Destination Saint Lucia

November 2019

Destination

Saint Lucia The new guide to all yachting, superyacht and cruise activities on the island

Protecting the future

Soufriere Marine Management association inc

Published in association with Saint Lucia Tourism Authority by Compass Handbooks Limited COMPASS

PUBLICATIONS LTD.

Compass Handbooks Limited Wistaria House Bexwell Road Downham Market Norfolk PE38 9LH, UK Tel: +44 (0)1366 858367 Email: admin@compass-handbooks.co.uk www.compass-publications.co.uk

Publisher Andy Bullen Editorial Mark Frary Ginny Light Production Editor/Design Linda Roast Photographs SLTA, Rodney Bay Marina Print Swallowtail Press, UK The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, nor any other organisation associated with this publication.

No liability can be accepted for inaccuracies of any description, although the publishers would be pleased to receive amendments for possible inclusion in future editions.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying or scanning, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Such written permission must also be obtained before any part of the publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature.

November 2019

ISSN 2633-3635 Š2019 Compass Handbooks Ltd

The Soufriere Marine Management Area lies within the picturesque twin peaks and is home to the best dive sites in the Caribbean. The park has been ranked as one of the most beautiful marine parks in the Caribbean with similar features to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

The area has the capacity of berthing six (6) superyacht vessels between Malgretoute and Sugar Beach and thirty six (36) yacht moorings extending from the Anse Chastanet in the north and Beausejour in the south.

The SMMA also accommodates recreational activities which includes diving and snorkelling. The park is equipped with three (3) dive/snorkel moorings.

The Association’s rules and regulations provide sensitization to users in order to protect our resources and provide a quality visitor experience.

Contact: 3rd Bay Street, Soufriere, Saint Lucia I Email: smma@candw.lc I Phone: 459-5500 I Fax : 459-7799 I www.smma.org.lc

www.stlucia.org 1

DestinationSaint Lucia I Contents

Contents

THE NAKED FISHERMAN

ROCK MAISON

23

THE CLIFF AT CAP

CAP MAISON - ONE OF ST LUCIA’S FAVORITE BOUTIQUE RESORTS Tel: 1 758 457 8670 • Email: reservations@capmaison.com www.capmaison.com

15 59

5 7 11 13 15 19 23 27 33 37 41 43 45

Foreword: Welcome Saint Lucia Hon Dominio Fedee, Tourism Minister Introduction Ki sa ou di?

Getting to Saint Lucia All you need to know Saint Lucia Map Let her inspire you The ARC Race The race of a lifetime Hotels How the other half lives New properties Room to breathe Spotted Superyachts seen at Saint Lucia Cruise A perfect way to arrive Hewanorra International Airport Flying high Invest in Saint Lucia Why the world is racing to invest Michelle Elliot artist The Pink Plantation House

47 49 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 66 67 68

That’ll look good on my insta Feed the envy of your friends Super Natural Saint Lucia A nature-lovers dream Saint Lucia on the silver screen A stunning backdrop to many movies Swim Saint Lucia The Saint Lucia Channel Swim 2020 The Land of the Iguanas Historically known for its reptiles Thank God it’s Friday Take to the streets as the week ends Music The Sounds of Saint Lucia Marigot Bay Not just a dock, a destination Rodney Bay A very welcoming sight Kenny Abernaty A safe pair of hands Services Directory Business contact information Advertisers Index Page numbers. Classified.

I’ll drink to that Fill some time with a beer or cocktail www.stlucia.org 3

DestinationSaint Lucia I Foreword

Honorable Dominic Fedee Minister for Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries

Welcome to

Saint Lucia

Dear Reader, Welcome to the Land of Inspiration and the World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination. Saint Lucia offers a full range of travel experiences that are both awe-inspiring and sustainable.

As one of the Caribbean’s fastest developing nations, our efforts remain geared towards responsible growth and expansion of the industry.

Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains - a UNESCO World Heritage Site – 19,000 acres of tropical rainforest and one of the world’s few drive-in volcanoes.

Saint Lucia boasts itself, as the events capital of the Caribbean delivering several events under the Saint Lucia Summer Festival calendar. From Jazz, to Carnival, Roots & Soul and Food & Rum, there is something for everyone.

This is especially an exciting year for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) and the World Cruising Club as the 2019 edition of the event celebrates 30 years of collaboration.

As you soak up all that Saint Lucia has to offer beyond the beauty and the extraordinary spirit of Her people, we once again welcome you to our piece of paradise and look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful shores.

Let Her inspire you!

Sincerely, Honorable Dominic Fedee www.stlucia.org 5

DestinationSaint Lucia I Introduction

DestinationSaint Lucia I Introduction

Ki sa ou di?

In Saint Lucian Patois, it means “What you say?” and is a greeting to find out more about where you have been and what you have been doing

You might hear these words when you walk into a Saint Lucian bar, thirsty for a rum punch, or as you jump ashore onto dry land for the first time in weeks at Rodney Bay Marina after cruising the Atlantic.

It will usually be accompanied with a broad smile and an outstretched hand.

You see, Saint Lucians are really friendly.

This comes up whenever you talk to people who have visited Saint Lucia.

6 www.stlucia.org

They could be cruise visitors who have popped in for a day ashore, people from other Caribbean islands who have come seeking work, newlyweds who spent their honeymoon on this paradise island or the skippers and crews of the yachts and megayachts that fill the country’s coves and marinas.

With a population a shade under 170,000 living on an island that measures just 27 miles long and 14

miles wide at its broadest point, everyone really does know everyone.

It means that if you need something done – a trek organised, a sail fixed or a table booked at a popular restaurant – someone will know someone, probably a family or a friend, who can do it.

It is a country of great natural beauty – its raindrop shape hints at the precipitation that keeps the forests of the interior so green and the waterfalls

that are dotted around the country at full flow. Saint Lucia’s landscapes have also been shaped by other forces of nature, notably volcanism. Its most famous landmarks, the Pitons at Soufrière, are a pair of dormant volcanic plugs and the gurgling and steaming pools of the world’s only drive-in volcano show that these forces continue to work their magic.

This natural beauty is part of the reason Saint Lucia has been named

the world’s best honeymoon destination year after year and it is easy to see why. Resorts like Cap Maison, Viceroy Sugar Beach and Ladera know only too well how important it is to look after newly wed couples. And their suites are designed to make honeymooners feel they have the best room in the house – a private plunge pool with a view of the Pitons, a double swing on the balcony or vast rainforest showers with plenty of space for two www.stlucia.org 7

ARRIVE. EXPLORE. REL A X. & BOATYARD

DestinationSaint Lucia I Introduction would make anyone feel loved up.

Travellers come to Saint Lucia for plenty of other reasons too. There are the epic treks across the mountainous interior or kite surfing on a perfect crescent of beach followed by a beer in the bar where Amy Winehouse found an escape from her crazy world. On the subject of music, there is so much here – soca, steel pan, reggae, even country and western.

Sailors will find Saint Lucia a perfect stop on their Caribbean itineraries – safe from the hurricanes that afflict the

islands further north and with marinas and other yacht services that are best in class.

The country celebrated its 40th anniversary of independence in 2019 but it knows that it is part of the bigger picture – whether as one of the Windward Islands, the wider West Indies, part of the Commonwealth or as an island nation that is doing its bit towards helping protect the environment.

Saint Lucia also knows it must carry on growing. It is already a popular tourism destination but its unique attractions mean more people want to come – that means better air links, an airport fit for the future, more of those amazing hotel rooms and an infrastructure that makes it a pleasure to visit.

When someone says ki sa ou di, the reply is often “mwen la” – I am here.

When here is Saint Lucia, there really is no need to be anywhere else.

SUMMER DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE CONTACT US FOR DETAILS

Located in a well-protected lagoon with a full-service boatyard, IGY Rodney Bay Marina is a premier yachting destination in the Eastern Caribbean offering excellent facilities for yachts up to 285’. Having cemented its reputation as a leading center for yachting, sportfishing and cruising in the region, it comes as no surprise that for the past 30 years IGY Rodney Bay Marina has been the final landing for the largest trans-ocean sailing event in the world; the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.

253 BERTHS | RESORT-ST YLE FACILITIES | PROTECTED LAGOON • • • • •

32 Megayacht Slips / 221 Floating Docks On-site Customs & Immigration 24-hr On-site Security & Surveillance Boatyard & On-site Technical Providers Duty Free In-Slip Fueling

• • • • •

Waterfront Dining & Signature Bars Provisioning & Ship’s Chandlery On-site Full Resort Amenities with Pool & Spa Local Boutiques & Shopping Options Complimentary Wi-Fi

t: +1 758 458 7200 | e: rbm@igymarinas.com | w: www.igymarinas.com facebook.com/RodneyBayMarina

www.stlucia.org 9

DestinationSaint Lucia I Getting to Saint Lucia

DestinationSaint Lucia I Getting to Saint Lucia

Getting to

Saint Lucia Getting to Saint Lucia by air It has never been easier to visit Saint Lucia, with convenient non-stop flights on all major US carriers. There are also numerous flight schedules that offer easy, seamless connections through various hubs and from feeder cities throughout the continental US. There’s a twice daily service from Miami International on American Airlines and non-stop daily service from Atlanta on Delta Airlines. Beginning December 21st American Airlines fly non stop from Chicago.

Clients looking to escape New York and Boston this winter have the luxury of daily non-stop flights from JFK and Logan International with flat beds in Mint Service by Jet Blue Airlines.

United Airlines offers non-stop weekly service from Chicago’s O’Hare International and also weekly non-stop service from Newark’s Liberty International Airport. The flight schedule Saint Lucia now boasts, conveniently allows easy connections for west coast clients who can fly into the hub of their 10 www.stlucia.org

choice and make it to the beach in Saint Lucia as early as mid-afternoon.

From Toronto Canada, Air Canada, West Jet and Sunwing fly non-stop to Saint Lucia through until Spring.

From the 2020 summer season, British Airways (www.ba.com) will up the frequency of its service from the UK to Saint Lucia to nine flights a week over the summer. There are also weekly services from TUI flying every Tuesday.

The flight time is nine hours.

Arriving in Saint Lucia by boat Rodney Bay, Castries, Marigot, Soufriere and Vieux-Fort are all ports of entry.

You are required by law to fill out an immigration form and check into the island within 24 hours of arrival. In the event that customs and immigration office is closed you must remain on your vessel or on the compound of the marina until you get clearance. Get clearance in and out upon arrival for stay up to three (3) days with the same crew. Prior to checking in, complete your immigration form online using SailClear.

Doing this may save you a lot of time at Customs. Boat owners and registered crew members are normally given six (6) months entry and if you would like to extend, you can do so in person at the main Customs and Immigration office in Castries (fees apply). Do remember to dress appropriately when going for clearance and be sure to carry with you: • Ship’s registration showing ownership and nature of business in which the vessel is primarily engaged • Clearance documentation for last port prior to Saint Lucia • Passports for all crew and passengers and any appropriate visas.

For further information on visa requirements for Saint Lucia, please visit The Government of Saint Lucia website at www.govt.lc/faqs or www.archive. stlucia.gov.lc Visit Saint Lucia’s Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) for more information at www.slaspa.com Pre-arrival notification system for yachts for quick and easy customs clearance please visit www.sailclear.com

Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority

Getting around Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is small – measuring only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide – but getting around by car can take time: the roads are mountainous and the occasional pothole slows you down. The speed limit is typically 15mph (24 km/h) in towns (although the traffic through Castries often moves at a snail’s pace) and 30mph (48km/h) in the countryside. A handful of highways have a limit of 40mph (64km/h).

You drive on the left in Saint Lucia – the same as in the UK – although when going round mountain bends you may meet traffic on your side of the road so keep vigilant.

There are two major routes between the airport and the north of the island. The Micoud Highway, which goes up the eastern coast, is typically quicker than the route along the west coast via Soufrière. The east route takes around an hour and ten minutes compared to two hours via the west.

There are a number of car rental firms at Hewanorra airport, including Sixt, Solo and Drive-A-Matic. Renters will need to obtain a temporary drivers permit; getting one is a formality if you have a valid driver’s licence in your home country.

If you prefer to take a taxi, expect to pay around US$70 to get from the airport to Castries or close to US$90-100 to get to Rodney Bay. Authorised taxis have a light blue number plate and the number starts with TX. Helicopter transfers are the quickest way between the two ends of the island. Expect to pay US$180 per person, based on four people travelling.

Customs Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 4:30pm Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm Saturday – Sunday 8:00am – 4:30pm Weekends & Holidays Overtime Hours (after 4:30pm fees apply) Port Entry Charges: Passenger dues: EC$15/person.

These times might defer at the other ports of entry.

www.stlucia.org 11

12 www.stlucia.org www.stlucia.org 13

Snorkel/Dive Sites

Helicoptor tours

Biking

Hiking

Speed boat tour

Catamaran tour

Birdwatching

Whale/dolphin

Shopping

Segway

Waterfall

Horseback riding

Jeep/ATV safari

Watersports

Zipline

Airport

DestinationSaint Lucia I The ARC Race

DestinationSaint Lucia I The ARC Race

The race of a lifetime

For thousands of amateur sailors from across the world, the ARC has made the dream of sailing some 2,700 nautical miles across the Atlantic a reality, writes Ginny Light The ARC event was conceived by yachting journalist Jimmy Cornell in 1986 who was enthused by the tales of excitement and camaraderie told to him by skippers who had completed the transatlantic passage.

Thirty-four years on, the present-day event between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, is still true to its roots. The ARC offers a safety net of support to amateur sailors, together with the fun of friendly competition.

Andrew Bishop, managing director of World Cruising Club, organisers of the ARC, says: “The ARC is an amazing event, which each year brings together a diverse group of international crews to sail across the Atlantic. I am delighted that this year we have six young Saint Lucians participating as part of our ARC Youth Team, a World Cruising Club initiative to help mark this special year.”

