The 13th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua (SYCA) got underway with races for all classes off the South Coast of Antigua.
The SYCA Race Committee, led by PRO Hank Stuart, set a 17.6nm triangular course for the Corsair and Privateer Classes, which included long reaching legs offshore and a long beat inshore.
The Buccaneer Class was set a more complex course of 26.3nm with relatively shorter legs at every point of sail.
All Superyachts raced around the offshore mark STAN, named after SYCA co-founder Stan Pearson who ‘sailed on’ just over two weeks before the start of the regatta.
Corsair Class
Don Macpherson’s 90ft (27m) Swan Freya got away to a flyer just eight seconds after the gun, hot on the heels of Hummingbird.
Freya made the best of the conditions to record their first win of the regatta, taking Class Line Honours and the win after ORCsy time correction by 07 mins and 48 secs from Hummingbird.
The 110ft (33.5m) Malcolm McKeon sloop Zemi was third.
Buccaneer Class
Despite the huge variety in the designs of Zig Zag and Namuun, the two yachts enjoyed the closest racing on the water.
Zig Zag finished the race in an elapsed time of 02 hrs 31 mins 59 secs.
Namuun’s elapsed time was just 12 seconds behind Zig Zag. After ORCsy time correction Zig Zag was the winner.
Privateer Class
The 218ft (66.45m) Dykstra/Reichel Pugh ketch Hetairos skippered by Graham Newton, made the best start in the class, going on to win the race in an elapsed time of 02 hrs 10 mins and 31 Secs.
Racing at the Superyacht Challenge Antigua continues on Friday 15 March with fantastic action off the South Coast of Antigua.
