Thousands of people are expected to arrive on the shores of Carriacou for the region’s largest working boat sailing regatta to be held on July 24th – August 1st. There is an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation for the event from both residents and visitors.

Several competitive races will take place including:-

Sailing Races on Friday 29th July

• 09:00 AM Yacht Race from Tyrell Bay
• 01:00 PM Sloop Trial Race at Windward

Sailing Races Saturday 30th July

• 09:30 AM The ever popular ‘Round the Island’ race From Winward
• 10:00 AM The Yacht Race from Hillsborough
• 11:00 AM The Long Open Boat race from L’Esterre

Sailing Races Sunday 31st July

• 11:00 AM First Race in Series – All Boats/Optimist
• 03:00 PM Second Race in Series – All Boats/Optimist

Sailing Races Monday 1st August

• 10:00 AM The Yacht Race from Hillsborough
• 11:00 AM Final Race in Series – All Boats/Optimist

Yachts from the four corners of the globe will sail into Carriacou to participate in the regatta. For a full list of events see the Carriacou Regatta Flyer.

Boatmen are putting their boats into dock, to have them cleaned and prepared for the installation of new sailing gear to ensure they are on top form for the competition. The men are continuously busy, burning the midnight oil, measuring, cutting and sewing their sails. Some of the amazing spinnaker sails used by the boats will make a colorful spectacle, enlivening the festival.

As the boatmen prepare busily for the region’s largest regatta, visitors and locals also excitedly anticipate the spectacular event

As well as local participants form Carriacou, the event attracts competitors from Antigua, Tobago, Bequia, Grenada, Mayreau, Canouan and Petite Martinique.

It is not just the boatmen who are fired up and ready to go and vying for supremacy over their competitors. Not to be out done are the fans, who follow their favorite boat, with a passion. Arguments can be heard in every rum shop, on the beach front and in fact in any place where two or more people are gathered. There is an enormous passion for the sport here, at this time of the year. There are so very many boats on show, which builds an electric atmosphere.

The night time is never short of fun activities, too. The Friday night Green Hype Fete, the Saturday Miss Aquaval Show and the Sunday Night Glow are all events to ensure that everyone have a great time for the whole of the festival.

The Miss Aquaval show usually attracts contestants from Trinidad, Tobago, St Vincent, Barbados, St Lucia, Bequia, Union Island, Grenada, and Petite Martinique, and interest has been expressed from the British Virgin Islands to have a representative in the pageant for the very first time.

Even while the boats are racing there are numerous land events to maintain the lively nature of the festival. Look for the:-

• tug-o-war
• beer drinking competition
• apple eating
• donkey race
• treasure hunt
• marathon
• greasy pole
• buns and cakes
• balloon blowing
• bicycle racing

The stage is being set as, visitors and locals take to the various white sand beaches, to enjoy the warm Carriacou seas under the Caribbean sun.

The traditional ceremony that accompanies a boat launching in Carriacou and Petite Martinique never fails to enthral visitors to both islands. Not unlike other Caribbean Festivals the islanders enthusiastically celebrate the occasion with much fanfare, pomp and pagentry as they give the glorious, turquoise seas another beautiful craft whether for racing, fun or trading.

With both islands strategically located in the tourist dream zone of the Grenadines, there are often a good the number of visitors to the launching event and they help to turn the event into a significant occasion. It may be that the format of the traditional ceremony is unique to Carriacou and Petite Martinique. This is a reflection of the retention of the wealth of ancient and historical practices here.

A traditional boat launch on Carriacou is an exciting celebration as many people work together to get the boat afloat

The days leading up to the launching are always hectic for the organizers as they ensure that everything is in place for the smooth running of the ceremony. On the morning of the event, the men are busy checking that everything is ready for the launch, while the ladies are immersed in all the food preparations.

These islands are very spiritually oriented, and there is hardly any major event where a priest or pastor is not present, to invite God’s blessings and perpetual guidance. The priest then arrives to the site of the launch, with the church’s choir. The priest prays and hymns are sung, encompassing the spiritual nature of the activity.

Dancing of the cake takes place, to the accompaniment of string band music. This is an important part of the celebrations. The cake is then cut and shared to everyone present. A collection bag is placed on the stern post of the boat for anyone who wishes to make a financial contribution.

The flag, which bears the name of the boat, is tightly wrapped and placed on the boat. Anticipation mounts as slowly all heads look upwards and the owner of the boat unveils the name to a spontaneous applause. The name of the boat is usually a girl’s name.

The task of labor then begins, to get the boat into the water. Ropes are everywhere – both on land and sea. Men in their numbers then place logs all along the bottom of the boat so that it can roll smoothly along. An anchor is placed outside, beneath the area where the boat will float. This anchor must be placed firmly, to withstand the pressure of the pulling. A block and tackle is placed mid way to ease the process of launching the boat. Men on the shore then begin pulling and the boat responds by slowly edging closer into the water.