The first event, ARC’86, set a record for the largest transocean race ever staged, when 204 yachts set off from Gran Canaria. The 2019 event will see up to 300 yachts take part as the event

now offers two starting points, with ARC+ participants going via the Cape Verde islands and setting off two weeks earlier.

All of the participants finish at Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, where the marina is able to accommodate all of the yachts at the end of the rally. This makes for an electric atmosphere of jubilation and esprit de corps as crews cheer their compatriots across the finish line.

While the entrants in the Racing Division jostle to beat the ARC course record of 8 days, 6 hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds, set in 2016, the majority of boats are in the Cruising Division, where finish times take into account any hours of motoring. In this category, aside from prizes for the fastest crew, there are also awards for the fastest family boat, the oldest boat,

and even the last to arrive in Rodney Bay. Says Bishop: “The ARC is a tremendous event, and seeing participants celebrate their achievement on arrival into Rodney Bay is always a very special moment for those of us ashore. ARC flags continue to fly long after the rally has finished, fostering the many long term friendships that are formed during the event. I’ve seen much change over the years, but the warmth of the Caribbean welcome on arrival and the camaraderie amongst the participants are constants that help make the ARC so special.”

Crews and their families gather for the prize-giving in 2018.

Photo WCC/Clare Pengelly

The crew of Challenger 4 celebrate their arrival.

Photo: WCC/Clare Pengelly

Near the start of the race.

Photo: WCC/Clare Pengelly

Andrew Bishop, managing director of the World Cruising Club

Background image: YB Tracking Ltd, Google Maps, Map Box

14 www.stlucia.org

www.stlucia.org 15

DestinationSaint Lucia I The ARC Race

Eyes on

the prize Setting off in high hopes, to the rousing accompaniment of a Canaries band and choir, Rory and Susie McGrath (above) sailed out from Las Palmas harbour on 22 November 2015, to begin their first ARC aboard Dalliance, their Oyster 62’. With shouts of good luck from the neighbouring boats, the couple, whose previous sailing experience had not taken them beyond the English Channel and the Mediterranean, rapidly embarked on the steep learning curve of ocean sailing. This ranged from replacing the broken outhaul of the mainsail midocean to putting a dish full of chicken stew into a wildly swinging gimballed stove without throwing the muchanticipated dinner across the galley.

The greatest revelation for the couple and their crew, though, was the extraordinary diversity of ocean life.

“On day six, Susie and I were up early for a watch. Over my shoulder there was a beautiful sunrise and over my right a spectacular lightning storm. It is an ocean of opposites,” says Rory.

Dalliance was frequently accompanied

DestinationSaint Lucia I The ARC Race by pods of dolphin, vast silvery swordfish and shoals of flying fish at the bow.

With no land or other people in sight, life on the ocean was a moment for reflection. “The nights were beautiful myriad stars with no light pollution to spoil it and just the wind blowing us onward - much as it must have done to Columbus’ ships centuries ago,” says Susie.

Though competing in the Cruising Division of the ARC, there was one prize that the Dalliance crew were eyeing - Rory wagered four bottles of wine with a rival boat as to who would finish first, and another four for the largest fish landed. After many thwarted attempts at fishing for supper, the crew caught a two-foot long electric green dorada with blue fins, but it slipped out of their grasp before it could hit the frying pan. Their rivals soon radioed to report having landed a 21kg swordfish, so that bet was lost, although fresh dorada did make it onto the dinner plates, much to the crew’s delight on day six.

On day 15, a euphoric Dalliance crew were anticipating waking up to the final stretch into Rodney Bay marina.

“I was also looking forward to the solid ground, green slopes and bustling harbour of Saint Lucia as well as the prawns, crab and lobster in the Caribbean after the fresh fish and our fishing luck ran out by day 10,” said Susie.

Though their rivals crossed the finish line first, the achievement of having complete the profound challenge of sailing across the Atlantic was elation enough. Far from the technology and shortcuts of modern life, the planning, preparation, camaraderie and sheer endurance of it was joyful - to step into the unknown and then to arrive safely into harbour - an extraordinary accomplishment.

People come

for adventure Dan Bowers is a full-time professional skipper, with over 200,000 nautical miles made under various keels, including 24 transatlantics, 2 transpacifics, multiple Caribbean circuits, several laps of the Mediterranean, and too many cross-channel trips to mention.

Dan’s wife Emily is a real water baby, there are few places that she hasn’t sailed with over 250,000 nautical miles covered! Very much at home at sea, she has sailed 26 transatlantics, crossed the pacific three times and taken part in the RORC round Britain and Ireland race - a fun challenge as skipper of an all-female crew. She has also spent many years on Global Challenge yachts, most notably sailing from the UK to Antarctica in 1999.

What made you decide to sign up for your first ARC? My first introduction to the ARC was back in 2000. I had just finished school and was taking a gap year. This involved doing some volunteer work for the Ocean Youth Trust and while I was there, I heard someone talking about doing a transatlantic sailing trip. This sounded like a great way to see the world and I was lucky enough to find someone willing to take responsibility for a green 18-year-old on his first big sailing adventure. We spent six months sailing from Scotland to the Caribbean on the ‘Atlantic circuit’ of which the ARC is the main event.

16 www.stlucia.org

The Dalliance, the McGraths’ Oyster 62’

What were the most unexpected aspects of the crossing?

We have introduced over a hundred crews to sailing the Atlantic, and I think the most unexpected part of the crossing is the crew bonding. People come for the adventure, the sense of remoteness, isolation, nature and time to reflect. They expect a bit of hardship and to prove themselves on a challenge, but even so you would think throwing eight ‘strangers’ into a small boat, depriving them of sleep and life’s luxuries sounds like a plan for extreme reality TV. But the reality is shared experience and the time for simple conversations deepen those connections of like-minded people, and the surprise for many is that they form very good friendships. Our ARC crews regularly have reunions so they can reminisce about their life enhancing adventure. The sense of accomplishment as you cross the finish line, and of course the Lucian rum punch.

Dan and Em Bowers on board Skyelark of London

Have you done it again?

Fast forward to 2008 and my wife Em and I are back on the ARC. This was our first charter as we launched our adventure sailing business on Skyelark of London, offering pay-to-play spaces for yachties to experience ocean passages and adventure sailing trips (see skye51. com for more on this). 11 years, 10 ARCs and 2 World ARCS later, we are a familiar sight in Rodney Bay marina at the end of the ARC, and the amazing welcome and friendliness of the Saint Lucians never gets old.

What are your Saint Lucia highlights?

We consider the island to be a second home as we have spent so many winters there and made great friends. We love the mountains whether it’s the Pitons, Mount Gymie or the lookout at Pigeon Island and we can often be found kiting at Cas-en-Bas, shopping at the Gros Islet fish co-op or tucking into a roti.

Are there any tips you would give to first-timers?

If we have any advice for first timers it’s to get the crew right. Whether they are lifelong friends or strangers, you need to spend time together beforehand and time on a boat. Your drinking buddy or squash friend that you socialise with every week, is not necessarily someone you want to camp with for a month.

Sailing experience isn’t essential – a good captain can teach that, but you can’t change personalities. For us one of the nicest aspects is the crew bonding, but it’s not so good if you get it wrong.

Make time to do some research. The organisers - World Cruising Club - put an amazing amount of information into their rally handbook, as well as putting on seminars and question panels on the ground in Las Palmas and beforehand in the UK. They have seen everything before and the more you use this resource and plan ahead, the smoother and more enjoyable the crossing. This is what makes the ARC a success, and so different from doing it on your own.

Las Palmas marina.

Photo: Graham Van’t Hoff

www.stlucia.org 17

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hotels

Ladera Hotel terrace

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hotels

Sugar Beach Hotel bathroom

How the other

half lives As they await the arrival of the ARC race, many partners take advantage of Saint Lucia’s fabulous hotels

Main Photo: The infinity pool at Cap Maison

The vagaries of the wind mean that the arrival of the cruisers from their 2,700 nautical mile adventure can be a little difficult to predict with any accuracy.

As a result, the families of many skippers and owners spend a few days in a hotel waiting for their other halves to arrive. Of course, many of those who have crossed the Atlantic can’t wait to get on dry land and these stunning properties have plenty of appeal.

Cap Maison Cap Maison has a feel of a private hacienda – think squat whitewash buildings with tiled roofs - rather than a standard hotel. There is no formal check-in and guests greet general manager Ross Stevenson as he tours 18 www.stlucia.org

the property as if he is a close family member or friend, which effectively he is.

The property sits on a clifftop on the island’s north west coast and sits in immaculately tended tropical gardens.

The garden rooms are modest but the ocean view suites have their own hot tubs or pools, some on their own roof terraces.

The Naked Fisherman, the resort’s beachside restaurant on Smuggler’s Cove, gets its name from the habit of local fishermen to go skinny-dipping here before the resort opened. There is a slim chance of seeing that now but the food is reason enough to come here. Up on the hillside, Cliff at Cap is a more formal affair under the steady head of executive chef Craig Jones

who mixes classical French training and Saint Lucian inspiration. Jones says, “I dream about food the smells, taste, textures; that is how dishes come to me.”

American visitors may recognise Cap Maison from episodes of The Bachelor. www.capmaison.com Ladera Ladera, which means hillside in Spanish, is one of a clutch of hotels that look out onto Saint Lucia’s most famous landmarks, the Piton mountains.

The thing you notice immediately when you walk into the rooms here – and arguably the hotel’s main attraction – is that one of the walls is missing.

This would be seen as a disadvantage

in most hotels but here it means you get uninterrupted views of those volcanic icons The furniture in the rooms is all intricately carved on site by local craftsman Boniface Modeste and these handiworks are complemented by artisan clay.

The hotel’s games room is a popular spot, with a pool tables and regularly playing classic movies.

The gardens are filled with striking bougainvillea, pomme d’amour and soursop trees and lilies which attracts green throated Caribbean hummingbirds and the indigenous Saint Lucia Oriole. At 2pm most days you can get a tour with head gardener Ray. The hotel is perfectly placed for sunsets in the middle of the Pitons and

the Dasheene Restaurant, which offers tasty Caribbean cuisine, or the Tcholit Bar are the perfect places to enjoy them. www.ladera.com Viceroy Sugar Beach This hotel’s name tells you everything you need to know about its sweet location on a pristine white beach in the shadow of the Pitons.

The property sits on a former sugar plantation and the design of the rooms reflect this heritage – lots of individual cottages and villas decorated with sugar-white soft furnishings and surrounded by verandas where you can sit on wicker chairs with a mojito and watch the sun go down. All of the rooms have plunge pools, 24-hour

room service, butlers and Nespresso machines.

As you wander through the property, you come across spectacular works of art – striking sculptures and modern paintings – as well as one-off pieces of furniture – a double daybed that is a swing or a high-backed seat in velvet in one of the bars or dining rooms.

There are free fitness sessions here and the platform where you can do yoga has to have one of the best views of any fitness studio anywhere.

Most people spend their days down on the beach, chilling out under a parasol or in the Bayside beach restaurant. www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/ sugar-beach/

www.stlucia.org 19

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hotels Marigot Bay Resort Not everyone needs a view of the Pitons from their hotel and the Marigot Bay Resort has its own special location right on the bay.

The hotel clusters around a stunning pool with swim-up bar and there are vast, globe-shaped cabanas dotted around if you want to sunbathe like an A-lister. The pool area is surrounded by well-tended gardens that are a magnet for hummingbirds in the early morning.

Half of the 124 rooms here are suites – some junior suites and all of the penthouse suites have their own plunge pools. The rooms are designed in plantation style with cool, crisp linen, wooden shutters and grand four-poster beds with The Spa at Marigot Bay is a popular destination for guests. Two of the most popular local treatments are a Fiksyon Fwote rub using warm bamboo sticks and volcano energy therapy using sulphur mud and volcanic hot stones.

At the resort, you can even try your hand at blending your own rum in the resort’s rum cave after a trip to the market to pick up fresh spices.

Guests are assigned their own personal assistant who will call you up three weeks before your arrival. www.marigotbayresort.com

Boucan Hotel‘s infinity pool

Boucan If you like a bit of chocolate then the only place to stay is at Boucan, the real-life Hotel Chocolat which sits in the 250-year-old plantation where the company’s cacao beans are grown.

As you would expect, chocolate is a central theme here. You can take part in a chocolate making course, sip a chocolate cocktail in the bar or have a caco-mint massage in the hotel spa.

Boucan is a small and exclusive place to stay and it is adults-only. The

accommodation is in beautifully designed lodges, all with views of the Petit Piton and with open-sky rainforest showers. The woods used in the design are as dark as the 80% chocolate. The reflection of the volcanic dome in the hotel’s infinity pool is must-do photo opportunity.

The property is 1,000 above sea level up in the mountains so is blissfully cool when it gets hot but there is also a regular shuttle down to the local beach. www.hotelchocolat.com/boucan

Marigot Bay Resort, right on the Bay

When dropping anchor is not enough…

We can help you put down real roots and flourish.

Bespoke facilitation from site visits to business set-up.

Shovel-ready projects on prime real estate.

Easy leasing of our industrial estates, factory shells and duty-free shopping complex retail spaces.

Rated one of the best economic passports in the OECS.

Invest Here. Live Here. Love It Like Your Own.

+1 (758) 457-3400 www.investstlucia.com www.stlucia.org 21

DestinationSaint Lucia I New properties

Room

to breathe Saint Lucia’s tourism is growing apace and hoteliers are investing in new properties to cater for demand

DestinationSaint Lucia I New properties In 2018, nearly 400,000 visitors overnighted in Saint Lucia, staying in anything from the most luxurious resort to an intimate guest house. Whether you are spending $3,500 on a 2,000 square foot suite with a 900 square foot infinity pool or $22 in a guesthouse, there is something for every budget.

The key markets for overnighting visitors are the US, Canada and the United Kingdom and there is potential to grow the numbers further still.

