Kittiwake of Cohasset, No. 368, took the overall prize in the
Round the Island Race
 at the Cruisers' Regatta  at George Town, Bahamas. 
 

    The Round the Island Race is the premier event of the George Town Cruisers' Regatta. An eighteen-mile race for liveaboard cruising boats, it features a handicapped downwind start, a ten mile beat in deep water with sea and current conditions, and a run to the finish. Sixteen monohulls with PHRF ratings from 48 to 259 started in three classes, with KITTIWAKE the last boat to start in our class. The run to the leeward mark had few changes in position that we could see, but we seemed to be catching up to the boats ahead. Once on the wind, with the board down, we began to move.
    A strong current out in Exuma Sound made the inshore line much more advantageous. Fortunately we had a navigator with computer charts feeding us the data on reefs and deep water` and we began to pull away, but the bigger faster boats were now rounding the leeward mark and coming after us. But none of them were sticking as tight to the shore as we were. By the time we reached one of the offshore rocks that had to be rounded, we knew we were in a good position, and going well. A couple of big multihulls came screaming by, but they caused us only envy at their speed, since they were not in our event.
    Chasing the outside of the reefs, we got to the weather mark with a good breeze behind us, and started the run home. But alas, the breeze began to drop and go aft, as the bigger boats were coming up to the mark. We worked the sails as best we could and found that those boats were also having problems with the wind. Finally the wind came forward and we could start to move again. A monster catamaran came down on us like a line squall, but fortunately decided to reach up and away from us. They nipped us at the finish, but they were no concern of ours.
    The next boat to finish was in the first class, ten minutes behind us, and the two hot favorites five minutes later. We won our class by over an hour and a half, and beat all but four of the first class boats on elapsed time.
    The Pearson 35 has a tradition of winning in George Town. Our first race here was won by HEALING HANDS, skippered by a couple of very good sailors from Canada. If there is a secret to our success, it is to select crew members with big dinghies, and to fill the dinghies with everything not needed for the race. As liveaboards, we can probably shed 1,000 pounds for a day race.
    The Pearson 35 is a fine performer if you let her sail the way she was designed.

        Fair winds and following seas from Kit and John on KITTIWAKE, #368

PEARSON 35 TAKES HONORS

   The latest "Round Island Race" held for cruisers at Georgetown in the Bahamas was won outright by KITTiWAKE, captained by 73 year old John Bryant. The 1977 Pearson 35 #318, KITTiWAKE, beat all entries by 11 minutes and won its class by an hour and a half. Captain John modestly said he had a good navigator, but we know him to be an excellent sailor who at one time worked for Sparkman & Stevens alongside Bill Shaw. The Round Island Race is 18 miles.