Torrential rain on Friday night at the Jolly Roger made sign-up for the 15th running of the West End Yacht Club Firecracker 500 (and Chili Cook-off) a very wet affair. But with two visiting boats from St Thomas and two dedicated KATS IC24’s using this as their readiness race for the Chief Ministers Cup next week, there was no doubt that the race was on!

A new “crazy eights” course was set around the “Thatches”, thereby avoiding the inclusion of the green navigation buoy in Great Harbour used in previous years. Saturday winds obliged with 15 -18 knots ready to drive the fleet around a 17 miles course in a pursuit format. (Boats start at staggered intervals according to their handicap -- slowest boat first; in theory crossing the finish line close together).


KATS IC24’s being the slowest handicapped boats started together in a blustery downwind start--always a difficult maneuver. Indeed with 20 secs to go CCTKATS helmed by James Woods was caught literally beating back to the correct side of the line. The strategy (if it was one?) worked and CCTKATS crossed the line correctly on the start gun for a perfect start. Later they suffered a broken tiller off Great Thatch and so retired—better this race than next week James.








14 minutes 31 seconds later visiting J27 J Walker from St Thomas crossed the line under blue spinnaker—a bold move well executed. After this the faster boats came within minutes of each other: John Haracivet’s “Tempest” who was over the line by 10 secs and received a penalty, Pat Nolan’s “Seabiscuit”, Kevin Rowlett’s “Picaroon” and “Rhumb Squall” sailed by Alison Knights-Bramble with a cast of youth sailors.

This was Rhumb Squall’s trial by firecracker (pun intended) since Alison assumed custody of the highly tuned Antrim 27 under a donation program from the US owner, Tom Mullen. Despite her crew too many to count on the rail and a reefed mainsail, Alison was heard later muttering at the bar about boats that would not “stand up”. But by the time they bravely appeared on the last beat they had shaken out the reef and were definitely in control—well done Alison and the crew. (Maybe Tom didn’t tell her the ideal crew weight for that boat is 1100 lbs).

With the fleet disappearing and re-appearing around Little and Great Thatch it seemed anybody’s race, assuming the pursuit handicaps were working; with the bar flies betting on the bigger boats and Rhumb Squall the wild card. But shortly before 1400 hours Cy Thompson with his “little boat that could” “J Walker” crossed the line 8 minutes ahead of Picaroon to show the Loyals and (the bar flies) how to sail a crazy eights course.

KEVIN ROWLETT'S PICAROON TAKING 2ND PLACE BEHIND CY THOMPSON'S J WALKER.











Absent from the fleet was any representation from the “Royals” despite a challenge to them from the “Loyals” for a sail-off for the Manhattan Yacht Club Trophy (presented to both Clubs by MYC after 911 with thanks for the support they received). The trophy will be held by WEYC again by default until the challenge is answered.

At 5.30pm eight delicious chili concoctions appeared and the chili aficionados began their daunting culinary judgment. It was amazingly close voting by 21 tasters with Di Kirk beating out Stick by one vote with Aurlie from the Jolly Roger a very close third. All funds from the registration and the cook off are donated to KATS by the WEYC.

RESULTS:
1 J Walker—Cy Thompson—J27
2 Picaroon---Kevin Rowlett---Oyster 48
3 1st Caribbean Kats---Javon Cooper---IC24
4 Seabiscuit---Pat Nolan---Beneteau 445
5 Tempest---John Haracivet---Beneteau 38
6 Rhumb Squall---Alison Knights-Bramble---Antrim 27
7 CCT Kats---James Woods---IC24