Sir Richard Branson joins the fun at Antigua Week

by Event media on 26 Apr 2005 As the fleet in the 38th annual Antigua Sailing Week made its way to Dickenson Bay today local time, the bad weather that met competitors yesterday held off, as 14 knot winds with gusts up to 20 drove the fleet north under skies that gradually became sunny.

The fleet started off English Harbour with a short beat east, then split, heading west and north, some carrying spinnakers for much of the way. Division B boats were given a little dog leg into Curtain Bluff, while Division A was sent further out to sea.

Tom Hill's R/P 75 Titan XII romped home first, winning both line and corrected honours in the Big Boat II division. She beat Mari-Cha's time of last year by 12 minutes, with an elapsed time of 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Showing good form today, Bill Alcott's Andrews 68, Equation, was second, while Les Crouch's R/P 44 Storm from Trinidad topped Racing III. Antigua's Jamie Dobbs and his Lost Horizon crew (an Olson 30 and the smallest boat in their class) surfed their way to a win in Racing IV.

Danilo Salsi's Dasian, a Swan 75 on her first regatta outing and loaded with Italian talent, won elapsed and corrected in Performance Cruiser I.

Dasian's top-line crew includes America's Cup veteran Lorenzo Bortolotti calling tactics, round the world sailor and Star Olympian, Pietro D'Alt, trimmed mainsail and Gigio Russo of North Sails Italy played headsail trimmer.

Second-placed Genesis, a Next 57, featured some of the crew from New Zealand super-maxi, Maximus, following her delivery delay to the regatta, and includes co-owners Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley.

There was an upset in the Bareboat class. Last year's all-conquering Phil Otis (BVI Yacht Charters/HIHO) placed fourth, the win going to an all-girl crew on Seabiscuit.

At the completion of racing, the fleet anchored in Dickenson Bay and the Virgin Atlantic Beach Bash kicked off with a water ski demonstration by the Stars from the Florida water ski team, accompanied by the James Bond theme music on the beach.

Virgin Atlantic's Sir Richard Branson made a guest appearance in the Bath Tub Derby, but didn't rank in the final three – throwing his crew overboard and jumping ship himself may have had something to do with that.

Tomorrow, Division A yachts will race on Olympic courses off Dickenson Bay and Division B will race to Jolly Harbour.

For more information on Antigua Sailing Week visit: www.sailingweek.com.

*Amended by Sail-World