ANTIGUA YACHT CLUB

Pendennis Shipyard and Antigua Yacht Club have partnered to organise a trans-Atlantic rally that will see yachts 'cruise in company' from Falmouth, Antigua to Falmouth, Cornwall, UK in advance of the 2012 pre-Olympic schedule of yachting events, including the Pendennis Cup and J-Class Regattas.  The entry fee for the race will be US $500 plus a case of rum to be consumed at the dockside welcome party at the finish in Falmouth, UK.

The Falmouth to Falmouth Rum Rally grew from dockside chat in St. Barths during the St. Barths Bucket in 2010.  The concept is modelled after what was known as the ‘Route de Rose’, a yacht race which traditionally started in St. Tropez at the end of the Mediterranean season in mid-October and finished in St. Barths at the beginning of December in time for the start of the Caribbean season.  In the Route de Rose, entrants loaded cases of rose wine on board, one of which had to be landed in St. Barths to be consumed at the race-end celebrations.  The winner of that event was determined by the shortest cumulative time taken en route, which allowed yachts to start at different times and make stops along the way.

The Falmouth to Falmouth Rum Rally will transit the Atlantic from west to east with the fleet beginning at the Antigua Yacht Club in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua in early May 2012.  The rally has been designed for any yacht - sail or power - that wants to be in the UK for the 2012 summer season while celebrating some of the world's finest rums in two of the nicest locations anywhere!  The event will get  underway with a luncheon hosted by Antigua Yacht Club on the 6th of May followed by a fleet start on the 7th of May.

Kenny Coombs, Chairman of Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, commented, “We are very pleased to be involved in this exciting new event on the yachting calendar.  The Falmouth to Falmouth link will no doubt attract a great number of yachts to link up with a number of fantastic UK-based regattas in 2012.”

Toby Allies of Pendennis Shipyard commented, “Falmouth has a long history of yacht racing and hosting sailing events and the 2012 Rum Race will provide a fantastic start to the 2012 yachting program in the UK.”

The Falmouth, UK finish will be organised by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club.  Any yachts interested in entering the Falmouth to Falmouth Rum Race should contact Tristan Rowe tristan.rowe@pendennis.com for more information and updates.