42 November 2017
Grenada Sailing
Week
29 Jan-3 Feb 2018
A smaller event that is still
delightfully informal and
fun for cruisers.
grenadasailingweek.comRORC Caribbean
600
19-23 Feb 2018
The must-do offshore
race celebrates its 10th
birthday next year. A 600-
mile course attracts some
of the fastest yachts.
caribbean600.rorc.orgSt Maarten
Heineken Regatta
1-4 March 2018
This year organisers
expect the fleet to be
slightly smaller, but
the sailing will be just
as memorable and the
parties just as legendary.
heinekenregatta.comBVI Spring Regatta
26 March-1 April 2018
Popular with visiting
European crews with
a mix of IRC, charter
and keelboat fleets.
bvispringregatta.orgLes Voiles de
St Barth
8-14 April 2018
On the upmarket French
island, the Caribbean
regatta for serious pro
race boats, which in turn
draws a mix of IRC boats.
lesvoilesdesaintbarth.
comAntigua Sailing
Week
28 April-4 May 2018.
Antigua Sailing Week
is the longest-running
and biggest event in the
Caribbean and deservedly
on most racers’ to-do list.
sailingweek.comsailing to the island you won’t really notice any
difference.”
When we visited there was a large and friendly
community of liveaboards and cruisers on the island,
many of whom were stopping for repairs and
maintenance just like us. This meant that every evening at
the local hangout Lagoonies there were always familiar
faces and we used this opportunity to connect with old
friends and make new ones.
The longer we spent in the Caribbean, the more the
community became a part of our lives. One weekend we
headed to the St John, in the US Virgin Islands,
anticipating a quiet few days alone. However, it was not to
be. As we picked up a mooring buoy (no anchoring
allowed) we were hailed on the radio; friends of ours had
seen us on the AIS and were coming on over. They invited
several couples we had never met before but followed on
social media, who happened to be in the area. So five
couples of a similar age converged and our plans for
solitude and recovery were abruptly postponed.
What followed was a weekend that couldn’t have been
better if we’d planned it: by day we went diving for lobster,
hiking, and, on one particularly memorable afternoon
swam with a dolphin and her calf who seemed just as
excited to play with us as we were with them! It was truly
the most magical experience I’ve had while cruising. By
night we’d descend on somebody’s boat, eat lobster, drink
rum cocktails and be serenaded by the two guitar players
and singers of the group.
These few days epitomised what we loved about
cruising the Caribbean and it couldn’t have been a better
end to our time there. The islands of the Lesser Antilles
were varied and each had its own culture, character and
distinctive beauty.
Every time we had to move on we felt the pull to stay;
only our sense of curiosity and adventure kept us sailing.
We were ultimately rewarded with all the friends we’ve
met and the beautiful islands we’ve been privileged
enough to visit.The Caribbean has never been utopia and
crime is not new. Dinghies with outboards
are most commonly stolen, although
there are also some break-ins while boat
owners sleep on board. There is also a
small, but possibly increasing, amount
of violent crime and armed robberies.
How much is a small amount? Check
for yourself on up-to-date reports that
are filed on safetyandsecuritynet.org
and also some on http://www.noonsite.com/
General/Piracy
Bear in mind that considering the
numbers of people who sail in the
Caribbean, the figures are still not high.
Many people on yachts will still go to
bed with their hatches open, although
charter companies instruct against it.
Some security-conscious cruisers have
wire-framed hatches fitted that let air
in but keep people out. Caribbean pilot
book author Chris Doyle, who cruises in
the islands each year in his catamaran Ti
Canot, says: “For years I have had a cheap
alarm that chimes when someone enters
the boat. Happily, it has not yet gone off.”Caribbean season
crime
Caribbean racing HIGHLIGHTS
‘The longer we spent in the
Caribbean, the more the community
became a part of our lives’