Tradewinds, Liquid Sunshine and the Antigua Kiss
By Denise McDermitt
The draw of Antigua’s 43rd Annual Sailing Week and the sheer desire to lay my eyes on this Caribbean treasure sent me winging my way southward out of New York City. One of the premier sailing regatta’s in the world, Antigua Sailing Week welcomes participants from all corners of the globe, competing for the chance to win this prestigious race. Six challenging days of racing in some of the best sailing conditions in the world, combined with the famous Antiguan hospitality make this regatta the one not to miss.
Set amidst a sparkling turquoise and emerald sea in the Leeward Islands section of the West Indies, Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in a Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la Antigua — St. Mary the Ancient. It is also known as Wadadli, from the original Amerindian inhabitants, and roughly translated means "our own".
I arrived at Sugar Ridge Hotel which is situated on Antigua’s gorgeous west coast and is nestled into a natural hillside bordered with sugar cane. Sugar Ridge is a brand new luxury boutique hotel and with its elevated position, captures incredibly stunning and panoramic views of palm lined beaches and the neighboring islands of Redonda, Nevis and St. Kitts, which sit like gems on the horizon. All of the rooms at Sugar Ridge are grouped into separate buildings of four, each with its very own entrance. The unique groupings combined with the wonderful landscaping provide privacy and each with a spectacular view. The upper floor rooms have a large veranda, vaulted ceiling, dining deck and a day bed, while the lower floor rooms have similar facilities plus a private plunge pool, which was extremely well used on my visit. The romantic, muslin draped, king sized four poster bed is the centerpiece of the room and the interior designer complimented the rooms with natural earth tones, contemporary styles, colonial accents and rich, dark woods. The rooms are also equipped with state of the art amenities which include an IPod dock, LCD flat screen TV and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access. Convenient access around the resort is provided by the hotel's concierge service with environmentally friendly electric buggies which are at your beck and call 24/7. Add to that a world class spa and gym and your Caribbean dream home is complete.
Carmichael's, the more formal of the two onsite restaurants at the hotel, sits at the crown of the ridge, overlooking the entire resort and out to the sparkling Caribbean Sea. To say that sunsets from this elevated spot are spectacular is an understatement. You feel like a Neptunian God up here and the infinity pool that was strategically placed next to the bar allows you to enjoy a cocktail while cooling off and gazing out at the incredible view, effectively articulating what the Caribbean is all about. The Head Chef for Carmichael's cleverly devises his menu and changes it with the seasons. The food is fresh, innovative and extremely well prepared. I would recommend visiting this little gem whether or not you are staying at the hotel.
Also, nearby and notable, is the restaurant at Jolly Beach Resort. A beachside open air dining experience, the restaurant serves up delightful twists on local favorites. With top notch service and undeniably high quality ingredients, this is another one to make an effort to visit during your stay on the island.
With a circumference of roughly 54 miles, Antigua is the largest, most developed and prosperous of the Leeward Islands and owes that prosperity to its upscale tourism industry, offshore banking and education services. English Harbour which is situated on the southeastern coast is famed for its protected shelter during violent storms. It is the site of Nelson's Dockyard, a restored British colonial naval station named after Captain Horatio Nelson and is ground zero for Antigua’s iconic Sailing Week. It is all part of Nelson's Dockyard National Park, which also contains the Clarence House and Shirley Heights. While I was there I had the rare opportunity to see the reggae band Third World perform on the peak of Shirley Heights, a performance that I am sure will be remembered for some time by myself, a vast array of locals and a plethora of serious sailors from around the world. The primary attraction of the park is a beautiful restoration of the dockyard which was used by the Royal Navy during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a base of operations in the Caribbean Sea. Nelson’s Dockyard houses approximately ten restored buildings including a small hotel, a couple of cafes, ruined forts and historical artifacts.
