Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Brothers

An interview with Karen Stiell on the 2022 Grenada Sailing Week

by David Schmidt 26 Jan 2022 03:00 AEDT January 27-30, 2022
2020 Grenada Sailing Week © Tim Wright

The old adage goes: "It's Five O'clock somewhere". As a longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest of the USA, my optimistic thought during those long, dark, and gloomy days of winter (read: right now) modifies this cliche: "It's sunny somewhere". And few places are as sunny or sailor-friendly as the Caribbean, which is home to some truly wonderful multi-day regattas, including Grenada Sailing Week (January 27-30, 2022), which is traditionally one of the first of these events to appear on the international racing calendar.

Depending on who you ask, A., yes, it's definitely Five O'clock somewhere (especially in the Caribbean!), and B., yes, it's also probably sunny and beautiful in Grenada right about now (or, time of day depending, will be soon).

This year's event has attracted a diverse fleet that includes monohulls ranging from J/24s to a classic Alfred Mylne 65, with everything from a trifecta of Carriacou Sloops, to modern hardware including a Reichel/Pugh 37, a J/121, and a J/122 in between.

Like many regattas across the Caribbean and the USA, Grenada Sailing Week has felt more than a few big square waves courtesy of the still-churning pandemic. Fortunately, the event has found a clear lane to proceed this year, giving rain- and snow-socked sailors an early-season opportunity to enjoy some great Caribbean racing and ample Vitamin D.

I checked in with Karen Stiell, regatta manager of the 2022 Grenada Sailing Week, to learn more about this exciting warm-water regatta.

Can you please tell us a bit about the Grenada Sailing Week, it's history and culture, and the kinds of teams and sailors that one can expect to find here?

Grenada Sailing Week used to be part of Grenada Sailing Festival, which was both a workboat and keelboat regatta until 2012, when the event split into Grenada Sailing Festival, dedicated to the workboats, and Grenada Sailing Week, dedicated to the keelboats.

The event as whole has been running for around 25-30 years. It's positioned at the start of the CSA Caribbean regatta season and is what is known on the circuit as a traditional 'West Indian Regatta'. This essentially means serious racing with lots of rum and camaraderie between competing teams in the bar after the races. It's incredibly friendly and welcoming, with the Regatta Organizing Committee often going the extra mile to solve problems and make participants feel at home.

The sailors often use Grenada [Sailing Week] as an opportunity to dust off the cobwebs and put the equipment and teams through their paces for the rest of the season.

GSW was cancelled unfortunately in 2021, but [it] is coming back in a reduced format in 2022 as a combined event with Petite Calivigny Yacht Club (PCYC; (pcycgrenada.com), one of the popular yacht clubs on Grenada.

Instead of the week-long format of six nights of parties [and] four days of sailing with a lay day, the event in 2022 will be the traditional PCYC island destination race usually held in August, plus a round island race, so this means Day 1 will be Grenada to Carriacou, Day 2 will be around Carriacou with Day 3 being Carriacou to Grenada. We are excited that this year the event gets to include Carriacou, the sister island to Grenada, and our usual participants get a change of scenery.

Weather-wise, what kind conditions can sailors expect to encounter off of Grenada in late January? What are the best-case and worst-case weather scenarios?

Grenada Sailing Week traditionally has two days of sailing off the [Island's] West Coast, which has calmer waters and sometimes very light winds, followed by two days of sailing off the south coast, which has more challenging waters and stronger winds.

This always changes up the results and makes for interesting sailing [that tests] all skill levels.

Sailing up to Carriacou is a longer sail than our usual round-the-mark races, and once the yachts leave the Lea of Grenada, passing the northern tip of Grenada, there can be large swells with unpredictable waters. The strong currents of the Atlantic Ocean meet the gentler Caribbean Sea and can combine with currents created from Kick 'em Jenny, the underwater volcano positioned in between Grenada and Carriacou, to make for clever and skillful sailing [for] all.

The best-case scenario is calm waters all the way with excellent prevailing winds, the worst-case is unpredictable currents and waters.

Do you see local knowledge playing a big or small role in the regatta's outcome? Can you please explain?

Our local sailors love the regatta. Their local knowledge of the seas and wind patterns can often give them an advantage, however it must be recognized that many of the overseas participants have a great knowledge of Grenada as they visit year on year and so are also familiar with the local seascape and know what to expect.

If you could offer one piece of advice to visiting (and local) sailors/teams, what would it be?

Be prepared to race seriously but have fun at the same time. GSW likes to keep things casual but professional. 'Be prepared to fall in love with Grenada' is what we tell everyone. The GSW motto is 'Spice it up in Grenada'. The PCYC motto is 'Be prepared to get wet.' We all think it's a perfect combination.

How many sailors/teams are you expecting? Do you have any teams that you are eyeing for podium finishes? What about any dark horses who you think could prove to be fast, once the starting guns begin sounding?

This year we are expecting less teams than in previous years, so maybe around 20-25 teams.

The regatta is so different this year so we don't want to make any predictions, only that everyone will have a fantastic time.

Obviously organizing and running a big regatta amidst a still-churning pandemic isn't easy. Can you tell us about the biggest logistical and organizational hurdles that you've had to clear to make this happen?

Our biggest hurdles are ensuring everyone understands and follows the regulations put in place by Government of Grenada, especially as these are changing on a weekly basis.

We have a link on our website to the latest government regulations so we advise all sailors to check the Useful Links on the Island Info page: grenadasailingweek.com/island-info

Can you tell us about any efforts that you and the other regatta organizers have made to try to lower the regatta's environmental footprint or otherwise green-up the regatta?

We are members of Sailors for the Sea and in previous years have attained [their] Silver status. Grenada is one of the leading islands in sustainable island practices in many areas, with St. George's being positioned as one of the first Climate Smart Cities in the world. We have recycling centers at our venues, and all vendors have to use cardboard takeout containers for food and drinks. This year we only have one committee boat, which will do the starts and finishes, and our 'chase the race' boat, Jambalya, is a beautiful old schooner traveling under sail rather than engine power. sailjambalaya.com

Is there anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

This year we are excited to have new sponsors on board, supporting the regatta, especially in Carriacou. Joining our long-time premier supporters, Island Water World, Grenada Tourism Authority, Mount Gay Rum, Camper & Nicholson's Port Louis Marina, we are welcoming Tyrell Bay Marina Carriacou and Cassada Bay Resort in Carriacou.

Day Two's prize-giving will be an all-inclusive event at Cassada Bay Resort, overlooking the islands to the south of Carriacou where participants can enjoy an after-race rum punch watching the sunset. Finally, a big welcome to Le Phare Bleu Marina in Grenada, who are hosting the finish of the regatta and our final prize-giving.

Registration for the event is open on our website and all sailors are welcome. grenadasailingweek.com/registration

Related Articles

The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
Nick Olson on PredictWind's newest features
Nick Olson discusses PredictWind's newest features PredictWind has long been a leader in presenting high-quality marine forecasts. Nick Olson discusses the company's newest features. Posted on 12 Jun
The X-Yachts Gold Cup Experience
A celebration of sailing, of X-Yachts and, most importantly of all, people Having just returned from Haderslev, Denmark - which is the home of X-Yachts and played host to the X-Yachts Gold Cup 2025 - I was left wondering if this was a racing event, a rally or a social celebration amongst close friends. Posted on 10 Jun
Rolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTERNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastJeanneau Sun Odyssey 350