SIMPSON BAY-- Team Island Water World, on their Melges 24 with Frits Bus at the helm, recorded five first place finishes to dominate Racing Class of the two day long Carib Marine Regatta this past weekend.
Eight boats participated in the Regatta that was organized by the St. Maarten Yacht Club to help fill the May Race Calender. Both the normal May Anguilla Regatta and the Captain Olivers Regatta had dropped off the schedule.
On the first day there were two short races and a long one ending in Great Bay. On the second day there was one long race and two short ones ending in Simpson Bay.
Only five races counted in the final standings. Each team could discard their worst finish.
Second in Racing was Jan van den Eynde skippering Wanna B an Esse 850. Third was Patrick Bemier on Speedy Nemo a Dufour 34 from St. Barths.
“Conditions were good. Team Island Water World performance was excellent,” said Bus. “We had good teamwork and good preparation.”
In the cruising class the battle was between Albireo, a Swan 411 and Robbie Ferron’s Bunglebird a Nonsuch 33.
Bunglebird won the class.
Albireo is owned by Steve Burzon and helmed by Petro Jonker. This boat had taken a 30-year break from racing, and is now slowly eased back into racing with an excellent and fun crew.
The racing was made possible by a race management team led by Don Terwilliger who not only started the races but also laid the bouys, and due to the unusual southerly wind had to make some course changes by radio.
Racing continues with Dinghy classes Saturday with the first day of the Hope Ross Series.
