2025 Superyacht Challenge Antigua - Day 3
by Louay Habib 10 Mar 02:32 AEDT
5-9 March 2025
The second race of the series was held in superb conditions off the South Coast of Antigua with a light to moderate easterly wind at the start.
PRO Hank Stuart and the SYCA Race Committee chose an 18NM course with plenty of wind angles off the breeze. There were plenty of tactics and strategy in play for the seven-leg race.
Less than one hour into the race, the wind veered south east increasing in the gusts. The speed and direction had subtle changes throughout the day, increasing once again, up to 13 knots during the final hour.
Buccaneers
Nailing the start just eight seconds shy of the line was John McMonigall's Oyster 82 Zig Zag with Laura Dillon calling tactics. Swan 90 Hummingbird with Ben Saxton as tactician was also just eight seconds from the perfect start.
The Buccaneers produced the closest racing of the day with a titanic duel between two Swan 90s. Hummingbird captained by Josh Hill was first to cross the finish line but after ORCsy time correction Don Macpherson's Freya, captained by Joph Carter, was the winner by just 74 seconds. Third in the Buccaneers Class was Oyster 885 Karibu (27m) captained by Williams Dovey, Karibu leads the Buccaneers Corinthians Class with one day remaining. Fourth for today's race was John McMonigall's Oyster 82 Zig Zag, captained by Carl Raynes.
Corsairs
The 121ft (37m) Dykstra sloop Action with Ian Walker on tactics was the best starter, just 14 seconds before the gun. Action went on to win their second race of the series by just over three minutes after ORCsy time correction from the 148ft (45m) Dubois sloop Gitana captained by Greg Wilson. The 98' 5" (30m) Dubois sloop Nostromo co-captained by Ed Handasyde-Dick and Justin Blackmore was third.
Privateers
The German Frers 140ft (42m) ketch Rebecca with Mike Toppa calling tactics was just ten seconds from the start line for the best start. The 148ft (45m) Dubois ketch Catalina, with Richard Bicknell calling tactics, was just 17 seconds shy for another great start.
The 182ft (55.5m) Dykstra schooner Adela, Captained by Greg Perkins was once again in winning form, taking their second bullet by over seven minutes after ORCsy time correction. Second was the German Frers 140ft (42m) ketch Rebecca captained by Seumas Meharg.
Antigua is Rebecca's Caribbean home and has been for many years," commented Rebecca's Captain Seumas Meharg. "We have all of the superyacht services that we need and there is a great community spirit among the sailors - Antigua is a great place to go sailing and after the season, Rebecca will cruise New England during the summer."
Rebecca's owner loves to cruise the Caribbean and North America as do the permanent crew but Rebecca has been one of the most well-known ketches on the racing circuit for many years, this is Rebecca's eighth Superyacht Challenge Antigua.
"Racing is a great lesson for all the crew. We push and test the gear and gives the crew confidence when we go cruising that the boats can hold together. We can have the water coming over the deck, and all the gear is good. We have had nearly zero failures of any equipment on the boat, that's a testament to the guys, the owner and everybody who to put the program together, that everything's kept in top notch condition."
Completing the Corsairs' podium was the 148ft (45m) Dubois ketch Catalina captained by Sean Whitney.
Catalina is part of the fabric of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua. This is her third regatta but the boat as Timoneer raced consecutively from 2012-2014. Timoneer's bell IS the highly prized Gosnell Trophy, awarded to the boat with the best spirit in the regatta, after a vote by competing teams.
"Catalina has logged about 88,000 miles since 2016," commented Boat Captain Sean Whitney. "Catalina sailed from Antigua to various destinations including the ABC Islands, Colombia, Panama, Galapagos, Marquesas' and New Zealand. During Covid the whole crew was locked in New Zealand for 73 days. We participated in regattas like the Millennium Cup and America's Cup and the boss said at the time - where can we go during lockdown? Because he loves the spirit of adventure and knows the boat is capable of long passages, I suggested Alaska because it was open - the trip took 31 days."
Catalina has also sailed to many destinations across Europe including attending the America's Cup in Barcelona and cruising the West Coast of Scotland. Catalina has just undergone a major refit at the Pendennis Yard in Falmouth, Cornwall and only arrived in Antigua three days before the start of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua.
"Pendennis did a wonderful job, we were really happy with the project. We made a big effort to get here because the boss and guests really enjoyed the 2023 event as did all of the crew. Catalina is very much part of the history of the regatta," continued Whitney. "The owner loves the Corinthian spirit, he's very much a people person and likes the fun side of the regatta and the camaraderie amongst boats. It's quite an intimate one for Catalina, a boat that he loves. For the Catalina team, this regatta stands for everybody working hard, playing hard, and enjoying good sailing, which is all in the ethos of event."
Once again, the evening festivities took centre stage in the historic surroundings of Nelson's Dockyard, where the Caribbean Night at the Copper & Lumber Store Hotel turned the lawn into a vibrant explosion of colour, laughter. The highlight was the infamous Loudest Shirt Competition—a battle of boldness and questionable fashion choices.
If you've ever attended a Superyacht event, you'll know that sailors don't need much of an excuse to don eye-popping attire—especially in the Caribbean. Sunglasses were strongly recommended, as the neon-nightmares lit up the evening in Dockyard!
Racing for the Superyacht Challenge Antigua will conclude tomorrow Sunday 09 March with more racing off the spectacular southside of Antigua, followed by the Prizegiving at The Admiral's Inn, Nelson's Dockyard.
For full results, more reports and stunning images: www.superyachtchallengeantigua.com