Sporting Barbados 2022

BARBADOS

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Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James T: 246-271-8230/28 Lower Broad Street, Bridgetown, St. Michael T: 246-430-2412

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C O N T E N T S

CONTENTS 8 - Welcome 10 - Foreword 12 - Contributors 14 - Cricket 22 - Golf 34 - Triathalon 36 - Sandy Lane Trust 38 - Horse Racing 44 - Run Barbados 46 - Motor Sport 52 - Hockey 56 - Sailing 62 - Surfing 64 - Rugby 70 - Open Water Festival 72 - Diving 78 - Polo

BARBADOS

CREDITS Publisher - Hiltop Publications Ltd, 11 Cottage Ridge, St George, Barbados, BB19071 Tel (246) 228-9122 Email - sportingb@caribsurf.com www.sportingbarbados.com www.barbadospropertynews.com Editor – Pamela L Hiles Editorial – Pamela Hiles, J Clarence Hiles, Alan Burke, Triathlon Barbados and our Contributors - see page 12 Advertising – Pamela L Hiles Photography – J Clarence Hiles, Pamela L Hiles, Peter Marshall, Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, Sandy Lane Hotel, Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, BTMI, Martyn Notesworthy, Lucy Agace, Caribbean Aerial Photography, Zary Evelyn, Brooks La Touche, Randy Brooks, Tony Bray, Gerrard Wilson, Ian Nicholls, BEA, Cathy Holmes, Pamela Hiles and Mike Evans.

Design and Art Direction – Neil Barnard at 809 Design Associates Distribution – Hiltop Publications Ltd, Printed in Barbados The Material and editorial contained in this publication was deemed correct at the time of going to print but may be subject to change thereafter. No part of this publication should be reproduced without the consent of the publishers.

Copyright 2022 Sporting Barbados

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Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, St. James T: 246-271-8230/28 Lower Broad Street, Bridgetown, St. Michael T: 246-430-2412 www.diamondsinternationalbarbados.com DI.Barbados diamondsinternational_barbados

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S P O R T

WELCOME

Pamela Hiles

Cover Photo of Barbados’ Jason Holder by Randy Brooks

Sporting Barbados Editor

We are very happy to be bringing your Sporting Barbados 2022!

Who would have thought in early 2020 the whole world would literally stop? With very little sport, travel, socialising – life changed as we all knew it. This beautiful little island that depends so much on tourism, like many other places globally, suffered a huge blow.

However, we are bouncing back again!

Thankfully with the vaccine things are opening up and the wheels are turning again. We are excited to welcome England back to our shores with cricket spectators again – the Barmy Army will not be held back. Horse racing started with few spectators, but more spectators are now allowed in the stands.

Members can play Polo only, as restrictions are still in place for visitors at this time. The Sol Barbados Rally is set to happen in early June and the response from overseas participants is very positive! Watersports and golf have been the least affected these days, but the Protocol is volatile and could change at any stage.

However, we are moving away from Lockdown in Barbados and hopefully the world will respond in similar conditions.

We are heavily indebted to all our contributors, advertisers and sports feature writers. After a one-year absence our ‘come back’ edition is very special for a variety of reasons, and although it is not feasible to cover every sport we hope it gives a taste of Barbados sport. Thank you to the Tourism Development Corporation, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Minister Cummins, and all the loyal supporters who made this issue happen under such tough circumstances. Also a huge thank you to our designer Neil Barnard who created magic once again and to Kim Barnard and her team on the social media side. They keep you up to date on what’s happening on a daily basis.

Our ace sports photographer Peter Marshall has not been as active during Lockdown, but will be in action during 2022.

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However, his work continues to shine in this edition as we feature the best of previous editions to highlight our sporting heroes. A huge thank you to Peter.

A huge thanks to Randy Brooks for magnificent cricket photos from the recent T20 Tour West Indies vs England. It was a splendid return to cricket at the Mecca, Kensington Oval and a thrilling final game where thanks to our own Jason Holder taking four wickets in four balls, West Indies clinched the series.

When bookings opened and flights returned, it became obvious that people were just waiting for that moment when they could once again experience what this island has to offer.

A sporting holiday here, whether it’s participating in individual sports like golfing, diving, watersports et al, or team games, is a very special experience. Sports tourism is massive to our economy and will continue to grow now that sport is on track.

Thank you for keeping Barbados in your hearts and for returning to our shores.

Make sure you keep abreast of ‘what’s happening’ in Sporting Barbados from www.sportingbarbados.com and on our social media channels.

S P O R T

FOREWORD

The Hon. Lisa R. Cummins

Minister of Tourism and International Transport

Sports tourism has been widely regarded as one of the fastest growing niche markets in recent years. According to World Tourism Organisation (WTO), sports tourism accounts for approximately 12-15 million international arrivals each year, with a growth forecast of around 6% per year in the short term.

It represents 10% of the world tourism industry with a turnover of approximately USD$600 billion. The Businesswire, one of the world’s leading research agencies has forecasted that between 2018 and 2023, the industry would grow incrementally by 32.3% year on year and translating to an additional USD$6.12 billion in absolute terms.

The Government of Barbados continues to recognize the invaluable contribution of sports to its tourism sector and its linkages to other sectors. Arrival statistics reveal that Barbados receives on average 6,000 arrivals per annum for sporting purposes. However, it has been argued that these numbers might be understated as approximately 10,000 – 12,000 visitors travel annually as spectators or supporters to sports events or just to practice or learn a particular sport such as kite surfing or golf whilst on holiday.

Over the years, Barbados has hosted several world-class sporting activities such as the Run Barbados Marathon Weekend, Barbados Open Water Swim, Sol Rally Barbados, WSL Barbados Surf Pro, Rugby Barbados Worlds, Sir Garfield Sobers Festival of Golf and the Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket Tournament.

Undoubtedly, cricket continues to be a major driver in Barbados’ sports tourism thrust with events such as the Caribbean Premier League contributing significantly to the economy. In addition, the island continues to benefit from the continued emergence of a number of locally developed initiatives such as the Barbados Ninja Throwdown, Barbados Open Water Swim, Barbados IslandFit Games and Mindful Living Barbados (wellness event), widening the appeal of the

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destination to an even more diverse audience. Other sporting activities include motorsport, football, golf, distance running, beach and watersport type activities.

The global pandemic has certainly presented several challenges for most countries. Despite this, Barbados, as a mature destination, has repositioned itself to capitalise on emerging trends in sports tourism where a multiplicity of events are combined with music festivals. It is known that the sporting and events traveller will intentionally structure their itinerary around specific events to enjoy the experience.

This trend was explicit at the recently concluded 2020 Dubai International Heritage Sports Exhibition and Conference (DIHSEC) held in Dubai, when the sport of Barbados, road tennis, gained prominence as champions Christophe Nickels of Luxemborg and Emma Hoang of Belgium were victorious, having learnt the sport from the Barbadian coaches on hand. The sport attracted participants from over 34 countries who learnt of the sport at the event for the very first time. We will certainly continue to capitalise on the different motivators for sports-related travel in order to stimulate growth and enhance our competitiveness.

It is my pleasure to also announce that during 2022, several sporting events will be hosted in Barbados. The Caribbean race season’s opening regatta, the Barbados Sailing Week, is scheduled for January 18-23, 2022. The event will consist of the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race and two days of coastal racing on the West and South coast. This is a world-class event which attracts top class competition and it is expected that scores of visitors will flock to Barbados to participate.

Additionally, the island will welcome the England Cricket Team to its shores to play a five-match T20I series against the West Indies between January 22-30, 2022. The English team will return to Barbados to play a three-match Test Series in March 2022 honouring the two great legends of cricket, Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham. The Test Series will start appropriately at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) in Antigua on March 8, 2022, before moving to the Kensington Oval in Barbados for the 2nd Test starting on March 16.

It is also expected that the Barbados Surf Pro event will be held in early 2022. It is an international surfing competition and attracts competitors from UK, France USA, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Hawaii, Japan, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and Argentina, to mention a few. It is therefore expected that scores of visitors including the media, participants, crew, family and friends will visit Barbados to enjoy our beautiful shores and all its offerings.

It must be stated that our ultimate goal is to ensure that Barbados as a destination remains top of mind for the visitor and we intend to take advantage of the various benefits that can be derived from sports tourism. We will build on our past legacy while strategically capitalizing on emerging trends and new initiatives to complement our product offerings. Moreover, we will continue to highlight our culture and heritage so that not only our loyal repeat visitors will return to the island but other travellers will also want to visit Barbados to enjoy the authentic Bajan experiences.

