Six records were broken and six skippers won their weight in Extra Old Mount Gay Rum when the Barbados Cruising Club successfully presented the 2012 Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race on Saturday 21st January 2012. Ideal conditions out on the water saw the round Barbados records tumble.
The Reichel Pugh Maxi 78’ Idea Yacht - Credit: Bim Media Group - Bim.bb.
The race attracted 28 entries from around the world with one yacht arriving just the day before the event having sailed from Italy directly to Barbados. That effort was rewarded as the crew collected their skipper’s weight in Mount Gay Rum.
The Reichel Pugh Maxi 78’ Idea yacht is skippered by Tony McBride, who attended last year’s event and had vowed to return with something bigger to break the Absolute Monohull Record and he easily achieved that goal, breaking the previous record, held by Ron Joyce and Destination Fox Harb’r by 17 minutes, in a time of 5 hours 3 minutes 34 seconds.
Sailing yacht Idea - Credit: Bim Media Group - Bim.bb.
Silver Bullet, Roberts 30’ yacht Supercat, skippered by Barbados Cruising Club member Bryn Palmer, took 16 minutes off the existing Absolute Multihull Record in a time of 4 hours 24 minutes 27 seconds.
Rappajam with captain Ralph “Brugga” Johnson established a new class record for yachts 60 foot and under, while sister yacht Bruggadung, captained by Paul Johnson set a new class record for yachts under 35 foot.
New records were also set in both the single handed and double handed classes with Immigrant, skippered by David Staples and crewed by Dr John Duckhouse setting a new record for a double handed yacht. Five yachts started the race double handed, and all beat the previous double handed record.
Roberts 30’ yacht Supercat - Credit: Bim Media Group - Bim.bb.
Two double handers, Matador and Deliverance were ‘live aboard’ yachts recently arrived in Barbados after their Atlantic Crossing. Captain Peter Hoad also established a new record for a single-handed yacht on his J24, Jabulani in a time of 9 hours 49 minutes 58 seconds.
Trading Brigantine Tres Hombres was the last yacht to finish, safely returning a group of children from the Barbados “Kids At Sea” youth sailing programme back to Carlisle Bay shortly before 10 pm at night.
This was the first year that use was made of the inner basin of the Careenage as a place to moor the yachts and also it was a first for the setting up of a yacht regatta village.
The yacht regatta village is a new concept to Barbados and sets up well for the world class event which Barbados will be hosting in December when yachts will arrive for the finish of the Classic Transat 2012.
Sailing yacht Supercat - Credit: Bim Media Group - Bim.bb.
This event has so far attracted 33 entries and with seven months to go before the start, the organizers expect a further 12 yachts bringing the total to 45.
The Barbados Cruising Club wishes to thank the event sponsors, Mount Gay Rum, The Barbados Tourism Authority, LIMEtv, The Loomba Foundation, The Beach House, Miele, Indigo Island, Port Louis Marina and Diamonds International.
The Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race will return on January 21st 2013.
