Why not start the New Year with something a bit special in the beautiful Isle of Spice, Grenada? The most southerly of the Windward Islands, Grenada has undergone a renaissance since the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. This lovely island is back on the international stage for all the right reasons, having successfully hosted the Super Eight matches for the Cricket World Cup. But it’s not just cricket, calypso and carnival - the Grenada Sailing Festival, held every January. The Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival 2008 is scheduled this year from 25th – 29th January and now has a major new title sponsor in Port Louis, Peter de Savary’s prestigious marina development. International entrepreneur Peter de Savary is a keen sailor himself, and is as passionate in his commitment to support the Grenada Sailing Festival as he is to develop Port Louis to the highest standards.

The Festival offers spectacular and competitive racing for keel boats, which runs concurrently with the hotly-contested Workboat Regatta, sponsored by Digicel, where local sailors from the tri-island states of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique battle for the ultimate prize of Skipper of the Year. The event is enthusiastically supported by vociferous fans from the sailors’ home villages, and local residents and tourists alike. Staged on the dazzling white sands of Grand Anse Beach, the Festival rocks with non-stop music, lively bars and mouth-watering food, and local vendors showing and selling their wares. There’s also a host of friendly sponsored competitions which attract participants of all ages. A bonus for 2008 is that for the first time ever, keelboat crews will be offered the opportunity to race the local workboat dinghies.

The keelboat racing takes place over four days, with a mixture of passage, pursuit, challenging open sea (off the South Coast) and the tricky Grand Anse Bay courses, ensuring that skippers and crews are tested in every aspect of sailboat racing. Each day has its own sponsor, so chances to pick up a trophy (or four) are many, and on top of that the overall winners are rewarded on the final night as well.

As it falls at the start of the Caribbean racing season, this lively regatta offers crews the chance to hone their racing skills, and for those who come just for the event, it enables them to race against some exciting competition. The burgeoning fleet of race charter boats has widened the opportunity to be an integral part of a ‘hot’ race boat, but for those who want a less demanding role there are the charter cruising class boats, which have their own sponsor, Boval, for 2008.


More information from MaryAnn at gsail@spiceisle.com or visit the website www.grenadasailingfestival.com

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