Twelve pioneers of boat racing at West End were honoured at the second annual awards ceremony held this time at Anacaona Boutique Hotel, Meads Bay, on Saturday, May 26. In most cases the presentations were accepted by members of their surviving relatives.
The honourees were Albert Hughes who today is the owner of two racing boats and who commended Cardigan Connor for starting the honouring of pioneers; Arthur Fleming; Audley Richardson; Nathan Richardson; Jeffrey Hughes; Joseph “Dee Dee” Richardson; Thomas Richardson; Olson Richardson; James “Hi Me” Hughes; Frank Hodge, Alfred Hodge and Leopold “Perlee” Richardson.
Minister responsible for Sports and Culture, Edison Baird, was grateful to the West End Pioneers Committee, headed by its Chairman, Cardigan Connor, for organising the event and affording him the opportunity to deliver the main address.
“Research shows that boat-racing started around the 1900s,” he recalled. “Due to severe economic conditions and high levels of unemployment, Anguillians took to the sea to journey to foreign lands, chief among them, theDominican Republic, to secure a livelihood for their families. On the way back home, fierce competition ensured. Schooners would battle the weather and the sea, and each other, toRoadBayfor the glory of arriving home first. To mark the end of World War 1, organised boat-racing became a reality in 1918. All fishing boats were eligible to enter the race.”
Mr. Baird said that the boat racing pioneers had played an important role in the West End community in particular, and inAnguillain general.
“As a sporting event, boat racing is surpassed by no other sport, each boat with its fans, each captain and crew with their strategy and each finish with its arguments,” added.
Chairman of the Anguilla Boat Racing Committee, Paul Romney, was pleased with the ceremony to honour the boat racing pioneers. He was grateful to them for starting a competitive and exciting sport which had now evolved into a national event. He looked forward to the upcoming August season races and the participation of many of the island’s owners, captains and crews of racing boats.
Cultural and folkloric performer, Calvert Carty, give an in-depth account of boat racing and the involvement of many Anguillian seamen over the years. He spoke about the passion of the racers, the excitement the races engender among fans and how they became an important factor in the cultural heritage of Anguilla.
The awards ceremony, ably chaired by Frankie Claxton, was mainly sponsored by Len & Cheryl Cerullo, with other sponsors having been: Cardy & Jackie Connor; Cheddie’s Carving Studio; KCN Television; Foods Ninety-Five; Anguilla Youth Sailing Association; Oliver’s Restaurant; Sol Service Station (at West End); Recession Bar & Grill; Un Amore Café; Aronel Ltd;Anacaona Boutique Hotel; CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa; Viceroy; Picante Anguilla; Smokey’s; Mango’s Sea Side Grill; Frangipani Beach Resort; Cap Juluca; Straw Hat Restaurant; Paradise Cove Resort and Digicel Anguilla.
