18 March 2013
Antigua Sailing Week Update: Louay Habib
NON SUCH BAY RS ELITE CHALLENGE @ ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK 2013
Sun, Fun and Healthy Competition
Lay Day at Antigua Sailing Week will take place on Pigeon Beach on 1st May 2013.
There will be fun for the whole family ashore with beach games, barbeques and music,
but this year there will also be a spectacular new one-design racing competition
on the water.
Antigua Sailing Week Bronze sponsor, Nonsuch Bay Resort is providing its fleet of
four RS Elite sailboats for an invitational one-design racing event. The overall
prize to be awarded to the winning team is a week's accommodation for two at Nonsuch
Bay Resort with unlimited use of the Resort's fleet of sailboats and equipment.
Credit: Nonsuch Bay Resort
"I hope the event will prove to be an exciting new addition to the Antigua Sailing
Week schedule," commented Mark Whinney, Sales and Marketing Director of Nonsuch
Bay Resort. "It will provide an opportunity to take the hottest helms at Antigua
Sailing Week out of their yachts, strip them of their drilled crews and tacticians
and pitch them against one another on a level playing field. It promises to be a
gripping spectacle for the crowds in the traditional spirit of Lay Day . . . sun,
fun and a bit of healthy competition. The RS Elites are highly manoeuvrable boats,
and mixing them up at close quarters is guaranteed to be entertaining."
Eight skippers will be battling to win the top prize and with racing close to Pigeon
Beach, hundreds of spectators will be cheering on their favourites including French
sailing legend and creator of Les Voiles de St. Barths, Luc Poupon, and Denmark's
double-Olympic Gold Medallist, Pol Hoj-Jensen.
Adrian Lower, skipper of Swan 44 Selene, will be racing at Antigua Sailing Week
and the newly appointed Commodore of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club was delighted
to be invited to the Nonsuch Bay RS Elite Challenge.
"Antigua is such a friendly island. Everyone I have met there has been charming
and enthusiastic towards visitors and the beautiful turquoise sea and warm trade
winds at Antigua Sailing Week will provide fantastic sailing conditions. Everybody
I have talked to about Antigua Sailing Week has said that it is one of the best
regattas they have ever done. The mixture of highly competitive sailing and a very
active social programme is very enticing and I am sure the crew of Selene will have
a great time.
"I am thrilled to be invited to race in the RS Elite Challenge. I owned an RS Elite
for five years and, in fact, we had a fleet of eight at the Royal Burnham Yacht
Club. It is a very competitive fleet at Burnham and has produced five national champions.
The RS Elite is a very exciting boat to sail and I can imagine with the good wind
in Antigua, they will absolutely fly."
Ross Applebey, skipper of Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster is having a cracking Caribbean
season! Ross will be participating in Antigua Sailing Week and has been invited
to participate in the RS Elite Challenge.
"I am really looking forward to Antigua Sailing Week and the RS Elite Challenge.
Whilst it will be slightly daunting lining up against the likes of Poul Hoj-Jensen,
I am honoured to be invited to race against such a talented group of skippers! Clearly
there is some pressure to do well, but I'm going to give it my all and hopefully
have a chance at the podium. I have limited experience in small keelboats, but
have raced Lasers in Falmouth Harbour which I hope will prove to be useful experience.
I am sure the atmosphere on the water and on the beach will be great as always,
so there will be no losers - everyone is sure to have a great time."
Antigua Sailing Week Bronze sponsor Nonsuch Bay Resort will be offering exceptional
hospitality on the beach on Lay Day during the RS Elite Challenge for participants,
their guests and VIPs. It will also have top quality food and drinks available for
purchase for all Lay Day participants at very reasonable prices. So for something
a little different from what you've become accustomed to on Lay Day, head down to
Pigeon Beach on Wednesday, May 1, watch the top-quality racing that will be taking
place with internationally-renowned sailors, indulge in some delicious food and
drink and enjoy the sun, fun and games that will take place throughout the day!
It is only six weeks to Antigua Sailing Week and if you haven't yet made any plans
it is still not too late to be part of the Caribbean's longest running and most
prestigious regatta. A myriad of charter options are still available from bareboat
charter to individual places on board competing yachts. Visit Antigua Sailing Week's
Yacht Charter page to find out more:
Press Office | Antigua Sailing Week | Antigua | Antigua and Barbuda
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