Mari-Cha IV Takes Line Honours, Morning Glory Takes Win

Rain, cloud and light winds greeted the 200-plus boats for Antigua Sailing Week 2004.

Rain, cloud and light winds greeted the 200-plus boats for Antigua Sailing Week 2004. But as the heavy hitters in Racing Big Boat I crossed the line an hour and fifteen minutes after the first warning gun for division A, the sun had started to shine and the wind had picked up for the race to Dickenson Bay and the Dickenson Bay Beach Bash.

Surprising no-one Robert MILLER’S Mari-Cha IV crossed the line first in two hours and 33 minutes. However after corrected time she was fourth in Racing Big Boat A with Dr Hasso PLATTNER’S Morning Glory taking the win. Pyewacket was seconds behind her after nip and tuck racing all the way up the coast. After being forced out on the start line by Bill ALCOTT’S Equation, Morning Glory clawed her way back to the front of the class, pipping Pyewacket at the finish line; Pyewacket too low to lay the finish line had to put in a tack, Morning Glory, upwind, covered and finished seconds in front. Look closely on Mari-Cha IV for the next couple of days and you’ll see Pindar skipper Emma RICHARDS on mizzen traveller.

Clay DEUTSCH’S Swan 68 Chippewa, making her fourth appearance in Antigua this year, won Racing Big Boat II with Starr Trail second and Liara third. Peter HARRISON’S Sojana was relegated to the back of the fleet on corrected time while Mike SLADE’s Leopard of London, first across the line in class, was sixth.

Last year’s class and overall winner Frank SAVAGE saw himself in a unpleasant fourth place at the end of today in Racing III. Roger STURGEON’S Transpac 52 is at the top of the pile despite being over on the start line this morning together with Aera.

Antiguan boat Lost Horizon II won Racing IV but by a hair to Trinidad’s Guardian Star. Another Antiguan boat, Caccia Alla Volpe, is in third place. Crescendo and Feelogood lead Racer/Cruiser I & II respectively.

In division B, Yocahu, a Swan 48, So Far, another Swan 48 and Trouble, a Six Meter from Antigua, lead Performance Cruising 1, II and III while Farrfly David CULLEN’S Farr 56 from Ireland, leads Cruising I.

Grenat, the winning bareboat in Thursday’s Antigua to Guadeloupe race leads Bareboat I while Jan SODERBERG – the 15-year veteran of Antigua Sailing Week who has won overall bareboat seven times – and his Rosco crew find themselves second to Heliodore in Bareboat II. Carnival, with a core crew that won class and Most Worthy Performance in St Maarten’s Heineken Regatta leads Bareboat III, King Arthur, Bareboat IV and Bavaria 36 Durely Dene tops Bareboat VI.

Mid-afternoon today the second race of the day – the one for the best anchoring spots on Dickenson Bay – started. Onshore, speakers warmed up, beer cooled, chicken sizzled and the limin’ started for the Dickenson Bay Beach Bash which got into full swing later on in the evening.

Today, Division A yachts will race Olympic courses off Dickenson Bay and Division B will race to Jolly Harbour. Tuesday is the Falmouth Harbour Race, which is followed by Lay-Day fun on Wednesday at Antigua Yacht Club.

Thursday, the yachts are back on the ocean with Division A racing windward/leeward courses and Division B sailing the South Coast Race. Friday marks the last official day of racing with the Ocean Race. Saturday, the prize giving is preceded with the Second Annual Bareboat Challenge Championship Race.

The Lord Nelson’s Ball and prize giving wraps the event on Saturday evening.