting calendar. And I would like to reiterate the fact that we cannot overlook the impact that this race has had on the island over the years. It has arguably been one of the major catalysts in announcing Barbados to the world as a desirable yachting and sailing destination and we have seen this manifested following Barbados’ hosting of a number of world class sailing events,” he said.
 
With the likes of Blue Peter, Spirit of Juno, Palpatine returning for the race yet again, a marked growth in international entries has been recorded with names such as Adix, Ocean Phoenix from Spain, Luna from Germany and Godspeed from Austria registered to take up the challenge this year.
 
Also new this year is the introduction of FLOW as a sponsor. The telecoms giant has taken up the mantle as the official provider for the event as well as actively exploring the possibility of broadcasting the Round Barbados Race throughout the region. Fans and spectators can also tap into live onboard feeds during the race on their phones.
 
Also speaking during the launch was Event Organiser Howard Palmer and he said that the series was doing so well that it was even being copied around the region with Martinique and Antigua hosting their own round-the-island races. “They have seen what we are doing in Barbados, leading in yachting, which is something new and they are taking a page from our book. We have a fantastic race here which, in a way, is a little bit better than what the other islands can put on because we’ve got great conditions all the way around the course. We don’t have two or three thousand-foot mountains which make it a difficult, boring event. This is a very exciting event.” Palmer said.
 
Coastal racing is set to take place along the South and West coasts today, tomorrow and Thursday with a sailing lay-day set for Friday. However, the action moves to the Holders Polo Field for a Regatta Polo Match before all sailors get in gear for Saturday’s main event. (MP)

 

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