Youth praised for their participation in Sailing Week

The inaugural Sailing Week came to a close over the Easter weekend with a number of regional and international participants copping top prizes in the water races.

Sailing Week 2025 is the first-time initiative, which ran April 13 to 21 in Bequia and featured eight days of races.

During the first-round of sailing, the event saw the return of competitive world-class sailing to Mayreau and Canouan for the Bougainvillea Cup, while the Bequia Easter Regatta attracted participation in several categories, including the popular Double-Enders and CSI Yacht Racing classes.

Speaking at the closing and prize-giving ceremony on Monday, April 21, 2025, Minister of Tourism, Carlos James said there were concerns expressed by stakeholders about the absence of the Bequia Easter Regatta.

“Many of them thought we wouldn’t have a Bequia Easter Regatta this year and each of you here standing proved them wrong …

“What is really important about this product is the legacy we leave behind … and every year that we don’t do the Sailing Week and we don’t host the Bequia Easter Regatta is a year lost in terms of our legacy, and the youth sailors who are a part of it.”

When Minister James first tabled the event back in 2023, he emphasised that the Sailing Week was not intended to replace the Bequia Easter Regatta but rather to create activities around the sector from the Northern to the Southern Grenadines.

He praised the participation of youth sailors in the week’s activities and urged the sailing community to throw their support behind future initiatives as a way to promote the sport and market the Grenadine islands.

“It was really the highlight of this Easter weekend, seeing so many young sailors getting involved, hoisting their sails and getting out there and continuing this tradition.”

The Bougainvillea Cup which ran April 13 to 16, the Open Class Yachts was claimed by Kialoa III; second place went Dandelion; in third place Aonyx; and fourth place went to Crazy Love.

The Bequia Regatta Cup ran from April 18 to 21. The Racing class category was won by Category 5.

In the category Cruising I: 1st place- Nirvana; 2nd place- Crazy Love; 3rd place- Kialoa III, while the Cruising II category results were: 1st place- Island Time Bequia; 2nd place- Slow Dancing; 3rd place- Odysseas X.

In the Junior Sailors, ILCA 6 category- 1st place- Kai Marks Dasent; 2nd place- Logan Banfield; 3rd place- Zach Mclawrence.

In the Skiff category: 1st place- Benjamin Cyrus; 2nd place- Ira Hadley; 3rd place- Lily Punnett. In the Opti category- 1st place- Kemmy, Bequia Junior Sailors; 2nd place- Joshua Weinhardt; 3rd place- Kelvan, Bequia Junior Sailors.

Results of the FJ category are: 1st place-Norice and Samara; 2nd place- Azmin and JJ.

In the Sunfish category- 1st place- KJ and 2nd place- MJ and Jamark-el.

In the Topper category first place was awarded to Deo Tannis.

For the Double Enders, the Friday’s Hairoun Big Boat Challenge top prize went to Slip Away; in second place was Double Bluff; and third place went to Blackberry.

In the 28 footers category :1st place- No offence; 2nd place- Double Bluff; 3rd place- Lightening, while in the 26 Footers category, 1st place- Eclipse; and 2nd place- DNS.

In the 18 footers category, first place went to Kiss.

Sundays FLOW + SASMF Race: 28 footers, 1st place- Slip away; 2nd place- Lightening; 3rd place- Double Bluff.

26 Footers- 1st place- Eclipse .

18 footers- 1st- Kiss. Scores of people were either spectators to, or participants in the sea and complementary land activities.