The sailing festivities started with the official launch of Antigua Carnival 2010 and were highlighted by a short speech from Minster Eleston Adams, the Minister of Carnival and the constituency. The Point and Villa Iron Band then marched through the crowd with a Sensay troupe, dancing up a storm. Tian Winter and Claudette Peters both delivered a mixed set including tracks such as the Black Eyed Peas ’I’ve Got a Feeling’ ensuring that the music appealed to visitors as well as Antiguans. The final act was a band aptly named Burning Flames who played until after 2:00 a.m. and had visitors and locals dancing on stage with the performers. The atmosphere of revelry and good times kept people lining up for the vendors or heading into Abracadabra and Life Bar to continue partying well into the evening. The sun was coming up as many people made their way home.
On Day 2 Peter Harrison’s 115 foot Farr superyacht, broke her own record in the 80-mile Round Redonda Race by 45 minutes. With America’s Cup legend Peter Holmberg on the helm and a crew made up of highly respected professionals
including Frazer Brown, Marc Fitzgerald, Jac Vincent, and guest star for the day, British record breaking yachtsman Brian Thompson, the stage was set for a good performance in this, the final part of the three-act Antigua Ocean Series.
A forecast of light to moderate winds didn't bode particularly well for this big offshore race but thankfully the breeze continued to build all day making for some of the most spectacular racing seen with winds reaching 24 knots on the return leg. A 9:00 a.m. start from just off of Falmouth in an 11 knot breeze from the east saw Holmberg execute a text book, port-hand start from the committee boat end of the line, clearing the other two contenders coming in from the pin end. Irish sailor Adrian Lee and his international team aboard the Cookson 50 Lee Overlay Partners – were Team Sojana’s biggest threat. They were straight on Sojana’s tail right from the start and were intent on keeping the pressure on all the way down the 40-mile run to the island. However, in the constantly building breeze, the powerful Farr, sporting newly developed 3Di sails, lifted her skirts in style and enjoyed a spectacular sleigh ride all the way to the rock, managing to shake off the threatening Cookson 50.
Once round the austere-looking, uninhabited island – discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 – the wind had built to a good 20 plus knots which made for a spectacular beat back to Antigua. The direction of the wind rolling in from the south-east made life on board Sojana particularly rewarding with just a couple of tacks out to the favored right-hand side of the course and then a clear ride back to Falmouth.
With Lay Day back in the official Antigua Sailing Week program, everyone was invited to come and have a chance to get wet, have fun and be entertained at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina. With six teams in place, the afternoon got off to a fun start with the Tug of War and ended with the hilarious Cracker and Carib Race. Contestants had to swim out to an inflatable raft, grab crackers to eat, then wash it down with a bottle of Carib and swim back to the dock and relay to the next team member. Winners of that game as well as the entire competition were sailors on board Akiola 5 representing official sun cream sponsors Ocean Potion. Hundreds of people came out to watch the spectacle and enjoyed an afternoon of sun and fun.
I decided to take advantage of the day and headed out to the famed Sting Ray City. Situated about 3 miles off the coast, in a ‘netted-in’ area of about 4 acres, tourists are treated to swimming with approximately 80 sting rays, of varying sizes, in chest high, crystal clear Caribbean water. These sting rays, very used to human visitors, will brush up against you, swim between your legs and can actually be held. They are very much like a puppies and can be fed by willing participants. A surreal experience to say the least. After a hearty workout and feeding the sting rays their fill of baby squid, it was time for our lunch.
We headed into the hills to the newly erected Bubba’s Hide Out in Buckleys. Bubba’s, only 6 months old, is very unusual in that it has a very rare and exquisite interior view of the Antiguan mountains. For me, this spot brought memories of the mountains of Nova Friburgo, Brazil and has the best view on the island of Mt. Obama, the historical landmark renamed by Baldwin Spencer, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.
In a congratulatory letter to Barack Obama, Nov. 5, 2008 --
"Your election will not only transform America, it can transform the world. Your message of change will ignite hope and action in people of many countries who might still be passive in the face of inadequacies and injustice."
The monument is crafted from blocks of stone cut by African slaves for the naval base England which was established on Antigua in 1725. Its plaque reads: "Mount Obama, named in honor of the historical election on Nov. 4, 2008, of Barack Hussein Obama, the first black president of the United States of America, as a symbol of excellence, triumph, hope and dignity for all people."