Karolin Troubetskoy, president of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, says, “North America is most certainly the market that could easily grow larger for us with increased airlift from not only the East Coast but

also Mid-West and West Coast. The United Kingdom has many ties to Saint Lucia through our entwined history.

Traditionally, Continental Europe has been a very good market for Saint Lucia providing that Europeans can fly to the destination on direct – non-stop flights.”

Saint Lucia is regularly voted the best honeymoon destination in the world and it is no surprise that many choose this paradise to celebrate their marriages.

“Saint Lucia has traditionally enjoyed a very healthy percentage of visitors that choose the destination for the beautiful landscape and the romantic ambiance,” says Troubetskoy who is also executive director at Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts.

“Not just honeymooners come here of course, but also visitors celebrating an anniversary or other special occasion as a couple. Many of our resorts feature special honeymoon and wedding packages. With all that said, there’s no doubt that honeymooners and romantics at large are an important target segment in our marketing outreach. But in recent years, you have also seen a lot more of multi-room accommodation options very suited for families and one resort in particular enjoys a healthy singles business.

There are a lot of soft adventure activities on offer, from scuba diving to mountain biking and hiking and there is a more concerted effort undertaken to showcase Saint Lucia to adventure seekers.

Karolin Troubetskoy, president of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association

Aerial view of Viceroy Sugar Beach

22 www.stlucia.org

www.stlucia.org 23

DestinationSaint Lucia I New properties

DestinationSaint Lucia I New properties

Hotel

development

In 2021, the country will welcome its first ever Ritz-Carlton property.

The 180-room Ritz-Carlton, Saint Lucia will be located on the southern tip of the island, within easy reach of Hewanorra International Airport.

Part of the planned 180-acre Black Bay Master Development, the project is being developed under the country’s Citizenship-by-Investment programme.

Announcing the launch of the project, Saint Lucian prime minister Allan

Chastanet said, “We are delighted to see this first step in what will be a major project on the southern tip of the island.

We have maintained that our focus is on enhancing our tourism offerings and we are committed to ensuring sustainable investment and employment in Saint Lucia and particularly in the south. I am elated that we have such eminent partners in this project in what is surely going to be one of the best resorts in the Caribbean.”

How the new Ritz-Calton will look

Looking to

the future

Hotel owners in Saint Lucia are worried about the same issues tourism is wrestling with worldwide, says Troubetskoy - environmental issues and climate change resilience, freedom of movement and trade, health and wellness, the safety and security of global travellers and the assurance of equal rights for all.

In 2013, the SLHTA created the Tourism Enhancement Fund which relies on small voluntary fees from visitors.

This is used to implement and finance projects specific to ensure the island is enjoyable for visitors and residents alike, including the beautification of specific areas of our island. Projects include improving road signage across the island, financing sustainability studies and water management programmes.

“Over five years and 250 projects later, we have not wavered from this commitment,” says Troubetskoy. “In recent years we have established strategic alliances with multiple partners including the United Nations Development Program’s Global Environment Facility, the Embassy of Mexico, the Rotary Club of Saint Lucia, the Lion’s Club, the National Conservation Fund and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.

24 www.stlucia.org

Once supported only by partner hotels, our TEF now collaborates with other funding agencies of global repute, to tap even more financial resources for beneficiaries. These alliances strengthen our governance, our versatility and our impact on issues affecting climate change, community resilience, environmental preservation and economic livelihoods.”

Troubetskoy feels that the future is looking good.

“The island has not reached its full potential as yet and there has never been a better time than right now to become a part of our flourishing industry,” she says.

She adds that Saint Lucia’s hoteliers are being innovative in trying to attract business, particularly in the off-season.

She says, “Our hotels know how to carve out special niches for their own properties, marketing these efficiently, in addition to us coming together as an industry to brainstorm and strategise how to keep our visitors coming. Our prices are competitive and I can safely say that the visitors that have come here, go home and tell their family and friends what a great time they had, so let’s never underestimate word of mouth.”

Supporting

Saint Lucia’s expansion

With all this development, it is important to make sure the country has the right supporting infrastructure.

“Clearly there is room for improvement overall,” says Troubetskoy. “Most importantly, we would like to see efforts that reduce traffic jams in busy areas of the island and also, reduce the airport transfer time from Hewanorra Airport to the north of the island.

She believes the airport itself needs to be improved in light of the anticipated development over the next few years.

“The airport needs to grow along with the accommodation sector to allow for more flights to the island and possibly even function as a hub for multi destination travel. The airport needs to cater to passengers in an efficient way, reduce waiting times at immigration and customs and also, provide a sense of place to incoming and outgoing passengers that creates anticipation and excitement on arrival and the desire to return as they depart.”

With all these new developments, the

demand for skilled staff will increase and this may prove a challenge.

“Like is the case in many tourism destinations, not only in the Caribbean, there will always be more demand for skilled workers than are actually available,” says Troubetskoy. “This is why a lot of our work as the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association centres around training initiatives, from culinary boot camps, guest service training to supervisory training.”

www.stlucia.org 25

DestinationSaint Lucia I Spotted in Saint Lucia

DestinationSaint Lucia I Spotted in Saint Lucia

Spotted in

Saint Lucia The island of Saint Lucia is increasingly a port of call for the world’s superyachts

Megas at night.

26 www.stlucia.org

www.stlucia.org 27

DestinationSaint Lucia I Spotted in Saint Lucia In 2007, Island Global Yachting announced a huge redevelopment of Rodney Bay Marina to open up the island to megayachts.

The new megayacht pier opened in January 2009, offering 32 berths for boats up to 250 feet.

Sean Devaux, general manager of IGY Rodney Bay Marina, says the old marina had just one or two slips where you could get 130 or 140 foot boats but the pier really opened up Saint Lucia, and Rodney Bay, in particular as a destination for the world’s megayachts.

Word of mouth is particularly important in attracting new business and while the 2017 hurricanes had terrible effects on the Caribbean, they

DestinationSaint Lucia I Spotted in Saint Lucia did introduce new megayacht visitors to the island.

“The hurricanes closed a lot of ports and facilities up north, including two of our own so we got a lot of exposure.

Since then, we have seen an increase in enquiries,” says Devaux.

Even so, attracting megayachts to Saint Lucia has its challenges.

“If you think of Saint Marten, St Barts and Antigua, all with a day’s run of each other, why would you spend money on fuel to get down here? We are working with the tourism authority to see how we can break into that,” he says.

Those that have made the journey, including those below, have enjoyed a warm welcome.

Liquid Sky main salon.

Liquid Sky jacuzzi.

Liquid Sky

Pipe Dreams

Liquid Sky is a 154.20ft /47m motor yacht, built in 2017 by CMB Yachts.

The exterior was styled by Espen Oeino and the interior by Art-Bel Design The interior design features oak wood, bronze, Corian and light tone fabrics and sleeps up to 12 in five en-suite bedrooms. There is a professionally equipped gym, a 28metre long sun deck with jacuzzi, 180º fully open sky lounge with balconies, beach club on the swimming platform.

She is built with GRP hull and GRP superstructure. With a cruising speed of 12 knots, a maximum speed of 15 knots and a range of 3,000nm from her 51,000 litre fuel tanks, she is the perfect combination of performance and luxury.

Charter rates in the Caribbean are US$175,000 to US$185,000 a week. https://yachtliquidsky.com

Pipe Dreams, a 46m/150ft motor yacht with aluminium hull and superstructure, was built by Trinity Yachts in 2003.

She can accommodate 12 guests in accommodation comprising master suite, two double cabins, two twin cabins and two pullman beds. She is also capable of carrying up to ten crew onboard.

Pipe Dreams’ two 2,250hp diesel engines give a top speed of 19 knots; maximum range is 3,455 nautical miles at 12 knots.

Main Photo: Lady J

28 www.stlucia.org

www.stlucia.org 29

DestinationSaint Lucia I Spotted in Saint Lucia

Cox and Company Limited yacht Support Services

Drum Beat

King Baby

The 53 metre/ 174ft sailing yacht Drumbeat was built in 2002 by New Zealand’s Alloy Yachts and won the 2005 Rolex Transatlantic Challenge.

She underwent an extensive refit in 2007/08 and has five cabins (three double and two twin). There is space for up to 11 crew on the ketch.

Drumbeat has a 1400 horsepower Caterpillar engine and a maximum speed of 16 knots She comes with an impressive selection of extras – a 6.2m Castoldi Rib, a 4.5m Avon Rib, 2 Topaz Race X sailing dinghies, windsurfer, wakeboard, waterskis, two sea kayaks and many more toys for watersports enthusiasts.

Charter rates from US$175,000 per week. https://www.burgessyachts.com/en/ charter-a-yacht/yachts-for-charter/ drumbeat-00005535

If you like the rock’n’roll lifestyle then the 43m/140ft motor yacht King Baby is the way to go – it features lots of original music-inspired artwork including a door emblazoned with Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, coffee tables inlaid with guitars and music photography curated by the owners.

King Baby was built by IAG Yachts to a design by Evan K Marshall. The interior is flooded with natural light and features furnishings in white leather, beige, silver and blue, with mirrored ceilings and gloss timber panelling.

The yacht has plenty of space for socialising including a sundeck, with a Jacuzzi with three-tier cascading water-fall and swim-up bar, and two dining areas, one on the main aft deck and another covered area on the upper deck.

Charter rates from US$160,000. https://www.luxurychartergroup.com/ yacht.php/king-baby-299/

Lady J The luxury 142 foot Palmer Johnson charter yacht Lady J is frequent sight in Saint Lucia’s waters.

The Lady J sleeps 12 guests in a king master, two queens and two twin staterooms.

The master suite is located on the main deck and features an office, built-in bookcases, his and hers bathroom with a separate shower and two sinks plus large Jacuzzi tub.

The wood-clad main salon provides a great space to unwind while watching a movie on the 50” retractable plasma TV with a top-of-the-line sound system.

The Detroit Diesels 1,800 horsepower engines deliver a cruising speed of 12 knots and a maximum speed of 14 knots.

Charter rates from US$99,000 a week. https://www.ladyjyachtcharters.com

PO Box 88, Vide Boutielle, Castries, Saint Lucia, W.I. Phone (738) 456 5000/5006/5009 Fax (758) 456 5016 Email yachtsupport@coxcoltd.com www.coxcoltd.com

Berth and Mooring Buoy Reservations I Visa processing I Customs and Immigration Clearance I Yacht Concierge Services Custom Tours and Excursions I Provisioning I Bunkering I Spare Parts Support and Sourcing I Importation and Customs Brokerage Banking Transactions I Onward Liaison with Partners island wide

Place your orders by: Calling 758-457-2270 or via Email: csr.gl@massystores.com

Meats

Gourmet Section

Wine & Cheese

Home Goods

Fresh Produce

The Preferred Yacht Provisioner

Payment and pick up at the store within 24hrs Delivery to IGY Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay Marina on Orders over US$500 Orders after 4pm will be delivered the following day

Liquid Sky sun deck lounge at night

www.stlucia.org 31

DestinationSaint Lucia I Cruise

DestinationSaint Lucia I Cruise

A perfect way

to arrive When a cruise liner docks in Port Castries, you cannot fail to spot it

A perfect way of arriving in Saint Lucia is by cruise ship. Or at least that is what more than three quarters of a million people did in 2018, up from 669,217 in 2017 and 587,053 the year before. In fact, arriving by liner is the preferred method of the majority of Saint Lucia’s 1.2 million annual visitors.

This number has risen sharply since the opening of the Pointe Seraphine Berth One expansion in 2018 following 32 www.stlucia.org

an $18.8 million investment by the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, SLASPA. This means that the port is now suitable for Genesis and Oasis class vessels.

Shortly after the official opening the port was visited by Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, which has a passenger capacity of 5,000.

The expansion, which included the installation of three dolphins, means

that Port Castries can now accommodate up to five ships simultaneously, including liners up to 305 metres in length. Ships typically arrive between 6am and 10am and depart between 4pm and 6pm.

Other cruise ships that visited in 2019 include P&O Cruises’ 3,648passenger flagship Britannia, NCL’s 2,340 capacity Norwegian Dawn and Carnival’s 2,056 capacity Fascination. www.stlucia.org 33

DestinationSaint Lucia I Cruise

ALL ARE WELCOME 1-758-452-8350

info@stluciayachtclub.com www.stluciayachtclub.com

Some ships visit year round although the main season runs from November to June.

A feasibility study is currently underway to consider relocating freight activity away from the city centre to a new port.

This could allow more cruise lines to consider using Castries for homeporting, when itineraries start and finish in Saint Lucia. This could have the advantage of allowing cruise visitors to fly in to Hewanorra International Airport and then spend a few days on the island before heading off on a Caribbean cruise.

Shop‘till

you drop

Most cruise visitors take time to stop off at the Pointe Seraphine Duty Free Complex when they come ashore.

The centre offers range of dutyfree purchases for visitors.

Diamonds International (www.diamondsinternational. com) is the largest loose diamond and diamond jewellery duty free centre in the region and sells a first class selection of loose diamonds and mounted Crown of light, Hearts on Fire and Forevermark Diamonds (from 0.1ct to 10ct) in addition to sapphires, emeralds, rubies and Safi

This is what P&O already does with its 14-night Eastern Caribbean cruise which does a two-week loop on Britannia from Castries, taking in St Kitts, St Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Grenada and St Vincent.

Chair of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Travel Association (SLHTA), Karolin Troubetskoy, says, “The cruise industry plays an important part for Saint Lucia’s tourism industry and for many of our SLHTA members. With a growing number of cruise visitors arriving on island, there have been challenges when

it comes to over usage of various beaches and marine areas. As an industry, we want to assure that both our stay over visitors and cruise visitors have a memorable time when visiting the island so that great efforts are being made to identify and create locations along the west coast that would welcome and host cruise visitors especially, thereby reducing the number of cruise visitors in other areas that are already busy with stay over guests.”

