Sport fishing & sailing take center stage on the Spice Island of Grenada

Jose “Yoyo” Berrios Photo

There’s double the fun for water sport enthusiasts this month on the southern Caribbean island of Grenada. Sport fishermen can enter the 43rd Budget Marine Spice Island Billfish Tournament (MSIB), set for January 25-29, while sailors can register for the Grenada Sailing Festival, taking place January 27-31.

Over the years, a participation and catch rate—such as the near record 52 boats and 247 anglers who collectively released 95 Atlantic blue marlin in 2011—has put the MSIB Tournament on the map as one of the “must-dos” in the Caribbean. In addition, two-time title sponsor, Budget Marine, a St. Maarten-based chandlery with 13 locations throughout the islands, is sponsoring a nine-foot Ultra-Light AB Model dinghy with a 9.8-hp Tohatsu 2-stroke outboard engine as the prize for the first team to catch a Grand Slam (release of a blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish all on the same boat on the same day) at this Grenada Yacht Club-based tournament. www.sibtgrenada.com.

Similarly, it is the strong winter tradewinds and elite international and local fleets that make for stiff competition at the Grenada Sailing Festival. Held at Camper & Nicholson’s 170-slip Port Louis Marina in the capitol of St. George’s, over 40 racing and cruising yachts are expected to enter, including Charisma, a 57-foot classic racing sloop, and Maxi IDEA, a 78-foot high-tech carbon fiber Riechel & Pugh. This four-day regatta is hailed as an excellent ‘tune-up’ for the Caribbean racing season ahead.

Then, why not stick around the following weekend (February 4-5) when the Grenada Sailing Festival Camper & Nicholson’s Racing Series features a just-as-competitive local workboat fleet and a huge party on Grand Anse Beach. grenadasailingfestival.com

Casa de Campo Sailing Week 2012 debuts

The Dominican Republic is making its mark on the international sailing world. Not only has the northcoast town of Cabarete become renowned as a Laser training base for Olympic hopefuls in the region, but opportunities for larger racing yachts are expanding as well. The Casa de Campo Yacht Club will expand its popular Presidente Cup Regatta to a full week, from February 7-12, and call it International Casa de Campo Sailing Week. The first 10 international yachts to register will receive free dockage and a $1500 travel reimbursement.

“Our full-service marina and all the amenities of Casa de Campo resort, combined with ideal sailing conditions, we hope will enable us to turn Casa de Campo Sailing Week into a prestigious international sailing event,” says Rafid Ynirio, Yacht Club Secretary of the Casa de Campo Yacht Club (CCYC).

Racing, spinnaker cruising, non-spinnaker racing and multihull yachts are all invited to enter for four days of racing, including both round-the-island and round-thebuoys courses. For more information, email Ynirio at ccyc@ marinacasadecampo.com.