ISLAND THRILLS

The 52nd Antigua Sailing Week took place in the almost guaranteed idyllic sailing conditions that this Caribbean island consistently provides: glorious sunshine, warm force five winds and big rolling seas (one of the competitors, who has been taking part in this event since 1992, said he could only ever remember one race to be postponed due to lack of wind). Eighty-nine boats took part, with the sailors coming from twenty-one different countries as far afield as Peru, Russia and Australia.

The week started with the Round Antigua Race – sponsored by Peters and May who had transported many of the competing yachts to the event – for which the two biggest boats barely made it to the start line. Sir Peter Harrison’s 115ft Farr ketch Sojana withdrew before the start when she fouled her propeller; and as the Dovell 100ft canting keel SHK Scallywag, skippered by Australian David Witt, approached the line to windward of three smaller yachts, her vast wind shadow caused one of them – the TP52 Zingara (Conviction) –