BARBADOS SAILING WEEK ENDS

by David Harris

The curtain came down on Barbados Sailing Week with the staging of the feature event the Mount Gay Round Barbados Regatta on Wednesday (Errol Barrow Day). Sailing Week got underway on January 17 with the Men’s Kitesurfing competition at Long Beach, Christ Church. 

 The first Round Barbados Race was held on January 1 st, 1936, when five trading schooners (sailing boats with two or more masts) for bragging rights and a small prize. In recent years the race is held to honour The Right Excellent Errol Barrow the first prime minister of Barbados, who had an enthusiasm for sailing and co-founded the Barbados Cruising Club an inclusive sailing club for all Barbadians in the 1950s.  

Eighteen boats took part in this year’s race which started in the Carlisle Bay around 9 a.m. the vessels sailed northerly before returning to finish in the Bay. Belladonna skippered by Michaela Vadurova of Britian was first after completing the 53 –nautical mile course in six hours, 53 minutes and 51 seconds. 

Bella J, captained by Brit David Sharom came second in six hours, 55 minutes, and 17 seconds, and local entry Whistler with Peter Lewis at the helm came third after finishing 54 nautical miles in seven hours, three minutes and 58 seconds. These three boats also took the top positions in the Line Honours category.  

On Tuesday, Costal Offshore racing held the spotlight. In the Monohull race, Sprit of Everest captained by Robbie Yearwood was triumphant over Plaissar with Lawrence Dunster at the wheel. 

Fade Way skippered by James Adams was victorious ahead of Glory Daze commanded by Gus Reader in the Club class, and Less Stress captained by Peter Hoad was third. 

David Sparman sailed Bella J to victory in the CSA race, followed by A-Salt piloted by Jason Tindale, and Paul Johnson guided Rapajam to third position.           

 According to sailing captain and organiser of the Sailing Week Marianna Polacka, this year’s event was one of the most successful in history with an increase in the number of yachts. 

Polacka said the number of yachts had almost doubled from two years ago with 32 boats participating this year compared to 25 in 2025 and 18 in 2024. 

“After several years of decline, international yachts and sailors outnumbered local entrants this year; 17 overseas yachts took part in the event along with 15 boats from Barbados; while 147 sailors from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Grenada, Antigua, and Trinidad and Tobago, along with 86 local yachtsmen participated in the sailing”, Polacka said.  

She revealed that the direct economic impact of this year’s Sailing Week is expected to be over $700,000.