A mass crowd of several hundred boat-racing fans, party-goers and other fun-loving enthusiasts, converged on Road Bay, Sandy Ground, on Wednesday, May 31. The event was a special holiday for the round the island boat race to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution.
One dozen boats participated in the race which was started by Sir Emile Gumbs, who devoted most of his life to the sport of boat racing. The event was preceded by a brief ceremony during which the speakers included Mr. Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Sports and Culture and Ms. Atreme Pemberton, President of the Boat Racing Committee who thanked the captains and crews for participating in the race. Mr. Connor reflected on the early days of boat-racing in Anguilla and some of the persons like Mason Hodge of West End who had contributed much to the national sport.
He noted that there was a need for all persons to assist in providing financial support to boat-racing. The Government is contributing over EC$70,000 in prize money for the participating boats, while it has been arranged for hotels to contribute up to $50,000 for the boat taking first place in commemoration the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution.
The race followed by a flotilla of party boats carrying hundreds of persons from Anguilla and St. Maarten as well as a number of other supportive boats. The race was also followed along Anguilla’s coastlines and high elevations.