There is a rope connected to the back of the boat, to avoid it from sliding down too quickly and out of control which could result in damage.

As the boat touches the water there is a loud applause and more men assist in pushing it in. As it gets closer to floating, bottles of drink, usually beer, are smashed on the stern, to signal a successful and safe launching. The boat is then rocked from side to side to ensure that she is ready for the task she was built for.

Music, food, drinks and socializing then follow to celebrate the occasion in the true warm, Carriacou spirit of hospitality.

Have you ever wondered about the origins of those magnificent sailing boats from beautiful Carriacou and Petite Martinique? The talented shipwrights turn ordinary cedar trees into a wonderful sailing craft that floats perfectly on the Caribbean blue seas.

The trade and boatbuilding artistry is most vibrant in Windward, a village on the side of Carriacou and on the island of Petite Martinique some two and a half miles away. The wealth of the talent there has led to many foreigners soliciting the excellent boatbuilding skills of the men here. The boatbuilders have a reputation for pride in their work, professionalism and reliability along with very reasonable prices

Talented boatbuilders with traditional skills and innovative approach, who excel at their craft, attract and impress visitors

The breadth and depth of the men’s skills are so impressive, at times one may think that they are hereditary, or a natural gift. Certainly the knowledge and techiniques are a handed down tradition and are taught even to quite young people, many of whom go on to be boat builders as a profession.

The shipwrights build many types of boats including

• work boats
• simple racing boats
• schooners
• motor boats
• fishing trawlers

More recently they have built racing yachts for the Carriacou Regatta such as the Glacier. The building skills of the men are even more remarkable, considering the fact that there is no formal boatbuilding training school here.

The boatbuilders use basic tools to create even and perfectly balanced boats, embodying the depth of talent of the shipwrights from the both islands. The industry is growing as the men use more dynamic and innovative techniques to ensure they keep ahead of the industry.The speed at which these boats are built also points to the confidence of the men, which is founded in a wealth of experience.

When the boats built here, participate in outside events such as the Antigua sailing festival, they are representative of the boatbuilding skills of the area and often have all eyes upon them.

The boatbuilding tradition is responsible for bringing many visitors to the shores of Carriacou and Petite Martinique illustrating the brilliance of the shipwright industry.

On July 7th Hotel Laurena hosted the Youth Parliament Debate. The debate was conducted with the same formalities and processes as if it were Grenada’s real House of Parliament.

The young people taking part represented both the Government and the Opposition. They debated the motion – ‘Should sand mining on Carriacou and Petite Martinique be banned?’

It may have been just a mock Parliament but the way the exercise was conducted, meant it felt just like a real Parliamentary debate. The 15 youths representing the number of seats in the beautiful, southern Caribbean Country House of Parliament, made full use of the facilities at the venue.

Youth Parliament debate was conducted to such a level of professionalism that it felt just as if it were the real Parliament considering an issue

The scene was set with the roles of:-

• Prime Minister
• Finance Minister
• Minister of Agriculture
• Minister of Youth
• Minister of Tourism
• Minister of Health
• Minister of the Environment
• Minister of Legal Affairs
• Minister of Labor

The Opposition was led by Melissa Fortune, with six other members who represented various communities in Carriacou and sister Isle of Petite Martinique.

The acoustics were excellent and the audience was transfixed, listening to the words of the various speakers as the debate unfolded. Members of the audience seemed to be very comfortable and appreciative of their surroundings. The circular seating plan for the Members of Parliament gave the setting an air of authenticity, as if this were the real Parliament.

The exercise was sponsored by Dr Christofer Ashby, an American benefactor who owns properties here on Carriacou. He appeared comfortable and relaxed as he listened to the various speakers, hammering home their respective points on the issues.

Elvin Nimrod, the Member for Carriacou and Petite Martinique affairs and a former Minister for Legal Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs also attended the event.

The Champion trophy was presented to Keron Bristol, who played the role of Prime Minister, by Mr Nimrod. The award for Best Presenter went to Sebastien Still, who played the Minister of Agriculture.

Mr Nimrod spoke highly of the level of the debate by the respective Government representatives and Members of Parliament, and of the manner in which the decorum of the house was maintained by the Speaker of the House.

He also heaped high praise on the owners of Hotel Laurena for providing such a pleasant and comfortable facility which offers such an excellent level of service and professionalism. The youths endorsed Mr Nimrod’s comments adding that the venue had brought out the best of everyone involved in the debate. The venue’s size, layout and professional level of service makes the hotel ideally suited for this type of event.

