The Antigua Yacht Club has hosted some legendary parties, however last night's welcome party for well over 500 competitors was the biggest in recent history. There was standing room only as the competitors attended the official opening ceremony for the 4th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600.
Mike Greville, Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club will be racing on Windrose of Amsterdam and he welcomed the huge crowd: "It is my first time in Antigua and I am amazed at the fabulous yachts moored in front us. We could not do this without the support of the Antigua Yacht Club. When the idea of running this race was first put forward, I was one of the sceptics who doubted that it would last. But the race continues to grow year on year and I am confident that it will be become one of the classic 600 mile ocean races. I would therefore like to put to rest any doubts that we will continue to support the race and so it is with great pleasure that I can announce that we will continue to run the race on an annual basis. Let me wish everyone a safe and fast passage in this year's race."
The Hon John Maginley, Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Culture and The Environment gave a huge Antiguan welcome to competitors in the Caribbean 600:
"Welcome to our wonderful Island and thank you so much for coming here. I remember that the crowd was much smaller in 2009, this race has grown significantly and The RORC Caribbean 600 is now very important to Antigua. We will listen to your needs and improve your enjoyment during your stay and I hope you will return with your family and friends and chose Antigua for a holiday."
"We want to encourage young Antiguans to go sailing as it's a wonderful sport and we have the most fantastic waters in which to do this. The National Sailing Academy offers the opportunity for young Antiguan school children to learn to swim and sail. Their local hero is Karl James, Antigua's Olympic sailor. He will be on board Sojana once again for this race and Bernie Evan-Wong's 36ft High Tension is the smallest boat in the race, but his determination to win is as big as the magnificent superyachts competing."
The latest weather forecast for the start predicts consistent trade winds from the east, with a warm breeze of 15 knots providing near perfect sailing conditions with a moderate sea state. However, the wind speed is expected to increase during the race. By Wednesday, we could see well over 20 knots of wind providing fast surfing conditions in the RORC Caribbean 600.
