In a spectacular display of close-quarters racing, Roy Disney’s Pyewacket 70 secured line honours today after a fierce battle against Adrian Lee’s HH66 catamaran, Lee Overlay Partners III, during the classic 50-mile race around Antigua.
Despite their stark differences — Pyewacket being a turbocharged Volvo 70 monohull and Lee Overlay Partners a high-performance cruising catamaran — the two yachts proved to be remarkably well-matched for much of the course. Sailing with an elite crew, Pyewacket initially pulled ahead along Antigua’s southeastern coastline. However, Lee’s catamaran soon edged into a narrow lead, setting the stage for an intense contest that lasted more than half the race.
The two boats raced side-by-side at speeds between 16 and 18 knots while reaching across the island’s northern coast, often separated by mere hundreds of metres.
Meanwhile, smaller yachts took on a shorter 28-mile course in the Almost Round Antigua Race. Steve Rigby’s J/122 El Ocaso capitalized on a light-air start, establishing an early lead that he steadily expanded while passing Antigua’s stunning offshore reefs and white sand beaches.
Back on the main course, the pivotal moment came near Antigua’s northwestern corner when a powerful squall disrupted the tight contest. Ryan Breymaier, one of the professional sailors aboard Lee Overlay Partners III, explained:
“We got almost all the way around alongside them, then a big squall came through, and they picked their way through it better than we did.”
Seizing the opportunity, Pyewacket accelerated to over 20 knots, breaking clear from the catamaran. Disney’s crew ultimately crossed the finish line in four hours and 44 minutes, not only taking line honours but also winning on corrected time in the CSA Racing Monohull 1 class, ahead of Woody Cullen’s Swan 58 Wavewalker.
Reflecting on the race, Disney said:
“We had a nice start with a steady wind, then suddenly hit a squall and were down to three knots. But once we rounded the corner, we were doing a steady 17, with puffs taking us up to 20. When you’re surfing at 20 knots, this boat is very special.”
Breymaier also praised the contest:
“We had a great time today. Racing that close with Pyewacket, especially during the Code Zero reach on the north side, was a real highlight.”
In the Almost Round Antigua Race, El Ocaso maintained her lead to claim both line honours and victory in the CSA Cruising Monohull class. Rigby described a day of high drama on the water:
“We had a lot of fun today. It was an interesting race with a big squall bringing torrential rain, good seas, and gusts up to 23 knots.”
Despite encountering lulls that allowed Germaine Williams’ Escapado to close the gap, El Ocaso regained her momentum to finish strong, ultimately beating Escapado and Bernie Evan Wong’s Huey Too on corrected time.
While the racing delivered thrilling action, much of the fleet preparing for the main Antigua Sailing Week regatta, which officially kicks off tomorrow, spent the day making final adjustments. The day culminated with the Peters & May prize giving and the official Opening Party at the Antigua Yacht Club, with festivities continuing late into the evening as English Harbour transformed into the vibrant Heineken Village.
Antigua Sailing Week promises even more excitement in the days ahead as one of the Caribbean’s premier regattas gets fully underway.
