Thousands of people are expected to arrive on the shores of Carriacou for the region’s largest working boat sailing regatta to be held on July 24th – August 1st. There is an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation for the event from both residents and visitors.

Several competitive races will take place including:-

Sailing Races on Friday 29th July

• 09:00 AM Yacht Race from Tyrell Bay
• 01:00 PM Sloop Trial Race at Windward

Sailing Races Saturday 30th July

• 09:30 AM The ever popular ‘Round the Island’ race From Winward
• 10:00 AM The Yacht Race from Hillsborough
• 11:00 AM The Long Open Boat race from L’Esterre

Sailing Races Sunday 31st July

• 11:00 AM First Race in Series – All Boats/Optimist
• 03:00 PM Second Race in Series – All Boats/Optimist

Sailing Races Monday 1st August

• 10:00 AM The Yacht Race from Hillsborough
• 11:00 AM Final Race in Series – All Boats/Optimist

Yachts from the four corners of the globe will sail into Carriacou to participate in the regatta. For a full list of events see the Carriacou Regatta Flyer.

Boatmen are putting their boats into dock, to have them cleaned and prepared for the installation of new sailing gear to ensure they are on top form for the competition. The men are continuously busy, burning the midnight oil, measuring, cutting and sewing their sails. Some of the amazing spinnaker sails used by the boats will make a colorful spectacle, enlivening the festival.

As the boatmen prepare busily for the region’s largest regatta, visitors and locals also excitedly anticipate the spectacular event

As well as local participants form Carriacou, the event attracts competitors from Antigua, Tobago, Bequia, Grenada, Mayreau, Canouan and Petite Martinique.

It is not just the boatmen who are fired up and ready to go and vying for supremacy over their competitors. Not to be out done are the fans, who follow their favorite boat, with a passion. Arguments can be heard in every rum shop, on the beach front and in fact in any place where two or more people are gathered. There is an enormous passion for the sport here, at this time of the year. There are so very many boats on show, which builds an electric atmosphere.

The night time is never short of fun activities, too. The Friday night Green Hype Fete, the Saturday Miss Aquaval Show and the Sunday Night Glow are all events to ensure that everyone have a great time for the whole of the festival.

The Miss Aquaval show usually attracts contestants from Trinidad, Tobago, St Vincent, Barbados, St Lucia, Bequia, Union Island, Grenada, and Petite Martinique, and interest has been expressed from the British Virgin Islands to have a representative in the pageant for the very first time.

Even while the boats are racing there are numerous land events to maintain the lively nature of the festival. Look for the:-

• tug-o-war
• beer drinking competition
• apple eating
• donkey race
• treasure hunt
• marathon
• greasy pole
• buns and cakes
• balloon blowing
• bicycle racing

The stage is being set as, visitors and locals take to the various white sand beaches, to enjoy the warm Carriacou seas under the Caribbean sun.

The traditional ceremony that accompanies a boat launching in Carriacou and Petite Martinique never fails to enthral visitors to both islands. Not unlike other Caribbean Festivals the islanders enthusiastically celebrate the occasion with much fanfare, pomp and pagentry as they give the glorious, turquoise seas another beautiful craft whether for racing, fun or trading.

With both islands strategically located in the tourist dream zone of the Grenadines, there are often a good the number of visitors to the launching event and they help to turn the event into a significant occasion. It may be that the format of the traditional ceremony is unique to Carriacou and Petite Martinique. This is a reflection of the retention of the wealth of ancient and historical practices here.

A traditional boat launch on Carriacou is an exciting celebration as many people work together to get the boat afloat

The days leading up to the launching are always hectic for the organizers as they ensure that everything is in place for the smooth running of the ceremony. On the morning of the event, the men are busy checking that everything is ready for the launch, while the ladies are immersed in all the food preparations.

These islands are very spiritually oriented, and there is hardly any major event where a priest or pastor is not present, to invite God’s blessings and perpetual guidance. The priest then arrives to the site of the launch, with the church’s choir. The priest prays and hymns are sung, encompassing the spiritual nature of the activity.

Dancing of the cake takes place, to the accompaniment of string band music. This is an important part of the celebrations. The cake is then cut and shared to everyone present. A collection bag is placed on the stern post of the boat for anyone who wishes to make a financial contribution.

