Living Barbados Magazine November 2014 Edition November 2014 edition | Page 26

Hold on Boys! Pictured left to right: Local
boats Glory Daze, Hawkeye, Isis and Sugar
Beach Attitude from St. Lucia

Returning Silver Bullet to shore after a race

The crew of Rapajam

Alene provides an illustrative photo of a yacht, alongside a
windsurfer- both highly regarded and equally serious participants in
the event. The various categories include the very large, down to the
very small: monohull, multihull, classic, double handed monohull,
single handed monohull, single handed multihull, windsurfers and one
year, even six kite surfers showed up! This is of course a far cry from
the origins of this event, some 78 years ago.

The original race, which took place in 1936, provided bragging
rights for the fastest Trading Schooner. This was an era in which cargo
that was quicker to arrive to its destination could command higher
prices. Over time, the popularity of the event began to dwindle.

In 2011, the race was revived with sponsorship from Mount Gay,
the oldest continuously operating rum producer in the world, and
sponsors of more than 100 regattas wor ldwide.

Raphaël Grisoni, Managing Director at Mount Gay Distilleries
Ltd. and an avid sailing enthusiast, describes Mount Gay’s strong
connection to the sailing industry. “Mount Gay has a close link to

26 LIVING BARBADOS NOVEMBER 2014 - MARCH 2015

Franchero Ellis on board Other Business

sailing as it was originally schooners that shipped Mount Gay rum in
old Europe through UK and to the then British colonies and to the USA.
British sailors were proud to bring back a barrel, as it was exported
in barrels in the 1700’s and 1800’s, of Mount Gay Rum to prove their
successful double-crossing of the Atlantic. Since then Mount Gay has
been a symbol of bravery and of course, good taste”. Howard Palmer
says “All sailors are Mount Gay groupies,”

The regatta has symbolically connected the cultural significance
of Mount Gay with the memory of one of Barbados’ national heroes,
Sir Errol Walton Barrow, Barbados’ first Prime Minister and one of
the founding members of the Barbados Cruising Club, by holding the
Round Barbados Race on Errol Barrow day each year.

Participants that return every year, eager to beat their own records,
include Jabulani, a single handed monohull, skippered by Peter Hoad,
Stilleto, a single-handed multihull, skippered by Peter Allen and the
very popular Monster Project VO70, a Monohull skippered by Andrew
Budgen and Fred Schwyn from the United Kingdom.