The buffet served at Bubba’s was as fresh as fresh gets. With a beautiful array of vegetables harvested from the earth within 100 yards of the restaurant, to local meat and fish, it was a delectable experience and lesson in living off of the land in a sustainable way. With a planned expansion that includes guest rooms, Bubba’s is definitely worth the trip off of the obvious path.
On the final day of sailing, with many of the classes overall results resting on the day’s racing, a grand finale of Antigua Sailing Week 2010 was guaranteed. In Division A, Racing 1, it was right down to the wire with the biggest boats in the fleet Titan – Tom and Dotty Hill’s custom Reichel/Pugh 75, and Niklas Zennstrom’s 72 foot Judel Vrolijk-designed Rän engaged in their match-race style battle on the two-mile leg of the course set just to the east of Falmouth. Rän pulled off a stylish win beating Titan by just over a minute on corrected time. In doing so, she not only won her class, but also won Division A overall.
Chatting as he stepped ashore, Rän’s Swedish owner and founder of the wildly popular Skype, Niklas Zennstrom, commented: “Fantastic weather, good breeze, good waves and tough competition is what Antigua Sailing Week is all about. We had amazing two-boat racing with Titan all week. On the water they are a bit faster, but we’re pretty much boat to boat. We really enjoyed it and I know the Titan guys did too. "
To put a memorable cap on the trip we boarded the Mystic Catamaran at Turner’s Beachand departed for Cades Reef. After an afternoon full of snorkeling amidst a beautiful coral reef, dancing in a conga line on a monster catamaran and more Antigua Kisses than recommended while frolicking in the sunshine, it was time to call it a day and head back to pack up our bags and memories to share with the seemingly less fortunate on the mainland.
The sheer beauty and savoir-faire of Antigua, and the excitement of Sailing Week, made this a trip with memories that will last a lifetime. However it was the camaraderie experienced and friendships forged that make a second visit a foregone conclusion. Thank you Antigua.
The draw of Antigua’s 43rd Annual Sailing Week and the sheer desire to lay my eyes on this Caribbean treasure sent me winging my way southward out of New York City. One of the premier sailing regatta’s in the world, Antigua Sailing Week welcomes participants from all corners of the globe, competing for the chance to win this prestigious race. Six challenging days of racing in some of the best sailing conditions in the world, combined with the famous Antiguan hospitality make this regatta the one not to miss.
Set amidst a sparkling turquoise and emerald sea in the Leeward Islands section of the West Indies, Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in a Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la Antigua — St. Mary the Ancient. It is also known as Wadadli, from the original Amerindian inhabitants, and roughly translated means "our own".
I arrived at Sugar Ridge Hotel which is situated on Antigua’s gorgeous west coast and is nestled into a natural hillside bordered with sugar cane. Sugar Ridge is a brand new luxury boutique hotel and with its elevated position, captures incredibly stunning and panoramic views of palm lined beaches and the neighboring islands of Redonda, Nevis and St. Kitts, which sit like gems on the horizon. All of the rooms at Sugar Ridge are grouped into separate buildings of four, each with its very own entrance. The unique groupings combined with the wonderful landscaping provide privacy and each with a spectacular view. The upper floor rooms have a large veranda, vaulted ceiling, dining deck and a day bed, while the lower floor rooms have similar facilities plus a private plunge pool, which was extremely well used on my visit. The romantic, muslin draped, king sized four poster bed is the centerpiece of the room and the interior designer complimented the rooms with natural earth tones, contemporary styles, colonial accents and rich, dark woods. The rooms are also equipped with state of the art amenities which include an IPod dock, LCD flat screen TV and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access. Convenient access around the resort is provided by the hotel's concierge service with environmentally friendly electric buggies which are at your beck and call 24/7. Add to that a world class spa and gym and your Caribbean dream home is complete.