The flag, which bears the name of the boat, is tightly wrapped and placed on the boat. Anticipation mounts as slowly all heads look upwards and the owner of the boat unveils the name to a spontaneous applause. The name of the boat is usually a girl’s name.

The task of labor then begins, to get the boat into the water. Ropes are everywhere – both on land and sea. Men in their numbers then place logs all along the bottom of the boat so that it can roll smoothly along. An anchor is placed outside, beneath the area where the boat will float. This anchor must be placed firmly, to withstand the pressure of the pulling. A block and tackle is placed mid way to ease the process of launching the boat. Men on the shore then begin pulling and the boat responds by slowly edging closer into the water.

There is a rope connected to the back of the boat, to avoid it from sliding down too quickly and out of control which could result in damage.

As the boat touches the water there is a loud applause and more men assist in pushing it in. As it gets closer to floating, bottles of drink, usually beer, are smashed on the stern, to signal a successful and safe launching. The boat is then rocked from side to side to ensure that she is ready for the task she was built for.

Music, food, drinks and socializing then follow to celebrate the occasion in the true warm, Carriacou spirit of hospitality.

Have you ever wondered about the origins of those magnificent sailing boats from beautiful Carriacou and Petite Martinique? The talented shipwrights turn ordinary cedar trees into a wonderful sailing craft that floats perfectly on the Caribbean blue seas.

The trade and boatbuilding artistry is most vibrant in Windward, a village on the side of Carriacou and on the island of Petite Martinique some two and a half miles away. The wealth of the talent there has led to many foreigners soliciting the excellent boatbuilding skills of the men here. The boatbuilders have a reputation for pride in their work, professionalism and reliability along with very reasonable prices

Talented boatbuilders with traditional skills and innovative approach, who excel at their craft, attract and impress visitors

The breadth and depth of the men’s skills are so impressive, at times one may think that they are hereditary, or a natural gift. Certainly the knowledge and techiniques are a handed down tradition and are taught even to quite young people, many of whom go on to be boat builders as a profession.

The shipwrights build many types of boats including

• work boats
• simple racing boats
• schooners
• motor boats
• fishing trawlers

More recently they have built racing yachts for the Carriacou Regatta such as the Glacier. The building skills of the men are even more remarkable, considering the fact that there is no formal boatbuilding training school here.

The boatbuilders use basic tools to create even and perfectly balanced boats, embodying the depth of talent of the shipwrights from the both islands. The industry is growing as the men use more dynamic and innovative techniques to ensure they keep ahead of the industry.The speed at which these boats are built also points to the confidence of the men, which is founded in a wealth of experience.

When the boats built here, participate in outside events such as the Antigua sailing festival, they are representative of the boatbuilding skills of the area and often have all eyes upon them.

The boatbuilding tradition is responsible for bringing many visitors to the shores of Carriacou and Petite Martinique illustrating the brilliance of the shipwright industry.

The rich, traditional boat-building culture of Carriacou is being further enhanced through innovation and developments, illustrating the talent of the shipwrights here and promoting the island as a popular hunting ground for those seeking their dream boat.

The island is well known for its sea-faring nature and even the name Carriacou means ‘land of many reefs’. The boat building tradition is entrenched in the culture and there many nautical activities throughout the year. Many people come to Carriacou to benefit from the skills of the shipwrights to build and launch boats that can also race.

Traditional boat building skills combined with innovation make Carriacou an excellent place to seek out a dream boat

One of the most celebrated of all the racing events is the annual Carriacou Regatta Festival which will be held in 2011 from July 19 to August 1st. This year the event is set to be even more competitive, as the craft and talent of the builders have, in recent times, been taking the competition to a new cutting edge level. Last year the boat Glacier was in a class of her own, being simply too quick for her competitors in the prestigious ‘Large Deck Sloop’ category.

This year, Winsley McLawerence is currently feverishly looking to complete a similar boat, which has been under construction for over a year now. It is a 45 foot yacht. The quest for excellence and speed is not only adding to the number of boats in competition but also increasing the diversity at the festival. The boat is being built, solely for racing and therefore it’s features would be different from the rest and similar only to Glacier.

Mr McLawrence said that this new genre in the boat building industry is one which continues to be a major tourist attraction. He added that the foreigners are always excited about the process of turning pieces of wood, into a beautiful and fast sailing boat on the sea.

The village of Windward is globally respected for its boat-building powess which has, and continues to be, a sought after product by visitors.