I therefore wish to congratulate Pamela Hiles and her team on another successful year of this publication and on the behalf of the Government of Barbados, thank them for their invaluable support in highlighting the development of sports tourism in Barbados.

C O N T R I B U T O R S

CONTRIBUTORS

Lucy Agace - Diving

Kofi Hinds - Hockey

Peter Marshall - Photographer

Clarence Hiles

Eddie Belle - Horse Racing

Robin Bradford - Motor Sport

Renata Goodridge - Sailing

Wayne Archer - Polo

Roddy Carr - Golf

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C R I C K E T

CRICKET CRICKET LOVELY CRICKET 14

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Photo: Randy Brooks

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C R I C K E T

The Caribbean is a wonderful place to live, work, and play cricket. Ironically, the West Indies region is only bonded by cricket, not by economic or sovereignty, although most countries vie as hosts as the economy is boosted from overseas visitors.

Tourism is big business in the Caribbean and cricket plays a central role in its welfare. The impact of Covid and the pandemic has hurt the Caribbean economy for everyone, but governments want to make the most of tourists.

The welcome to visitors and players is tremendous.

Barbados’s status in global cricket is very special. After all, we produced some of the greatest cricketers in the world and we are proud of it. Think about it-they include several Knights of the Realm like the great 3W’s Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Everton Weekes, the doughy opener Sir Conrad Hunte, the fearsome attack of Sir Wesley Hall and Sir Charles ‘Charlie’ Griffith, the graceful batting of Sir Gordon Greenidge, and arguably the best cricketer in the world-Sir Garfield Sobers.

Sir Garry was the complete cricketer with both bat and ball and an outstanding fielder and captain. West Indies has produced talented captains of the ilk of Sir Frank Worrell, Clive Lloyd, Richie Richardson and the enigmatic Sir Vivian Richards.

Of course, West Indies cricket is only a shadow from the halcyon years when calypso cricket ruled the world. In the good old years overseas teams wanted to win on Caribbean soil, the real test of their prowess and ability was to win overseas here.

Few succeeded, as West Indies ruled supreme for many years.

Nowadays, we don’t have this supremacy and there are many theories expounded.

We acknowledge the greatness of former players. However many local enthusiasts feel they can reach that level with the ‘white ball’ at T20 and ODI. It seems Test cricket is beyond the reach of the modern West Indian cricketer, which is surprising with such a bevy of young talent like Nicolas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh, Bradley King, Jason Holder et al. We have some brilliant players throughout the region.

The highlight for Barbados will be West Indies against England in five T20 series in January and the Test match at Kensington Oval starting 16 March. Prior to the 2007 World Cup Kensington Oval was extensively renovated, and it is generally accepted that it is the best venue in the region. Barbados welcomes the Barmy Army and their supporters, who will not

Kensington Oval under the lights.

Photo courtesy of the CPL

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C R I C K E T

Tourism is big business in the Caribbean and cricket plays a central role in its welfare.

Photo courtesy of the CPL

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Glorious country cricket in St. Peter

The Caribbean is a wonderful place to live, work, and play cricket. Ironically, the West Indies region is only bonded by cricket, not by economic or sovereignty S PORTING B ARB A D O S 2 0 2 2

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S P O R T

Photo: Randy Brooks

only enhance our economy, but will boost the England camp after such a horrid time at the Ashes in Australia.

Many British people are ex-pats and others are currently enjoying work from home taking advantage of the ‘Barbados Welcome Stamp,’ which allows overseas workers to stay 12 months. Some have already extended the 12 months!

Not a bad place to be domiciled!

We must not forget cricket tours!

Over the years hundreds of UK clubs and schools have enjoyed some unforgettable holidays visiting grounds all over the island. Kensington Oval and the 3Ws at the University are perhaps the best-known venues, but throughout the country there are some terrific grounds that have welcomed visitors for many years.

Don’t limit your hotel experience to cricket, sand sea and sunshine as Barbados has some terrific restaurants, shops, activities, fish charters, cruises et al.

Match tickets can only be obtained online from the WICB (West Indies Cricket Board)-www.windiescricket.com Protocol has to be observed prior to arrival throughout Barbados and finally on Departure. We live in strange times, but Covid-19 will be defeated. Follow the protocols and stay safe.

Barbados welcomes all players and visitors!

Enjoy!

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BREAKING NEWS… Going to print West Indies beat England 3-2 in their five-match series that produced some epic performances and records galore.

Barbados all-rounder Jason Holder was named the ‘Man of the Series’ that included four wickets in succession to end the series in the final match.

It was a wonderful finale in front of a big crowd that added to the unique atmosphere at Kensington Oval.

G O L F

WHO’S WHO OF BARBADOS GOLF

The Green Monkey at Sandy Lane Country Club

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The 16th hole at Apes Hill

When you talk about golf in the Caribbean it concurs with sand, sea and sunshine. There is a ring of opulence about a Caribbean holiday and when you add your favourite sport it is pretty much utopia. We don’t take it for granted, but we have been blessed with beautiful sunshine throughout most of the year, turquoise blue sea and idyllic beaches. We’re very proud of our little piece of the rock and it is no surprise that it has been at the top of the holiday destination ladder for many years.

Barbados has added some spectacular golf courses to add to your pleasure…

When it comes to golf it is different strokes for different folks.

You can be a high or low handicapper, hilly or flat courses, but it caters for everyone. Some of the scenery is stunning with idyllic vistas and the courses have been superbly manicured and maintained. Most clubs have first-rate practice facilities, golf lessons, carts, high-tec distance rangers, hired clubs and online tee times. All of the clubhouses offer changing rooms, excellent merchandise and restaurants.

Barbados has five clubs-Apes Hill Golf Resort, Sandy Lane Country Club, Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, Barbados Golf Club and Rockley Golf Club.

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G O L F

SANDY LANE COUNTRY CLUB Dubbed the jewel in the Caribbean, the Sandy Lane Hotel has been the haunt for many of the rich and famous for years.

The golf course has always been an integral part of the hotel, but when the hotel was demolished and then splendidly rebuilt, the golf course also was transformed to become The Sandy Lane Country Club. But not just another 18-hole course, it was to become one of the most prestigious golf resorts in the Caribbean. The original 18-hole design was divided to enable The Sandy Lane Old Nine that was much-loved by returning hotel guests, to continue as a 9 hole course. In addition, two superb 18-hole courses designed by renowned golf designer Tom Fazio, and a magnificent clubhouse added to the 9-hole design.

The Country Club is alongside the Green Monkey course and close to the Old Nine which is a short distance from the hotel. The clubhouse has stunning views overlooking the West coast and has been enhanced with a restaurant, Pro Shop, locker rooms, befitting to the most famous hotel in the Caribbean.

As for golf, it offers the complete golf experience with three top quality courses, golf tuition, practice range, hired clubs and hospitality.

The Old Nine course was constructed in 1961 and hasn’t changed much. It meanders alongside some of the most spectacular property in Barbados. Monkeys amble by regularly, and sometimes appear threatening, but they are amicable with golfers on the fairways and won’t attack. However, best not to lift or feed them. Use carts rather than walk. The signature hole and most photographed is # seven, a wedge or 9-iron at most as the elevated tee box sits 100 feet above. The last # nine is a terrific hole with high risk and high reward.

The Country Club at the main clubhouse hosted the 2006

Sandy Lane Country Club

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World Championship of golf won by Bernard Langer and Marcel Siem, and perhaps infamously when Tiger and Elen Woods exchanged their nuptials two years later on an ill-fated marriage.

The Country Club course is beautifully landscaped with attractive shrubbery, trees and five little lakes. The old 18-hole design forms part of the current nine to produce an excellent challenge for both professionals and low handicappers to the less ambitious amateurs. The 7,060 yards course is par 72.

All of the greens and many of the fairways are protected by bunkers. Wind also plays an important role. Most of the wind is down towards the West coast, but it can be tough uphill. It is possible to reach the green at # 3 downward at 353 yards, but uphill # 6 is a slog. Thankfully it is a par five, but beware the bunkers and the narrow approach to the green.

The Green Monkey is very special and spectacular. Fazio has produced a masterpiece of golf design maximising the assets that nature has provided. The design has been sculptured in an old limestone quarry with towering rock faces, lush fairways, rolling hills and beautiful shrubbery. Many golfers believe it is a chance in a lifetime to experience what is a unique environment.

Without doubt, the signature hole at the 16th is magnificent.

Grass carved in the shape of a monkey within the bunkers is awesome, but the green is surrounded by soaring rock faces and a beautiful lake that will swallow the errant shot of an aggressive golfer. The 16th is 226 yards at its longest, although downhill, but it demands pinpoint accuracy to escape with a par 3.

