Triangle Race

When the Bequia Sailing Club was still very much in its infancy, Mac talked me into participating in one of the Easter Regatta’s races. Anyone who knows me will realize that this would have taken a great deal of coaxing, I was not by any stretch of the imagination a sailor and avoided getting into boats whenever possible. However, I was assured that the triangle race was short in duration and, as we would not really be leaving the confines of the harbour, the water wouldn’t be rough. Hah!

Before the start of the race, I studied the hand-drawn diagram of the course we would be sailing. There would be three markers forming a triangle, one in Admiralty Bay, one at Northwest Point and one at Ship’s Stern. In order to stay in the race we had to sail around each of these markers twice, failure to round the buoys would mean forfeiting the event. Mac and I would be sailing on Kiruna with Mackie Simmons, a good friend and excellent seaman, and I began looking forward to my very first triangle race.

Everyone was geared up for the event. The triangle race required a measure of excellence the sailors were eager to demonstrate, sailing around the buoys during a race took skill and a good dose of local knowledge. Nolly was there with his boat Romonux, which Mackie figured would give us the stiffest competition. Lady Twist had also entered the race, an entry that made the other competitors laugh good-naturedly. Lady Twist (referred to by many as the “two bow boat”) was aptly named; legend has it she was built by two brothers who had “fallen out” with each other during construction, and the end result was definitely unique! Each brother had built half a boat, and Lady Twist resembled two different vessels that had been stitched together. Which, of course, is what she WAS. Mackie told me that Lady Twist, gaff-rigged like Kiruna and Romonux, sailed like a pig, and that Guy (Lady Twist’s owner) would not be posing a threat during the race. Guy was racing just for the fun of it all, certainly not for the glory, an attitude rarely found during any serious regatta!

The horn blew for the start of the race and off we went. It was a beautiful day but also quite windy, and kiruna was built for the wind. We jostled for position and rounded the first buoy in the lead, with Romonux kissing our stern. Shouts of laughter filled the bay along with screams of encouragement from the spectators lining the shore, sounds that are always a part of any good regatta. As we sailed through the harbour I spotted Lady Twist trying her best to keep up but, as Mackie had already indicated, she was NOT going to pose a threat. Kiruna rounded the second buoy at Northwest Point with ease, then headed for the marker at Ship’s Stern. Much to my surprise I was enjoying the race, and was happily watching the boats behind us when Mackie shouted;

“Where de f..king buoy?”

I looked with alarm towards Ship’s Stern and, sure enough, the orange marker wasn’t where it had been earlier that morning. Mac grabbed his binoculars, and spotted the buoy floating near West Cay;

“Look it dey! De buoy get away!”

Oh dear, that buoy was dragging, and dragging quickly. To remain in the race, we had to round that sucker TWICE, and my heart sank. I just KNEW that Mackie would persevere, and I was right; Kiruna led the way and the other boats followed, any previous promises of calm seas during the “short” triangle race were literally blown in the wind!  By the time we rounded the marker it was in the rough open channel well past West Cay, and I realized we were in for a much longer race than anticipated. Every boat competing in the race STAYED in the race, following Kiruna’s lead by rounding the “get-away” buoy, then heading back towards the marker in Admiralty Bay. By the time we rounded the marker for the second time it was well on its way to Venezuela, it took forever to FIND let alone get AROUND, but every single boat finished that triangle race.

I was relieved when we finally disembarked at the Frangi, by that time the fun of it all had worn a titch thin! The sea in the open channel had been stinking rough, and I had been thoroughly soaked several times while we chased after the elusive buoy. Kiruna had won the race handily, and we were celebrating our victory when someone asked what had happened to Lady Twist. Whoops. I had forgotten all about Lady Twist, where WAS she? I began to worry but Mac and Mackie just laughed, they knew Guy would finish the race at some point, it was just a matter of time.

Sure enough, Guy stepped onto the Frangi dock well after dark, a few hours later than everyone else to be sure, but the man and Lady Twist had finished the race. He was greeted with boisterous cheers and rounds of applause by those crowded around the bar; Mackie may have won the triangle race, but Guy and his Lady Twist won the sportsmanship prize hands down.

The Bequia Easter Regatta’s triangle race that year displayed sportsmanship at its very best. No-one moaned too much about the “get-away” buoy, the race was all about sailing and did we EVER sail!  It really didn’t matter who won or who lost, as far as I was concerned everyone who raced that day was a winner.

Especially Lady Twist.