For information visit www.slaspa.com

Kilima Tanzanite. The retailer also offers a wide selection of watches from Jaeger Le Coultre, Hublot, Bremont, Dior, TW Steel, Longines, Bulgari, Bulova and Movado.

Harry Edwards Jewelers (www.harryedwardsjewelers. com) is the official Rolex stockist in Saint Lucia and also offers brands such as Cartier, Breitling, Omega, Chopard and PANDORA. Other retailers include resort-wear shops Rainbow Trail and Crazy Al’s Beach Shack and The Rum Shop.

The complex is open Monday to Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm, Saturdays 9:00am – 2:00pm and Sundays 9:00am – 4:30pm (when there is a ship in port).

See www.pointeseraphine.lc for a full store directory.

www.stlucia.org 35

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hewanorra International Airport

Flying high Green light for project that will modernise Saint Lucia’s gateway

36 www.stlucia.org

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hewanorra International Airport Tourism plays a vitally important role for Saint Lucia and the country has bold plans to boost tourism in the coming years – a target of doubling the number of hotel rooms over the next three years for example.

Yet building new hotels is only part of the story – you need to get people to Saint Lucia in the first place.

The country’s key international gateway is Hewanorra International

Airport (airport code UVF), at the southern tip of the island in Vieux Fort.

The airport already welcomes some 700,000 passengers every year on a range of scheduled airlines: British Airways several times a week from Gatwick, American Airlines from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charlotte and Miami, JetBlue from Boston and New York, United from Chicago O’Hare and from Toronto, Air Canada, West Jet

and Sunwing fly regular services. There are also charter flights from the UK and Germany on TUI and Condor.

The airport is already able to handle a wide range of modern aircraft but it has been recognised for the best part of two decades that Hewanorra needs to be reimagined for the rest of the 21st century and it finally seems that this will happen.

A much-discussed plan to expand the

www.stlucia.org 37

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hewanorra International Airport

airport to offer modern facilties for a projected million passengers a year is now moving forward after a deal was reached to fund the expansion.

The US$175 million, 30-year project includes: • Construction of a new 337,000 square foot terminal building designed to handle up to a million passengers; • Construction of a new air traffic control tower (elevating over 100ft) • Construction of an additional parking apron with five passenger loading bridges and one hard-standing position • Resurfacing of the runway and taxiways • New road infrastructure and a better traffic management system.

Announcing the agreement to expand the airport Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said, “Among other vital 42 www.stlucia.org 38

considerations, the potential of Saint Lucia’s economic growth and development hinge fundamentally on an international airport. We are not going to bring old habits to a new village.

We have to completely modernize our services at the airport to meet with our largest industry.”

The new terminal will be built further from the runway than the existing terminal, allowing the upgrade work to go ahead without disrupting ongoing operations.

“The new infrastructure will enable us to meet the aspirations of the airport services quality rating ACI, allowing us to compete with confidence with industry players at both regional and international levels and meet the expectations of our airline partners and passengers,”

DestinationSaint Lucia I Hewanorra International Airport

says Gasper George, Senior Manager Business Development and Corporate Communications at the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA).

The airport upgrade is to be funded through a US$100 million loan guarantee from the Government of Saint Lucia, financed by the Republic of China on Taiwan, with the remaining US$75 million financed by SLAPA through a consortium of local banks. The finance will be paid for through an airport development charge.

In February 2019, SLASPA announced that CBRE | Heery would be the architect for the project.

The company has already carried out projects at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Miami International Airport and Luis Munoz

Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

SLASPA and CBRE | Heery have been working together for more than a decade on the previous planning and design stages of the HIA Project.

Fernando Gavarrete, Miami Office Managing Director for CBRE | Heery said of the announcement, “It is an absolute pleasure to be entrusted with delivering the new hub which will be the Hewanorra International Airport. We understand the unique aspects of this project and we are excited to continue our working relationship with the very knowledgeable staff of SLASPA during this important design and construction stage.”

The inspiration for the new terminal is Saint Lucia’s national tree, the calabash.

The main building will have support

columns that reflect the branches of the calabash tree, while the middle of the building will feature a live, miniature rainforest.

The new-look airport will have a light, airy feel with arrivals and departures will be on two different levels: the check-in hall will be fully air conditioned while departures will have more comfortable seating, charging stations and increased duty-free and food and beverage options.

The terminal will have a state-of-theart passport control and an expanded security facility, making journeys through the terminal much quicker than at present.

The redeveloped airport will also have improved private jet facilities.

In July 2019, SLASPA announced the signing of an agreement to set up

a Fixed Base Operation at the airport with IAM Jet Centre Group which also provides premium services to corporate aircraft in Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada and Tortola.

IAM Jet Centre chairman Paul Worrell said, “IAM Jet Centre Saint Lucia is very pleased to team up with SLASPA and the local tourism industry to create a remarkable experience for travellers arriving and departing. We are particularly pleased that our timing coincides with the commencement of works towards a new modern commercial terminal facility.

The two projects will take Saint Lucia tourism to a whole new level.”

The key parts of the expansion are expected to be delivered with in a time period of just 30 months.

To learn more visit www.hiaproject.com www.stlucia.org 39 43

DestinationSaint Lucia I Invest in Saint Lucia

DestinationSaint Lucia I Invest in Saint Lucia

Why the world is racing to invest

in Saint Lucia The Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club is just one of the many major investments in the country

Since the turn of the millennium, foreign investors have pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into Saint Lucia and the pipeline of funds for projects shows no sign of being turned off any time soon.

There are many reasons that investors choose Saint Lucia – a stable economy and supportive political climate, a strong history of protecting investments and an efficient regulatory environment are just a few of those.

Roderick Cherry heads up Invest Saint Lucia, the country’s official investment

promotion agency.

Cherry has more than 25 years’ experience in management and marketing, much of it in the telecoms industry, and is a former CEO of the Saint Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association (SLHTA) and the National Insurance Property Development & Management Company (NIPRO).

The big inward investment story is tourism, says Cherry.

“At the time I came from the SHLTA, there was a lot of buzz about expansion.

The Royalton was just opening. It is a

good story and it continues to be. We have 4,000 hotel rooms in Saint Lucia, and we have an ambitious plan of reaching 10,000 rooms in the next three to four years. It is ambitious but achievable,” he says.

To achieve this potential, Cherry says that the country needs to use the name of Saint Lucia as a holiday destination to “change the minds of investors that it is an investment opportunity as well”.

To make the most of this potential development, Saint Lucia must play its own part in developing supporting

Artist’s impression of the Pearl of the Caribbean project

To download a guide to doing business in Saint Lucia and to find out more about the investment opportunities, visit www.investstlucia.com

40 www.stlucia.org

Passport to the world

Saint Lucia has a strong track record in attracting investors who wish to gain citizenship of the country and this is managed by Saint Lucia’s Citizenship by Investment programme.

The reasons that people choose to become citizens of Saint Lucia are varied, from enjoying visa-free access to 145 countries to a quality of life that is rivaled by very few places in the world.

There are four different investment opportunities as part of the programme: the Saint Lucia National Economic Fund, investment in approved real estate projects, enterprise projects or through government bonds.

Applying via the National Economic Fund, set up specifically for the purposes of the programme, costs US$100,000 for an individual applicant up to US$190,000 for an infrastructure.

“The airport development is, to my mind, long overdue. To remain not just competitive and achieve what we need to achieve then we need a modern, international airport. If the experience at the airport is not a good one then our product will suffer. We are looking at that with SLASPA and it is all coming together nicely.”

Cherry also sees roads as a priority and says there are plans for a highway between the north and the south if the island.

It is not just tourism where he sees investment potential.

“There is also a lot of opportunity for manufacturing and even for agriculture but because of our size and the nature of those businesses they would have to be niche products.”

Invest Saint Lucia is making it easier for people to invest.

“Unlike a lot of other jurisdictions, you can have repatriation of profits. It is one of the things we promote - your monies can come in and go out pretty easily.”

He admits that there have been challenges for companies wanting to open bank accounts in Saint Lucia but thinks progress is being made.

“The banking sector faces some very serious challenges that has affected the general business climate. We as a country need to look at working within the CARICOM region on some of these issues. We have been partially

applicant with a spouse and two other qualifying dependants.

People interested in real estate with a minimum of US$300,000 to invest can take part in approved property developments, such as the Saint Lucia Canelles Resort.

The scheme also offers potential

investors with more than US$1 million to invest in projects such as highway infrastructure, marina projects and even speciality restaurants the opportunity to gain citizenship.

The application process typically takes three months. www.cipsaintlucia.com

Saint Lucia Canelles Resort, an approved investment for citizenship

successful in developing relationships with those financial institutions and are discussing the challenges at a high level.”

The economy cannot just survive on inward investment.

“Local investment is key,” says Cherry.

“There must be a pipeline of businesses that are starting out, are reaching medium size and then going on to become large-sized businesses. We have really put focus on development of small businesses.”

One of the initiatives that Cherry is working on is the Angel Fund. “There are lots of great ideas which do not qualify for financial assistance from our formal financial sector. We think we can put in some funding and assist those businesses.”

Invest Saint Lucia is also looking at a diaspora initiative, getting those who were born in Siant lucia and have moved overseas to invest in the home country.

“One of Saint Lucia’s greatest exports is people,” he says.

Invest Saint Lucia is also involved in a number of residential property developments, as the owner of a number of key land assets.

“One of the aims of Invest Saint Lucia is to increase land ownership. As a result of that we embarked on three residential developments, one in Beauchamp, one in Bois Jolie and one in Choiseul. We have started on two already and the last one will be starting soon.”

The organisation is also developing a mixed use, residential/commercial project at Anse de Sables in Vieux Fort.

Cherry says, “For these properties, we are looking at some villas and some high-end residences and we will be targeting local as well as regional and foreign investors to take part in that development.”

Invest Saint Lucia is heavily involved in one of the biggest projects in the region - the Pearl of the Caribbean development in association with DSH Caribbean Star Desert Star Holdings, the development company owned by China Horse Club Chairman Teo Ah Khing.

The US$2.6 billion project will include a marina, resort, shopping mall, casino, residential properties, entertainment and leisure facilities close to Beausejour, Vieux Fort near to the island’s international airport. The jewel in the crown is a racetrack known as the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club.

“The Pearl of the Caribbean is a very exciting project and because of its size and the long-term nature of that development, we are very careful as to how we go about it,” says Cherry. “I am pleased to say that from our information the horse racing track is ready and the first race will take in December.”

The race, known as the Pitons Cup, will have a prize of $150,000 and will be run on Saint Lucia’s National Day on 13 December.

www.stlucia.org 41

DestinationSaint Lucia I Invest in Saint Lucia

It’s a house in a plantation and it’s pink!

DestinationSaint Lucia I Michelle Elliot

Michelle Elliot

and the Pink Plantation House The Saint Lucia born artist has created a hilltop retreat for art lovers, long lunchers and couples wanting to tie the knot

On the veranda at Pink Platation House

Lunch is as colourful as the tableware

42 www.stlucia.org

Elliot’s art is inspired by her childhood in Saint Lucia

Take the road called Chef Harry Drive up to the top of the Morne hill above Castries and you soon begin to think that you may have made an error – the road is steep and windy and you are often met by someone driving down at speed in the other direction.

Yet the people on this road know a little secret – at the top you will find the Pink Plantation House.

After the craziness of Castries, you are ushered through the gate into a slice of paradise, a French plantation house that has been transformed from a derelict husk into a restaurant, inn and art studio.

The Pink Plantation House is, as you would expect, pink – very, very pink.

Yet the colour seems an inspired choice against the colours of the surrounding gardens and the brightly coloured artworks within.

Most of those people who brave the windy road up come here for a long lunch on the veranda, with partners, family or friends.

There are a handful of tables, covered with leafy tablecloths and set with fresh flowers and water jugs. Small, brave birds hop onto the chairbacks in the hope of grabbing one of the sugar lumps from the bowl.

Up here on the hilltop, you can see down to busy Castries, which seems a million miles away up here in the tranquil gardens.

The food is fresh and light. You might start with a salad of avocado, crisp leaves and salt fish or crab smoked with garlic and herb sauce and follow up with huge chargrilled shrimps with coconut curry sauce or pork tenderloin in creole sauce.

In the garden, you may spot an attractive, slim women with scraped back dark hair tending to the bright lobster claw flowers. This is Michelle Elliot, one of the two sisters who run

Pink Plantation House and the artist behind much of what you see when you eat or stay here.

Elliott, was born in Vigie into a family of restaurateurs (they run the popular Coal Pot restaurant) and seafarers; her dad skippered the Brig Unicorn (see page 53) until it sank a couple of years ago. Her childhood was spent diving and running around barefoot picking fresh guavas and mangoes, The house is filled with ceramics and silk screen prints, all designed and made

by Elliott, who is self-taught. Her work draws parallels with the work of Australian artist Ken Done but is inspired by the flora and fauna of Saint Lucia and her carefree childhood spent by the sea.

A more recent development is the addition of three rooms at the house and the venue is becoming increasingly popular for weddings.

For more information visit Michelle at www.facebook.com/The-PinkPlantation-House-1549657938653268/

Michelle Elliot at Pink Plantation House

www.stlucia.org 43

DestinationSaint Lucia I I’ll drink to that

DestinationSaint Lucia I I’ll drink to that

I’ll drink tothat When you are working on Lucian Time, you often end up having an hour or so to fill while waiting for a friend to arrive or a meeting to start.

To fill the time, you could do worse than fill the minutes with a beer or cocktail

So what do you drink when you are in Saint Lucia?

Rum is everywhere here, as you would expect from a country that was so involved with the sugar trade.

Every bar will include their own version of rum punch and a variety of fruit daiquiris. Most bars will also have their own homemade spiced rum, laced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, anything really to give it a bit of a kick.

