Frye and her team congratulate each other at the finish line.

Twelve teams from throughout the Caribbean and beyond were drawn to St. Maarten's Simpson Bay Lagoon this past weekend for the 7th annual Women's Caribbean One-Design Keelboat Championship. In the event sponsored by Budget Marine, Caribbean ladies from Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Barbados, St. John (USVI), BVI, Cayman Islands, and St. Maarten spared against each other and visitors from the UK and California. The final result was not decided until the very last race but In the end, the Caribbean ladies reigned supreme with home town favorite, Kim Frye taking first place honours, followed by Antigua's Karen Portch in second and Emma Paull (BVI) in third. The three teams had each won this event in the past with Paull being the most decorated veteran with three wins under her belt.

Throughout the weekend, conditions could not have been more perfect and more typical as the wind puffed up to 15- 17 in spots with definite holes and shifts throughout the windward leeward course. The race committee managed to squeeze in ten races on Saturday and then another four on Sunday. Sunday's racing might have been extended but, in the twelfth race, a mishap involving an upwind and a down wind boat brought one rig down. There were no injuries but a short delay, and with some competitors flying out early in the afternoon, time ran short. In the end, each team had sailed eight races.

Kim Frye seemed surprised by her own success. As she and her SCUBA Shop team of Nina Manely (Kim's daughter), Mary Wrighley, and Lena Gavin were de-rigging their boat following the last race, she remarked, "When I looked at the lineup, I thought I would be lucky to place third in this group of competitors." Kim won this event last year but in a fleet of only six so beating Paull and Portch is a major coup.

This year, Trinidad sent two teams, a youth team and a more mature group. Final results had the youth besting their fellow country(wo)men by 3.7 points. There were also two teams made up of women who sail a California Shock 35 called Voodoo Doll. Their two skippers flew in for the St. Maarten event from Australia

With more off-island teams than ever before, Cary Byerley, Event Chairperson, was ecstatic. "Best regatta yet. I loved seeing so many international teams and I am in awe that Kim Stuart & Michaela Draper would fly all the way from Australia to get here for this event." Cary went on to say, "I still love the mix of young and older ladies sailing at this regatta."

Results:
1. Kim Frye, SCUBA Shop, 10
2. Karen Portch, Antigua Yacht Club, 12
3. Emma Paull, Doyle BVI, 14
4. Penny McIntrye, Women in M'Ocean, 16
5. Janneke Brower, Amstel Bright Babes, 20
6. Jane Moon, Team Caymoon, 26
7. Sara Coombes, Cowes on Line, 26
8. Kim Stuart, Voodoo Doll, 31
9. Sara Oneil, Skinny Lets & C4th, 32
10. Megan Chan Chow, Team TT, 35
11. Nicole Williams, T & T Titans, 38.7
12. Michele Drper, Voodoo Doll, 45

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