The 7,343 yards par 72 course features the quarry design in most places and when the wind blows it is a tough test of golf.

With three courses and its grandeur Sandy Lane Golf Club is exceptional. Yes, it comes at a cost, although it is discounted when you stay at the hotel.

ROYAL WESTMORELAND GOLF COURSE Robert Trent Jones Jnr designed the Royal Westmoreland Golf course and made the most of its rolling slopes, gullies, rock faces, lakes and idyllic scenery on the West Coast. The stunning sunset at the end of the day is something to behold.

The Royal Westmoreland complex is a gated community with stringent security.

Many golfers live or own in the complex, as real estate ownership and rentals is big business. It has attracted several celebrities from all over the world including former Masters champion Ian Woosnam and former England and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney.

The villas within Royal Westmorland are very attractive for golfing holidays. The clubhouse is idyllic and well stocked for refreshments, dining, Pro Shop, shops and club hire. Other sports include tennis, gym and walks as the entire community has magnificent vistas throughout. Although Royal Westmoreland is a gated community, visitors are welcome although tee times may be limited in the busy holiday period around Christmas.

The course is 7,045 yards par 72. At its longest it can be set very demanding, but it is also user-friendly and less competitive as required. Some golfers rank the par 3s as the best in the world.

There are four great holes, which at longest can be 217 yards or at least 102. However, each has its own challenges. The 3rd hole has various elevations, but anything short has huge problems. The 7th is protected by a little lake in front of the green and bunkers abound. The wind is almost impossible to determine when it blows, although you can bail out on the right. However, a par will be difficult depending on the pin position.

Royal Westmoreland

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G O L F

APES HILL GOLF RESORT After new ownership several years ago, the course was closed for extensive work and redesign and is expected to re-start in November. Irish golfer Roddy Carr is no stranger to golf design and has worked with Seve Ballesteros for many years. He has been credited with the rebirth of the Barbados Golf Club several years ago and is now heavily involved in the design of Apes Hill.

His article in this publication is packed with exciting innovative changes and promises to be one of the most spectacular in the Caribbean. Who better than Roddy to update us in his article!

Apes Hill Golf Resort

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G O L F

BARBADOS GOLF CLUB Situated close to the airport the Barbados Golf Club has been largely responsible for promoting the development of young players, but also the home of golf for many local businessmen and retirees. Visitors are welcome, and over the years it has been popular with cruise ship guests.

The club was closed for nearly 30 years, but Roddy Carr and his investors did a terrific job in restoring the fairways and building a new clubhouse. Nowadays we take it for granted, as the clubhouse has a lively atmosphere with restaurant, bar, Pro Shop, locker rooms, clubs for hire and carts. The membership is strong and visitors are welcomed from all over the world. Golf lessons are available and the golf range and putting green has been an important asset for aspiring young golfers.

Roddy Carr was responsible for establishing a much better course, more user-friendly. Yes the wind can be strong, but the design made better use of drainage and a lake. Every hole is

different and there are numerous doglegs to challenge most golfers. The course is relatively flat, but strategic use of trees and bunkers can make life difficult for most. The fairways are wide and the greens are excellent. The course can be set difficult for tournaments, but also user-friendly for the happy amateur. Some of the holes are excellent and features Barbados’s version of the ‘Amen corner.’ The 16th green requires a straight tee shot 160 yards over the lake with the wind against and an elevated green.

It’s a daunting tee shot as the lake swallows hundreds of balls every year!

The 18th is a par five approaching the clubhouse with a little lake in front. It is against the wind but much easier if you hit twice and then hit across the water to approach the green. With a birdie or par, you will enjoy the drink much better!

Barbados Golf Club is bubbly and lively and a great place to play golf.

Barbados Golf Club

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S P O R T

The 9th fairway at Rockley Golf Club

ROCKLEY GOLF CLUB Rockley Golf Club is a 9-hole course that has out of bounds at every hole! It meanders inside condo units that have often been described as an oasis because it is a beautiful setting with towering mahogany trees, and lush fairways. Rockley may be the minnow in Barbados golf, but it’s a vibrant and lively environment. The membership doubles annually during the winter with the return of ‘Snowbirds,’ the name given to the overseas members. This is a place for fun and entertainment as Rockley has a well-known reputation of camaraderie and fellowship. It has Saturday tournaments with prizes after the game and visitors can play with a certified handicap.

Rockley is very special in Barbados golf. It has a thriving membership and the lowest fees on the island. It has a Club Captain and Ladies Captain, club director and is governed by a small Board of directors. It also hosts the Rockley Open in February and over the season prizes have been supplemented from sponsors.

Rockley can’t compete with 18-hole golf or the beautiful terrain with landscaped rolling hills, but it can compete with

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value for money for both locals and visitors. It can be booked online daily and offers hired clubs, carts, restaurant and golf lessons from a club coach. Rockley is a small 9-hole course, but by moving tee boxes can be a formidable test of golf.

The key to Rockley golf is to keep it straight and manage each shot carefully. The tight little course has been supplemented by a plethora of bunkers and trees. Two of the trees are exceptional. The 7th is in the middle if the fairway and it is difficult to go sideways. The 8th has two bunkers close to the green and a tree making it a tricky entry. However, the rewards to play straight are huge, as distance isn’t a huge problem. Top golfers can’t deal with the accuracy and few players shoot low in tournaments.

Visitors are welcome and several members who are currently enjoying the ‘Barbados Welcome Stamp’ find Rockley a home away from home.

Finally, a special mention for the Barbados Golf Association (BGA) who is parent body of Barbados golf and does a great job in promoting and developing the game, especially representative golf for both young and old.

72 Par Championship Golf Course offering Pro Shop, Club and Cart Rentals, Driving Range and Restaurant.

“Fair and Challenging, Value for Money Course” For Booking call +246 538 4653 • teetime@barbadosgolfclub.com • www.barbadosgolfclub.com

G O L F

BARBADOS – A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND GOLF

By Roddy Carr

One of the few positive things to come out of the COVID pandemic has been the growth of golf which had been in decline around the world for several years prior to 2019. There is a new appreciation for how pleasant it is to be out in the fresh air, socially distanced and having fun with friends and extended family for a simple round of golf. The game has seen a surge in 2020/2021 of over 20% worldwide. Women’s golf has grown by 16% and a much younger demographic has emerged and started to play golf.

In Barbados we are blessed with an abundance of world class courses. Sandy Lane with its 45 holes designed by Tom Fazio, Royal Westmoreland’s 18 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, the 9 holes at Rockley, Barbados Golf Club 18 holes, the Home of Golf in Barbados, and the newly renovated Apes Hill golf course with 18 holes and a new 9 hole floodlit Par 3 course designed by the legendary designer Ron Kirby. In addition a new state of the art Performance & Teaching Centre at Apes Hill will be the first in the Caribbean.

Barbados is also enjoying this growth trend with 22% more round being played by locals as well an upsurge in visitors taking advantage of the ideal golfing weather year round as tourists return to this tropical island in their droves. The beauty of Barbados for visitors is being able to travel freely and safely around the island where the people are friendly and very COVID protocol conscious, compared to other top golf destinations in the Caribbean where visitors stay ‘on the compound’ of the resorts.

I have been lucky over the last two years to be part of a world class team assembled by the saviour investor of Apes Hill, Glenn Chamandy of Gildan fame, to undertake the extreme makeover renovation of the resort community.

The 450 acre site situated on the highest section of the Island has spectacular views over the Caribbean Sea on the west coast

The 16th hole at Apes Hill

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and panoramic vistas over St. Andrew and the Scotland district on the wild Atlantic east coast. The course is weaved between 12 km’s of deep indigenous gullies that are full of flora and fauna with coral caves highlighting the uniqueness of the site. The views over the Atlantic Ocean & Caribbean Sea on three holes are stunning.

Some of the oldest and most magnificent Bearded Fig trees are a prominent feature along with coral rock formations and coral caves bordering some of the holes. The Bearded Fig tree is of historical significance as it is how Barbados derived its name from the Portuguese settlers. Los Barbados, ‘the Bearded One’ they named the Island. The Island was covered with these Bearded Fig trees until the early settlers implemented a ‘slash and burn’ policy after 1627 to clear the way for the planting of sugar cane. As a consequence Barbados was the richest colony of the ‘empire’ thanks to the sugar cane production. The sugar cane industry resulted in a railway line being built on the Island in the late 1883 from the Bridgetown Port to St. Andrew via Bathsheba.

