Boat-racing and entertainment in all its forms, were the main features of the West Fest on Sunday, June 12 – an annual fund-raising event in support of the traditional August Thursday boat race at Meads Bay, Anguilla.
Mr. Cardigan Connor, in his capacity as Elected Representative for District 7, and Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Sports and Culture, was particularly pleased with the event. One reason is that one of his responsibilities is to ensure the survival of the island’s boat-racing culture and the continued involvement of a new generation of young men in the national sport.
He commented on the West Fest in an interview with The Anguillian: “West Fest has come about because, a few years back, there was a serious concern that there was a lack of funding for the August Thursday boat race,” he stated. “The fact is that the community of West End has grown up with boat-racing. We go back as far as seventy-plus years with such persons as Mason Hodge along with Mac Owen from North Hill. I think they had the first challenge race which started at Meads Bay on August Thursday. We, in the community of West End, are doing our best in order to keep that tradition alive; and that’s how the West Fest was formed – to raise funds to help support the idea that August Thursday boat-racing will go ahead.
“The basis of West Fest is mainly about boat-racing and then it is entertainment with games like the hot-dog eating contest, music by the Happy Hits string band, a DJ and another local band.”
During the West Fest, the Meads Bay boat race was won by Light & Peace, with Sonic, placing second; UFO, third; De Tree, fourth; and Real Deal, fifth – the top five boats.
Mr. Connor noted that traditionally there had always been a boat race on the Queen’s Official Birthday Holiday in Anguilla. However, over the past couple of years, because of a lack of funding, the race, normally hosted at Crocus Bay, was not held.
On Monday, June 13, at the request of the captains and crew members, there was however a boat race at Meads Bay instead. The same boats which raced the day before, for West Fest, turned up for the second race. That race was won by Real Deal; Sonic placed second; Satellite, third; De Tree, fourth; Light & Peace, fifth; and Real Deal, sixth.
Mr. Connor said he was particularly pleased that there was a huge turnout – and probably the biggest – at West Fest. “It is probably growing from strength to strength,” he remarked. “Going forward, I think one of the challenges for me, as the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for boat-racing, is to work very closely with the Ministry of Culture, and the Boat Racing Committee, to ensure that the races are on the schedules. The aim is for us to have funding in place for that purpose. Already, we have had some cancellation of races and this should not be.”
Mr. Connor extended this appeal to the general public: “In order for the boat races to continue, we need the support – not just of the business community – but the Anguillian public at large. There is always a big turnout at boat-racing and the boat-racers, as well as the boat-owners, put a lot in it. All we are asking is for a little bit of extra support where it is needed.”
