Fresh trade winds piping up to 20 knots in the gusts blessed Antigua and Barbuda
Race Day, the last race in the stunning fabled sailing grounds of Antigua, with one race held for all classes to decide the teams to be taking a bow at the Final Awards Party.
This year new marks at Jolly, Nanton, Lee and Friars have allowed the Race Committee to set both longer coastal races and shorter technical windward leeward races. With Race 8 concluding on the water action for the 52nd edition of Antigua Sailing Week, the 12 class winners have been decided.
“We are delighted with the fantastic response and feedback we have received regarding the new courses,” commented Lorna Saunders, Racing Manager, Antigua Sailing Week. “It has been challenging not only for the competitors, but for the Race Officers as well.
The Multihulls, Double-Handed and CSA 1 classes have thoroughly enjoyed the mix of coastal and round the cans courses, and all the competitors have relished the new windward, leeward courses being thrown into the mix – A great success out on the water.”
In CSA 1, Sir Peter Harrison's British superyacht Sojana won the big boat class for the regatta, but the last race belonged to Volvo 65 Ambersail2, skippered by Simonas Steponavicius.
The Lithuanian team on Ambersail2 finally defeated Sojana in Race 8 and also scored a memorable victory over SHK Scallywag, skippered by David Witt, which was returning to action after ripping the mainsail during the Peters & May Round Antigua Race. Sojana is the CSA 1 champion for the second year running, Ambersail2 ended the regatta second in class, with Jean Pierre Dick's French JP54 The Kid in third.
In CSA 2, Ker 46 Lady Mariposa, skippered by Dane Jesper Bank is the class champion.
The class runner-up, after winning the last race is British Lombard 46 Pata Negra, skippered by Adrian Fisk. Jeremy Thorp's British GP42 Phan scored second in Race 8 to claim the final podium position, just a point behind Pata Negra.
In CSA 3, Adrian Lee's Irish Swan 60 Lee Overlay Partners II has won the class. Mark Jagger's British CNB 60 Theia of London won Race 8 to place second for CSA 3 and Ondeck Antigua's Farr 65 Spirit of Juno is third.
In CSA 4, Ross Applebey's British Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster won the last race to win a highly competitive class. Pamala Baldwin's Antiguan J/122 Liquid, skippered by Jules White is second in class. A second place in Race 8 secured the final podium position in class for Performance Yacht Racing's British First 47.7 EH01.
In CSA 5, Jonty and Vicki Layfield's Antiguan J/11s Sleeper scored their sixth win in Race 8 to take class honours. Sir Richard Matthews' British ST37 Holding Pattern is class runner-up. British First 40, Optimus Prime skippered by Martyn Oldroyd is third in class. Despite a battling second place in Race 8, Ben Jelic's St.Maarten J/120 J-aguar is just off the class podium.
In CSA 6, Jules Mitchell's young Antiguan team racing NSA Spirit scored their sixth bullet of the regatta to win the class. Raymond Magras and Patrick Bernier's St.Barths' Dufour 34 Speedy Nemo was second today, and for the regatta. Raphael Magras' x-34 Maëlia CEPAC Antilles, also from St.Barths is third in class.
In the Multihull Class, Robert Szustkowski's HH66 R-SIX is the class champion having won all five races. Huge congratulations to the Polish team who have been racing at Antigua Sailing Week for the last three years.
In the Double-Handed Class it went to the wire. Philip Asche's American Swan 44 Freebird won the last race, taking line honours in the 24-miler in an elapsed time of 3 hours, 30 minutes and 49 seconds. The new coastal course takes in the beautiful vistas of Antigua's rainforest and many of the stunning beaches on the south and west coast of Antigua.
Freebird won the inaugural Double-Handed Class at Antigua Sailing Week. David Kinsey's American Oyster 49 Buckaroo is second and Henry Rourke racing his Open 40 Raucous is third.
Full results: www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=4734
