SIMPSON BAY— Fiji Water took top honours in racing class and Solstice won the ‘less racy’ class out of nine boats that entered the Budget Marine Challenge on Sunday.
The Budge Marine Challenge features starts from an anchored position and require the crew to be below decks.
Numerous boats got to drifting around, however, the Kidz at Sea Boat Moondance, got the sails up faster than anybody else and got to the first buoy in first place. A short downwind leg was followed by a long beat to Molly Beday and back to Great Bay.
The first race was settled only in the Bay when Budget Marine /Micron 99 got a lift that was not shared with Solstice. For the two Melges 24’s, it was very close racing with a wrong choice of a tack just before the fi nish by the leading Caraïbes Diesel, giving Fiji Water a chance to sail ahead.
Bobby’s Marina hosted the boats in the marina while hungry crew had lunch at Green House before starting the second race back to Simpson Bay.
The second anchor start was in quiet conditions just off the Walter Plantz pier. The first leg to Proselyte was only a maybe on spinaker choice although most boats did try to put it to use. Purple Heart, the boat built at Milton Peter College, had a very nice downwind with spinnaker being operational and functioning.
Solstice kept the spinnaker running beautifully and kept it up to the finish in Simpson Bay, giving them the win in the ‘less racy’ class.
The Winning team of the largest class of the Budget Marine Challenge in 2017 being the
team of ‘Solstice’ helmed by Ian Hope Ross (left).
The two Melges provided high quality entertainment as they tried to make their spinnaker work towards Proselyte. Neither succeeded but Fiji Water was able to put their spinnaker up again after Proselyte giving Fiji Water the win in class. The Budget Marine Challenge is organized by
Budget Marine the Caribbean Chandlery chain that ‘Stocks What Sailors Want’. The Challenge race is annually at the end of January.