Then there is the ubiquitous Piton beer or locally brewed Heineken. The Windward and Leeward Brewery also brews up its own local version of Guinness but this Foreign Extra, at 7.5%, will come as a surprise to those more used to the Dublin variety.

There are swanky bars in the resorts favoured by the honeymooning crowd but one of the best ways to meet locals and enjoy the authentic experience of Saint Lucia is to drop into one of the country’s traditional roadside bars.

You will easily recognise them; sometimes they are little more than wooden shacks but they are as highly colourful as their owners and you will find a warm welcome, a cold Piton and an experience that you will not forget in a hurry.

Typical of the genre is Irie Bar just by the beach on Church Street in Gros

Islet. Its bamboo frontage, red, yellow and green décor and loud music make it unlikely that you will miss it. Running the show are Fransis and her son Andy and its worth writing off a few hours sinking chilled beers and finishing it all off with some homemade spiced rum. If you’re peckish, Fransis will cook up some mahi-mahi or other local fresh fish.

At the southern end of Reduit Beach, accessible via small road off Rodney Bay’s main strip, you come across Marie’s Fish Shack.

The shack has an enviable location on the beach looking out towards Pigeon Island. The eponymous Marie will be here but it is her daughters who will be running around getting you your drink.

On our visit, she was busy braiding one of her daughter’s hair but was keeping a close eye on proceedings.

At the other end of the beach, close to the entrance to Pigeon Island you will find the Thirsty Parrot – a beach bar with wooden tables and million-dollar views.

The mango daquiris are spectacular in taste and industrial in strength.

It is a friendly place. On one visit, we rocked up just as the bar was closing.

They served us and just let us drink our cocktails in the bar even though they were heading off.

Marie’s Fish Shack on Reduit Beach

44 www.stlucia.org

Saint Lucia’s

National Beer It is hard to imagine sitting on the water’s edge in Saint Lucia at sunset without a Piton in hand. Although Saint Lucia’s most famous beer now seems part of the fabric of the country’s society it is a relative newcomer to the country – it was officially launched in October 1992. No matter.

Piton – with its distinctive label showing Saint Lucia’s most famous natural landmarks – has won the hearts of locals and visitors alike and it now represents more than half the beer consumed in the country.

La bière Sent Lisi, as it is known in the local Kwéyòl, has a summery, golden appearance and a taste of sweetness, citrus and hops with a hint of malt and was officially launched in 1992 by the Windward and Leeward Brewery Ltd (WLBL).

The brewery, owned by the worldfamous Heineken Group, has a longer history and was set up in 1975 to take advantage of a welcoming government and Saint Lucia’s crystal clear water, an essential ingredient. In 2016, the company merged with Du Boulay’s Bottling Company to become the country’s leading beverage manufacturer, producing not only Piton but also moreinternational brands such as Heineken beer, Guinness, Coca Cola, Sprite and Minute Maid.

In 2019, Piton won its third consecutive gold award for quality from the Monde Selection International Quality Institute.

“Winning the Gold Quality Award now gives our national beer a voice to speak to nations about the quality of our workers, quality of our standards and the overall quality of our products here on the tiny island of Saint Lucia,” said WLBL mainstream brand manager Sylvester Henry.

Getting away from your Roots

If you head down towards Marigot Bay on Waterfront Road at dusk, you are suddenly come across one of the most spectacular views on the island. Your gaze is drawn naturally past the palm trees, to the forested headland of Marigot Point, down past the yachts towards the sun which sets into the Caribbean Sea. It would be the perfect place to drink a rum cocktail or a cold bar over a sunset.

As luck would have it, there is one of Saint Lucia’s best roadside bars here just for that purpose.

Roots 2 bar, a second outpost of the bar of the same name on Marigot Beach, is perched on the hilltop here and it is hard to miss with its fluttering flags and rastafarian striped terrace.

What may be surprising is the person who greets you as you walk in. Sue Beckwith hails from Tunbridge Wells and has a bit of a Shirley Valentine story behind her reason for being there.

“I bought the place with my exhusband without even seeing it. He came out and didn’t like it and we ended up separating,” says Sue. She then met local boy Peter Wilfred, better known as Fluffy, in his Roots bar on Marigot beach and ended up getting together and were married in Castries in 2011. The couple then built Roots 2, the bar with the best view in the area.

Its eye-catching design and perfect setting caught the eye of TV location scouts and it features in Netflix’s Restaurants On The Edge series.

It’s not just cold beers they serve here

– the food is worth a visit too.

The fish is as fresh as it could possibly be. “We get it from John with One Eye, a local fishermen. He swaps the fish for a few rums,” says Sue with a laugh.

John’s fish is coupled with husband Peter’s Roots sauce – a special blend of garlic, onion, tomato, thyme, clove, celery and parsley. Expect to pay around EC$45 (£13) for today’s catch; wash it down with a EC$5 Piton.

“Peter’s mum taught him to cook. She had 15 children but only three survived,” says Sue. “He left school at 9 and had to get a job to support the family.”

Despite the harsh beginnings, Fluffy has flourished and the world now benefits from his famous molasses chicken.

View from Roots 2, one of the most spectacular on the island

Roots 2 bar on the road to Marigot Bay

www.stlucia.org 45

DestinationSaint Lucia I Instagarammable

DestinationSaint Lucia I Instagarammable

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP ROW FROM LEFT Ladera Resort is the perfect spot for a selfie kiss. Photo: Kaitlin Sparkman Swing out over the calm waters of Rodney Bay at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian resort.

Photo: Krista Baciu Soufrière.

Photo: Audie Alexander, shuttergk.com MIDDLE ROW FROM LEFT Picture yourself here on the edge of Jade Mountain’s cascading pools.

Photo: Brian, WhereintheworldisB Is Sugar Beach resort’s yoga platform the ultimate place to unwind?

Photo: Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort BOTTOM ROW AND MAIN PHOTO Caille Blanc, Soufrière. Photo: Benjamin Arnulf THIS PAGE LEFT: Get back to nature at Diamond Falls in Soufrière. Photo: Alex Marshall RIGHT: Magical Marigot Bay at sunset.

Photo: Caille Blanc, Soufrière, Benjamin Arnulf

That’ll look good

on my Insta If you want your feed to be the envy of your friends, head to these Instagrammable spots in Saint Lucia

More than a billion people now use the photo and video sharing platform Instagram at least once a month and many of them are being influenced to travel as a result of what they see 46 www.stlucia.org

posted there. Half of the people aged 16 to 65 in a recent survey said that they had been influenced to book a holiday based on seeing Instagram posts of a

destination. A large proportion even say their choice of holiday destination has been driven solely by how good it will look in their Instagram feed.

www.stlucia.org 47

DestinationSaint Lucia I Super Natural

DestinationSaint Lucia I Super Natural

Super natural

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia is made of the stuff that nature-lovers dream of.

The heart of the island is covered in pristine rainforest that is home to thousands of species, many of them only found on Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia has five endemic species of bird – the Saint Lucia parrot, the blue and yellow St Lucia Warbler, the striking Saint Lucia Oriole, the Lesser Antillean bullfinch and the delightfully named Grey trembler.

The Saint Lucia parrot has vibrant green, red and blue plumage is one of the most striking of the parrot family and is known locally as the jacquot. Saint Lucia’s national bird was once found all across the country but now is found only in the country’s central mountain rainforest. Visitors are lucky to still see it there. The bird’s range has been severely curtailed by habitat loss.

In 1975, it was believed that the population of Saint Lucia parrots numbered fewer than 100 and famous naturalist Gerald Durrell’s wildlife trust was asked to get involved. The trust set up a captive breeding programme at its zoo in Jersey. In 1989, the then prime Saint Lucia’s national bird.

Photo: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

48 www.stlucia.org

minister of Saint Lucia returned to the country with a pair of breeding parrots and the numbers of jacquots has recovered to perhaps as many as 500.

Despite the increasing numbers, Saint Lucia’s national bird is still considered vulnerable.

Hummingbirds are a common sight across the island and many visitors to the country’s luxury resorts will spot them in the early mornings and evenings in their extensive gardens. Many birding visitors head for the 600-acre estate at the Anse Chastanet resort. For more information, visit birdsofsaintlucia.com.

Saint Lucia’s scariest inhabitants are perhaps its snakes: the Saint Lucia Viper, the Saint Lucia Boa, the Saint Lucia Racer and the Saint Lucia Thread Snake. The Saint Lucia Viper, or Fer De Lance, is the only poisonous snake on the island.

Rarer still are Saint Lucia Racers. It is

believed that there are perhaps fewer than 20 alive today and all of these live on Maria Major, part of the Maria Islands Nature Reserve, off the south-eastern coast. On the mainland, their population has been eliminated by mongoose and other alien species.

The Maria Islands Nature Reserve, established in 1982, is also home to the Saint Lucia whiptail lizard.

The lizard is greenish brown with bluegrey markings with yellow highlights, a little reminiscent of the Saint Lucia flag.

The whiptail population is estimated to number less than a thousand although in 1995 a small number were translocated to Praslin Island off the east coast in an effort to grow the population. The whiptail remains critically endangered.

The islands are also a major nesting site for migratory birds from Africa which makes the islands off limits between May and August but there are

Sulphur

so good

You don’t have to travel far to see evidence of Saint Lucia’s volcanic origins. The island was formed from volcanic activity at the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. The country’s most famous landmarks – Gros and Petit Piton – are plugs created by magma solidifying in the vent of an active volcano.

The Pitons themselves were formed some 250,000 years ago and are long dormant but volcanic activity is very visible nearby. The town that lies in the shadow of the Pitons - Soufrière – translates as sulphur mine. knowledgeable guides who can take you across by fishing boat outside these times.

Another shy and retiring resident of Saint Lucia is the red-rumped agouti, a member of the rodent family and with a family resemblance to guinea pigs.

The iguanas which gave Saint Lucia its former name of Hewanorra are still to be found across the island, but particularly on the north east coast Many visitors to the country take in one of the nature trails or hikes.

The Tet Paul Nature Trail is one of Saint Lucia’s most popular nature walks. The trail, close to Soufrière, is

Mining “Devil’s gold” as sulphur is known was a way of life here for many years but most who come here now are tourists.

The most obvious sign of volcanic activity today is the attraction known as Sulphur Springs, which is marketed as the “world’s only drive-in volcano”.

The site sits in the middle of the Qualibou caldera left over from volcanic activity between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago.

Thrillseekers might be disappointed to discover you don’t drive down inside a dome over molten lava.

Instead you can drive right up to bubbling pools of mud and steaming fumaroles and see and smell the colourful sulphurous deposits dotted around.

The most popular attraction here are the mud baths where most visitors take the inevitable mudpack photo of themselves.

The mud is also supposed to be good for healing sunburn and helping eczema, arthritis and sore joints.

For more information on the springs, visit www.sulphurspringsstlucia.com

an easy 45-minute hike and you’ll spot striking crab and lobster-claw flowers, slow-growing pineapples, mango trees and ginger lilies. The main reason to come here, though, is the spectacular views the trail affords of the Pitons.

The Des Cartier trail, in Saint Lucia’s centre, is a harder hike, requiring sturdy footwear and taking around two hours, but you will see much birdlife, including the Saint Lucia parrot. This is also a regular sight for visits to the Millet Bird Sanctuary, just off the main west coast highway As well as the island’s fauna, Saint Lucia has many naturally beautiful spots.

The mountainous interior and rainfall over the wet season makes it a perfect place to find waterfalls.

One of the most popular is Diamond Waterfalls. The waterfall sits within botanical gardens that form part of the 2,000-acre Soufrière Estate that was granted to the Devaux family by King Louis XIV. The gardens and falls were opened up to the public in the Eighties.

The 17 metre high falls are fed by the Diamond River and the nearby Sulfur Springs and are laced with minerals.

It is these remnants of volcanism that give the falls their colourful appearance.

LaTille falls, in the south near Micoud,

The rare Saint Lucia Racer.

Photo: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

www.stlucia.org 49

DestinationSaint Lucia I Super Natural

Come for the Marina, Stay for the Experience.

Tucked on the shores of Rodney Bay in St. Lucia, The Landings Resort and Spa exudes luxury and timeless elegance.

Exquisite villas overlook the resort’s luxury yacht marina or the Caribbean’s turquoise waters. Days unfold as guests move effortlessly from island sightseeing to savoring exceptional cuisine to sunsets on the beach, Champagne in hand. The Landings is luxury island living at its finest.

US: 1888 996 9948 | UK: 0800 917 3534 www.eleganthotels.com

St. Lucia

EHG102_ZingPrintAd_Umbrella_mech_03.indd 1

Pigeon Island National Landmark, a genuine Saint Lucian treasure.

9/24/19 6:54 PM

cascades six metres down into a deep pool where you can go swimming.

Access to the falls is via a short hike through an organic fruit, herbal and flower garden. The owner, John Selie, is an experienced agriculturalist and environmentalist, and talks knowledgeably about the site.

Sault Falls, near Dennery on Saint Lucia’s east coast, are some of the highest in the country at around 20 metres high.

Saint Lucia’s volcanic origins are evident in some of its most stunning natural wonders, such as the volcanic plus of the Piton mountains near Soufrière and the country’s highest peak, Mount Gimie. Both offer more strenuous hikes than the nature trails mentioned above, with Mount Gimie taking five hours and plenty of energy.

No Caribbean island would be complete without spectacular beaches and Saint Lucia has an abundance of them. Anse Chastanet and Sugar Beach (formerly Jalouise Beach) are idyllic spots but visitors not staying in the hotels may wish to choose somewhere else to avoid paying visitor fees or umbrella rental. For something less commercial, try Anse Mamin, just a short distance away from Anse Chastanet. It is secluded, with plenty of shade and crystal clear water.

In the north, Reduit Beach is a great spot to enjoy the sea and watch the sun go down over Pigeon Point.

