English Harbour Rum Race Day | Antigua Sailing Week 2019

Brilliant sunshine, solid trade winds and Caribbean surf made for the perfect start for the 52nd edition of Antigua Sailing Week. The cocktail of heaven-sent conditions was very apt for English Harbour Rum Race Day. The six CSA racing classes were on the Windward Course enjoying some epic downwind legs straight off the front of the brochure! Ker 46 Lady Mariposa won today’s race in CSA 2. British Lombard 46 Pata Negra, skippered by Adrian Fisk was second, and Vittorio Biscarini’s Italian Mylius 15E25 Ars Una was third. “We are a mixture of professionals and corinthian sailors, but everyone has an important role to play – there are no passengers,” commented two-time Olympic Gold Medallist, Jesper Bank, skipper of Lady Mariposa. “We had excellent conditions today and close competition and the last downwind leg was a big part of our race win. When you are going at full speed in a high performance boat, it is a fantastic feeling for everyone on board.” Sir Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 Sojana, holder of the Lord Nelson Trophy, started their campaign with a win in CSA 1. Fully powered-up, the British supermaxi completed the 20-nautical mile course in under two hours. TP52 Zingara (Conviction) with Canadian Richard Reid at the helm, was second. Lithuanian Volvo 65 Ambersail, skippered by Simonas Steponavicius was third. In CSA 3, Ondeck Antigua’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno, skippered by Arran Chapman won today’s race and celebrated loud and proud at the English Harbour Rum Race Day prize giving! Adrian Lee’s Irish Swan 60 Lee Overlay Partners II was just 20 seconds behind Spirit of Juno after over two hours of racing. Mark Jagger’s British Bordeaux 60 Theia of London, skippered by James Richman was third. In CSA 4, British Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster won today’s hotly contested race by just 16 seconds on corrected time from Pamala Baldwin’s Antiguan J/122 Liquid. Diego Aguirre’s J/122 Team Inka from Peru, was third by just 18 seconds from the Canadian Reflex 38 Touch2Play Racing, skippered by Rob Butler. Read more at https://www.sailingweek.com/rum-runners-at-antigua-sailing-week-english-harbour-rum-race-day-1/ #ASW #AntiguaSailingWeek #RaceChaseCelebrate