Bequia gets ready for Bequia Heineken Easter Regatta 2013!

The Bequia Sailing Club is putting the final touches to preparations for its annual Bequia Easter Regatta, which kicks off on Wednesday, March 27, with the first day of registration for yachts at Race Headquarters at the Frangipani Hotel.{{more}}

Over the last 32 years, with continued support from the Ministry of Tourism and the SVG Tourism Authority, Bequia’s Easter Regatta has grown into one of the region’s largest and most popular regattas. Visitors and competitors come from all over the world to be in Bequia for the four days of racing action over the long Easter weekend.

Heineken is once again the regatta’s Headline Sponsor, marking 16 unbroken years of support for this prestigious sporting and tourism event. Saturday and Sunday will each see a thrilling Heineken Challenge for local fishing boats, with both the single-handed yacht race on Sunday and the entire day of yacht racing on Monday bearing the Heineken name.

Regional banking and investment group First Citizens were welcomed on board as a Premier Sponsor of the 2012 Bequia Heineken Easter Regatta, and their emphatic support of the event continues for 2013. Easter Friday’s full day of yacht races will be exclusively assigned to First Citizens, as will be the “First Citizens Big Boat Challenge” for local double-enders on Friday afternoon.

Mount Gay Rum continues its longstanding relationship with the Bequia Regatta in 2013, with the “Mount Gay Challenge” for fishing boats being held on Easter Monday. Barbados-based sponsor United Insurance has lent its name to the J24 three-race series on Easter Saturday, creating an exciting event within an event – the ”United Insurance J24 3-Race Challenge”.

Throughout the weekend, loyal sponsor Mountain Spring Water ensures that all sailing competitors remain refreshed and hydrated, whilst for non-racers, the Bequia Sailing Club also organizes fun for all the family with the highly popular Sandcastle Competition, sponsored this year by Karib Cable. The event will take place on the beach by the Bequia Beach Hotel – one of the regatta’s main sponsors – on Easter Sunday.

The four days of competition for locally-built double-enders from throughout the Grenadines continues to be one of the highlights of Bequia’s Easter Regatta, with followers thronging the shore for the starts and finishes. In short, the tiny Grenadine island expects to be packed with visitors and competitors this Easter. The attraction of highly competitive, professionally run yacht racing, skilful and exciting local double-ender action and plenty of Bequia’s famous hospitality will be – as always – simply irresistible!

The ability of the all-volunteer Bequia Sailing Club to continue to stage this high-profile event depends on the support of all its sponsors, large and small. Apart from those already mentioned above, businesses on both Bequia and St Vincent join with a number of private individuals in making their own vital contribution to the regatta’s success.