Ireland's Eddie Jordan was back on the podium last night but it was for exploits
on water rather than tarmac as the skipper of Lush, his Oyster 655 sailing yacht writes Louay Habib. The BBC's F1 analyst finished the Oyster regatta in
Grenada by winning the 'Windboats Anniversary Trophy'. The trophy was presented
to Eddie and Marie Jordan by the Hon Peter David, Grenada's Minister of
Tourism. (Scroll down for photos below).
Royal Cork's
Stephen and Aileen Hyde's Oyster 56, A Lady, just missed out on a podium finish
having just returned to the Caribbean following their 15 month
circumnavigation.
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| Stephen & Aileen Hyde who joined the regatta having just returned to the Caribbean following their 15 month circumnavigation |
The happy smiling faces
dockside at Port Louis were testament to a truly memorable Oyster Regatta on
the magical island of Grenada. However there was an element of tension in the
air, as Pantaenius Race Day was the last race to be sailed and a dramatic
conclusion was to follow. The race area south west of Grenada was sublime,
sunshine and crystal clear water with a warm breeze, which developed during the
day, to a steady 12 knots.
Jonathan and Jane Mould's
Oyster 72, Koluka continued their domination of Class One with their fourth
victory, a clean sweep. An impressive performance but the couple did not come
to Grenada just to compete; Jonathan and Jane were accompanied by their
extended family, both daughters, husbands and grandchildren. "To be honest
with you, the racing has been the most relaxing part. With three grandchildren
all two or younger, it is a busy time ashore. My wife Jane has done most of the
baby-sitting while I have gone sailing. It has been a lovely experience, it is
always nice to do well but to be in such a wonderful place with my family that
is something to savour for years to come."
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| The Windboats Anniversary Trophy – presented to Eddie and Marie Jordan by the Hon Peter David, Minister of Tourism |
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| Eddie Jordan Racing his Oyster 655, Lush |
Chris and Susan Shea's
Oyster 72, Magarathea was a gallant second, who scored consistently through the
regatta. Eddie Jordan on board Oyster 655, Lush finished the regatta in style
with their best result of the week, a close second to the overall winners
Koluka.
Alan and Sue Brook's Oyster
56, Sulana were clear leaders this morning but a dramatic event on the
racecourse nearly cost them victory. A coming together with John McTigue's Blue
Dreams meant a 20 percent penalty, resulting in a 10th place for Sulana for the
final race. However, their string of wins prior to the last race meant that
Sulana held on to the top spot to win Class Two.
Alan Brook commented:
"We have been in Grenada for six weeks now and I can safely say it is an
excellent place for many reasons and a very fitting venue for Oyster yachts and
their owners, I have an excellent crew on Sulana who all worked well together
to contribute to our success but I think that we can all leave Grenada as
winners, it has been an excellent event."
Second in Class Two was Scott
Bickford's American Oyster 56, Contingency. David Fass' Oyster 56, A Sulana was
third by just a single point. Meaning that Ian Galbraith's Scottish Oyster 53,
Jigsaw and Stephen and Aileen Hyde's Irish Oyster 56, A Lady, just missed out
on a podium finish.
Stephen and Aileen Hyde left
Crosshaven, in Southern Ireland in the summer of 2009 and haven't been back
since. After cruising their Oyster 56 down to Las Palmas, they crossed the
Atlantic and continued west with the World ARC fleet. Stephen has written
fascinating account of their 30,000-mile circumnavigation, which is being
published in Oyster News.
'Without doubt, the most
amazing place we have visited was the San Blas Islands," commented
Stephen. "The archipelago is composed of approximately 200 islands off the
coast of Panama. Beautiful beaches free from crocodiles and mosquitoes and
brilliant diving in the reefs, crystal clear waters with an amazing variety of
wildlife, even black tipped Reef Sharks, which would often swim with us. When I
suggested to my wife that we should sail around the world, she said absolutely
nothing – No comment. However with just a few days to go until the start, she
told me she was coming and was going to sail every mile. It has been a
fantastic adventure."
On the final night of the
Oyster Regatta Grenada, the prize giving party was held at Port Louis Marina.
The new facility has been a splendid setting for the Oyster fleet and a fitting
venue for the closing ceremony and party. Over 230 guests attended the evening
with Grenadian Minister of Tourism, Hon. Peter David, as Guest of Honour.
"Sailing is very important to Grenada, it is deeply rooted in our culture
and I speak for the Prime Minister and all Grenadians, which we were delighted
to welcome all of the Oyster yachts to our island and hope that you all return
soon." Commented Peter David
After the prize giving, a
gourmet four-course meal was served, it was a very happy occasion with crews
toasting each other and recalling memorable moments during a fantastic week. A
brilliant firework display over the marina capped off a truly wonderful
regatta. The Oyster Regatta in Grenada had been a roaring success. Probably one
of the main reasons for that is the warmth and friendship of the people of
Grenada, something that the Oyster family appreciates a great deal.
Photos: Oyster/Ingrid Abery
SOURCE: www.afloat.ie
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