On Saturday 28th May 2022, in near perfect conditions with 15/19 knots of breeze, the West End Yacht Club held its 46h Annual Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta. In memory of David Cooper, a past Commodore of the Club, the course this year was set to round Jost van Dyke, starting and finishing at Great Harbor.
The regatta was established in the very earliest days of the club and historically included many of the magnificent wooden boats that in those days graced the Caribbean. This year, the only truly wooden boat was Youth Instructor, a Tortola Sloop skippered by Fiyah, but more of that later.
In an event not without its drama, line honors and first place went to Libertas, a Beneteau First 40 helmed by owner Walter Keenan. They set a great pace and completed the circumnavigation in1 hour and 48 minutes.
Second and third places went to Jera and Tern driven respectively by a pair of the clubs more mature sailors, the two Robins (Pinfold and Tattersall). On adjusted time the boats were only seconds apart and in truth, the outcome was open to debate as the race committee was momentarily distracted handling distress calls from the Tortola sloop who had rounded up in a gust on the South side of Jost, hit a rock and, not for the first time in its life, subsequently sunk.
VISAR and Husky Salvage were called and others including a Marine Police vessel who happened to be in the neighborhood rushed to assist. Fortunately,no one was hurt and before the day was out the sloop was raised by Husky and towed back to Great Harbor. Thank you, Husky.
Sponsors were very generous and over $700 in prizes were distributed to winners.