It was fascinating to learn from a Cultural and Heritage study undertaken by Dr, Kerry Hall on the Apes Hill site, that Barbados is 700,000 years old and that the formation of the Island as the most easterly and only non-volcanic of the Lesser Antilles makes it unique in the Caribbean.

The trade winds blowing uninterrupted across the Atlantic Ocean resulted in the seaside town of Bathsheba on the east coast being regarded as one of the healthiest places in the Western Hemisphere and was at one time the centre of health tourism. George Washington came to Barbados with his halfbrother Lawrence for health reasons in 1751. This led to the now famous George Washington mansion being built in 1761 beside the Garrison on the South Coast.

Back then the now ‘Platinum’ West Coast was a mosquito infested tropical costal swamp full of mangroves that was not suitable for tourism……how times have changed!

Great care was taken by Ron Kirby with the golf course renovation at Apes Hill to focus on and highlight all these natural indigenous assets to provide the most memorable golfing experience in the Caribbean.

The fifty acre farm that is part of the community will provide farm to table food that is all part of creating a healthy active lifestyle with golf, tennis, paddle tennis, swimming, fitness, fishing, spa and 12 km’s of gully walks among nature. It will be a place where like-minded people and families can live and have fun together in our post COVID world.

As I tell my friends having lived here over the course of several decades and with a Bajan daughter, Barbados is one of the best places in the world to live among a people that are warm, welcoming, educated and friendly.

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T R I A T H A L O N

TRIATHALON

Triathlon in Barbados continues to prove itself resilient, even in the global climate of setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 virus.

Fortunately, the Barbados National Triathlon Championships hasn’t been cancelled since the onset of the pandemic. The 2021 competition came off successfully in October with mostly local participation. Subsequently, the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes also hosted a trial event for a 70.3 distance – the equivalent of a half ironman.

Thanks to a scenic, flat course, the National Triathlon Championship is highly sought after in the Caribbean, and the local federation confirms that other regional territories, the USA and Canada remain keen to compete in Barbados. The youth especially have stayed committed to their sport and continue to train as normal. Their resolve remains very inspiring.

Looking forward to 2022, there is a full calendar of around 12 events rostered. Located at the top of the list are three different National championships in the Triathlon and its related disciplines – these include the Aquathlon and Duathlon.

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S A N D Y

L A N E

C H A R I T A B L E

T R U S T

SANDY LANE CHARITABLE TRUST

Team O’Hara

Trustees

The Sandy Lane Charitable Trust (SLCT) has been around for over 15 years and their primary mission is – “Helping the under privileged children of Barbados” by whatever means necessary. Whether that is through their healthcare, education, or community programmes, they are renowned for championing these meaningful causes to protect and assist those who are too young to help themselves.

The past two years have certainly been an unprecedented challenge for us all, as we navigated through an unrelenting Covid-19 pandemic. With the national lockdowns, curfews and strict travel protocols implemented, in addition to a litany of environmental crises this tiny island was placed in economic distress.

With many businesses forced to close or work with minimal employees, unemployment and under-employment reached unprecedented levels. This led to many families grappling to cope in an uncertain environment. Whilst most of us had our stresses and worries during this time, putting food on our tables to feed our families was not one of them. This was now the reality for thousands of Barbadian households As a children’s Trust, their primary and overwhelming concern was for the wellbeing of the children. Giving hope is the most important part of their work and that is exactly what they gave to thousands of Barbadian households in May 2020. In response to the relentless COVID-19 impacts, the Trust devised a “Feed a Family Programme” a programme designed to provide sustenance to thousands of families requiring the basic need for their survival…food.

The Sandy Lane Charitable Trust donated over BDS $6 Million dollars, which provided immediate relief to families affected by

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the COVID-19 pandemic and it relentless catastrophic impacts.

The programme execution was simple and effective, the Trust collaborated with 30 constituency offices, whom they believed had the widest reach to identify and provide a list of the most at risk families. They collaborated with eight (8) locally operated supermarket chains across the parishes and produced SLCT branded food vouchers.

The Trust certainly did not escape from Covid19 impacts.

The absence of their 2021 Golf Tournament and Annual Gala dinner, which is often referred to as “the event of the season” and has been instrumental over the years in helping to raise muchneeded funds to support their many programmes and causes, affected their operations tremendously. Amid the darkness however, there was a beam of light… some of their generous donors remained committed to pledging their support despite the cancellation of highly anticipated event. Their act of kindness and generosity has certainly enabled the Trust to sustain their programmes and provide support to those who needed it most.

Let us hope that 2022 sees the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust hosting their fun day of golf on the greens for their donors and their fundraising activities to obtain the much needed funds to support these worthwhile causes.

Below: Russ Abbott

Ricky Simpson

Gay & Derrick Smith and Prime Minister The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley QC M.P.

Above: Team Lynall

Below: Laurent of the Swan Band

Joan Collins

(Winning Team) Frank Berry, Maeve & Gerry McManus, Noreen McManus and Gay Smith S PORTING B ARB A D O S 2 0 2 2

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H O R S E

R A C I N G

HORSE RACING IN BARBADOS

By Eddie Belle

The Garrison Savannah on Sandy Lane Gold Cup day

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The Garrison area is steeped in history dating back to the 1800s while the Barbados Turf Club established in 1905 organises and promotes the sport on the island.

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H O R S E

R A C I N G

Horseracing at the Garrison Savannah is some people’s sport of choice. It is also an industry which employs more than 3000 people. Its 6 furlongs oval-shaped track is known for its uniqueness with its local patrons and visitors very close to the action providing an unforgettable experience.

The Garrison area is steeped in history dating back to the 1800s while the Barbados Turf Club established in 1905 organises and promotes the sport on the island. Race meetings are held year-round with the Sandy Lane Gold Cup its biggest attraction. The Derby takes centre place in the middle of the year while Boxing Day at the races is a must.

When War Eagle streaked to victory in the Derby under the lights on Boxing Day 2020 in an unaccustomed spot, the racing season ended on a high with all looking forward to what’s to come in 2021.

But the coronavirus pandemic brought horseracing to a screeching halt in January with a lockdown by authorities.

Trainers and grooms were classified as essential workers due to the equine care continued to work during the lockdown.

Lobbying by the racing authorities for training to resume was granted with minimum staffing under social distancing, maskwearing and sanitizing.

It is no question the effects that Covid had on racing. Sport is a business too and livelihoods were affected, with a trickle-down effect to all the ancilliary components connected to it.

No horseracing taking place put a huge strain on owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms to survive. What was expected to last a few weeks turned into months much to the dismay of all with no income sources. With no income from racing an option, the only benefits came via government payments for the jockeys and subsidies offered by the racing authorities.

The first big race to suffer was the biggest of them all, the Sandy Lane Gold Cup. Held on the first Saturday in March,

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this prestigious race which had its genesis in 1982, is the biggest income earner on the racing calendar.

It contributes greatly to the island’s tourism product with the influx of tourists with its international appeal including runners from overseas.

When racing finally returned in June, it was without spectators which while not ideal was a least a start.

The racing calendar had to be reaaranged. The Derby usually run in August took place in November to accommodate the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Online betting requiring punters to set up online accounts was the newest innovation as the club tried to find ways to accommodate the racing public and pre-race betting on the days there was racing was also implemented. Live Streaming and live television broadcasting became the new way to watch horseracing.

The suspension of racing for five and a half months and the absence of spectators on its return has been a huge blow to racing finances coupled with the fact that they were no sponsored races. It has been a very challenging time for the industry.

As for the racing itself, the sight of the horses going around the track with a few owners, trainers, grooms and gate crews cheering from the stands was a strange feeling. Because racing was also halted in other Caribbean islands some horses were sent from Trinidad and St Lucia that added to the local racing stock. This was indeed much welcomed.

Racing continued during the year without spectators and the biggest highlight of the shortened racing season was People’s Champ breathtaking win in the Derby and capturing the local Triple Crown.

The green light was given for crowds to return to racing on Boxing in the enclosed areas only with a cap on capacity. It was extremely exciting to welcome back racegoers to the sport they love. There is certainly a demand for families and friends to meet and to enjoy the social occasion of a day at the races.

Night racing is expected to be the attraction that should enhance the racing product and provide a good racing experience as many are starved for action. It is the belief of some that the cool of the evening would be very attractive to visitors and locals alike.

These are indeed challenging times but we must remain positive and maintain our belief in our racing product which has been in existence for over 100 years.

H O R S E

R A C I N G

The 6 furlongs oval-shaped track is known for its uniqueness with its local patrons and visitors very close to the action providing an unforgettable experience.

