Sailing enthusiasts, book your Barbados vacation for next January! During Barbados Sailing Week — which features boats as well as other wind-propelled crafts - the turquoise waters of Barbados’ south and west coasts are the backdrop for the most beautiful acrobatic feats performed by top-level windsurfers.
Enjoy your glass of rum while relaxing on the beach. See international kite surfing* and foil surfing** champions battle it out on the waves of the Caribbean Sea and even in the air!
Whether you're an expert or new to the sport, you’ll find it captivating. Join in the fun and drive around the island while following the race, stopping off at landmarks for a meal or a rum cocktail. And let's not forget those week-long parties organised to encourage participants, celebrate their success or console them after defeat.
The history of this sailing competition is rather amusing. Created by the English in the mid-19th century, winners earned bragging rights for having the fastest schooner. The fastest schooner — and by extension its captain — was awarded a prize worth its weight in gold.
But it seems that competitors were more attracted to the loser's consolation prize: a barrel of Mount Gay rum. Not a great idea as it turns out, as some competitors purposely dawdled in order to win the barrel. So much so that the race was eventually cancelled after it simply became too long.
It was only in the 1960s that it was revived by the man considered the Father of the Nation: The Honorable Errol Barrow, first Prime Minister of Barbados, who led his country to independence in 1966. Nicknamed Dipper or Skipper because of his passion for sailing, Errol Barrow founded the Barbados Cruising Club, the first sailing club open to all Barbadians regardless of race or color.
To this day, the club, located on the charming Pebbles Beach, remains a warm place for social gatherings. It’s a stark contrast to the Barbados Yacht Club, located on the other side of the Radisson Hotel’s small jetty, which remains elitist.
The Barbados Cruising Club was responsible for organizing this magnificent week, still sponsored by Mount Gay, but with no compensation prize for the losers!
Author : Jihane Sfeir
English Translation by Joy Lewis (https://www.aaatranslationservicesbb.com/en/)
*Kite surf: surfboard towed by a kite
**Foil surf: a surfboard equipped with a hydrofoil (a mast, fins and a stabilizer) mounted beneath the board that lifts it above the water’s surface, providing a sensation akin to flying
For more information:
https://www.roundbarbados.com/
https://setsailbarbados.com/
Photo Harold Granados