SAILING WEEK INTRODUCES MAJOR CHANGES FOR 2007

Forrester said, “After last year, we realised that we needed to make some changes. Sailing Week has been pretty much the same for the last few years and the event needs to evolve to satisfy the desires of today's racers.” After the event this year a questionnaire was sent out to all the participants requesting their views on the event and what they would like to see changed. Forrester said that they received over 50 responses which represents a very good response. The responses were analysed and are being used to direct the thinking for 2007

As much of this involved the courses the first change was to appoint a new Race Committee. It now includes, Tommy Paterson, the Chairman, Karl James, Franklyn Braithwaite from A&F Sails, Commodore of the Antigua Yacht Club Gerry Bardoe, Dr. Bernie Evan-Wong, a local dentist and keen sailor and Jan Santos.

Forrester summarised the principal changes in an effort to provide more varied races for the sailors.

Having suffered from light and unpredictable winds for the last two years it is now imperative to adapt the courses accordingly. From the comments received via the questionnaires it also appeared that the sailors, often based ashore around English Harbour were not happy about being way from base for two consecutive nights. For this reason it has been decided to move the day that the event visits Jolly Harbour from Monday to Thursday.

The Division A courses will now run as follows. On Sunday 29th April the racing boats will head off from English Harbour and round the island in an anti-clockwise direction to arrive in Dickenson Bay for the traditional Dickenson Bay Beach Bash. This is the first leg of the "Yachting World Round the Island Race". The next day the boats will head out and continue their circumnavigation back to Falmouth completing the "Round the Island Race". On Tuesday the fleet will head out off Willoughby Bay for some Olympic style racing.

As always Wednesday is a break for the sailors, a day for either repairs or serious fun, either way there will be no racing on Wednesday unless the weather has yet again been unkind and a previous race has had to be cancelled. It will then be run on the Wednesday morning.

Thursday the boats are back out racing on the South Coast with some Windward/Leeward courses off the South West corner of the island. The Race venue moves to Jolly Harbour on the Thursday night with the Captain's Cocktail Party and the traditional revelry in the local bars.

The event comes to a close on Friday after the traditional Ocean Races off the South Coast, one of the week's high points if there is a good strong tradewind blowing in from the Atlantic. 

The B Division for Cruising Boats will also see changes from this year. The fleet will set out on Sunday from Falmouth to Dickenson in a clock-wise direction. The next day it will be back to Falmouth.  Tuesday will see them racing along the South Coast. Thursday they will head around the coast again to Five Islands before heading into Jolly Harbour and on Friday back to Falmouth.

Since it is the 40^th anniversary, Forrester said that something special will need to be organised on shore to mark this special year, perhaps holding a birthday party for the event. The planning committee will be working on the plans for that event in the coming months.

Because of these changes and the Anniversary year expectations are high that the event will attract over 200 participants like in previous years.

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