by Dan Merton
Having long-dreamt of sailing on a Carriacou sloop, and following a connection from Compass Editor Elaine Lembo, I immediately jumped at the chance to join Charlotte Hooijdonk and Billy Gernertt, of New Moon. New Moon is a traditional 32-foot Carriacou Sloop owned, operated, and maintained by Hooijdonk and Gernertt as part of the West Indies Sailing Heritage Foundation, based in Antigua.
While the morning was bright and brilliant, this wasn’t just any day of sailing, though…it was the first day of the 2024 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, a legendary, perfectly picturesque annual regatta that is almost as fun to watch as it is to sail in. The regatta’s backdrop is the famous Nelson’s Dockyard, an institution among sailors, a wonder to tourists, and a testament to His Royal Majesty’s Navy and its accomplished Vice-Admiral, Horatio Nelson, the Antiguan National Park’s namesake. Antigua Classics is an unbelievable sailing experience in its own right for any sailor, and combined with my curiosity for and interest in Carriacou Sloop, I was very excited to join the New Moon crew for Day 1 of the regatta.
A day of (slow) racing
Amid a buzzy dock of excited sailors, I met the crew of New Moon around 8:30a on the first morning of the regatta. The crew- three of whom were teens learning to sail through the West Indies Sailing Heritage Foundation- were immediately friendly and inviting. Around us, racers were on heightened alert as they hurried to make final tuning adjustments and get off the dock in time for a bit of practice before the start.
There’s always a competitive energy in the air on day one, and this day was no different. I was happy when the crew of New Moon put me to work helping to rig the boat. But while I am used to sailing and racing boats of this size, this classic boat was a new challenge for me. The absence of cam cleats, halyard clutches, lifelines, and many other features made this a new but refreshingly simple experience.
After final shoreside preparations, it was time to go sailing! As we left the dock, along with many of the other yachts, it reminded me of other regattas: the excitement of the “boat parade” from the docks out to the starting line is always an exhilarating part of the day. This day was made even more special because we were among some of the most beautiful, classic yachts in the world. There was a lack of carbon fiber, laminated sails, and even fiberglass, which was sparse; instead, high-gloss polished wood could be seen on many yachts. In fact, the oldest competing yacht was a gorgeous yawl called Galatea, owned and maintained by Judd Tinius of Driftwood Fine Yacht Services at Clarkes Court in Grenada. She was built in 1899, and deserves her own story!
For four days, Antigua Classics must be the epicenter of varnished teak wood on the planet. The yachts are all stunning to watch as they all motor out. If that isn’t enough, as they hoist their sails, they have become even more stunning. I couldn’t help but think, this is such a special event, I had read about it for years and seen hundreds of pictures on social media, but now, I was here!
As we headed for the race course, the crew reviewed the rules and the weather forecast, while lamenting the light wind forecast. The start of the race was slow, but we had enough wind to get over the line and begin racing. As we began the upwind leg, we were just ahead of our closest competitor, Navasana, another, well-sailed Carriacou Sloop.
As the first leg wore on, the entire fleet began to slow, fighting a forecasted, diminishing wind. As the wind grew lighter, the sun felt hotter, and all the boats around us appeared to stand still, as though captured in a photograph. Luckily for us, New Moon was one of the lighter and smaller boats in our fleet, giving her an advantage against the heavier boats in light air. But as the wind seemed increasingly nonexistent for the next few hours, it seemed to be solely the crew’s determination (and maybe some current) pushed New Moon forward through leg two and into leg three, but not without much complaining about the heat, and some discussion about swimming to cool off. About halfway into leg three, the wind picked up just a bit, which, when combined with good sail trimming, steering, and tactics by the crew, was enough to help us sail upwind to a second-place finish!
As New Moon made her way from the race course back to the Nelson’s dockyard, I took the opportunity to enquire about the boat’s bright orange decking and accents. In addition to being a playful- if not downright bold- color choice, there’s history behind the orange. Since Carriacou sloops were initially designed as working boats, bold colors such as orange were chosen for reasons including both safety and functionality. Legend has it that if a boat were to get in trouble or be lost at sea, the bright orange color would better contrast with the blue of the sea, and thus the boat would be easier to spot from the air. Further, as a working boat, an orange deck would get hotter in the sun, and thus help dry their catch of fresh fish.
Aside from a few tactical adjustments from Charlotte, Billy, and me throughout the race, the teen trainees ran the boat entirely. During this time, I observed Billy and Charlotte’s commitment to giving their trainees detailed instructions, explanations, patience, and, ultimately, a positive experience on the water.
In the end, this was a great day aboard a seriously fun boat with a great mission to change the lives of young adults. We all just wished there had been more wind!
Here’s how you can help-
Though many admirable foundations are doing excellent work throughout the Caribbean basin, the work of the West Indies Sailing Heritage Foundation is exceptional. Following New Moon’s refit in Carriacou, Charlotte and Billy started the Foundation in 2019 with the mission of giving back. After spending a generation sailing and working aboard large sailing vessels, gaining thousands of hours of experience and time on the water, the two wanted to parlay their love of sailing into a way to empower kids and young adults (age 12 and older) by teaching them to sail. According to Charlotte and Billy, sailing fosters teamwork, camaraderie, self-reliance, and discipline. Beyond that, sailing is a craft that, once learned, stays with you for a lifetime. They hope to create an opportunity for young Antiguans to foster a genuine interest in sailing and perhaps even a professional/ career interest in the marine industry (one that is growing in Antigua and throughout the Caribbean). With this goal in mind, the pair set out to find a boat and challenged themselves to change lives for the better the way they knew how- one positive sailing experience at a time. On our way back to the dock, after racing, Charlotte and Billy eagerly explained that they hoped their trainees would one day develop the confidence and experience to take them out sailing by the end of their training.
One notable success case- one of their trainees, Nevin, 17, who has sailed with New Moon since their start, steered the entire day-1 race, including the start, and will also join New Moon for the West Indies Regatta in St Barts April 26-28, 2024.
The West Indies Sailing Heritage Foundation relies primarily on donations who see the value in their mission. I can tell you first-hand that it is having a positive impact and is making a difference in the lives of several young adults in Antigua.
If sailing changed your life, in a positive way, I encourage you to consider making a donation to The West Indies Sailing Heritage Foundation via Paypal or wire transfer; see this link for details; please visit their website: West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation.