Carmichael's, the more formal of the two onsite restaurants at the hotel, sits at the crown of the ridge, overlooking the entire resort and out to the sparkling Caribbean Sea. To say that sunsets from this elevated spot are spectacular is an understatement. You feel like a Neptunian God up here and the infinity pool that was strategically placed next to the bar allows you to enjoy a cocktail while cooling off and gazing out at the incredible view, effectively articulating what the Caribbean is all about. The Head Chef for Carmichael's cleverly devises his menu and changes it with the seasons. The food is fresh, innovative and extremely well prepared. I would recommend visiting this little gem whether or not you are staying at the hotel.
Also, nearby and notable, is the restaurant at Jolly Beach Resort. A beachside open air dining experience, the restaurant serves up delightful twists on local favorites. With top notch service and undeniably high quality ingredients, this is another one to make an effort to visit during your stay on the island.
With a circumference of roughly 54 miles, Antigua is the largest, most developed and prosperous of the Leeward Islands and owes that prosperity to its upscale tourism industry, offshore banking and education services. English Harbour which is situated on the southeastern coast is famed for its protected shelter during violent storms. It is the site of Nelson's Dockyard, a restored British colonial naval station named after Captain Horatio Nelson and is ground zero for Antigua’s iconic Sailing Week. It is all part of Nelson's Dockyard National Park, which also contains the Clarence House and Shirley Heights. While I was there I had the rare opportunity to see the reggae band Third World perform on the peak of Shirley Heights, a performance that I am sure will be remembered for some time by myself, a vast array of locals and a plethora of serious sailors from around the world. The primary attraction of the park is a beautiful restoration of the dockyard which was used by the Royal Navy during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a base of operations in the Caribbean Sea. Nelson’s Dockyard houses approximately ten restored buildings including a small hotel, a couple of cafes, ruined forts and historical artifacts.
The sailing festivities started with the official launch of Antigua Carnival 2010 and were highlighted by a short speech from Minster Eleston Adams, the Minister of Carnival and the constituency. The Point and Villa Iron Band then marched through the crowd with a Sensay troupe, dancing up a storm. Tian Winter and Claudette Peters both delivered a mixed set including tracks such as the Black Eyed Peas ’I’ve Got a Feeling’ ensuring that the music appealed to visitors as well as Antiguans. The final act was a band aptly named Burning Flames who played until after 2:00 a.m. and had visitors and locals dancing on stage with the performers. The atmosphere of revelry and good times kept people lining up for the vendors or heading into Abracadabra and Life Bar to continue partying well into the evening. The sun was coming up as many people made their way home.
On Day 2 Peter Harrison’s 115 foot Farr superyacht, broke her own record in the 80-mile Round Redonda Race by 45 minutes. With America’s Cup legend Peter Holmberg on the helm and a crew made up of highly respected professionals
including Frazer Brown, Marc Fitzgerald, Jac Vincent, and guest star for the day, British record breaking yachtsman Brian Thompson, the stage was set for a good performance in this, the final part of the three-act Antigua Ocean Series.
A forecast of light to moderate winds didn't bode particularly well for this big offshore race but thankfully the breeze continued to build all day making for some of the most spectacular racing seen with winds reaching 24 knots on the return leg. A 9:00 a.m. start from just off of Falmouth in an 11 knot breeze from the east saw Holmberg execute a text book, port-hand start from the committee boat end of the line, clearing the other two contenders coming in from the pin end. Irish sailor Adrian Lee and his international team aboard the Cookson 50 Lee Overlay Partners – were Team Sojana’s biggest threat. They were straight on Sojana’s tail right from the start and were intent on keeping the pressure on all the way down the 40-mile run to the island. However, in the constantly building breeze, the powerful Farr, sporting newly developed 3Di sails, lifted her skirts in style and enjoyed a spectacular sleigh ride all the way to the rock, managing to shake off the threatening Cookson 50.
Once round the austere-looking, uninhabited island – discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 – the wind had built to a good 20 plus knots which made for a spectacular beat back to Antigua. The direction of the wind rolling in from the south-east made life on board Sojana particularly rewarding with just a couple of tacks out to the favored right-hand side of the course and then a clear ride back to Falmouth.