Carriacou has once again demonstrated it is archaeologically rich in historical artefacts and is a prime place for research in the archipelago of the Caribbean. This is evident as a 33 member team from the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands recently completed a one month excavation here, as part of a six year on going research project.

Archaeological research has uncovered prolific artefacts and brought new understanding of historical culture on the island of Carriacou

The directors of the program are Quetta Kaye from the UK, Scott Fitzpatrick from the USA and Michiel Kappers from the Netherlands. They all described the exercise as truly educational.

“Unusual numbers of burials and very interesting and rare pottery were discovered” said team leader, Kaye.

The area in Carriacou where the team spent most of their time, is the Grand-Bay area which is located to the eastern side of the island, along the coastline. The team stated that this particular site has the greatest concentration of artifacts and it is an extremely educational area for those who are the field of archaeology.

The research is changing the knowledge base of how the inhabitants of Carriacou lived in pre Columbian times. Researchers have uncovered pieces of pottery, tools, animal bones and even some human remains helping to understand the life and times of the Amerindians. Following the findings, the team visit the Carriacou Historical society where the items discovered are cleaned, washed, labeled, sealed and packed away at the same venue. Many of the findings are now housed at the Carriacou Historical Society Museum where they can be viewed.

The yearly research and discoveries by the visiting team has helped to propel Carriacou Island into a desirable destination for archeological research.

The team also appreciated the beauty of this 13 square mile island with its wonderful views and turquoise seas against the beautiful back-drop of Petite Martinique. Carriacou is an attractive place to conduct research and foreign archaeologists are increasingly interested to come, not only because of the fruitfulness of the research uncovering many artifacts, revealing more about the way of life of pre-European Amerindians, but because of the delightful surroundings.

The visit also allows the team to enjoy the social life of Carriacou which certainly adds another dimension to the one month stay. A special get together is arranged at the end of the program which is always an enjoyable time for the team. A prize is awarded for the top archeological student on the tour. This latest research has further enhanced the reputation of Carriacou as the ideal place for teams wanting to do research in the field of Archaeology.

Many groups and events have their special day of celebration and the Fishermen of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, who risk their lives every day to bring home fresh and healthy food for the nation, are no exception.

The day is known as the Fisherman’s birthday and is often celebrated on June 29th. It is a major social event in Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

This activity is enjoyed by all, including visitors to the island and those who come on their boats. The event is staged at the various fishing communities. To ensure visitors can get to many communities, some held on different days in the month or just after the official day of June 29th.

Food, music and drink are used to celebrate Fisherman’s Birthday in honor of the men and women and women who catch fresh fish each day

Fisher folk, both men and women begin getting ready from early in the morning, preparing large pots of food to distribute to everyone who attends. The food usually consists of many different types of seafood. Alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks are served to accompany the food. The event is always lively with musical entertainment emanating from a large sound system.

On the day, the fishermen and women take a break from their profession to join in the celebrations. A major highlight of the day’s event is the blessing of the boats by a priest . This is to give thanks to God for keeping the men and women safe while at sea and asking that ‘His perpetual light will continue shining on them’.

There is also the fanfare of cake dancing during the early morning proceedings of the event. Prizes are awarded for the outstanding fishermen and women over the year presented by the Ministry of Fisheries. Some of the communities also stage a boat race to add significance and fun to the occasion.

Scuba divers and lovers of underwater marine life have now got a real treat awaiting them, where they can feast their eyes on some of the world’s greatest creatures and amazing corals that lie below the sea.

An area of the sea at Carriacou has been protected and is now know referred to as the Marine Park area. The designated area stretches from Sandy Island’s turquoise waters and goes to the south to encompass the special Mangrove trees in Tyrell bay which are the home of the one of the world’s few surviving tree oysters. The large area also includes Maboya and the prominent peaks of the Sister Islands. With the likes of Sandy Island, Paradise beach and the oyster bed all part of this new initiative, it will help increase Carriacou’s marine life and the island will continue to attract tourists.

Marine Park protects underwater life and creates a wonderful opportunity for divers to see amazing marine creatures in tropical waters

This island’s underwater world is simply amazing. It is no wonder that there are so many shops stocking diving equipment here. The protected area now gives the wide range of diverse and beautiful sea species a space to live, multiply and enjoy their natural environment undisturbed and without fear of divers hunting for fish as a meal or for market. The recent law now protects them all in the same way as in Tobago Cays. Wardens patrol the area on a daily basis to ensure that the no one violates the laws and to ensure our visitors can enjoy the rapid growth of the various species.

Some of these species are only found in the tropical waters of Carriacou. The corals which often create a home for these fish forms part of the protection trust. There are moorings for the visiting yachts to avoid their anchors from damaging the corals and rocks. Thus Carriacou – the Land of many reefs – continues to be a jewel in the Caribbean, for astonishing under-water discovers.