Whether you enjoy the wildlife or the geological treasures, Saint Lucia is super natural.

Beach

Wildlife

Mountain

Birdlife

Waterfall

Discover the magic of Pigeon Island. Open daily from 8.30am.

18th century military ruins, sandy beaches, hiking trails, knowledgeable guides.

Two restaurants, jetty for dinghies, showers and rest room facilities.

Bring your snorkel gear, camera, hiking shoes and sense of wonder.

Entrance: US$10 (12 years and older), US$3 (less than 12 years).

Free to children younger than 5 years. Seven-day passes available for US$50.

Icons by Freepik from Flaticon

Saint Lucia National Trust Email: info@slunatrust.org Tel: +1 (738) 452 5005 or 453 1495 www.slunatrust.org www.stlucia.org 51

DestinationSaint Lucia I On the silver screen

Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre

Telephone: 758-450-SWIM (7946)

www.rhacstlucia.com

Rodn e prog y Heights ra Aqua Learn mmes: tic C entre to Sw im Paren t Child - Tot class re e Adult n lessons s lesso Fitnes n s s Lap L Programs a Team ne rentals S After wim renta Scho ls ol sw Comp im e Swim titive swim programm ming es progr C Free amm Weigh amps es ts g Studio progr ym such ammes as Ka rate a nd So caFit

Aircraft support Services include: n Maintenance n Inspections n Brokerage n Storage n Lav service n Towing n Recovery n Parts n Ground Handling n Corporate jet towing and parking

Equipment type: n n n n n

B: 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767 MD80 series, DC8, DC9, DC10 Piper, single and twin Beech twins/PT6 Cessna; Piston singles and most twins, Caravan.

Available 24/7 at 1 758 724 9711 (WhatsApp) Contact Charles Pinnock Email charles.pinnock@gmail.com PO Box GM 1060, Castries, St Lucia TLPC & TLPL airport’s and tri-island area - will travel FAA A&P with Inspection Authorization (IA)

Saint Lucia

on the silver screen Saint Lucia has acted as the stunning backdrop to many movies over the years

Like many of the islands in the West Indies, Saint Lucia popped up in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

When Captain Jack Sparrow arrives in Port Royal aboard his fast-sinking ship, he passes skeletons hanging from a natural arch with the sign “Pirates ye be warned”. The scene was filmed at Lady’s Slipper Arch, a natural rock bridge close to Marigot Bay. The brig Unicorn, which was based in Saint Lucia, was also featured in the film as the ships Henrietta and Terrasaw including a scene in which Johnny Depp walks the plank. The Unicorn used to take movie lovers on sunset cruises and treasure hunts until it sank to a watery grave on a 2014 trip to Saint Vincent for repairs. The boat also featured in 1970s television series Roots and as a slave ship in Muppet’s Treasure Island. As a result, the only way to see the Unicorn these days is to pay a visit to Davy

Jones’ Locker as a scuba diver.

Older visitors to Saint Lucia’s Marigot Bay might start reminiscing for their childhood. The bay was the location for several of the scenes from 1967’s Doctor Dolittle. The movie, featuring Rex Harrison, followed the adventures of a vet who could “talk to the animals”.

In the film, he visits Sea-star Island in search of a legendary giant pink snail.

Sea-star Island is none other than the sandy beach of Marigot Bay. Today, you can take a free water taxi a couple of minutes across from the Marigot Bay Marina and Resort. The use of the beach as a filming location for the movie is recognised in the name of DOOlittle’s Restaurant and Bar here, part of the Marigot Beach Club (marigotbeachclub. com), a great place to sink a few sundowners.

Christopher Reeves’ Superman also paid a visit to the country. In

Superman II, he takes Lois Lane to his Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic and then flies halfway around the planet to get things for dinner. He stops off near the Pitons to pick some flowers for her.

The largely forgotten 1985 film Water was largely filmed in Saint Lucia.

On the face of it, the film had everything going for it. It was written by successful screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, famous for Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and the cast included Michael Caine, Leonard Rossiter and Billy Connolly. The film even included a concert scene with George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton.

The country is open to helping film producers wanting to shoot in the country and have supported a number of productions to come to Saint Lucia.

There are also moves to establish a film commission in the country.

Captain Jack Sparrow arrives in Port Royal.

Photo: Disney

For further information on St Lucia Channel Swim Event 2020 contact us today at... aluchannelswim@gmail.com 758-584-7578 FB @sluchannelswim IG @sluchannelswim

Destination Saint Lucia 49 www.stlucia.org 53

DestinationSaint Lucia I Swim

SWIM

Saint Lucia The Saint Lucia Channel has long held a fascination for swimmers

People on Saint Lucia often refer to the island of Martinique as France – after all it is an overseas department of its mother country across the Atlantic.

From Saint Lucia’s northern viewpoints, Martinique looks close enough to touch. And in the same way that the English Channel has long held a fascination for elite swimmers, so has the Saint Lucia Channel between the two Caribbean islands.

In July 2018, this dream became reality when Sue Dyson launched the first ever Saint Lucia Channel Swim.

Launching the event, Sue said, “Our goal is to bring open water swimming to Saint Lucia as well as to bring another avenue for channel swimming, marathon swimming and long distance swimming to our region and the Caribbean.”

The event is facilitated by open water swimming expert Philip Rush, who holds the records for the fastest two and threeway swims of the English Channel (28 hours and 21 minutes for the three-way).

The Saint Lucia Channel Swim is a swim crossing of 34 km of generally

warm and beautiful open ocean with gorgeous landscapes ahead and behind of the high volcanic islands of Saint Lucia and Martinique.

“This has created a stir in the marathon and channel swimming communities,” says Dyson.

The Swim incorporates Open Water Clinics, Open Water Races as well as the race from Saint Lucia to Martinique.

“The various programmes are incorporated to get local as well as regional participants an alternate avenue to learn more and test their skills,” says Dyson. “On the premise of encouraging individuals to respect the sea, but not fear it, the event allows for avenues of development within the local community as well. Safety and security are a major focus regarding all of the programmes so the organisation has put together training sessions for local participants as Independent Observers and Pilot Captains. These training sessions dive deeper into what open water and marathon swimming is all about as well as the skills necessary for each position.”

Molly Nance, the first woman to swim the channel between Saint Lucia and Martinique in early 2018 and who took part in the 2018 Channel Swim says, “ The Saint Lucia channel is an incredible challenge for any swimmer with wind, waves, seaweed and possible wildlife.

It’s also one of the most beautiful swims in the world with clear, turquois water.

The people of Saint Lucia are incredibly friendly and helpful. You may just decide to stay.”

Ultra-swimmer Kevin Pollman, who took part in the 2019 Swim, says, “Swimming the Saint Lucia channel was an incredible challenge, both physically and mentally. The entire experience was incredible and well worth it! I had a rough idea of what the conditions might be like, but you never know what you’ll get on any given day. The weather cooperated on race day, so the rest of the challenge would be decided by the swimmers. We touched Martinique after almost thirteen hours of swimming in wind and swell - just as advertised. I will cherish the memory of my time spent in Saint Lucia!”

Race around the buoys

Saint Lucia Channel Swim 2020 The 2020 event runs from 3rd to 5th July 2020.

The individual events are as follows: 3rd July - The BRR – a swim from Smugglers Cove to Bird Rock and back 4th July – 1K, 3K and 5K swimming races at Saint Lucia Yacht Club 5th July – Channel Swim (Smugglers Cove, Saint Lucia to Grande Terre, Martinique) The event will also include open water clinics from Phil Rush.

For information and to register, search Saint Lucia Channel Swim in Facebook or email sluchannelswim@gmail.com

www.stlucia.org 55

DestinationSaint Lucia I History

DestinationSaint Lucia I History

Land of

Best of the bunch

The Iguanas Saint Lucia was known historically for its reptiles but it has been fought over constantly for the past two millennia

Saint Lucia and its neighbouring islands in the Lesser Antilles were formed through the process of volcanism – you can see the evidence of this at Sulphur Springs on the island today. Saint Lucia and its neighbours lie on the boundary of two tectonic plates – the North American plate is sinking beneath the Caribbean Plate. The magma has risen to the surface, creating these distinctive islands.

This explains the mountainous interior of the island and the instantly recognisable shape of the island’s best known attractions, the Pitons, two enormous volcanic plugs that have long been inactive.

The first known inhabitants of Saint Lucia are the Arawak people who called it Ioüanalao or place of the iguanas.

Evidence of the Arawaks can be found at Grande Anse on the east coast and at Place of the iguanas.

Photo: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

56 www.stlucia.org

Anse Noir in the south and through rock carvings found near the Balembouche River.

By around 800AD, the Arawaks had been supplanted by the Caribs, who had their origins in South America. The Caribs, known as fierce warriors, conquered much of the Caribbean, lending the region its name. It stayed that way for much of the next seven centuries.

The Caribs called the island Hewanorra – also a tribute to the country’s many lizards. The Carib name for the island lives on through the country’s international airport which still holds this name.

Like many Caribbean islands, Hewanorra was fought over by the colonising powers of Europe. Christopher Columbus” fourth and final voyage in 1502 certainly passed by the island but

it is unclear whether he made landfall, although he did in neighbouring Martinique. Whether he did or not, it was certainly claimed to be a Spanish possession within ten years; a royal decree of 1511 claims the island for Spain.

Claiming an island and controlling it are two different things. Over the next 150 years, the Spanish, French and English all aimed to take control of the island.

It is from this period that the name by which the country is known today emerged: a group of French sailors are said to have landed here one 13th December, the feast day of the 3rd century martyr Lucia of Syracuse.

It was not until 1660 that the Caribs signed a peace treaty with the French.

This French heritage is clear from many of the place names in the country – Gros

Islet, Mon Repos and Vieux Fort, for example.

This did not stop others from wanting to take control and over the next century and a half the island changed hands between the French and English 14 times.

Both the French and English recognised the value of Saint Lucia for its sugar plantations and the population was swelled by the arrival of slaves from Africa. In the half a century after 1730, the population grew from just 463 to more than 19,000.

The 1814 Treaty of Paris saw the country ceded to the British who proclaimed the island a Crown colony.

Two decades later, it became part of Britain’s Windward Islands administration.

The 20th century marked a period of

growing autonomy from the British. It gained a representative government in 1924 and joined the semi-autonomous but short-lived West Indies Federation in 1958. The country began looking after it own domestic affairs in 1967.

On 22 February 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence from Britain with the Hon. John George Melvin Compton becoming the first Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Sir Allen Lewis as the first Governor General.

As a member of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II remained the country’s head of state.

2019 marked the 40th anniversary of independence.

For more on Saint Lucia’s history, see www.britannica.com/place/Saint-Lucia

Bunches of ripening bananas are a common sight as you drive around Saint Lucia and have been ever since the 1950s when the Caribbean sugar industry collapsed and what locals call the “green fig” became a staple crop here.

In 2017, Saint Lucia exported 20,000 tonnes of bananas and the industry employs about 10,000 people. The largest export market is and always has been the United Kingdom.

Yet the market is not as ripe as it once was. In the industry’s 1990s heyday, Saint Lucia produced 132,000 tons of bananas for export.

The main reason for the decline was a change to trade rules in the 1990s.

Prior to this, the European Union had favoured producers from former colonies, including Saint Lucia. Yet a challenge from the United States changed all that. Traditional farmers in Saint Lucia now have to compete to sell their bananas in Europe alongside Latin American producers who tend to operate more large-scale commercial operations than their Caribbean counterparts.

The problems facing the industry do not stop there. The 2018 tropical storm Kirk is said to have damaged up to 80 percent of the island’s crop. The industry can recover. Hurricanes Dean and Tomas had devastated the country’s banana farms a decade before and they had recovered.

The UK remains an important market thanks to its appetite for Fairtrade products. Some 95% of Saint Lucia’s main producer Winfresh’s production is Fairtrade.

Yet the nation’s famers may need to diversify. A new three-year project aims to increase local production of seven key crops that are currently imported at the cost of $7 million. This import substitution agricultural programme is looking at growing cucumbers, lettuce, sweet peppers, cabbages, watermelons, pineapples and cantaloupes locally.

Although this diversification may be necessary, the thought that the country could ever stop growing bananas is unthinkable. After all, bananas are a key ingredient in its national dish of green fig and saltfish.

www.stlucia.org 57

DestinationSaint Lucia I Weekend

Thank God

it’s Friday As the week ends, locals and visitors just want to party and take to Saint Lucia’s streets

DestinationSaint Lucia I Weekend Crowds at Anse La Raye’s Fish Fry. Photo: WCC/Clare Pengelly

Try Jump Up’s street food for an authentic taste of Saint Lucia

Most places in the Caribbean have a carnival once a year. In Saint Lucia, it’s a carnival atmosphere every Friday night.

The main attraction is the Friday night Jump Up in Gros Islet, just a short walk or taxi ride from Rodney Bay. It is well named. You hear it before you see it.

Reggae and soca blasts out from vast speaker stacks and people sing and laugh in the streets, jumping up to dance by themselves or with complete strangers.

The streets are lined with stalls heaving with bottles of spirits, with a large bottle of spiced rum usually at the centre of it all. Each bar owner has their own favoured concoction.

There is plenty of street food to try too – lots of zingy jerk chicken, barbecue ribs and spicy roti.

The action centres round the inter-

Still great after all these years

section between Dauphin Street and Marie Therese Street where the speakers and the DJ booth is set up. You will see tourists and locals alike involved in impromptu dance-offs. It is all pretty good natured although the local police are on hand to make sure things don’t get out of control.

Many tourists go earlier in the evening, from around 8pm, and the atmosphere certainly changes after midnight but you don’t get much more authentic than this.

If you like authentic but want a quieter experience, head down the coast to the fishing town of Anse La Raye.

Here, on Friday nights the town comes alive for its weekly Fish Fry when whatever the town’s fishermen have caught that morning is charcoal grilled for residents and visitors alike.