With Lay Day back in the official Antigua Sailing Week program, everyone was invited to come and have a chance to get wet, have fun and be entertained at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina. With six teams in place, the afternoon got off to a fun start with the Tug of War and ended with the hilarious Cracker and Carib Race. Contestants had to swim out to an inflatable raft, grab crackers to eat, then wash it down with a bottle of Carib and swim back to the dock and relay to the next team member. Winners of that game as well as the entire competition were sailors on board Akiola 5 representing official sun cream sponsors Ocean Potion. Hundreds of people came out to watch the spectacle and enjoyed an afternoon of sun and fun.
I decided to take advantage of the day and headed out to the famed Sting Ray City. Situated about 3 miles off the coast, in a ‘netted-in’ area of about 4 acres, tourists are treated to swimming with approximately 80 sting rays, of varying sizes, in chest high, crystal clear Caribbean water. These sting rays, very used to human visitors, will brush up against you, swim between your legs and can actually be held. They are very much like a puppies and can be fed by willing participants. A surreal experience to say the least. After a hearty workout and feeding the sting rays their fill of baby squid, it was time for our lunch.
We headed into the hills to the newly erected Bubba’s Hide Out in Buckleys. Bubba’s, only 6 months old, is very unusual in that it has a very rare and exquisite interior view of the Antiguan mountains. For me, this spot brought memories of the mountains of Nova Friburgo, Brazil and has the best view on the island of Mt. Obama, the historical landmark renamed by Baldwin Spencer, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.
In a congratulatory letter to Barack Obama, Nov. 5, 2008 --
"Your election will not only transform America, it can transform the world. Your message of change will ignite hope and action in people of many countries who might still be passive in the face of inadequacies and injustice."
The monument is crafted from blocks of stone cut by African slaves for the naval base England which was established on Antigua in 1725. Its plaque reads: "Mount Obama, named in honor of the historical election on Nov. 4, 2008, of Barack Hussein Obama, the first black president of the United States of America, as a symbol of excellence, triumph, hope and dignity for all people."
The buffet served at Bubba’s was as fresh as fresh gets. With a beautiful array of vegetables harvested from the earth within 100 yards of the restaurant, to local meat and fish, it was a delectable experience and lesson in living off of the land in a sustainable way. With a planned expansion that includes guest rooms, Bubba’s is definitely worth the trip off of the obvious path.
On the final day of sailing, with many of the classes overall results resting on the day’s racing, a grand finale of Antigua Sailing Week 2010 was guaranteed. In Division A, Racing 1, it was right down to the wire with the biggest boats in the fleet Titan – Tom and Dotty Hill’s custom Reichel/Pugh 75, and Niklas Zennstrom’s 72 foot Judel Vrolijk-designed Rän engaged in their match-race style battle on the two-mile leg of the course set just to the east of Falmouth. Rän pulled off a stylish win beating Titan by just over a minute on corrected time. In doing so, she not only won her class, but also won Division A overall.
Chatting as he stepped ashore, Rän’s Swedish owner and founder of the wildly popular Skype, Niklas Zennstrom, commented: “Fantastic weather, good breeze, good waves and tough competition is what Antigua Sailing Week is all about. We had amazing two-boat racing with Titan all week. On the water they are a bit faster, but we’re pretty much boat to boat. We really enjoyed it and I know the Titan guys did too. "
To put a memorable cap on the trip we boarded the Mystic Catamaran at Turner’s Beachand departed for Cades Reef. After an afternoon full of snorkeling amidst a beautiful coral reef, dancing in a conga line on a monster catamaran and more Antigua Kisses than recommended while frolicking in the sunshine, it was time to call it a day and head back to pack up our bags and memories to share with the seemingly less fortunate on the mainland.
The sheer beauty and savoir-faire of Antigua, and the excitement of Sailing Week, made this a trip with memories that will last a lifetime. However it was the camaraderie experienced and friendships forged that make a second visit a foregone conclusion. Thank you Antigua.
The Antigua Kiss
Fill a shaker with ice.
1/2 oz Light Rum 1/2 oz Dark Rum 1/2 oz Apricot Brandy 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps Dash of Cranberry Juice Fill with Orange Juice. Shake, serve in a hurricane glass and enjoy! |
|