The competition on the water is expected to be quite fierce this weekend, with the 29th staging of the highly popular Harris Paints Regatta off Carlisle Bay, on June 2 and 3. Course Director, Peter Burke, told the press at a recent media briefing that they expect to see close to 25 boats taking to the water in two categories: Racing Cruiser Class and J24 Class. Burke noted that the J24s are actually quite a big fleet with about 16 boats, and they have also seen an increase in the Racing Cruiser Class. The racing actually gets started on Saturday afternoon with the J24 Class. That racing will be mainly in Carlisle Bay on a Leeward/Windward course and there will be two races, with the first race scheduled for 2 p.m. "With the J24s it is very keen racing indeed. This year we are fortunate to have two overseas boats, Die Hard from Grenada and one called Saltfish from St. Vincent. Both of these boats competed in the recent Mount Gay Regatta and they have stayed on and they are really going to create a lot of interest in the J24 fleet," said Burke. The J24s on Sunday will again compete in two races again, the first of which will start in Carlisle Bay and go along the South Coast and turning around off St. Lawrence Anglican Church before finishing in Carlisle Bay. The second race will be primarily off Carlisle Bay. The keel boats of the Racing Cruiser Class will all compete on Sunday. They will do a longer course, which will take them up the South Coast where they will turn off St. Lawrence Anglican Church, back into Carlisle Bay and then a short distance up the West Coast to as far as Brighton Beach then back to Carlisle Bay. "From a spectator point of view, the racing on Sunday should be quite interesting because the boats come very close in on the South Coast in the vicinity of the boardwalk. For spectator appeal, it is really quite good there and quite interesting," Burke noted. Last year's winners will all be back out on the water. In the J24 Class Fadeaway, skippered by Charlie Glomeau, was the winner and they will be back to defend the title. Fadeaway recently won the Bequia Regatta, but they had some misfortune in the Mount Gay Regatta with some gear failure. However, they are back up and running and will be looking to make amends for their bad run in the Mount Gay Regatta. Second in the J24 Class last year was Fully Covered, skippered by Bruce Bayley. Incidentally, Fully Covered won the J24 Class at the recent Mount Gay Regatta and they will be looking to extend their winning streak. Last year in the Racing Cruiser Class Rapajam, captained by Ralph Johnson, was the winner. They will face some stiff competition as there are a number of boats coming in to sail the regatta for the first time. One of the boats to look out for in this category will be Vagabond, owned by John Hanschell, which won in its class in the Mount Gay Regatta and they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Lantana with skipper Jeffrey Evelyn and crew finished second in the Racer Cruising Class and will be back again this year. JStar, skippered by Ron Hunte, is another significant entrant in the Racing Cruiser Class and was a winner in its category at the Mount Gay Regatta. (PG) http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=sports&NewsID=25058
The competition on the water is expected to be quite fierce this weekend, with the 29th staging of the highly popular Harris Paints Regatta off Carlisle Bay, on June 2 and 3. Course Director, Peter Burke, told the press at a recent media briefing that they expect to see close to 25 boats taking to the water in two categories: Racing Cruiser Class and J24 Class. Burke noted that the J24s are actually quite a big fleet with about 16 boats, and they have also seen an increase in the Racing Cruiser Class. The racing actually gets started on Saturday afternoon with the J24 Class. That racing will be mainly in Carlisle Bay on a Leeward/Windward course and there will be two races, with the first race scheduled for 2 p.m. "With the J24s it is very keen racing indeed. This year we are fortunate to have two overseas boats, Die Hard from Grenada and one called Saltfish from St. Vincent. Both of these boats competed in the recent Mount Gay Regatta and they have stayed on and they are really going to create a lot of interest in the J24 fleet," said Burke. The J24s on Sunday will again compete in two races again, the first of which will start in Carlisle Bay and go along the South Coast and turning around off St. Lawrence Anglican Church before finishing in Carlisle Bay. The second race will be primarily off Carlisle Bay. The keel boats of the Racing Cruiser Class will all compete on Sunday. They will do a longer course, which will take them up the South Coast where they will turn off St. Lawrence Anglican Church, back into Carlisle Bay and then a short distance up the West Coast to as far as Brighton Beach then back to Carlisle Bay. "From a spectator point of view, the racing on Sunday should be quite interesting because the boats come very close in on the South Coast in the vicinity of the boardwalk. For spectator appeal, it is really quite good there and quite interesting," Burke noted. Last year's winners will all be back out on the water. In the J24 Class Fadeaway, skippered by Charlie Glomeau, was the winner and they will be back to defend the title. Fadeaway recently won the Bequia Regatta, but they had some misfortune in the Mount Gay Regatta with some gear failure. However, they are back up and running and will be looking to make amends for their bad run in the Mount Gay Regatta. Second in the J24 Class last year was Fully Covered, skippered by Bruce Bayley. Incidentally, Fully Covered won the J24 Class at the recent Mount Gay Regatta and they will be looking to extend their winning streak. Last year in the Racing Cruiser Class Rapajam, captained by Ralph Johnson, was the winner. They will face some stiff competition as there are a number of boats coming in to sail the regatta for the first time. One of the boats to look out for in this category will be Vagabond, owned by John Hanschell, which won in its class in the Mount Gay Regatta and they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Lantana with skipper Jeffrey Evelyn and crew finished second in the Racer Cruising Class and will be back again this year. JStar, skippered by Ron Hunte, is another significant entrant in the Racing Cruiser Class and was a winner in its category at the Mount Gay Regatta. (PG) http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=sports&NewsID=25058