Below: A copper still at The Roseau Distillery Left: Chairman’s reserve, finest Saint Lucia Rum

Sugar growing started in Saint Lucia in the 18th century and for the next two centuries, it was the main export.

And wherever sugar is grown, rum quickly follows.

The traditional process for making rum is deceptively simple. You squash sugar cane for its juice which is then fermented with yeast and distilled to get the raw spirit. This is then matured for a few years in oak casks. A fraction of the rum evaporates – known as the angel’s share – while the remainder takes its flavour from the charred interior of the casks.

With sugar cane production less important now, most distilleries start with molasses instead of raw sugar cane but the process is still pretty much the same as it was two centuries ago.

Today, Saint Lucia Distillers are still making rum at their distillery in the Roseau valley, just south of Marigot Bay. It makes around 4,000 litres a day, the vast majority of which is enjoyed during the island’s carnival.

In recent years, the company has won many awards for its Forgotten Casks rum. The story goes that in 2007, a fire devastated the distillery and the company had to find new places to store its casks. Some were overlooked and found only recently. When the distillers tried the rum inside, it was found to be sensational. Whether the story is apocryphal or not, the rum is delicious.

The distillery runs tasting tours and you should try some of the various rum-based liqueurs on your visit. The distillery’s 160 proof Denros rum is not for the faint-hearted – sipping it transports you to the dentist’s chair and your lips become anaesthetised.

More information www.saintluciarums.com

58 www.stlucia.org

www.stlucia.org 59

DestinationSaint Lucia I Music

DestinationSaint Lucia I Music

From steel pan to soca:

The Sounds of Saint Lucia

No matter what your musical taste, you will find something to get you singing and dancing in Saint Lucia Music is everywhere in Saint Lucia.

Soca music blares from speaker stacks at island parties. The unmistakeable ring of steelpan rises up from open sheds as bands rehearse for their carnival appearance. Bar-goers sink beers as they chill out to reggae in the island’s bars. Or you might just hear Tammy Wynette baring her soul on your taxi driver’s radio.

What...what was that?

Musical tastes are eclectic in Saint Lucia and, yes, they even extend to country and western.

Soca music emerged in the 1970s and has since become one of the most popular musical genres in Saint Lucia.

Tracks like Who Let The Dogs Out by the Baha Men and Turn Me On by Kevin Lyttle have since brought soca to international attention and it remains hugely popular on the island.

One of the most popular names in soca today is Teddyson John (www. teddysonjohn.com). TJ, as he is usually known, is a vocalist, drummer, keyboardist and percussionist who hails from the Saint Lucian Capital Castries.

He learned music in church in his youth but switched from gospel and R & B to soca in 2007.

In 2016, TJ was named Best Calypso/ Soca Entertainer at the International Reggae and World Music Awards and

released the infectious soca track Allez.

In 2017 was also conferred the MBE for his services to music.

In the 2019 International Soca Monarch competition in Trinidad and Tobago, TJ came second in the Groovy category. He headlined the U7 concert on Pigeon Island in July 2019.

Another soca artist you will hear on almost constant replay on local radio is 26-year-old Ricky T who popularises the bouyon soca sub-genre, which blends 1990s bouyon music with soca.

Ricky T is famous for his rallying cry “Wham to Dem!” from his 2007 hit Pressure Boom. The artist won the Saint Lucia Power Soca Monarch title in 2019, adding to more than 20 soca titles over the years.

St Lucia’s Dennery Segment, though not a new phenomenon, achieved maximum exposure thanks to soca king Machel Montano’s song “Showtime”, on the Pim Pim Riddim. At 147 beats per minute, the song’s driving drum kicks, heavy bass, and flutes - which gave it a frenetic sound, similar to Jab Jab music - combined to send soca lovers into a frenzy, as Machel commanded them to “bend over, bend over, bend over, showtime!” For more information visit www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-155/ dennery-style#axzz647wKty3V Country and western has a

Practice makes perfect: The Pantime Steel Orchestra rehearse their infectious sound

60 www.stlucia.org

Where jazz lovers meet The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival was founded in 1991 by jazz pioneer Luther Francois.

François was born into a musical family in 1952 and by the time he was a teenager, he could play a range of instruments, from violin to piano.

In its early days there were just four locations but it has now expanded island-wide with the main venues at Gros Islet Park – where you will find the event headliners - Rodney Bay, Soufrière and the Balenbouche Estate. If you are on the hunt for the freshest new sounds in jazz head for Derek Walcott Square where you can find up-and-coming acts.

The 2019 event was the first to be held in collaboration with New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center and featured artists such as Grammy Award-winning vocalist Gregory Porter and The Baylor Project who took part in a first Gospel-inspired inspirational Jazz Brunch.

The 2020 event runs from 1 to 10th May 2020. More details from www.eventssaintlucia.com

Saint Lucian soca star Ricky T

surprisingly strong following in Saint Lucia.

Some argue that Lucians got bitten by the country and western big after the Second World War, when the US had airforce bases here; others say it came from the 1960s when locals travelled to Florida seeking work and came back clutching vinyl.

Local radio station Hot 105.3 FM plays hours of country music every Sunday while others play it throughout the week.

On Saturday nights, the place to go for country is upstairs from the Castries market.

Dennery-born Cowboy (Shervon) Sealy is the country’s best known singer, appearing at Sandals and other resorts in Saint Lucia, and got into the scene 16 years ago.

“I got to like country music after hearing a friend sing it so much at work.

I noticed I had the voice for that kind of music.

Whatever your musical taste, Saint Lucia will have it covered.

Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism

The battle of the flowers Which flower is more beautiful – the rose or the marguerite?

Most of us would make a quick objective evaluation and move on. In Saint Lucia, things are taken a lot more seriously. La Rose and La Marguerite are two groups who exist to praise the beauty of their chosen flower.

The societies were around as early as the 1760s and have their roots as support networks for the slaves who worked on Saint Lucia’s sugar plantations. These days, the societies are more social groups with a love of singing and festivals. Families often remain in one society or the other for generations.

Each society has an associated patron saint and the society holds a festival each year on its feast day. For La Rose (or La Woz as it is often known), it is St Rose of Lima’s day on 30th August.

For La Marguerite (La Magawit), it is

St Margaret Mary Alacoque on 17th October.

In the months running up to their festival, members of the societies meet for singing rehearsals or séances, presided over by a King and Queen, who dress extravagantly.

A shatwèl - usually a woman - leads the members of the group in calls and responses with music provided by violins, banjos and more locally known instruments such as cuatros and the chak-chak. Songs begin and end with Vive La Rose or Vive La Marguerite as appropriate.

The festival starts off with church services across the island and then with processions through the streets with members dressed as princes, princesses, soldiers, police officers and judges.

As the day turns to evening, leading members of the societies take part in a banquet and with traditional folk dances, such as the kwadril.

A year packed with fun January Nobel laureate Week Series of workshops and exhibitions to celebrate the lives of Sir Derek Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis 22 February Independence Day Annual celebration of independence from Britain in 1979 May Saint Lucia Jazz festival International and local jazz musicians descend on Saint Lucia for a week of concerts. Herbie Hancock and George Benson have appeared in the past Last Sunday in June Fête Pêche Annual thanksgiving celebration by Saint Lucia’s fishermen June-July Saint Lucia Carnival Parades, concerts, parties fill the streets of Saint Lucia with sound and colour July Mercury Fest Boats arrive from Martinique, Guadelope and beyond for the ultimate beach party August Saint Lucia Roots & Soul Music festival featuring reggae, hip hop, RnB and Afro-punk 30 August La Rose Festival Annual celebration by La Rose society September Divefest Annual diving festival with dives, clean-ups, treasure hunts and more in partnership with Saint Lucia Divers Association September Food and Rum Festival An annual celebration of food and drink which attracts chefs, food critics and drinks connoisseurs from the Caribbean and internationally October Creole Day Annual celebration of the island’s French creole heritage 17 October La Marguerite Festival Annual celebration by La Marguerite floral society November-December ARC Saint Lucia welcomes boats from the Atlantic Race for Cruisers with parties and cultural events December Festival of Light Celebration of the triumph of light over darkness, good overcoming evil and the renewal of life For more information on events, visit www.eventssaintlucia.com or www. stlucia.org

www.stlucia.org 61

DestinationSaint Lucia I Marigot Bay

DestinationSaint Lucia I Marigot Bay

Not just a dock,

a destination A skipper’s guide to Marigot Bay

Marigot Bay, one third of the way down Saint Lucia’s western coast, is one of the most popular destinations for yachts arriving in the country’s sparkling waters.

Marigot Bay Marina has 42 berths and 20 mooring buoys with berthing for yachts up to 280 ft in length. It is naturally deep – in the Second World War, German submarines came into the bay – and can handle up to 20ft drafts.

62 www.stlucia.org

Marina manager Troy Blanchard – you can miss him on the boardwalk in his crisp white shirt, gold chains and wearing a permanent broad smile – says his favourite visitors to the marina are the beautiful single-masted J-class racing yachts.

One of the major attractions of Marigot Bay is its reputation as a “hurricane hole”. The surrounding mountains cradle the bay and protect visiting boats from rough tides and high winds.

Blanchard says that during a tropical storm in 2018 with winds of 70 knots and gusts of up to 100 knots, the winds didn’t exceed 20 knits in the bay.

While Saint Lucia is technically within the hurricane belt, it is far enough south and west that it misses most of the storms, says Blanchard.

“If a hurricane is forecast, within an hour every dock space and every mooring is taken. Boats will even tie up in the mangroves,” he says.

Yachts don’t just come here when the wind gets up though. It is a spectacularly beautiful place to moor and the facilities are second to none.

Marina guests can make use of the Marigot Bay Personal Assistants to arrange on-land and off-shore excursions.

The requests are sometimes challenging but nothing fazes Blanchard and he and his team deliver with that famous smile.

“We had to arrange to fly someone’s pet from Argentina on a private jet once,” he says.

If the team discover that an owner has a young family on board, they will go out of their way to make the children welcome too.

One amazing benefit of being here is that all marina guests get free access to the resort. “Guests of the marina are also guests of the resort,” says Blanchard.

“The owner can get off and enjoy the pool area, the spa, the restaurants and the fitness suite. It’s not just a dock but a destination.”

Marigot Bay

need to know

• Diesel/gasoline fuel dock dispensaries brought directly to vessel via trolley boat • Electricity - 110v/220v 50/100 amps 50 or 60 Hz; 410v 125/200 amps 50 Hz • Water – metered taps at all berths with 50psi treated, potable (drinking) water • Complimentary WiFi • Complimentary cable TV • Garbage disposal – twice daily collections from each berth • 24 hour security and CCTV • VHF channel 12. Entrance channel waypoint is at 13o , 58.05’N 61o , 01.90’W • Electrical, electronic, and hydraulic repairs (ASEA agent on-site) • Hull cleaning and polishing • Paint and FRP repairs • Varnishing • Valeting - interior and exterior • Underwater cleaning and inspection • Sail and canvas repairs • Engine, generator, and outboard maintenance • Sheet winch, windlass, and capstan maintenance • Waste oil disposal • Cooking gas – bottle exchange and refill service • Yachts not arriving from international waters may stay for 72 hours without clearing customs and immigration.

• Visitors can request to stay up to six months in the first instance and bona fide visitors and yachtsmen can expect to be granted a minimum of 42 day with an EC$100 fee per 21 day period.

KEY 1 Marigot Bay Resort and Marina 2 Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort/ DOOlittle’s 3 Oasis Marigot, St Lucia Villas 4 Mango Beach Inn 5 Root’s Bar 6 Chateau Mygo, House of Seafood 7 Hassy’s Bar 8 Pirate Bay Chop House and Ale 9 Roots 2 Bar 10 Julietta’s

www.stlucia.org 63

DestinationSaint Lucia I Rodney Bay

DestinationSaint Lucia I Rodney Bay

A very

Rodney Bay

need to know

• 253 berths including 32 megayacht berths • Max length: 285’ (86.8m) • Max draft: 13’ (3.9m) • Max beam: 60’ (18.3m) • 30 amp, 50 amp/100 amp SP, 100 amp 3P/480v 100 amp 3P • YPI hardwire • Wi-fi • High-speed fuel dock • Provisioning services • Waste disposal services • VHF channel 16. Entrance channel waypoint is at 14o 04’ 32.72” N 60o 56’ 55.63” W • 75-ton Marine Travelift with remote control (28’ inside clear width and 26’ inside clear height) • 40-ton Marine Travelift self- propelled boat trailer with remote control • Accommodation for 120 boats on hard.

• Three refit shelters (36’W x 36’H x 70’L) • Boat repair management • Fuel, oil, water and ice services • Portable and fixed pump-out services • Vessel caretaking • Painting – antifouling and topsides • Sail and rigging repairs • Osmosis repairs • Carpentry & teak deck installations • Fabrication and welding services • Electric systems including generation and distribution • Engine systems including shafting, cutlass bearings and propellers Customs Opening Hours Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 4:30pm Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm Saturday – Sunday 8:00am – 4:30pm Weekends & Holidays Overtime Hours (after 4:30pm fees apply) Port Entry Charges: Passenger dues: EC$15/person.

64 www.stlucia.org

welcome sight A skipper’s guide to Rodney Bay

After 2,700 nautical miles of Atlantic, the sight of IGY’s Rodney Bay Marina is a very welcome one.

It is not just appealing to ARC race participants.

“The facility is self-contained. You have a boatyard, duty free fuel, customs and immigration and a duty-free chandlery,” says the marina’s general manager Sean Devaux.

Devaux speaks with an accent that defies easy placement. His father is from Trinidad, his mother from Canada but he grew up in Saint Lucia where the Devaux family has connections going back 275 years.

The marina’s duty-free status is particularly attractive.

“If your vessel is foreign registered then you will be allowed duty-free status.

