Since Festival Del Mar, a month ago, it took the Jamida Webster Memorial Bicycle Race to enliven Island Harbour Bay once again on Sunday, April 29.
Cycling club members from Anguilla, French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten converged on the shoreline of the renowned fishing village for the all-age cycling competition as well as the Karl T. Smith Memorial Boat Race, both twinned events attracting a sizeable crowd and various vendors.
The bicycle race commemorates the late Jamida Webster, who was the daughter of Mr. Kent Webster and Ms. Iris Hughes, both of Island Harbour. Just about 15 years old, Jamida was a popular cyclist about to compete for the Sport Day activities of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School when she was unfortunately murdered while travelling on a practice ride through Mount Fortune to East End on the evening of March 13, 2003. Some eleven years later, and to this day, the Jamida Webster Memorial Race was established and held in her name by the Anguilla Cycling Association.
Mr. Derick Carty, an official of the Cycling Association, was among other organisers at the memorial race last Sunday. “We thought it would be fitting seeing that she was practicing for a school race – that we should have an annual memorial cycling race for her and this is how it started,” he said. “Accordingly, this is the eleventh annual race year in her honour with the involvement of her parents,” he explained. “We, from the Cycling Association, only assist with the organisation and control of the race.
“Today, we have cyclists from French and Dutch St. Martin/St. Maarten and Anguilla. The race involves riders from all the way up to ‘masters’ – fellows from 40 years old and above; Elite cyclists 18 to 39 years; and other categories like 16-17; 14-15; 12-13; 10-11 as well as younger cyclists from the primary schools. We are ensuring that this memorial race continues.”
Meanwhile, as the bicycle race progressed, five racing boats took off to the west. A few hours later they returned under full sail and speed, tacking with ‘hard lee’ here and there, as the sailors tried to out-manoeuvre each other to touch the inshore stake. The first three positions were taken by Stay Up, De Storm and Hurricane. Battling to the finish, and to the cheers of fans, were Dark Shadow (4th) and Tornado (5th).
The memorial boat race commemorates the late Karl T. Smith who died a few years ago. He was a well-known building contractor; a boat racing fan; and a celebrated ‘child’ of the Anguilla Revolution.
Both the cycle race and the boat race finished before sunset, but the considerably large crowd stayed on feting into the late evening.