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S P O R T

RUN RUN RUN IN BARBADOS Run Barbados Marathons and Fun Runs have always been popular in Barbados for many years. The marathon usually takes place in early December, but these are not normal times with Covid and we hope the travel issues will ease during the year as hundreds club runners travel from all over the Caribbean, Canada, US and England. The runs are in different classes for the serious athlete to the casual runner or walker, as thousands of dollars have been raised for charity over the years. Run Barbados dates back to 1983 and some of the great marathon runners like US Kim Goff eleven-times winner and England’s Hugh Jones sixtimes winner are legends and much-loved by the Bajan people.

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M O T O R

S P O R T

DRIVING

FORWARD

By Robin Bradford

Bushy Park Race Circuit

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There was – and is – still much to be positive about the part played by motor sport in island life and in sports-tourism.

Neil Corbin & Matthew Staffner on Sol Rally Barbados 2020

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M O T O R

S P O R T

Photo: Ian Nicholls Photography for The Barbados Rally Club.

In common with every other sporting discipline at home and overseas, motor sport in Barbados has been through challenging times since the first cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the island in March 2020. Although the 50 or so events listed annually on the Barbados Motoring Federation’s (BMF) calendar were reduced to 27 in 2020, then even further to 19 last year, there was – and is – still much to be positive about the part played by motor sport in island life and in sports-tourism.

Barbadian teenagers Zane Maloney and Kyffin Simpson, who started their careers racing karts at Bushy Park, hit the headlines on either side of the Atlantic: Zane claimed a memorable victory in Monte Carlo in Formula Regional European, helping R-ace GP to the 2021 Team’s title, while Kyffin won the FR Americas Championship. This year, island fans will be following Kyffin in Indy Lights, the final step before Indycar, while Zane will be heading for FIA F3 as he pursues his dream of a seat in Formula 1.

Back home, the BMF, its member clubs, their volunteer officials and, not least, the island’s competitors have all shown commendable resilience during the frequent changes to the regulatory background caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Sadly, the island’s vast body of spectators, among the most enthusiastic and vociferous in the world, has needed to be even more resilient, as the prevailing Covid protocols have meant events running behind closed doors for the best part of two years. That said, local on-line media platforms have done their best to live-stream the action.

Sol Rally Barbados 2020 did run, with a smaller entry than had become the norm in recent years and postponed from June to October; despite that, the event still made a huge impact, thanks in part to a window in lockdown protocols allowing spectators to line the route. Furthermore, an entry from American motor sport and social media icon Ken Block would mean a wealth of worldwide on-line coverage, thanks to his around six million followers on each of Facebook and Instagram.

Armed with a brand new M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2, Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino were in the lead battle from early; Jamaica’s Jeff Panton broke an axle within two stages of an almost certain seventh win in the island’s premier event, dropping him to third behind Block and Britain’s Rob Swann,

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both in Fiesta WRCs. BMF President Andrew Mallalieu (Fiesta R5) was the highest-placed Bajan, having led the early stages, his fourth place and Block’s win helping to stoke growing island enthusiasm for the FIA R5 class, which looks set to have an entry in double figures for the first time this year.

Indeed, the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Champion Driver for 2021, Stuart Maloney, won his first rallying title in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo from that class, to add to his two circuit-racing titles (2008 CMRC, 2018 Radical Caribbean Cup). With five of the planned eight rounds run, Maloney ran neck and neck all year with Clubman 2 class-winner, Rookie Chris Hoad (BimmaCup), another new name on the Rally Club’s Roll of Honour as its looks forward to celebrating its 65th Anniversary this year.

One milestone which the ongoing pandemic meant could not be properly marked last year was Bushy Park’s half-century. Host to its first race meet on Independence Day 1971, which once again fell on a Tuesday 50 years later, the St Philip facility had introduced strict Covid-19 protocols to permit limited operations within Government guidelines. So, while the venue’s popular Karting Experiences attracted up to 300 socially-distanced patrons each month and autocross and speed events ran behind closed doors, often under scrutiny from the Covid-19 Monitoring Unit, there was no actual race meeting at which to celebrate.

Perhaps this year, pandemic permitting?

While the Barbados Association of Dragsters & Drifters (BADD), Barbados Karting Association (BKA) and Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI) did not manage to run a 2021 championship, with lack of spectator revenue a vital factor in the decision process for BADD and BPMSI, the Rally Club’s fiveround Autocross season did go ahead behind closed doors, with recently-appointed BMF Women in Motorsport Chair Natya Soodeen the first female to win the series outright, claiming the Ladies and Novice titles as well.

At the Vaucluse Raceway, which overlooks the West Coast from its hilltop vantage point in the central parish of St Thomas, there was yet another new name added to the island’s list of champions. All but two of the scheduled 16 rounds of BimmaCup Barbados were run, along with the concluding part of the 2020/21 BimmaCup Caribbean, split between two seasons, as the pandemic had disrupted regional travel. After a mixture of RallySprint, Rallycross, even Rallychase, reviving a format from a decade or so ago, with a single-venue stage rally thrown in for good measure in November, Rookie Sean Corbin emerged the delighted winner of the domestic competition, while Ian Warren added the regional title to his BimmaCup BB win of last year.

While the pandemic is clearly not yet over, as this is written in December 2021, work is under way to ensure that motor sport will continue to play a significant part in island life. Sol Rally Barbados is scheduled to return to its mid-year date, once the requirements of the Covid-19 Monitoring Unit can be met, and there is a real hunger among competitors to dust off their competition vehicles – and themselves – and return to action.

Watch this space!

American motor sport and social media icon Ken Block won Sol Rally Barbados in 2020

Ken Block & Alex Gelsomino - Sol Rally Barbados 2020 winners.

Photo: Ian Nicholls Photography for The Barbados Rally Club.

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M O T O R

S P O R T

A PROUD MOMENT

By Robin Bradford

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Shortly before 9.00am Barbados time on Sunday, May 25, 2021, the Barbados National Anthem echoed around the streets of Monte Carlo; with no background hubbub from spectators, as the Monaco Grand Prix weekend ran behind closed doors, and race officials and team members standing in silent respect, it was a moving moment never to be forgotten by island motor sport fans.

Standing proudly beneath the Broken Trident between his teenage French team-mates Isack Hadjar and Hadrien David was 17-year-old Bajan Zane Maloney, the winner of round six of Formula Regional European by Alpine (FREC), leading a podium lockout for R-ace GP, which went on to win the Team’s Championship. After a campaign of 20 races at 10 circuits across Europe, Zane finished fourth, with a further seven podium finishes to his credit, with David and Hadjar second and fifth respectively in the standings.

Although his 2022 plans were not confirmed as this was written in December, Zane’s upward trajectory looks set to carry him into the FIA Formula 3 Championship, which will support nine grands prix this year, starting with Bahrain in March. As he advances his career, so there are benefits for his birthplace, too: FREC generated a worldwide following of more than 170 million through its social media platforms, on-line and print media and international television coverage, with Zane earning his fair share, never missing an opportunity to promote the island in interviews.

A third-generation race car driver, following grandfather Doug (a driver for six decades), father Sean and uncles Mark and Stuart, Zane was a Barbados Karting Association (BKA) Champion Driver by the age of 10, with five class titles to his credit, before heading to Europe to pursue his Formula 1 dream. After front-running seasons in the European and German karting championships, he clinched the 2019 British F4 title with his 10th victory in 30 races at the Brands Hatch finale.

Away from his European campaigns, Zane has regularly competed in domestic events, in both karts, race cars (an eighttime winner in the Radical Caribbean Cup) and rally cars, winning the Barbados Rally Club’s Double-Header Sprint at Bushy Park in June last year in his uncle Stuart’s Skoda Fabia R5.

He was the first Caribbean driver to be inducted in to the prestigious British Racing Drivers Club Rising Stars programme while, at home, he was the youngest-ever recipient of the National Sports Council’s (NSC) Sports Personality of the Year Award (voted in an on-line poll for the first time in 2019) and honoured with the Barbados Olympic Association’s (BOA) President’s Award. There is little doubt that more accolades are to come.

S P O R T

BARBADOS

HOCKEY

By Kofi Hinds

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After a whirlwind two years, Barbados Hockey is here and ready for you!

