Hamptons in the summer…
Antigua & Barbuda the rest of the year!
his past August, Sag Harbor hosted the 1st Annual Antigua Barbuda Hamptons Challenge. Despite a cold and rainy start, sailors from all over the East End of Long Island, split into three divisions according to size, negotiated a more than 15-mile course that took them out into Gardiners Bay after launching from the Breakwater Yacht Club in Sag Harbor. Competing in a soaking rain with varying winds that put sailing strategy at a premium, the sailors raced for the grand prize, a week-long, all-expenses-paid trip for the winning captain and six crew members to the islands, as well as the opportunity to compete in Antigua Sailing Week. The prize was provided by Antigua and Barbuda’s ministry of tourism, and because of the country’s generosity the organizers of the race were able to put funds raised from the event toward two local charities: the Breakwater Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program, and the I-Tri girls, a local organization that helps improve the lives of at-risk adolescent girls through training them to compete in a triathlon. Because the race was based on boat handicaps, Jim Ryan, a North Fork resident who lives in Laurel, said he wasn’t entirely sure he had won the race until the trophy was presented to him at the awards ceremony later that night. “I felt good, but I was concerned,” he said. “We had 10 or 12 boats in Division I, and in that division, we are the slowest rated boat. So any boats that we were ahead of, we knew we were beating them, but the boats out in front, it’s hard to judge how far out ahead of you they’re getting.” Ryan’s boat, named Wasn’t Me! is a Melges 24, measuring 24 feet and weighing around 1,800 pounds The second-place overall finisher was White Lightning, an Evelyn 32-2 skippered by Derrick Galen and Jim Smyth. Alliance was third overall. “It couldn’t be better for someone who likes to sail as much as I do,” he said. “I was just thrilled.” Ryan wasn’t the only one who
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was thrilled. John Maginley, Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of tourism, was on hand, watching the action from aboard a 60-foot catamaran on Saturday. Before getting out on the boat, he spoke about his inspiration for creating the race along with co-founder Rob Roden. Maginley said that creating the race in the Hamptons was a nobrainer because of the very active sailing communities and traditions on both the East End of Long Island and in Antigua and Barbuda. Maginley and Roden both said that the fact that there was no major race in the area with such a big prize was part of their motivation as well. “The feedback from all the sailors was, ‘This is what our sailing community has been looking for,’” Roden said. “ This years’ event will be even bigger and better, with the awards cocktail party, live steel band and amazing raffle prizes all under a tent at Havens Beach in Sag Harbor following the race at 5pm! Register for this years’ Antigua Barbuda Hamptons Challenge & awards party at www.antiguabarbudahamptonschallenge.com
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CAPTAIN’S SEASIDE GUIDE 2013
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