De Caribbean Regatta 2009
Day 2 & 3 - Bequia, Day of Rest & Skipper Appreciation Dinner
We are always the luckiest sailors when we beat up Admiralty Bay to anchor in Bequia.
Although this is personal preference, there are two islands in the Caribbean which rate far above the others in terms of relaxation, beauty and conviviality. These are Anegada in the BVIs and Bequia in the Grenadines. Day 2 of the regatta meant it was our great fortune to arrive at Bequia.
Just what about Bequia makes it so special? I'm not exactly sure but you can feel it in the harbor, you can feel it on the roads, you can feel it in a chair. Maybe it is the singing of the birds which sounds like "Sweet, sweet Bequia." Or maybe it is the light at sunset and sunrise. Whatever the reason, this is home and there is a chair waiting in front of the Frangipani to sit on and watch as the world walks by. Good friends of mine, someday please meet me in Bequia. I am trying to get there and hope you will too.
The
sail from Mayreau to Bequia was close hauled in winds from 20 to 25 knots.
Most of it was on starboard tack with the winds being just a little too north
easterly to make it in one tack. So closer to the island, boats tacked
first to starboard and then beat upwind to the front of the harbor.
The "Flagship" went all the way to front of the harbor where there always seems to be the best mooring ball waiting. Then ashore to the dinghy dock of the Frangi. Hamburgers at the Frangi or egg breakfast in the morning.
One day earlier, the Flagship team had departed Bequia enroute to Canouan by powerboat owned and skippered by Bequia Sailing Club Commodore Orbin Ollivierre. This was the result of Bequia Club Secretary Nicole Redway tipping us off about the Bequia Music Festival and our team flying down earlier to begin vacation with a bang. It was 2 evenings of festive music, the first with the performers from the Mustique Blues Festival and the second with other groups from the islands.
During the course of these two pre-regatta days, we said hello again to old friends including Mr. & Mrs. Lennox Taylor, Sylvester Smith and Godwin Friday.
And a visit to the Frangipani would not have complete without a conversation with Former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell (picture left). It was an enjoyable and wide ranging chat covering all the remarkable events which have occurred since our visit last Easter. In case you have not heard, Manhattan Sailing School is interested in opening a winter base on Bequia so New Yorkers could fly down for one week of vacation and learn to sail or improve their sailing at the same time. Sir Mitchell also has one of the original Caribbean charter boats which is for sale and might be a good start for the school. But as with everything in life, we shall have to see...
In Bequia, there is an excellent dive shop and many sailors took advantage of the opportunity. There is also great model boat building and charming local paintings. One thing you must try is lobster pizza, available at Mac's along the waterfront. Don't ask any more, just give it a try. You will see why. And you do not need many pieces to fill yourself up so order less than you think you need.
Bequia provided the regatta's day of rest. It is an annual tradition which allows our sailors to recover from the first few days of sailing and gain more of their sea legs. The first boat party was held on the Flagship with one and exactly one hour of music and dance.
Next morning, people were able to go out and explore. We went to the rum shop on the eastern side of the island where the Easter Regatta fishing boat skipper's meeting had been held. Sort of like revisiting great memories.
On the second evening came the Skipper Appreciation Dinner at the Porthole Restaurant. This is when all crews gather together and each team is introduced along with their skipper who receives a round of applause from the boat. This was also the scene of the hors d'oeuvres competition. This year, the entries were brilliant and the battle hard fought. We had some honorary judges (picture below), including Wilfred Dederer (organizer of the Bequia Music Festival), Lennox Taylor (owner of the Porthole Restaurant and also the double-enders "Braveheart" and "Country Girl") and Nicole Redway (Secretary of Bequia Sailing Club and the person who has helped introduce us to this great island).
Congratulations to the yacht "Caribbean Queens" for wining the competition with an excellent ceviche. Other imaginative entries included a fruit salad spiked with rum, crackers made to look like sailboats, something to do with bananas & bacon and an "S&M" spanking dish which could only be properly described by the sailors involved. As the evening progressed from dinner to dancing, Mr. Taylor was heard commenting to the Commodore that "You can't have a good celebration without dancing!!"
Thank you Bequia, beautiful island paradise where we love to come. May fortune shine on your island and also on us so that we may return some day, sooner rather than later.
Click any of the pictures below to enlarge.
