Mango Bowl another success!

PRESS RELEASE: St Lucia Yacht Club and its organizing committee can be commended for its 6th Annual Mango Bowl Regatta taking place from November 24-26 right in the bay off Reduit Beach.  With a total of 25 vessels registered from the region registered, over 150 sailors took part in this year’s event! The crews were a mixture of old and young, male and female, local and regional.  It was superb to see younger sailors and all female crews out on the water for the weekend event. Commodore Gene Lawrence remarked on young sailors participation throughout the event being a good sign for the future of sailing both locally and in the region.

Starting on Friday night with the Skippers’ briefing, St Lucia Yacht Club overflowed with jovial laughter and excitement.  Folks from Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Antigua as well as St Lucians joined together in anticipation of exquisite racing on the sea.  While Regatta Director, Lily Bergasse, completed last minute registrations, Anthony Bergasse, Racing Officer, led the skippers through the race courses for the weekend.

The zeal began on Saturday morning when the boats all checked in with the race committee boat anchored in the bay.  With 4 boats registered in Racing class, 8 in Cruising class, and 13 combined in J24/Surprise class, the regatta commenced at 9:15 wit the Racing class taking course through the bay around Pigeon island down toward Cariblue beach and back.  The day proved eventful with 3 races for both the Racing and Cruising classes while the J24/Surprise combined class sailed 5 races for the day.  On Sunday, despite less sun and more showers,  Racing and Cruising classes completed 2 races in their half day, while the J24/Surprise group completed another 3.

Even the young sailors being coached and mentored by Freddy Sweeney of the St Lucia Yacht Club came out for a mini-regatta taking place Sunday afternoon.  Participating were 8 local youngsters between 8 and 12 years sailing Optimists.

After all the races were completed and scoring validated, the winners for each group came out to claim their prizes at the Sunday afternoon Bar-B-Que and prize giving ceremony hosted at St Lucia Yacht Club. Attending this event as well are various representatives from the sponsors.  GOLD Sponsor, The BodyHoliday, enthusiastically presented awards throughout the afternoon and even accepting on behalf of their own vessel “Blue”. Dive St Lucia, SILVER Sponsor, was all hands on deck throughout the weekend as the VIP/Media Boat.  Each year, the official shirts and banner are designed by Scribble Designs and Jo Boxall.  Official photography from Mango Bowl Regatta for 2017 was through IFete.net and John McLennon.

Each class winner receives a hand painted Mango Bowl sponsored by St Lucia Sailing Association.  The partnership with IGY Rodney Bay Marina for this event and others throughout the year. Cafe Ole was the official host and sponsor for the Saturday night prize giving and fete. Other sponsors included KP Marine St Lucia, Island Water World, Johnson Marine Hardware, Chairman’s rum through St Lucia Distillers, Heineken Light through Windward & Leeward Brewery, Superior Fish and Seafood, Flow, Tropical Shipping St. Lucia, Cariquisine, ExelSign, Elena’s Ice Cream, Cream-n-Bean through Ferrands Dairy, and Bread Basket.

Special thanks to Greening the Caribbean and Wayne Neale for working diligently to aid the promotion of “Clean Regatta” through the Sailors for the Sea program.  This was the first sailing event to partner with such a great organization to keep our seas free from single use plastics and waste.  It will not be the last!

Up next on the calendar for St Lucia Yacht Club for 2017 is EXTEMPO on Saturday December 9th.  This event is hosted by the yacht club in collaboration with Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).  The evening will be filled local food and improvised Calypso.

 

 

WINNERS

RACING CLASS:

1   PERSEVERE DIABOLICUM        Jean Michel Figueres             Martinique

2   BLUE                                        James Ward                           Saint Lucia

3   GAYA                                       Simon Handley                      Saint Lucia

 

CRUISING CLASS:

1   SY CRICKET                              Sandy Mair                            Antigua

2   TULAICHEAN II                        Mike Bingley                          Grenada

3   PAPGAYO                                Ben Thompson                       Saint Lucia

 

J24 CLASS:

1   DIE HARD                                Robbie Yearwood                  Grenada

2   JABAL                                      Nic Forsberg                          Saint Lucia

3   ATTITUDE                                Fredric Sweeney                    Saint Lucia

 

SURPRISE:

1   DIGILIFE                                   Vianney Saintenoy                Martinique

2   LA MORRIGANE                      Jean Francois Terrien             Martinique

3   DENEBOLA-DIDIER                 Delice Nouel                          Martinique

 

 

J24/SURPRISE Combine Class:

1   DIGILIFE                                        Vianney Saintenoy                  Martinique

2   DIE HARD                                     Robbie Yearwood                   Grenada

3  JABAL                                             Nic Forsberg                           Saint Lucia