Carriacou continues to attract a high percentage of visitors to the Caribbean not only for sand, sun and sea but for its uniqueness in culture, tradition and way of life. One of the aspects of life that still survives on this beautiful, safe, tranquil and friendly island in the Southern archipelago of the Caribbean, is the abundance of donkeys

Visitors are delighted by these wonderful animals. Many visitors may be encountering donkeys for the first time and may even experience having a ride on one. People are impressed by the level of care and protection that benefit the donkeys and they have become an important tourist attraction.

The donkeys of Carriacou are protected and well cared for as they are important for transport and used in events

There are no horses on the island but the donkeys take part in an annual derby at the Carriacou Regatta Festival. This event usually generates much excitement. The riders give the animals some fascinating names before making several racing laps around the beautiful town of Hillsborough. These animals are well trained and can be surprisingly fast and it is a fun and entertaining spectacle.

Donkeys are still being used by people in the countryside as a vital form of transport. A couple years ago this island supplied a university with those animals as part of a research study. In some countries and cultures donkeys are not always well treated, but in Carriacou the culture is vastly different and the donkeys always receive proper care.

Donkeys are an added attraction for any event. Recently they were used as a form of transport for the visitors to the Maroon Festival from the junction into the park. Even the locals delighted in joining the visitors in getting a unique ride into the park on the donkeys who were managed by a group of young, skilful donkey handlers.

Traditional culture is dying out in many countries, but on the beautiful and historic island of Carriacou, the people revive, retain and celebrate its culture keeping many historic practices alive.

Farine making is an ancient culinary method, that has been handed down by the ancestors of the people of Carriacou and today has grown in popularity among both the young and old. Farine is a type of flour, made from the cassava plant and is used in many traditional recipes including cassava bread.

The ancient tradition of making farine is still practiced and handed down to the younger genearation

Several of the countries that produce farine have switched to modern production methods, but the traditional method is still employed by the producers of farine on the island of Carriacou. This attracts many visitors to the island to see the process of making farine from the raw material of the cassava plant, to the finished product. The legacy of this practice has a bright future as several school children on both Carriacou and Petite Martinique are now fast becoming excellent protégées of their mentors. Even tourists to the island are grasping the opportunity to get a feel of the baking process.

• When the cassava root is harvested it is then peeled and washed
• The root is grated and placed in a special bag known as the old time “cru-crush” bag
• It is pressed or squeezed by large wooden boulders to extract the juice, so the cassava is dry
• The grated and squeezed cassava is placed in large farine pans, some with a diameter of about 8 to 12 feet
• The slow, long process of baking is done over a glowing fire
• Men and women toss the material in the hot pan for around six hours at a time, while another constantly throws in more and farine
• Upon completion the farine is white and hot and must be left to cool

The process calls for several people to work together and can take up to 18 hours altogether. When the farine is made, everyone gets a small bag and the rest is sent to market.

The farine made here is said to be among the best and so visitors often purchase a bag of Carriacou farine to take home. Likewise natives of Carriacou who are travelling abroad often pack a bag of farine to take with them on their travels.

The rich, traditional boat-building culture of Carriacou is being further enhanced through innovation and developments, illustrating the talent of the shipwrights here and promoting the island as a popular hunting ground for those seeking their dream boat.

The island is well known for its sea-faring nature and even the name Carriacou means ‘land of many reefs’. The boat building tradition is entrenched in the culture and there many nautical activities throughout the year. Many people come to Carriacou to benefit from the skills of the shipwrights to build and launch boats that can also race.

Traditional boat building skills combined with innovation make Carriacou an excellent place to seek out a dream boat

One of the most celebrated of all the racing events is the annual Carriacou Regatta Festival which will be held in 2011 from July 19 to August 1st. This year the event is set to be even more competitive, as the craft and talent of the builders have, in recent times, been taking the competition to a new cutting edge level. Last year the boat Glacier was in a class of her own, being simply too quick for her competitors in the prestigious ‘Large Deck Sloop’ category.

This year, Winsley McLawerence is currently feverishly looking to complete a similar boat, which has been under construction for over a year now. It is a 45 foot yacht. The quest for excellence and speed is not only adding to the number of boats in competition but also increasing the diversity at the festival. The boat is being built, solely for racing and therefore it’s features would be different from the rest and similar only to Glacier.

Mr McLawrence said that this new genre in the boat building industry is one which continues to be a major tourist attraction. He added that the foreigners are always excited about the process of turning pieces of wood, into a beautiful and fast sailing boat on the sea.

The village of Windward is globally respected for its boat-building powess which has, and continues to be, a sought after product by visitors.