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Visitors were once again thrilled with the variety of activities both on land and at sea, at the annual Whitsuntide Festival on the small, beautiful Grenadine island of Petite Martinique. The event serves as a major attraction to the many visitors from the neighboring Grenadines islands.

Several of the beautifully and well crafted boats from those islands together with those from the host island, all competed in some very competitive and exciting races. The spectator routes were marked out by the people, as they stayed close to the coast of the islands in order to maximize the full participation as passionate boat racing enthusiasts.

Activities and events on both land and sea, delighted visitors and locals at this 2011 Whitsuntide Regatta, a day for all the family

The event was also filled with some exhilarating night time activities such as the popular wet fete and the soca night which saw performances by artists from Grenada, Carriacou and St Vincent along with a sweet sounding backing band from Carriacou.

There were several interesting activities such as the skillful greasy pole contest, the beer drinking competition and the crying competition were just some of the events which kept the visitors and locals entertained on the beautiful sandy beach of Petite Martinique where the events were held. Face painting and bouncing castle brought delight and smiles to the younger visitors, and ensured the event was a truly safe family affair.

The wind was just right for the regatta and the wealth of experience from the men was evident as they all handled their respective boats professionally.

However on the Saturday all in one class race, a couple of the boats failed to complete the route as they toppled over due the fact that they were carrying extremely large sails which far exceeded the required size for the boats. With so much enthusiasm for the race, one can fully understand the attempt made by those sailors, in looking for an advantageous position.

One of competitors in the race was Clayton De Roche from Petite Martinique who has been racing boats for over fifty (50+) years even before the Carriacou Regatta began. The Carriacou Regatta is the oldest work boat regatta in Caribbean, and will be celebrating its 46th year of existence on July 29th to August 1st , 2011.

The sails were lowered at the end of the festival with a prize giving ceremony which included cheques and trophies. It was an event which hundreds of people attended the Island of Petite Martinique so much respected for its culture, tradition and boat-building.

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Still basking in the queenly glory as the first ever representative from the beautiful unspoilt island of Petite Martinique to have copped the all prestigious Regatta Aquaval Crown, Miss Lindy Hazel is now preparing to add herself another beauty pageant crown.

The elegant, beautiful smiling, Scorpion born, Ms Hazel, said that she is ready to grace the stage in the 2011 Carriacou annual prelentant Carnival celebrations. Next year’s Carnival festival is slated for March 7th and 8th.

At this year’s Miss Aquaval show the TAMCC student was a cut above her competitors from Barbados, Carriacou, St Lucia and Grenada (in that order) to sweep the hearts of the five member judging panel in what was also a most popular discussion by the large audience.

Miss Hazel pointed out that the moments of her last month triumph, is yet to settle while hinting that her next planned queen show appearance may well arrive with her still filled with the excitement of the Miss Aquaval pageant.

The aspiring accountant pointed out that while not getting ahead of herself said she has her eyes set on representing this Parish at next year’s spicemas beauty pageant show in August.

Blessed with brilliance, charm, talent and a rooted obsession to always give nothing but her very best, the 17 year old is confident that she will continue to showcase herself, her country and her people, as a true ambassador.

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Here are photos and results from the Carriacou Regatta 2010.

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Senator George Prime, The Minister for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, opened of the 45th annual Carriacou Regatta festival on Sunday 25th July. He said: “the Carriacou Regatta is a crucial and significant contributor to the continued development of Carriacou and Petite Martinique”

Governor General, Sir Carlyle Glean, declared the Regatta opened at the Tennis Court, congratulated the organising committee, led by Duane Williams. The opening was described as a great start to the festival, with the highlight being boat races. This year’s Carriacou Regatta boosts a record number of boats and participants.

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Highlights amongst the many activities during the week were the Shakespeare Mas and Miss Aquaval.

