Louay Habib Caribbean blog: Fits and Giggles at Grenada Sailing Week
by Louay Habib 11 Feb 2014 16:01 GMT
30 January - 4 February 2014
If you have never been to Grenada, you are missing out. In my honest opinion it is the most friendly island in the Caribbean and there is no better time to visit the 'Spice Island' than Grenada Sailing Week. You won't see high performance yachts or a cast of top pro-sailors, but the racing conditions are spectacular and the shoreside parties are awesome.
Racing on Savvy is a special experience, the traditional Carriacou Sloop built without plans on the beach at Petite Martinique is a joy and in a squall that ripped through the race course on the last day, the wooden traditional cargo boat lifted up her skirts hitting a top speed of... I don't know... there are no instruments... but it felt like a blast! Danny Donelan owns and loves Savvy but he shares his passion with just about anybody who puts their hand up, it is the Grenadian way and Grenada Sailing Week is all about having fun and a few rums after sailing to light the party fuse.
Racing on the south coast of Grenada with spectacular views of the island on 12 different courses was full of surprises. Weather-wise you get just about everything; the calms of wind shadows in the beautiful bays, squalls ripping through to cool down the crew with a tropical shower and blast reaching in Caribbean swell kicked up by ocean currents.
The new organising team is hell-bent on attracting more sailors to the event and whilst the racing is superb, there is a big emphasis on partying. Each of the three venues (Port Louis, Phare Bleu and Prickly Bay) hosted great parties, literally competing with each other but the final night won the best party prize by a landslide.
I eaves-dropped on the brief for the 40 strong steel band's briefing. "These people are visiting Grenada and you are about to represent your country, keep it tight, keep it fun and smile your heart out!". The steel band One Dimension was magnificent.
The Tivoli Drummers were to follow, a traditional drumming group well know in Grenada that came out beaming with smiles and playing the drums like their life depended on it.
Danny Donelan put me up in his house for the regatta, big thanks to him, his very understanding girlfriend Tricia and not forgetting Tigger the puppy, who bit me softly and would not leave me alone... a bit like Grenada Sailing Week.
www.grenadasailingweek.com
Next up... Antigua Dragon Yacht Club Challenge.