2019 Women’s Champions

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H O C K E Y

The first edition of the Barbados International Hockey Festival started in 1986 and was then known as the Banks Brewery Hockey Festival, or more affectionately as the ‘Banks Festival’, and sometimes simply as ‘The Festival’. The tournament was founded by Barbadian Hockey and sports stalwarts Winsmore Humphrey, and the late icons of local sports - Mike Owen and Tony Cozier. In the early days, the ‘Festival’ attracted over 1,000 players from 60 teams, across 10 countries. The Festival prides itself on delivering the experience of a solid balance between good Hockey, outstanding sportsmanship and colourful social events, on an island that lends itself so naturally as a magnificent sports and vacation destination. Since 1986, the tournament has played unbroken in Barbados annually, a legacy threatened by the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

While Hockey activity in Barbados has undeniably slowed under the government directives imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic on the island, the Barbados Hockey mantra of fun, sun and Hockey continues to fuel the sport and keep it alive and ‘sticking’ (pun intended).

In August 2020, towards the tail-end of the ‘first wave’, the Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) was able to stage the 35th Annual Barbados International Hockey Festival, to the delight and appreciation of players and fans alike. The 2020 Festival incorporated some novel changes to the way Hockey was played on the island, which included frequent hand and equipment sanitization, the incorporation of safety officials to the technical officials’ team, charged with ensuring a COVIDsafe environment for players, as well as a truncated format; playing over four days instead of the traditional seven. The 2020 Festival came as a welcomed break from COVID-fatigue and its additions contributed to players and officials feeling safer while participating, and led to the successful execution of another wonderful Hockey tournament. Unfortunately, due to travel

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restrictions and uncertainty at the time, the vibrant tournament was unable to welcome any visiting offshore teams, and while that was disappointing, it was certainly understandable.

As COVID-19 continued to persist into 2021, there was a hope that by August, when the tournament is normally staged, we would be able to welcome our touring teams to our shores once again, but while travel was a bit more open than in 2020, it was still prohibitive for most. Coupled with the travel challenges, sports also were under more restrictive instructions as an increased measure to fight the pandemic, which added to the uncertainty about the staging of our signature event. If that wasn’t enough, compounding the 2021 challenges were the ravages of a hurricane, and blankets of volcanic ash settling on our playing surfaces; the after-effects from our neighbor’s volcano eruption. Despite these mounting challenges, the 36th Barbados International Hockey Festival was successfully held from August 15 to 21, 2021 and was once again played in our truncated format and with only local teams - but still with all of the flare, colour and Bajan vibes the Hockey Festival has been known to showcase.

What else has been happening? The BHF began construction on a new pavilion with spectator seating. Currently in the process of being erected on the eastern side of the Wildey facility, the two-storey building will feature elevated seating, multiple restrooms, team changing rooms, showers, rooms for officials and a new office. We are excited about the new pavilion and the value it will bring to our visitors and members for future tournaments and events. Its construction is expected to be completed by February 2022, meaning it should be available for our next big event, the 37th Annual Barbados International Hockey Festival, currently scheduled to take place from August 21 to 27, 2022.

It is our hope that the new pavilion will not just house players, fans and officials, but also play host to our hopes and vision for a lively rebirth of Hockey on the island. That it stands as an inviting beacon and siren call for all to come our lovely corner of paradise and enjoy all that the island and our beloved Festival has to offer – fun, sun, (beaches) and Hockey.

Teams and clubs from all over the world are already making inquiries and booking their Barbados Hockey experiences [because the term ‘tour’ just doesn’t do it any justice]. The pitch is ready, our grounds are ready, our team is ready. We continue to welcome all to our Hockey Festival, and hope to see you in 2022!

Photos: Barbados Hockey Federation except where noted.

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S A I L I N G

SAILING

By Renata Goodridge

Photos by Peter Marshall

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Our island is looking forward to welcoming yachts local and foreign to celebrate the start of the 2022 Caribbean Regatta Season

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S A I L I N G

Our little island in the sun is home to so many gems, but for sailors it is all about the sea – becoming one with the wind and waves, and the boat that you guide by your own hand. And whilst 2021 felt dominated by pandemic restrictions, the sailing community was able to keep wind in our proverbial sails by celebrating our passion whenever possible while playing by the Covid Safety Rules.

In late May, Barbados avidly participated in World Sailing’s “Steering the Course”, a worldwide celebration of women in sailing, both in competition and administration. The Barbados Sailing Association chose to highlight our female youth sailors from the local sail training programmes: BSA and Set Sail.

The girls spent an afternoon learning and competing with

radio-controlled one meter boats on Golden Pond, St. Philip, they were quite adept at the hand controls and showed off their sailing knowledge by (mostly) keeping the boats on the course and out of the weeds (the pond water was very low at the time, so the girls learned what “in the weeds” really meant).

The next day was spent in winds clocking 35 knots on Carlisle Bay for a single-handed dinghy training regatta. Not a single one of the sailors complained about the strong winds, the capsizing, or the fact that some did not even get over the start line of the single race we managed in those conditions. Instead, there were ear-splitting smiles of how well they managed, that they are sure they will never have a problem “uncapsizing” their boats again, and that heavy winds are not insurmountable - especially not for our Bajan girls.

The whole event was organized and run by our women sailors for our female youth sailors – it was an amazing treat all around!

Great minds were at work during our island lockdowns; never doubt our keen island sailors are always looking at ways to get out racing in order to feel the ocean rhythm full on. Bajans led

by Steven Kern organized and then raced in the first Windward 500 Ocean Race. This race was innovative in that organization, tracking and judging were entirely online and marks of the course were GPS waypoints, with boats starting and finishing from their home ports. Covid kept the entries low for this inaugural race, however, the sailors that raced from Barbados, Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines all had a frolic.

This ocean race between the islands created a large online following, all of whom were able to track the sailors in real time and cheer their favorite across their respective finish line.

The next Windward 500 is set for May 16- 20, 2022. Kern says organizers welcome all racers and are hoping to attract offshore doubles teams, some large multihulls, and teams on charter boats. For information, contact skern@oneenergyisland.com Windward 500 Racecourses 2021 And while sail training and racing were off the books for large chunks of time in 2021, most boat owners took advantage and looked to boat and mooring maintenance, assuring readiness for the first regatta on the horizon, as Barbados Sailing Week 2022 is a GO! Our island is looking forward to welcoming yachts local and foreign to celebrate the start of the 2022 Caribbean Regatta Season, starting with Barbados Sailing Week 22.

The BSW22 regatta will run from January 18 - 23, creating a collaborative event between the Barbados Cruising Club, the Barbados Yacht Club, and the Barbados Sailing Association. All will be a part of the planning and execution of the regatta for the love of sailing – we want to share our island racing with everyone that can make it here. There is interest from international sailors

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to visit the island in order to participate in BSW22, and local sailors are extremely keen to get back on the water for some competitive sailing. We are very heartened by the enthusiasm of all. It is a joy to hear from sailors that they are coming, so you come too, and join us racing in the clear waters and great winds that beautiful Barbados has to offer – and that is just the on-thewater part.

Once again, BSW22 will have their long-standing and committed major sponsor Mount Gay Rum - we are very grateful they are with us to create an all-round outstanding event.

We are also very fortunate to have Peter Marshall from Peter Marshall Images behind the camera lens. Peter knows how to catch the action out on the racecourse, making for great and lasting memories. Of course there will be entertainment every day of the regatta too!

We are proactively spreading out the event meeting areas in order to accommodate physical distancing, while still allowing us to be sociable off the water while recounting that day’s racing.

BSW22 is excited to bring Kite Boarding as a class for the BSW22, there will be lots of action for all to see and experience.

This regatta, along with our other regattas, is registered as a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, helping to guide and empower

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all sailors and boaters towards better ocean awareness and to increase our abilities to make positive change for protection of our precious ocean waters and all that they contain within.

You can stay updated through these websites: https:// barbadoscruisingclub.org/ and https://roundbarbados.com/.

PS You don’t need to bring any rum; we have that covered!!

Sailboat racing is one of the great sports that occurs out on the water, away from most everyone else, unless you get too close to one another out on the start line or rounding a mark!

We are looking forward to the days when our beautiful island can host another Worlds dinghy event. Each World Regatta that we have hosted in the past has created sailors who want to return to our shores and our crystal clear waters and great winds in order to prove themselves yet again.

As locals, we are the fortunate ones, as the Barbados sailing clubs run local races and regattas every year, which we are looking forward to starting up again in the New Year. Once Barbados Sail Week 2022 has passed – look out for more local racing on the calendar.

See you out on the water in 2022!

S U R F I N G

Situated approximately 100 miles east of the Caribbean island chain, exposed to the Atlantic Ocean ,Barbados is a wave magnet for swells coming from every weather system and angle therefore the entire island receives consistent surf 365 days a year for all levels of ability. Surfers come from all over the world to compete in the many surf competitions held at the famous ‘Soup Bowl’ in Bathsheba on the East Coast and at Brandons on the South Coast. The island has many up and coming young surfers who compete worldwide. Visit www.sportingbarbados.com for up to date surfing information.

