Dun Laoghaire sailor Adrian Lee delivered a standout performance on the opening day of the Antigua Racing Cup, powering his HH66 catamaran Lee Overlay Partners III through Caribbean swells at over 20 knots.
Lee’s cutting-edge multihull was the fastest boat on the water, showcasing its C-Foil appendages and rotating wing mast in full trade wind conditions off Antigua’s south coast.
“It was phenomenal out there,” was the consensus across the fleet as a steady easterly breeze in the high teens, gusting over 20 knots, set the tone for a demanding opening day.
Racing got underway from Nelson’s Dockyard with two technical windward-leeward races for CSA 2, 3 and 4, while CSA 1 tackled a longer 24-nautical-mile coastal course.
In CSA 1, Dan Gribble’s Tripp 65 Prevail (USA) claimed both line honours and the corrected win, completing the course in 3 hours 17 minutes. Lennart Davidsson’s Kialoa III was second, with John McMonigal’s Zig Zag third on corrected time.
“We got a good, clean air start,” said Gribble. “Once the boat was dialled-up she felt really good… Antigua is just superb for racing in these conditions.”
CSA 2 produced tight racing across both heats. Steve Rigby’s Belladonna took Race 1 by just 1 minute 43 seconds from Warthog, skippered by Jules Mitchell. Warthog reversed the result in Race 2, winning by 71 seconds after time correction.
“Two great races in champagne conditions,” said Belladonna’s Jeremy Smart. “Boats were trading places all day. It’s shaping up to be a very close regatta.”
In CSA 3, Poul Høj-Jensen’s Danish Blue dominated with two race wins. Katy Campbell’s Panacea X placed second in both races, while third places were shared across a tightly packed fleet.
“It was not straightforward,” said Karl James MBE of Danish Blue. “The current and wind made every leg tactical. You had to adapt constantly.”
CSA 4 saw Ashley Rhodes’ Whiplash complete a clean sweep, taking both race wins. The Project and Caipirinha filled the remaining podium spots across the two races.
“We had a long upwind leg which isn’t usually our strength,” said Rhodes. “But the crew handled everything brilliantly, even with a few breakages.”
After nearly five hours of racing, crews returned ashore for prizegiving at English Harbour, where international teams gathered to share stories from a high-octane day on the water.
Racing continues on Friday with similar trade wind conditions forecast. Results here
