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Bequia Heineken Easter Regatta 2012: Ready, Set, GO!

The Bequia Sailing Club is putting the final touches to preparations for its 31st Annual Bequia Easter Regatta which kicks off on Wednesday 4th April with the first day of registration for yachts.

Heineken are once again the regatta’s Headline Sponsors, marking 15 unbroken years of generous support for this prestigious sporting and tourism event. Saturday and Sunday will each see a thrilling Heineken Challenge for local fishing boats, with both the single-handed Yacht Race on Sunday and the entire day of yacht racing on Monday bearing the Heineken name.

In a new development for 2012, regional banking and investment group First Citizens have been warmly welcomed on board as a Premier Sponsor of the 2012 Bequia Heineken Easter Regatta. Easter Friday’s full day of yacht races will be exclusively assigned to First Citizens, as will be the inaugural “First Citizens Big Boat Challenge” for local double-enders on Friday afternoon and the First Citizens yacht prizegiving on Friday evening.

Mount Gay Rum continues its longstanding relationship with the Bequia’s Regatta with the Mount Gay Challenge for fishing boats on Easter Monday , whilst Barbados-based Bequia regatta sponsors United Insurance have also lent their name to the J24 three-race series on Easter Saturday, creating an exciting ‘event within an event’ - The United Insurance J24 3-Race Challenge.

Over the last 31 years, the annual Bequia Easter Regatta has grown into one of the region’s largest and most popular regattas, with visitors and competitors coming from all over the world to be in Bequia for the four days of racing action over the long Easter weekend.

The four days of competition for locally-built double-enders from throughout the Grenadines continues to be one of the highlights of the Bequia’s Easter Regatta, with followers thronging the shore for the starts and finishes. In short, the tiny Grenadine island expects to be packed with visitors and competitors this Easter - the attraction of highly competitive, professionally run yacht racing, skilful local double-ender action and plenty of Bequia’s famous hospitality, will be simply irresistible!

For non-racers, the Bequia Sailing Club also makes sure there is fun for all the family, with the highly popular Sandcastle Competition and Karib Cable-sponsored Crazy Craft Race taking place at Friendship Beach by Bequia Beach Hotel on Easter Sunday. In addition, the separate Bequia Easter Shore Activities Committee will be organising a number of land-based events, and traditional children’s Coconut Boat races and Optimist Dinghy races, again organised by independent committees, are also planned.

Apart from Heineken, First Citizens, SVG Tourism Authority, Mount Gay Rum and United Insurance, this list also includes Mountain Top Water, The Bequia Beach Hotel, and the Frangipani Hotel which doubles as the Yacht Race Headquarters. In addition, many businesses on Bequia and on St. Vincent join a number of private individuals in making a vital contribution to the Regatta’s success.

Source of article:
The Vincentian
29/03/2012
www.thevincentian.com