SURFING Josh Burke at Soup Bowl Photo courtesy: Alan Burke

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R U G B Y

BAJAN

RUGBY

REVOLUTION

By Amy Golding

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Some of the most significant growth in rugby on the island has been in women’s rugby

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Despite recent challenges to sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing’s for sure – rugby in Barbados is showing no signs of slowing down.

As the world begins to open back up to travel, sports fans and rugby enthusiasts visiting our shores can look forward to again enjoying regular rugby matches and training sessions, worldclass tournaments, and even opportunities to play against the locals in various new ‘Open Day’ activities planned for this year.

Through a variety of local initiatives, Barbados continues to create opportunities for people of all ages to give this hardhitting sport a try and is upgrading its facilities to expand its capacity to host international events and spectators; positioning the island to become one of the key nations driving the game in the region.

All this exciting progress is just another reason to make Barbados your premier sporting destination of choice for 2022 and beyond.

From little things, big things grow …

Known the official birthplace of Caribbean rugby, Barbados’ deep connection with rugby dates all the way back to visiting British troops in the 1900s.

Because of these military ties, the Garrison Savannah (close to the capital of Bridgetown) remains the official ‘home of rugby’ for diehard players and fans. Given this historical significance, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and key tourist attraction for visitors to Barbados.

Since its early days, rugby in Barbados has grown from a single team to now incorporate both Men’s and Women’s club and national teams, as well as youth programmes to encourage new talent and generate increased awareness of the sport island-wide. In 1964, the Barbados Rugby Football Union (BRFU) was formed as the governing body for rugby in Barbados and has expanded its global reach to impressively become a full member of World Rugby and Rugby Americas North (RAN), as well as of the national Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA).

Interestingly, some of the most significant growth in rugby on the island has been in women’s rugby, which began in Barbados just over 15 years ago. Since then, our women have played against various touring teams and participated in regional and international tournaments, making considerable strides towards developing rugby in Barbados.

Our Barbados Senior Women’s team (called the ‘Bajan Pride’) has additionally hosted and played in the 2019 RAN 10s, as well as in the Women’s Elite Division at the Rugby Barbados World 7s (RBW7s) from 2017 – 2019. In 2018, the RAN Regional 7s Championships was also hosted in Barbados at Bellevue Plantation and Polo Grounds, with 23 Men’s and Women’s teams from the Caribbean and Mexico flying in to participate.

Several of our women’s players have also received prestigious international scholarships to universities such as Harvard, as well as other noteworthy achievements.

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Getting kids into rugby …

Aiding the development of rugby on the island is World Rugby’s ‘Get Into Rugby’ (GIR) Programme which has an active local membership managed by GIR Barbados and headed by Director Kevyn Murrell (also VP of the BRFU).

The Programme introduces over 1000 children each year to the sport of rugby in Barbados and comprises a ‘Youth’ arm focusing on the development of young players in general, as well as a ‘Schools’ arm specifically focusing on primary and secondary school students.

However, since its inception in 2015, the Programme has grown exponentially particularly for girls evidenced by the launch of the first national interschool Girls Tag Rugby Competition in 2018 and an appearance at the Las Vegas Youth Olympic Games Qualifier by our U19 Girls Team in 2019.

2020 saw the exciting new development of a separate U19 Girls Programme which is open to any girl in Barbados wanting to give rugby a try, and plans continue for the establishment of a Girls Club Programme on the island.

GIR is also used as an important platform for young people to transition into international scholarship opportunities to develop their sporting skills, as well as their educational abilities, and broaden their horizons through the game of rugby.

Where are we now?

Contingent on the island’s COVID-19 protocols for contact sports, rugby in Barbados will continue to draw attention in 2022 from both locals and tourists alike.

Rugby tours to the island are growing in popularity, and each

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Photo by Mike Evans

year bring eight to ten overseas teams to our shores for the perfect mix of fierce competition, fun socialising, and traditional Bajan charm.

The BRFU has hosted visiting teams from all over the region and the world and always welcomes touring members of the rugby fraternity with the firm support of the BOA and the local tourism industry. Our junior teams also entertain visiting overseas school sides with 15-a-side, 10-a-side and 7-a-side matches played from time to time.

As part of its vision to raise the calibre of the rugby facilities in Barbados, the BRFU recently upgraded its clubhouse and is looking to install lights around the pitch to allow for night matches as well as improve the overall quality of the playing surface with the installation of a state-of-the-art irrigation system.

You can get involved!

The bulk of our rugby matches are played weekly (usually on Saturdays) during the months of September to February at the Garrison Savannah. These games are FREE to watch and the atmosphere is always a hive of activity.

Rugby fans can also come along and watch our teams going through their paces at their training sessions held on various nights of the week and weekends.

To add to this, GIR Barbados are looking to start hosting ‘Fun Days’ to get anyone interested in rugby into the scrum for some fun and friendly competition. The best part? Anyone can join (including tourists), so stay tuned for 2022 details!

Looking forward to world-class action …

After a two-year hiatus, the highly-anticipated Rugby Barbados

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World 7s (RBW7s) Tournament will be back in 2022, scheduled for 2-3 December.

As the longest running Club Rugby 7s Tournament in the Caribbean, RBW7s attracts fierce Men’s and Women’s competition and is definite highlight on the international rugby events calendar.

It is also known as the highest paying Women’s Club Rugby 7s Tournament the world, with the prize money a massive US $20 000 in 2019, and is set to rival the likes of the Hong Kong 7s and Dubai 7s.

The event has previously brought over 30 world-class club rugby teams from countries like the USA, England, Canada, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, and St. Lucia to Barbados to fight it out for first place and teams are already eagerly awaiting its return so they can tour to Barbados again this summer.

At a more grassroots level, women’s rugby in Barbados will be one of the top priorities this year and will make a big comeback with more initiatives such as advertising, scholarships, training, tournaments, and women in leadership positions being rolled out to recruit and retain a more solid female player base and administrative pool for future generations to come.

Watch this space …

Note: For the most up-to-date rugby scheduling and event information, please email the BRFU barbadosrugby@olympic. org.bb or visit the BRFU Facebook page @rugbybarbados.

Photo by Mike Evans

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OPEN WATER FESTIVAL It has been said that open water swimmers are a special breed, but open swimming has been active at Carlisle Bay for many years. However, the special breed was the introduction of an annual Barbados Open Water Festival that started several years ago and became hugely popular.

Clubs and individuals of all ages flock to the bay, including world champions that joined hundreds of swimmers with a passion of the sea. They have travelled from as far as Canada, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, England and Singapore and the camaraderie has brought lifelong friendships. Covid-permitting the Festival will take place again so keep abreast for information in www. sportingbarbados.com

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D I V I N G

DIVING

By Lucy Agace

Photo by Lucy Agace

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Barbados has plenty to offer the keen scuba diver, with 40 or so dive sites predominantly sprinkled over the west and south coast barrier and fringing reefs.

Photo by Lucy Agace

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Photo by Lucy Agace

Photo by Lucy Agace

Whilst Barbados is not famous for it’s scuba diving, divers have been enjoying the island’s coral reefs and marine life for a great many years. Over the last 40-50 years scuba divers from all over the world have appreciated the beauty of the coral reefs and marine life that surround Barbados. From Canada to Russia to the UK, many have donned tanks & weights and dived into the marine life rich tropical waters of Barbados. I have had the pleasure of diving with many of these visitors and sharing stories about our experiences, with the size of the fish or sharks getting larger each time.

Many readers may not know, but scuba diving was actually introduced to Barbados in the mid 60’s when the first dive shop was opened on Pebbles Beach, Carlisle Bay by Abdulhai Degia. Of course both scuba and free divers have explored and appreciated the spoils of the reefs for a great many years and no

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doubt, we will continue to do so.

Barbados has plenty to offer the keen scuba diver, with 40 or so dive sites predominantly sprinkled over the west and south coast barrier and fringing reefs. The dive sites range from depths of between 25 (Cement Pier) to 135 feet (The wreck of the SS Stavronikita) and represent a good mixture of reefs and wrecks. The island’s diving is a relaxed hassle free activity for all ages and suitable for a mixture of diving abilities, from highly trained to beginner. With over half the sites being less than 60 feet deep and many of them near shore, the boat rides are short and the dives are longer. Many of the dive sites provide excellent conditions for ‘drift dives’, where the skipper on the dive boat drops divers in at one point and picks them up at another (keeping an eye on a float or the surface bubbles along the way ). This allows divers to see a new part of the reef for the entire dive. With the dive leader out in front pointing out any interesting marine life, this is stress-free relaxed diving.

