Antigua Racing Cup Delivers a Blistering Opening Day

CSA 4In Race 1, Ashley Rhodes’ Melges 24 Whiplash (ANT) took a comfortable corrected time win for Race 1. In second place, 5 minutes 44 seconds behind was Sigma 38 The Project, skippered by Lee Oldak (USA). Third was Jean-Mallory Rousseau’s First Class 10 Montebello Pepsi (FRA) from Guadeloupe, just 41 seconds behind The Project.
In Race 2, Whiplash made it two in a row, taking the corrected time victory from The Project by 5 minutes 08 seconds after CSA time correction. Third was Patrick Holloran’s First 40.7 Caipirinha (GBR) with a corrected time of 2 minutes 32 seconds behind The Project. Caipirinha took third by just 8 seconds from Steven Goddard’s First 36 Faenol (GBR).Ashley Rhodes’ Antiguan Melges 24 Whiplash © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing CupCSA 4 fleet start © Paul Wyeth/Antigua Racing CupHere is what a few of the victorious teams had to say:CSA 1 – Prevail’s Dan Gribble“It is fantastic to be here for the Antigua Racing Cup. We had been in Antigua before on another boat and I remember seeing Prevail on the dock and thinking what a cool boat she was. Later on we bought her, and to bring her back here to go racing feels very special. We got a good, clean air start today, and once the boat was dialled-up she felt really good. Prevail is a fast cruising boat with all the comforts, but when you get breeze in the mid-teens she really comes alive. That is what makes Antigua such a great place to sail. Coming from Southern California, where the wind can often be light, to race here in 15 to 20 knots in warm trade winds is just superb. Ashore, the camaraderie has been great as well. It is always fun meeting sailors from all over the world.” CSA 2 – Belladonna’s Jeremy Smart“Two great races today in absolute champagne sailing conditions with warm water and sunshine. It was really everything you want from racing in Antigua. CSA 2 was very tight, with boats trading places upwind and downwind in both races, so it already feels like this is shaping up to be a fantastic regatta with close, fun racing throughout the fleet.“In the first race the stronger breeze suited us well. We played slightly offshore near Shirley Heights and that worked in our favour, then downwind we were able to make good gains with our symmetrical set up. The second race was more complicated. It took us a while to get clear air on the first beat, and there were lighter patches near the top mark that made things tricky, especially in conditions that did not really suit our boat. Even so, it was a brilliant day on the water.”
CSA 3 – Danish Blue’s Karl James MBE“Today really delivered what the Antigua Racing Cup promised, proper racing on a technical course. It was not straightforward at all because the currents and the wind made every leg a tactical exercise. On the first beat we could see more adverse current under the cliffs because of the line of sargassum weed, so we stayed out of that. Then on the run we came back inshore with the current line and that helped us pass Panacea X. That was very satisfying. What I always try to do is use local knowledge as a guide, not a rulebook, because sailing is fluid and you have to adapt to what is actually happening on the water. It was also special to have a real mix of generations on board today, with sailors I have coached over the years alongside the experience of Poul Høj-Jensen. It was a fantastic Antigua day.”
CSA 4 – Whiplash’s Ashley Rhodes“We had a long upwind leg in Race 1, which is not usually our favourite on Whiplash, but we handled it well and had a lot of fun. What makes this boat special is that she is an all-Antiguan team, with my brother back on board, a close friend running tactics, and three young sailors in the crew. From the start, I wanted Whiplash to be a pathway for kids coming out of dinghy sailing and into keelboats, so that is something I am very proud of. My moment of the day was the way the crew reacted to a couple of breakages on board. They dealt with it brilliantly, got us going again almost immediately, and we probably only lost about 20 seconds.”
The daily prize giving at the Antigua Racing Cup is where the stories really come alive. It is the perfect chance for teams from around the world to come together after a full-on day on the water, swap tales from the racecourse, and enjoy an added hour of complimentary English Harbour Rum and Amstel Beer. With the trade winds still buzzing and the adrenaline not quite gone, the atmosphere is lively, loud and full of smiles. Winners are always grinners, and some of the day’s top performers had plenty to celebrate.
Racing at the first edition of the Antigua Racing Cup continues tomorrow, Friday 10 April. A similar forecast is expected with full trade winds expected to continue. Stay tuned for regular updates via the official regatta website and social media channels: www.antiguaracingcup.com.
ENDS/.. Louay Habib/Antigua Racing Cup