Miss Aquaval 2010 Results

• MISS PETITE MARTINIQUE: LINDY HAZEL : 277 points
• MISS BARBADOS: DANIKA HAYNES : 238 points
• MISS CARRIACOU: DEANDRA SAMUE : 225 points
• MISS ST LUCIA: ALISHA HUNTE : 215 points
• MISS GRENADA: RHOLDA MC VEAN : 207 points

Miss Aquaval Individual Prizes

• BEST SWIMWEAR – MISS GRENADA – RHOLDA MC VEAN
• BEST TALENT - MISS PETITE MARTINIQUE – LINDY HAZEL
• BEST EVENING WEAR – MISS PETITE MARTINIQUE - LINDY HAZEL
• MOST INTELLIGENT - MISS ST LUCIA - ALISHA HUNTE
• MOST PHOTOGENIC – MISS ST LUCIA - ALISHA HUNTE

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The 45th annual Carriacou Regatta is taking place between Sunday 25th July and Monday 2nd August 2010.

Boat Racing

Friday July 30th
09:00 Yacht Race – Tyrell Bay
13:00 Sloop Trial Race – Windward

Saturday July 31st
09:30 Round The Island Race -Windward
10:00 Yacht Race (Hillsborough)
11:00 Long Open Boat Race – L’Esterre

Sunday August 1st
10:00 First Race In Series For Work Boats & Optimist
14:00 Second Race In Series For Work Boats & Optimist

Monday August 2nd
10:00 Yacht Race – Hillsborough
11:00 Final Race In Series For Work Boats & Optimist

Onshore Activities

Other Activities

Sunday 18th July
06:00 GPSCCU Marathon Road Race
13:00 Seafood Festival

Sunday 25th July
07:30 Church Service – Anglican Church Harvey Vale
17:00 Regatta Official Opening Ceremony (Hillsborough Tennis Courts)

Tuesday 27th July
19:00 Karaoke Competition – Regatta Jupa

Wednesday 28th July
21:00 Boat Cruise – MV Amelia A 1

Friday 30th July
22:00 Green Hype Soca Fete – Hillsborough Tennis Courts
Wear something GREEN!!

Saturday 31st July
21:00 Miss Aquaval Queen Show – Hillsborough Tennis Courts

Sunday 1st August
23:00 Regatta Glow Fete – Hillsborough Tennis Courts

‘More Race, More Fun in the Carriacou Sun!’ is the slogan of the annual Carriacou Regatta, entering its 45th year in 2010, and primarily the creation of one man, Jamaican-born John Linton Riggs.

Riggs planned to retire to Carriacou in the early 1950s but found himself instead getting involved with the island’s culture and waning boat building industry, which he sought to revitalise and use to help the struggling economy.

Boat building is one of the island’s most important traditions, and Carriacou sloops in particular are very highly regarded throughout the region for their sturdiness and elegance. There is also an aura of derring-do and romance attached to their history, with their speed putting them at an advantage over the customs men who chased them in former times.

There’s an elaborate ceremony surrounding their traditional construction, from selection of the timbers to beach-site building and celebratory launch. The wood is found in the Carriacou forests, and it takes an experienced eye to select to best types for bodies and masts. Expertise in the various aspects of boatbuilding is handed down the generations, and the finished article is not only the embodiment of a great practical tradition that fuses technology and traditional skills, but also a work of art. The exuberant launching testifies to this, as crowds gather from neighbouring islands and the vessel is hauled down the beach using a thick rope around the hull, with logs thrown in front for it to slide over to the accompaniment of loud shouting and singing.

But by the 1950s boat building on Carriacou had fallen into neglect along with the rest of the economy and many other traditions, and Riggs’s creation of a Regatta in 1965, in which skippers and builders could test their skills against each other for cash prizes breathed new life into the industry. Riggs promoted the event across the region and now it includes not only the race itself, between fourteen different classes of workboats, but also sporting and cultural events onshore.

Running from July 26 to August 6, the Carriacou Regatta includes a range of cultural and sporting events and attracts international attention. The Miss Aquaval Queen Show sees contestants from Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada and other islands in the Grenadine archipelago compete in the regional beauty contest. There are also traditional greasy pole and donkey racing contests, along with football and netball competitions.

The festivities coincide with Emancipation Day weekend, when the whole region celebrates its liberation from the blight of slavery, and talented hopefuls pour in from the neighbouring islands of Petite Martinique, Antigua, Bequia and elsewhere to pit their skills against other sailors in different categories of workboats.

For an authentic taste of what the Grenadine islands are all about, don’t miss the Carriacou Regatta, a living embodiment of traditional skills and handicrafts that gets right to the heart of life on these islands. The sheer exuberance and zest for life you see here brings you up close and personal to a people who have overcome numerous privations and repressions to come through smiling and hospitable as ever.