Boat-racing at Sandy Ground 
Luther Bryan on the grill
Empty Beach at Road Bay 
Fundraising BBQ event 
Satellite fans from North Hill
With the restrictions on large public gatherings now relaxed, and with Anguilla having no active coronavirus cases, the Anguilla Boat-Racing Committee organised a series of boat races during the past week.
The return to boat racing, Anguilla’s national sport, was celebrated with an early-morning musical street jamming event in West End on Saturday, June 13, which terminated at Meads Bay. It attracted several hundred persons who had been longing for such entertainment during the covid-19 lockdown of the island.
The B-class boat race scheduled afterwards did not, however, take place. It was postponed until the following day, Sunday, when it was shifted from Meads Bay to Sandy Ground. Only eight boats participated in the race, the others having been unprepared to sail due to a long period of inactivity and possibly the need for repairs.
The President of the Boat Racing Committee, Atriene Pemberton, told The Anguillian newspaper on Sunday, June 14: “We had our boaters to have races and we had an appointment with the Governor, the Minister of Health and the Commissioner of Police. Due to the fact that we have no known covid-19 cases on Anguilla – we were advised that we can resume boat racing. Today the race would have been at West End but due to the fact that there was not going to be the two-day West Fest event at Meads Bay, we decided to come to Sandy Ground – and to call the activity a family day boat race to raise funds for the Committee. We have a barbecue event and drinks. Our plans for the Queen’s Birthday Holiday, on Monday, June 15, was for the usual A-class race. However, because we already have the B-class boats in the water, and a lot of the A-class boats are under repair, we decided to continue with the B-class race and the fund-raising.
In addition to the funds raised, to assist in off-setting the expenses of the boat captains, crews, stake boats and others, the Boat Racing Committee acknowledged, with gratitude, a financial contribution from an unnamed visitor.
The Boat Race on the Queen’s Birthday Holiday was held as planned but was overshadowed when two of the boats – “Stay Up” and “Legal Rights” – collided. “Legal Rights”, owned by a Sandy Hill group of young men, reportedly sustained a hole in the side and one of its crew members was injured.
Unlike during previous races, the Sandy Ground beach was practically empty with the absence of the usual large crowds and boat-racing fans – one reason no doubt being the very hot sun with no booths for shelter.
Meanwhile, asked to comment on the boat races leading into the August season, Ms. Pemberton replied: “All the scheduled races are on and will proceed based on the calendar of events.” It is too early to say what the plans are for the August boat-racing season which usually attracts hundreds of persons from Anguilla and neighbouring St. Martin/St. Maarten.
The August boat races normally form part of the Anguilla Summer Festival which has been cancelled in advance, earlier this year, in the midst of the convid-19 restrictions.
