It’s regatta season in Barbados
Three sailing events in one regatta are the highlight of the second annual Barbados Sailing Week (BSW). Set for January 16-24, the competition kicks off with the three-day Coastal Racing Series for racing and cruising classes as well as the J/24 Class, which will have separate courses and scoring.
The main event is the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race, a demanding 60-mile sail around this Eastern Caribbean British Commonwealth that first started in 1936. It’s not just the distance that’s a challenge; there are two major bodies of water to navigate. The Atlantic Ocean to the east can serve up potentially huge rollers this time of year, while the Caribbean Sea to the west is often calmer.
But there are rewards to facing this contest—break any existing class records and the skipper wins his or her weight in Mount Gay rum. BSW concludes with the Ocean Passage to Antigua. This race is a great way to reposition for the Superyacht Challenge Antigua, January 31st to February 3rd, and the RORC Caribbean 600, which starts February 18th off English Harbour in Antigua.
By Carol Barethuer, Southern Boating January 2019