Currents are not usually an issue and only sometimes dictate the dive direction which makes Barbados a popular choice for the discerning international diver. Barbados is probably the safest island in the Southern Caribbean to dive because there is a fully operational Recompression Chamber located at the Garrison, just south of Bridgetown, the capital.

From Maycocks in the north to The Boot in the south a variety of hard and soft corals cover the fringing and barrier reefs along the west and south coasts of Barbados. These corals are complimented by an array of colourful sponges such as; yellow (tube sponge), green, orange (elephant ear), brown, pink and purple. I’m sure many of you have seen them on your dives.

Some sponges like the Barrel sponge, grow as big as a bath, while others are tubular in shape or flat that encrust the reef bedrock. It is interesting to note that there are more colourful sponges found on the west coast and more soft corals found on the south coast reefs. Of particular interest is the Asta Reef dive area. On a recent long shallow dive here I found the reef bursting with healthy corals, lots of colour, many schools of reef fish and, always a pleasure to see, turtles.

The two most common turtle species found in the waters of Barbados are the Green and Hawksbill. It is common to see turtles on many dive sites up and down the island throughout the year and also whilst snorkelling. However, I would like to mention that both species of turtle are often found on two particular dive sites, in the south - The Boot and on the west coast - Bright Ledge. They can be seen gliding through the water with almost no visible effort or resting on the bottom taking a break or perhaps sleeping. They are very approachable and fairly used to divers, but you are advised not to touch them.

Hawksbill turtles lay their eggs from May to July on west and south coast beaches. The hatchlings come out of the sand between July and October and make there way into the sea. This doesn’t always go according to plan. So to help more young turtles make it to the ocean there is a hugely successful charity

AN 85 YEAR OLD LADY WITH A PASSION! Meet Barbara Armstrong - she has just completed her 1000th dive with Scott at Scott’s Scuba Shop in Little Good Harbour, St Peter.

Barbara started the sport at 50 when she was a grandmother. Her husband, Keith, had been diving for years.

She loved it right away!

“It’s so peaceful down there and calm, just beautiful,”says Barbara. This fearless lady has taken her sport seriously with courses at the British Sub Aqua Club, Rescue Diver by PADI and underwarter video courses. Barbara has dived around the island with many diving shops and is a Master Scuba Diver, the highest recreational qualification. Together they have travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Belize, the Dutch Caribbean, The Grenadines and many more but her favourite dive location is Saba in the Caribbean.

“The people are so nice - we have been going there for years and feel like family now. Our favourite dive spot is Diamond Rock. They also have Pinnacles where you see sharks on every dive. So many big fish that you don’t see in Barbados anymore. Saba is a Marine Park that is strictly enforced” This fabulous lady is an inspiration to us all that we can take up a sport at any age and excel. Barbados has many interesting wrecks and diving locations so what are you waiting for?

D I V I N G

called the Barbados Sea Turtle Project. They have a dedicated hotline - 230 0142 which anyone can call to report a turtle hatchling sighting. The BST project also have hatchling releases during the season that the public can attend; please visit their website for more information.

Barbados has undoubtedly the best selection of wrecks in the Caribbean. There are 12 wrecks in total - large and small, old and new, some are deep while others are shallow and easily accessible for snorkelers. Wrecks are also referred to as manmade reefs, when unwanted ships have been purposely sunk, they soon become encrusted with corals, sponges and plenty of marine life searching for a safe refuge and a place to reproduce.

They are often sunk on sandy areas near a reef and offer a different landscape, in the shape of vertical structures, for corals (particularly gorgonia) to attach to and make their home.

Standing above all others, quite literally, is the freighter SS Stavronikita, she which was sunk on purpose in 1978 and lies at 135 feet. This impressive wreck is now covered in amazing corals, sponges and fish life and is the most often redived site in Barbados.

Probably the most successful collection of wrecks here is the Carlisle Bay Marine Park. This partly buoyed off area hosts 6 wrecks close enough together so that it’s possible to see all the wrecks on one guided dive. The fish life around the wrecks is astounding and within the last few years sting rays and turtles are regularly seen here. Sister ships the Pamir and the Friar’s Craig lie in excellent diving locations, one west the other off Hastings in the south. Both provide awesome second dives because they are both fairly shallow. The Friar’s Craig site also has the bonus of two nearby reefs, one full of soft coral sea-plumes and barrel

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sponges; and the other a flat outer reef full of sea-plumes which slopes down quite steeply. The sandy area where the Friars Craig lies often has sand eels, snake eels and sting rays. The Pamir has a yellow submarine adjacent to it, two wrecks for the price of one! The nearby reef has a collection of stoney coral formations, sea plumes, sponges and colony of yellowhead jawfish. Jawfish can be found hiding in their holes on the seabed usually in the sand or rubble. To feed they have to come out of their holes and hover above them catching passing food particles. They are shy creatures and take time to come out of their holes, patience will pay off because they are so beautiful and elegant.

Barbados is ‘open’ for diving all year round but some of the best underwater visibility is in the July/August/September months. This is when the year round easterly breeze is taking a break, the seas are calm and under the sea there is a special stillness and great visibility. If you take your time and look closely there is so much to see and appreciate, the reefs seem to sparkle as the sunshine reaches deeper at this time of the year.

If you want to know a little bit more about the marine life here why not buy a copy of the Barbados Dive Guide book, which is available throughout the island and at most of the dive centres.

If you haven’t booked your holiday yet and will be travelling with a family put Barbados at the top of your list. The divers in the family will be very happy with their activity and for other family members there is so much to do and see around the island. Barbados tourism products have come along way over the last few years. There are now many new immersive experiences to enjoy, from hiking at Cocohill to Gong Baths at the Animal Flower Cave, or just soak up the sun and swim in the beautiful aquamarine sea, it’s a winning destination for everybody.

P O L O

POLO

By Wayne Archer

Photos by Peter Marshall

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Unfortunately the Covid-19 pandemic hit Barbados polo like a brick, but after 18 months of inactivity we are bouncing back!

The glitz will return and thankfully our sponsors are still behind us. Barely two years ago Barbados polo was the talk of world polo and a top polo destination. The international season December-May was one of the biggest and greatest for many people, both local and overseas, as tournaments were a Who’s Who with famous celebrities, actors, singers, sportspeople and glamorous people. Sunday afternoon at Holder’s Hill was the hub of exciting polo, packed with hundreds in the sponsor’s tent, and this quaint little clubhouse après polo that could tell so many stories of ribald revelry, music and dance.

It won’t happen overnight, but times are now changing after the pandemic, and once the Government eases the restrictions, the spectators will return.

Barbados Polo President Wayne Archer certainly agrees“Barbados Polo Club hosted the first international polo match in 1966 with the Potomac team from USA, polo has steadily become a tourism product. Since then, players and their families have continued to come to our shores, not only to play polo, but also to enjoy a wonderful Barbados holiday and Bajan hospitality. During the polo season the club attracts a large number of guests staying on the island, who enjoy an opportunity to see this exciting sport and to experience an enjoyable afternoon of socializing. Polo Barbados is alive and other countries like Argentina, England and USA have returned to pre-Covid times with sell-out crowds full of pomp and pageantry. That’s what we want to return!”

Despite the pandemic over the past two years, polo Barbados has made massive strides in the past 20 years.

However, the sport has a rich history and dates back to 1880 when the army brought polo to Barbados. At the time matches were grand occasions based at the Garrison and packed

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with a Who’s Who in Barbados society. Much of the attention was focused on the dashing cavalry officers, who dominated horseracing and polo, but gradually they introduced the local planters and of course, the rest is history.

On reflection, has it changed that much in the modern day?

Pre-Covid polo was the buzz of Barbados sport and the glamour and ritz was already there in keeping with the grand social gathering at the Garrison. Beautiful ladies with colourful hats, umbrellas and stylish dresses, champagne et al are part and parcel of this exciting sport, and the home of Barbados Polo Club at Holder’s Hill is one of the most idyllic arenas to enjoy it.

Therein lies one of the great attractions to polo, as it is as much sporting as social and while matches are fiercely competitive on the pitch, when the game is over the culture is cordial, social and friendly.

Restrictions will ease, the players are already playing and spectators will return. Soon we can welcome our old friends from the Cheshire Club and the Villages Cub with thrilling matches like the Battle of the Sexes and more.

Sadly, last year Barbados lost one of the most enigmatic and colourful character when Sir Charles ‘COW’ Williams passed away. For many years he was the cornerstone of Barbados polo and a generous benefactor, host to many visitors and a Legend in every way. Gone, but not forgotten.