Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2020 - Impact BA - LEADERBOARD

2020 Superyacht Challenge Antigua - Day 1

by Louay Habib 12 Mar 2020 17:24 PDT 11-15 March 2020
2020 Superyacht Challenge Antigua - Day 1 © Claire Matches / www.clairematches.com

The opening day of action for the 2020 Superyacht Challenge Antigua featured exciting racing for the magnificent fleet off the South Coast of Antigua. WinWin sailed by Kim Schindelhauer, and skippered by Ryan Taylor, took first blood in the Corsairs Class. Missy skippered by Matt McKeon performed in the Privateers Class. Firebird skippered by James McDonald took a blazing win in the Buccaneers Class.

A light easterly breeze was enhanced by a big rain squall during the starting sequence, with several teams making good use of the shift in breeze and velocity. The racecourse featured a long downwind leg, allowing the magnificent fleet to hit top speed in Caribbean surf. In the second half of the race, shorter windward leeward legs called on more technical and tactical abilities. The trade winds piped up towards the finish for an adrenalin pumping finale. After racing there were plenty of grins on the dock, testament to a cocktail of definitive superyachts, tropical conditions, and thrilling racing.

The Oyster 885 Firebird took Race One in the Buccaneers Class. The 182ft (55.5m) Dykstra schooner Adela skippered by Greg Norwood-Perkins was second. The 121ft (37m) Dykstra sloop Action skippered by Josh Gilchrist was third.

"For the long downwind leg, we put a lot of distance on other boats because the wind had not picked up yet," commented Jasper Bank, tactician on Firebird and double Olympic Gold Medallist. "When the breeze kicked in, we enjoyed the show, as the big boats came blasting passed! We were quite pleased to keep Action and Adela behind us. We could see the other boats around us, and we felt we had it well covered."

The 108ft (33m) Malcolm McKeon designed sloop Missy, skippered by Matt McKeon, won Race One in the Privateers Class. Peter Harrison's 115ft (35m) Farr ketch Sojana was second by just 75 seconds after time correction. The 94ft (29m) Southern Wind sloop Aragon, skippered by Nico Carpentier was third.

"We put in a gybe set at the first top mark, and we played out the first run really well, that big first shift got us right up there," commented Matt Humphries, tactician on Missy and five-time race circumnavigator. "We managed to hold onto the two big ketches; Rebecca and Sojana and also Dark Shadow. Our game plan was to stay with them until that last six-mile beat, but there was a lot of place changes. A bit of a strategic tacking duel developed between us and Sojana on the last beat, and we managed to get an edge. The boss did an awesome job driving and the crew held it all together."

In the Corsairs Class, the 108ft (33m) Javier Jaudenes sloop WinWin, took the win by just over two minutes. The 112ft (34m) sloop Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, was second. Third was the 178ft (54m) Judel Vrolijk sloop Pink Gin VI, skippered by James Morbey.

"We are pretty happy, but it didn't all go smoothly, we did manage to trawl our A2 on the first mark," admitted WinWin skipper Ryan Taylor who has been with the boat since launch in 2014. "What we did well today was keeping our tactics plain and simple, our usual philosophy is 'basic and fast'. We tend to go downwind quite well, and we are a little bit lighter in this fleet. The boat performed really well, catching waves and surfing. Like all the boats here, we have a great crew and we all come out to perform."

Congratulations to Wally 100 Dark Shadow for making the best start of the day, crossing the line just one second before the gun!

Four J Class yachts form the strongest class fleet since the 2017 J Class World Championship. For news and results from the J Class racing at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua visit: www.jclassyachts.com.

Prior to the first day of racing at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua, a Welcome Cocktail Party was held at Boom Restaurant in Nelson's Dockyard. Well over 400 owners, guests and crew met for a relaxed start to the social side of the regatta. The regatta's ethos is to value fair racing and good companionship above all else.

Racing at the 10th Anniversary of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua continues on Friday 13th March, with the start sequence for Race Two scheduled to start at 1100 local time (1500 AST).

Full results available here.

For more information visit www.superyachtchallengeantigua.com.

Related Articles

Superyacht Challenge Antigua overall
Zig Zag and Action celebrate in Antigua The final race of the 2023 Superyacht Challenge Antigua was held off the South Coast of Antigua on Sunday 12 March. The weather this year was more Mediterranean than Caribbean but the spirit of regatta was unchanged. Posted on 13 Mar
Superyacht Challenge Antigua day 3
The racing was extremely close with the top four boats finishing within four minutes After yesterday's postponement racing was back on at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua on Saturday 11th March. Line Honours was once again taken by the 148ft Dubois sloop Gitana in an elapsed time of 01 hour 57 minutes and 39 secs. Posted on 12 Mar
Superyacht Challenge Antigua day 1
Livin' it up in Antigua The first day of racing at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua was blessed with tropical heat and moderate breeze of 12-15 knots from an unusual westerly wind direction. Posted on 10 Mar
2023 Superyacht Challenge Antigua Practice
There is nowhere like the Caribbean in the bleak mid-winter of the Northern Hemisphere There is nowhere like the Caribbean in the bleak mid-winter of the Northern Hemisphere. Warm air and crystal blue skies makes Antigua a sailor's paradise. Posted on 9 Mar
2023 Superyacht Challenge Antigua preview
A wonderful celebration of sailing and parties The 12th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua (SYCA) has opened with registration of the magnificent fleet in Nelson's Dockyard. Racing off the South Coast of Antigua will conclude on Sunday 12th March. Posted on 6 Mar
2023 Superyacht Challenge Antigua preview
Five days of spectacular racing together with laid back social events An exciting superyacht racing season is set for the Antigua in 2023 with a fantastic programme of racing including the 12th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua and the inaugural RORC Caribbean 600 Series. Posted on 17 Sep 2022
2023 Superyacht Challenge Antigua Notice of Race
Dedicated to pure fun afloat and ashore The Superyacht Challenge Antigua has one clear objective; to provide all the facilities to stage an ideal event for an exclusive selection of superyachts, where fair racing and good companionship are valued above all else. Posted on 20 Mar 2022
2022 Superyacht Challenge Antigua wraps up
Held in strong winds for all but the last race of the regatta After four days of exciting racing, the 11th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua concluded with the Prize Giving held at the Admiral's Inn Nelson's Dockyard. Posted on 14 Mar 2022
11th Superyacht Challenge Antigua day 1
Full trade winds produce spectacular sailing for the magnificent fleet Race One of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua was held in full trade winds producing spectacular sailing for the magnificent fleet. It was a bumpy rollercoaster ride on the South Coast of Antigua with the superyachts reefed for high-octane, uber-action. Posted on 11 Mar 2022
11th Superyacht Challenge Antigua opener
Hetairos charges to Round Antigua Record Hetairos has set a new monohull race record for Round Antigua Race. The 218ft Dykstra/Reichel Pugh ketch skippered by Graham Newton, completing the 46.8nm Round Antigua Course in an elapsed time of 3 hrs 46 mins 08 seconds. Posted on 10 Mar 2022
J Composites 2022 - J99 FOOTERVaikobi 2021 Boots - FOOTERArmstrong-A-Wing-728x90 gif BOTTOM