DAY IN THE SUN
NEW ENGLAND BOATS SHINE AT THE ANTIGUA CLASSIC YAVHT REGATTA
Four boats with ties to the Northeast make a splash at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. BY JONATHAN RUSSO
Riding the rail of a classic sailboat while racing off Antigua’s southern coast, the scenery alone is enough to overwhelm the senses. The 20-knot trade winds, the rolling swells and the bright blue sky are pure magic. Add 41 classic yachts to that scene, and a sailor can feel as if he’s been transported to the 19th century.
The conditions and the extraordinary boats are why sailing enthusiasts have been coming to the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (ACYR) for 32 years. The event, which evolved out of Antigua Sailing Week to give classic-boat owners an opportunity to race against similar vessels, is considered one of the year’s premier regattas for classic yachts. It shares many elements with other classic sailboat races—camaraderie at the docks, a concours d’élégance and parties—but in the end, the ACYR is about the sailing and the yachts.
“We have it all: a welcoming island, perfect weather, competitive racecourses and stunningly beautiful yachts in pristine condition,” says Carlo Falcone, race chairman for the 2019 event, and owner/ captain of the 80-foot Fife Mariella.
In Antigua, the word “classic” is loosely defined. Fiberglass boats, for instance, can participate in the Classic GRP class, while other non- wood vessels can enter the Spirit of Tradition class. “As long as the boats are beautiful,” one race committee member says.
There are ten classes to ensure everyone races competitively against like boats, according to Antigua Yacht Club Commodore Franklyn Brathwhite. “The emphasis is on fairness and fun,” he says. Boat sizes range broadly. This past spring, the Andre Hoek-designed Holland Jachtbouw Athos was the largest yacht at 203 feet, while the Carriacou- built sloop New Moon at 32 feet was the smallest. And while Athos had professional crew, local kids with the West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation sailed aboard New Moon. “Everyone here is on the same level, whether you come in flipflops or a private jet,” says ACYR co-founder Kenny Coombs. “We are all here for the sailing.”
Queen of the Classics
This year, four boats with ties to New England turned heads at ACYR, and one of them took center stage: Arrluuk, a 58-foot Bounty model by L. Francis Herreshoff that Legendary Yachts built in 1997. She sailed under the New York Yacht Club burgee and snagged the Grande Dame trophy for best overall yacht in the concours d’élégance.
The yacht, whose homeport is Jamestown, Rhode Island, is the Caribbean liveaboard home of owners Steve and Tricia Frary and their two children, 13- year- old Elizabeth and 11-year-old Nathaniel. The Frarys raised the kids on a succession of Herreshoffs. They started with a Herreshoff 12 ½ , moved up to an L. Francis Herreshoff Stuart Knockabout, and then cruised a 1951 42-foot Sidney Herreshoff ketch in New England before buying Arrluuk.
Arrluuk gave the Frary family the interior space they needed for extended cruising, with a split rig that let the family handle the sails and boat themselves. After a 2017 refit, they had Arrluuk shipped to Antigua. Within months, the family won two consecutive races in 20 knots of wind at the Carriacou Regatta Festival.
At the ACYR concours d’élégance judging, the Frarys knew they had serious competition. “We think the judges were very generous in considering that we were a family program that had been living on board for over a year.” Steve said.
But, Arrluuk wasn’t just a pretty face. Her name is Inuit for killer whale and she slayed the competition by winning all four of her class races at Antigua. The kids worked as staysail and jib sheet trimmers and handled the main runners. “They used the skills and knowledge they gained over the year of living on board,” Steve says. “They take pride that they are often the only kids who have significant responsibility in the race.”
BUT ARRLUUK WASN’T JUST A PRETTY FACE. HER NAME IS INUIT FOR KILLER WHALE AND SHE SLAYED THE COMPETITION BY WINNING ALL FOUR OF HER CLASS RACES AT ANTIGUA.