ANTIGUANICE YACHTING INSIDER NEWSLETTER

After battling it out in Pensacola, Florida, Team Antigua & Barbuda finished their 1st ever regatta in 1st place! Conditions were shifty with temperatures as low as 7 degrees, 13 kts average, and 20 kt gusts. The team went head to head with Team Norway and were just 1 point ahead until the last race but managed to come away with the win for Antigua & Barbuda!

An Overview
Team Antigua & Barbuda traveled to Pensacola, Florida last weekend to compete in their 1st ever 69F regatta. The town is better known as the base for the America's Cup team American Magic and has favorable conditions for foiling monohulls.

The event started with a bang and Team Antigua & Barbuda were neck in neck with Team Norway after the 1st day of racing. Conditions were choppy with 10 kts avg, 15 kt gusts, and winds out of the west. Race day 2 started off with the team in 2nd place, just 1 point behind Team Norway. They were in high spirits as the winds picked up to more familiar conditions -up to 20 kt gusts- and Team Antigua & Barbuda finished the 2nd day of racing in 1st place.

The team went into the last day of racing leading the fleet. Before dockout, Skipper Rocco Falcone remarked "we had a pretty solid day yesterday, tough conditions but we managed the boat well...conditions today [the 3rd day of racing] are a little different, colder and breezier, so we have to switch our mindset a little bit."

The final day of racing had the team just 1 point ahead of Team Norway until the last -double point- race! In the end the last gybe decided it all and Team Norway were overpowered into a gybe and capsized at the last second while Team Antigua & Barbuda headed for the finish line.

After it was all said and done, flight Controller Junella King noted "it was amazing, the weather was a bit challengingnot like Antigua- the boat is very fast and doesn't allow for many mistakes...if you make a mistake, you capsize. Our team worked very well together, we just need a few more hours practice on the boat!"

The team has another regatta in December in Miami, Florida and are looking forward to continuing their campaign after such a great start.