2010 Antiguan Dragon Championships

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Unlike other years, the Antiguan Dragon Championships was sailed in light to medium conditions in Nonsuch Bay. Light in this part of the World mean 2-3 Beaufort! Eddy Warden Owen, Match-race World Champion, Karl James, Carlo Falcone both Olympic sailors and Sven Harder, German Antiguan and tactician on Saudade and Lars Loftus Captain on Velsheda with a J-boat crew were some of the eight participants in the Championships.

With steady winds, the Dragons had some really close racing. In the end, however the race was won by Poul-Richard Hoj-Jensen, Sven Harder 2nd, Karl James 3rd, Carlo Falcone 4th and Eddie Warden-Owen 5th. The latter decided he needs to come to Antigua more often for him and the crew practice on Dragons.

The race format the Dragon sailors like best in Antigua is a seven race programme over two days. Three races are sailed in the morning, a nice lunch awaits us all in Harmony Hall, followed by two more races in the afternoon. On day two, two long races are set; prize-giving and lunch again in Harmony Hall follows. All the sailors then join in to get the Dragons back ashore. On this occasion another race was set in the afternoon from Nonsuch Bay to Falmouth; the Dragons will remain there until the Caribbean Championships 19, 20, 21st March. Nine Dragons will be racing, including Franz Aigner from Germany.

Two Dragons owned by Misha Mouratov and Olga White left Antigua for Australia late last year. We hope they will return to Antigua after the Dragon Worlds for the 2011 Winter season.

Results: 1. P-R Hoj-Jensen, ANTPH1; 2. Sven Harder, ANTSH1, 3 Karl James, ANTKJ1, 4 Carlo Falcone, ANTCF1, 5 Eddie Warden-Owen ANTEW1, 6 Ian Fraser, 7 Damian Duke, 8 Lars Loftus.

On another note, Charlie Pitcher,Poul's erstwhile Dragon crew rowed the Atlantic single handed and arrived in Antigua on the 25th February after 53 days in first place some 400 miles in front of the number two, which has two people on board. He tributes his success to a good boat, which he built himself and a sailors approach to the preparation of the project.

Poul and Sophia Hoj-Jensen
Compass Point,
Browne's Bay,
Antigua, West Indies,
sophia@hoj-jensen.com
Tel: +1268 7822898
+447753650803