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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesSailors Go Ahead with Carnival Time Races

Sailors Go Ahead with Carnival Time Races

Although the St. Thomas Carnival Committee has canceled the Sunday Watersports Activities, the St. Thomas IC-24 Class sailors will continue their tradition of racing in the Charlotte Amalie Harbor on Sunday,April 24.
Glenville "Slim" Ross of the watersports sub-committee confirmed on April 9 that the Carnival Committee would be canceling the Watersports day. The sponsors, Ross said, would not commit the required funds keep the powerboat racing going. "The powerboat races require a lot of behind the scenes co-ordination, including safety divers, medical personnel, and other safety officers," Ross said.
Walter Bostwick, organizer of the Carnival Sailing Races in past years, decided to continue with the sailing event. "We have always run a parallel event, setting up, racing, and breaking down at 11 a.m., before the powerboats got going, so there was really no change for us." Bostwick has applied and received a permit for the event, and expanded the time, now having the event from 10 a.m. to noon.
The first sailing races were held before Hurricane Marilyn, according to Bostwick. "We raced J-29's and the faster beach catamarans in the early years. The growth of the IC-24 class has given an enthusiastic group of sailors a chance to show sailboat racing to the usual Carnival Waterfront crowds the past two years." The use of one-design IC-24 class boats means the first boat crossing the finish line wins, without the confusion of handicaps, Bostwick said.
With the official watersports activities canceled, the crowds may not show up just for the sailing competition. Bostwick and the IC-24 sailors are unfazed.
"Most of the time these guys and gals race off the east end with no audience, so who ever shows up is going to get the chance to see some great racing," Bostwick said, "These boats are all equal and last year we had several different leaders in every race. That was more than could be said for most of the powerboats."

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