Anguilla Regatta. Great sailing but where’s the mix up?

What a fabulous weekend! Acres of grey cloud kept the sun at bay and made the 9th Anguilla regatta even more enjoyable. I know, if you live in a colder, less sunny clime, you think I’m nuts, but sitting on the windward rail in the blazing tropical sun can, at times, be demanding. Of course, there is always cold beer and sometimes champagne to relieve the dehydration, there’s even water for those who like it!

The Anguilla Regatta has roller-coasted through many changes since the first event back in 2002. In the early days, the regatta made much of its logo ‘Go Mix Up’. This was an attempt to bring together the crews of the local racing sloops and the yachtsmen taking part in the regatta. The idea was to ‘mix up’ the crews. It worked for a while and I took the opportunity to race on an Anguillian Sloop, an experience I will never forget and one for which I will always be grateful. Unfortunately, the ‘mix up’ no longer happens. The locals have their race, the yachts their regatta and, instead of coming together, the two have gone their separate ways.

Is there hope of the two groups getting back together? Yes, there is, and it’s thanks to the work of the Anguilla Regatta who channel the funds generated by the event into the Anguilla Youth Sailing Program. Youngsters who go through the program will eventually take their sailing skills into the traditional sloops, thus replacing a generation that think winning a race is down to dogged determination as much as sailing technique.

While the yachtsmen compete for trophies that in Anguilla amount to a bottle of champagne, the local sloops will only race for cash. I refuse to get drawn into this argument, after all, the Budget Marine Match Race, held during the buildup to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, put up a purse of $10,000 to be shared between the winners. Try explaining that!

However, the irony of all this is that the Anguilla Sailing Association, supported by the non-profit Anguilla Regatta, and generous donations from certain businesses and individuals, has a sailing school that is teaching numerous local children to sail and producing some of the top young sailors in the Caribbean. And while many in the community give back, when it comes to the country’s national sport, others ask what’s in it for me?

This year’s Anguilla Regatta was superb. Next year the regatta celebrates its tenth year. Let’s hope by then it will be more ‘mixed up’. For details and results, visit: http://anguillaregatta.com

I would like to thank our hosts the Anguilla Regatta, the Pump House and Ripples Restaurants in Sandy Ground and the Straw Hat Restaurant in Meads Bay. Thanks also to CuisinArt Resort & Spa for their superb hospitality, and to Wendell Connor’s Taxi Service & Car Rental, who came to our rescue. Captain Garth Steyn of the St. Maarten Sailing School and Captain Ian Hope-Ross of Kick ‘em Jenny deserve special thanks for inviting me to race on their boats, and thanks go to Alice and Reg who did a great job driving the press boat. As always, our friends Richard and Maryse West of the schooner Charm III looked after us in fine style.