If you come across on the ARC and you have blown an engine or a sail, you can now bring that in duty free.”

Devaux is justifiably proud of the marina’s five gold anchor status as part of the global scheme operated by the Yacht Harbour Association and the Marina Industries Association.

“It is a tremendous recognition of what we do,” he says, “particularly as the requirements are constantly changing and it is the third time in a row we have achieved this.”

One area which where the requirements have increased recently is in relation to the environment.

“We provide pump-out facilities, both mobile and fixed, and we are the only marina in the Southern Caribbean that has a recycling programme. This year we are projected to save 18,000 to 20,000 tonnes from going to landfill.”

IGY Rodney Bay Marina is one of 18 in 12 different countries that come under the IGY umbrella – some, like Rodney Bay, are owned, managed and marketed by the country while others are managed or just marketed by the company.

Being part of a network can be a great help.

“We can offer that network to clients who are sailing north. We had a guy from the ARC last year who was sailing up to

New York. We made his reservations all the way up,” he says.

High levels of service are hugely important for IGY. Devaux tells a story that shows just how far they go to keep clients happy.

He says, “I had a call at about 10 at night form a private jet pilot saying the airport lights were not on. The pilot, one of our clients, had communicated his arrival to the wrong airport – he had contacted the one in the south but he was lined up for the one in the north. I told him to make a few circles and called the ground handling company who were able to get there and turn the lights on.

Our client has never forgotten that.”

The marina is also something of an entertainment destination with bars such as the Boardwalk as well as a choice of restaurants – Rituals for sushi, Elena’s for Italian favourites, Bosun’s for Thai food, La Mesa for Argentinian steak, Sea Salt for seafood dishes as well as Café Olé for light bites.

The marina is also the venue for the annual ARC party which tends to take place later on in December when the vast majority of the boats have arrived.

“The party is to say thanks to ARC and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.

We put on a steel band, fire dancers and try to make it unique. We have lots of big boats in and up to 1,200 people turn up,” he says.

One recent challenge is the reclassification of the hurricane zone by many insurers over the summer months.

“Unfortunately, because of the issues with hurricanes in the last two years, many insurers have now changed their latitude of coverage whereas previously we were classified as a safe haven,” says Devaux.

Since then, some local insurance companies have come on board to offer coverage.

Devaux wants to get the value that yachts bring to Saint Lucia better recognised.

“It will take time,” he says, “but there are real benefits to the Saint Lucian economy.”

KEY 1 IGY Rodney Bay marina 2 Rodney Bay Marina Boatyard 3 Rodney Bay Sails 4 Boardwalk Bar 5 Saint Lucia Tourism Authority 6 The Marketplace grocery store 7 Bay Gardens Hotel and Inn 8 Massy Stores supermarket 9 Spice of India 10 Tapas on the Bay 11 Jamrock Reggae Café and Grill 12 Verve nightclub 13 Marie’s Fish Shack 14 Q Bar and Jazz Lounge 15 Buzz Seafood & Grill 16 Spinnakers Beach Bar and Carvery 17 Gros Islet Jump Up (Friday nights) 18 Irie Bar

www.stlucia.org 65

DestinationSaint Lucia I Kenny Abernaty

DestinationSaint Lucia I Services Directory

A safe

A1 Island Marine Supplies Marine suppliers, engine servicing, repairs Tel: 1 758 450 9879

pair of hands When a mast breaks or a sail rips you want to know that repairs are being handled by a safe pair of hands.

They don’t come much safer than Kenny Abernaty’s

As well as having more than 30 years’ experience in sail making and repairs, Kenny also put his hands to other uses – in the 1990s, he was the goalkeeper for the St Lucia national football team.

Raised by a single mum along with his two brothers and a sister, Kenny immersed himself in sport, particularly karate and football.

“I used to play football from 4 till 6 and then karate from 7 till 9” One day a friend asked whether he wanted to play as a goalkeeper and he never looked back – his 6ft2 stature helping enormously between the sticks.

“In 1991, I became the number one goalkeeper in the Caribbean and in 1995 I was captain of the national side.”

Kenny played for local teams Labamba and CYO, winning 18 championships along the way.

Sailing was another of Kenny’s

passions.In the 80s and 90s, Kenny took part in the Prime Ministers Cup in the 1980s and 1990s and also did the Round the Island Race. His love of sailing eanred him the nickname “Winchman” among his team-mates.

Sailing and football did not always mic.

“I broke my fingers a couple of times and once played a whole season with a broken finger,” he says.

At the age of 29, Kenny move out of football and into the world of sailing came full-time after getting married and starting a family – he has two girls and a boy.

Having hung up his goalkeeping gloves, Kenny set about learning everything there was to know about rigging and sailmaking.

In 2010, Kenny grabbed the opportunity to go it alone and now runs a successful repairs business from a

cosy sail loft conveniently located in the heart of the IGY Rodney Bay Marina.

The company offers sail and spinnaker repairs and is the Saint Lucia agent for Doyle Sails.

“Yachties always come to the man with experience – they want to know that if a sail or a mast is broken then I can fix it,” says Kenny.

“The racing boats often have professional crews but people doing the ARC race for the first time often break a lot of stuff.”

Like football, the business requires endurance.

“You have to do good work for people and mustn’t be greedy. My work ethic is strong – I work seven days a week. “ Rodney Bay Sails, +1 758 452 8648, rodneybaysails@hotmail.com

Arc Dynamic Machinery rebuild and repair by Lawrence Lim Chee Yung (aka ‘Chinaman’).

Specialist in welding.

Tel: 1 758 485 0665 BBC Yachting Yacht charter, fishing tours and maintenance services 1 758 458 4643 www.bbcyachting.com Brydens Wine and spirits wholesaler Tel: 1 758 458 8500

ctor y

Complete Marine Services Ltd Beach reconstruction, piling and marine construction Tel: 1 758 458 3188 www.cms-sl.com Crown Foods Deli & Provisioning Yacht provisioning services Tel: 1 758 452 9330 www.crownfoodsstlucia.com Cox and Company Ltd Yacht support Services Tel: +1 738 455 5000/5006/5009 Email: yachtsupport@coccoltd.com www.cocsoltd.com DSL Yacht Charter Bareboat yacht charter Tel: 1 758 452 8531 www.dsl-yachting.com Henning Schneider Engineering Services Engine and mechanical repairs, electrics Tel: 1 758 285 3266 Island Aero Aircraft Support Tel: +1 758 724 9711 Email: charles.pinnock@gmail.com Island Water World Duty-free marine chandlery Tel: 1 758 452 1222 www.islandwaterworld.com/store-lucia Johnson’s Marine Centre Marine supplies and diving equipment Tel: 1 758 452 0299 www.johnsons-hardware.com Jus’Sail Day sailing charters Tel: 1 758 287 1071 KP Marine Engines and parts Tel: 1 758 450 5565 Liferaft and Inflatable Centre Lifejackets, dinghy repair and outboards Tel: 1 758 715 9671 www.liferaftandinflatable.com Macs Marine Powerboat and dinghy centre, boat storage Tel: 1 758 452 8061 www.macs-marine.com

66 www.stlucia.org

Servi Dire ces Marigot Bay Marina Berthing for yachts up to 280ft, fuel dock and marina services Tel: 1 758 451 4275 www.marigotbayresort.com/marina Marintek Electronics and Electrics Northstar generators, Volvo engines and Newmar chargers Tel: 1 758 450 0717

Rodney Bay Sails Sail and rigging repair Tel: 1 758 452 8648 Rodney Bay Yacht Club Youth sailing and sports Tel: +1 758 452 8350 Email: infor@stluciayachtclub.com www.stluciayachtclub.com

Mermaid Repairs Fibreglass and composite repair Tel: 1 758 488 5291

Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre Swimming and fitness centre Tel: +1 758 450 7946 Email: info@rhacstlucia.com www.rhacstlucia.com

Massy Stores Provisioning services and supermarkets Tel: +1 758 457 2270 Email: crs.gl@massystores.com www.massystores.com

Ryte Welding and Machine Shop Welding and fabrication Tel: 1 758 450 8019

Peter and Company Distribution Wines and spirits Tel: +1 758 457 7085 www.peterand companydistribution.com Quick & Reliable Mechanical Services Engine repairs by Alwin Augustin Tel: 1 758 520 5544 Regis Electronics Sales, service and installation of electronic and electrical systems aboard leisure craft Tel: 1 758 452 0205 www.regiselectronics.com Rodney Bay Marina 253 slip berths and 32 fixed mega yacht docks for boats up to 285 feet, maintenance services and boatyard Tel: 1 758 458 7200 www.igy-rodneybay.com Rodney Bay Marina Boatyard 75 and 40-ton Marine Travelifts, high-speed fueling Tel: 1 758 458 4892 www.igy-rodneybay.com/boatyard

Saint Lucia Distillers Saint Lucia Rum and drinks manufacturer Tel: +1 758 456 3100 Email: info@saintluciarums.com www.saintluciarums.com Scuba St Lucia PADI Five Star dive resort at Anse Chastanet Tel: 1 758 459 7755 scubastlucia.com Sol EC Ltd Fuel supplier Tel: +1 758 452 2458/457 4355 Email: slusales@solpetroleum.com www.solpetroleum.com Soufrière Marine Management Area Management of yacht morning in Soufrière area Tel: 1 758 459 5500 www.smma.org.lc Sparkle Laundry Laundry and dry cleaning services Tel: 1 758 450 0757 Suds Laundry Laundry services and gas bottle refill Tel: 1 758 486 0718

www.stlucia.org 67

DestinationSaint Lucia I Advertisers Index

Contact Kenny Abernaty PO Box 928 Castries, St Lucia, West Indies Cell: 1 (758) 452-8648 Mobile: 1 (758) 584-0291 Email: rodneybaysails@hotmail.com

HewAnorrA InTernATIonAl AIrPorT

‘‘

The redevelopment project seeks to provide a state-of-the-art airport facility, which will become the standard of the region.

The redevelopment of Hewanorra International Airport focuses on the all-round development of airport facilities over a 30-year period, using state-of-the-art design techniques to create an airport for the future.

The centrepiece will be a brand-new 337,000 square foot striking glass terminal building with a sweeping arrivals hall and advanced technology including a cutting edge facial recognition system. A state-of-the-art ventilation system will allow maximum natural light and air into the expansive contemporary interior. An executive club lounge and VIP lounge will feature in the departure area along with stunning concourses, restaurants and retail spaces.

SLASPA - looking to Saint Lucia’s future.

68 www.stlucia.org

‘‘

Advertisers Index and page number Cap Maison 2 Citizenship By Investment (CIP) 4 Cox and Company Limited 30 Elegant Hotels Caribbean 50 IGY: Rodney Bay Marina & Boatyard 8 Island Aero 52 Invest Saint Lucia 20 Marigot Bay Marina Outside Back Cover Peter and Company Distribution 54 Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre 52 Rodney Bay Sails 68 Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority Inside Back Cover Soufriere Marine Managment Area Inside Front Cover Sol EC Limited, Saint Lucia 34 Saint Lucia Channel Swim Event 2020 52 Saint Lucia Distillers Group 34 Saint Lucia National Trust 50 Saint Lucia Yacht Club 34 Massy Stores 30

MORE THAN A

BERTHING DESTINATION

We operate a full-service marina on the West Coast of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean with Coordinates 14° N, 61° W attached to a luxurious Resort and property named the Marigot Bay Resort, Spa and Marina.

Our property is Saint Lucia’s foremost Yachting destination which opens all year round, and provides a haven for yachtees and their owners or guests who are looking for a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere to unwind in the Caribbean.

Our berths are both stern to and alongside, and serviced with Electricity (3 Phase, 410V, 50 Hz, 2 x 125 / 200 Amp Single Phase 110/220V 50/60 Hz and 30, 50 or 100 Amp) with potable water (50psi) Wi-Fi Internet and CATV are complimentary. We can accommodate yachts up to 85m (280 feet) in length with a draft of up to 6m (20 feet).

It is part of our philosophy to make the stay of our visiting yachts as enjoyable and seamless as possible. To that end we take care of any particular requirements in advance, these would include Yacht Service requirements, spare parts, provisioning and Guest Service requirements Recognized as one of the Caribbean’s most secure anchoring spots, including Reservations, Transfers, Tours, Fuel, etc. The Marina Marigot Bay provides protection to ships during the roughest of seas.

Personal Assistant would make contact with visiting yachts prior to The bay is known as a “hurricane hole” due to its location on the west side of the island, where it is surrounded by mountains and experiences arrival to make arrangements for any necessities and preferences that captains would need to make their visit truly enjoyable with us. minimal tidal changes. Indeed, several major maritime insurance companies routinely recognize Marigot Bay as a true safe harbor.

The Marina has recently completed a full upgrade which includes a brand-new Marina board walk, a redesigned bridge that connects the Affording convenient access to the Caribbean, Marigot Bay Marina is Marina to the resort, and a brand-new Marina Restaurant called the a favorite starting and drop off point for yacht charters due to the “Hurricane Hole’’ which mimics the safety features of Marigot Bay unmatched service provided and the convenience of direct flights to that our clients have come to embrace. and from both the US and the UK. Every yacht in excess of 80 feet gets greeted with a bouquet of flowers, freshly baked cookies The Marina Village is able to offer a complete range of shopping compliments our executive chef, and local “Piton Beer’’. services including a full provisioning service available by advance order.

Our pricing policy divides the year up into two arbitrary halves approximately co-inciding with the active Superyacht charter season, For reservations please contact: from December - May and the “Slow Season” from June - November. troy.blanchard@marigotbayresort.com Cell: +1 758 728 9948 Within our rates, the following services continue to be inclusive: Marina Office: +1 758 451 4274 Wi-Fi • Black Water Pump out • Use of the facilities of the 5 Star www.MarigotBayResort.com Marigot Bay Resort with its beautiful amenities • The wonderful staff of the Marina and Resort.