Caymannetnews.com
- Wednesday, July 10, 2000
The Cayman Catboat Renaissance
December last a book was published called, LOVE'S DANCE - the Catboat of the Caymans, which extolled the virtues and beauty of a sailing vessel particular to the Cayman Islands. It was the first book specifically aimed at the nautical heritage of this maritime culture. The maritime part of the Cayman Islands history is as old as the founding of the place, over 300 years. In the mid 1960s these once called The Islands That Time Forgot moved into the 20th century as a major tourism destination and a financial center. The speed of that transition has played havoc with the social dynamics of the small country, and one result was the abandoning of the maritime traditions. All of a sudden stimulated first by the need of such a book as LOVE'S DANCE, and second, by the popularity of the theme amongst both Caymanians and foreigners, Cayman Catboats are being once again built and raced.
In February the Cayman Islands Seafarers' Association gave the go ahead for the organizing of a month long Cayman Catboat Regatta for the Month of April, April was to be the month of CayFest, the Cayman Cultural Festival. The Catboat races would commence the cultural festivities and would finalize on Easter Monday, a traditional date for Catboat regattas. The Cayman Catboat was the pick up truck of the islands when there were few roads. The design was developed for the hunting of sea turtle, The Catboat regatta was introduced as a formal event in 1934 as part of a maritime celebration of the sailing turtling Fleet. At times 27 large gaff riffed vessels were crossing the starting line to a seriously competitive series of races put on by the CI Yacht and Sailing Club. There were short Catboat races with over a hundred Catboats competing during the long out bound legs of the large boat race, The days of the simply named Regatta were declared public holidays and the Western coasts of Grand Cayman were filled with cheering spectators and picnic feasts.
By March there were only three entries for the race, but because of an appeal for donations of derelict Catboats, four of the vessels in various states of disrepair were offered to the CISA. Clericy Bodden whose father was one of the greatest riggers and sailmakers in the Island's past, cleared part of his boatyard and put it a the disposal of the Seafarers. Cable & Wireless general manager, Tim Adam, an aficionado of maritime history, committed the first sponsorship donation of funds for the race. The Bank of Butterfield did one better by not only funding the entire race but pledged to fund the race for the following year, The race took on a name, Butterfield Perpetual Cup Catboat Regatta. Tropicana Tours, a local destination management company, provided office space, computer, telephone and fax service. Tropicana's managing director, Rollin Jackson has dedicated the tour company to building up the maritime historical aspect of the culture.
David Foster of Foster's Food Fair placed his own Catboat in the race and financially sponsored the event as well. Part of the agreement was to do minor repair to any of the vessels competing, Tony Powell was enlisted to do the boatwork. Four boats were entered and one was being built by Catboat building, Elford Dilbert, to enter, Dilbert eventually had his two Tradition Catboats in the race, the latter, Tradition II being launched the day of the first race and sailed from South Sound to the Public Beach racing start.
The races took up four weekends with good local press coverage. The big fault being in the races starting on time. In the end, the Butterfield Cup went o the Tropicana/ Cable & Wireless boat, Skinny Lee in a controversial decision.
The racers and interested then decided that a club should be formed to perpetuate the momentum of the Regatta. On the 12th May the first meeting was called to order of the Cayman Catboat Club and the first order of business was to define the Cayman Catboat as a design concept and racing class, A $10,000 prize for the best Cayman Catboat as was announced publicly to be awarded at the end of the Pirate's Week celebration and culmination of a four-weekend series of races, so parameters had to be made for what defined the Cayman Catboat, A one-day, two race even was organized to keep the interest up and that race would be held on the official Queen's birthday, June 19th.
After several meetings the Catboat was vaguely defined and a fundraiser given a proposal for the Queen's Birthday Challenge Regatta. In five working days the Cayman Catboat Club had to turn away sponsors due to the unexpected popularity of the event and the persistent efforts of Tower Marketing and Publishing.
The Red Sails Sports Queen's Birthday Challenge showed the highest caliber of competition yet, though the problem of late starting remained. The five boats showed their best sides as work on improving the rigs and lines never ceased. Even between the two races, judged on a best time for the two, sails were being switched and better situated. The Texaco sponsored Fiddlesticks broke her mast at the start of the first race and was jury rigged with the help of her competitors for the second race. The race was one by the CI Hotel and Condo Association Catboat, Tradition II, which was crewed by three J-22 racers, two of whom represented the Cayman Islands in the Olympics.
Red Sails Sports received special accolades for sponsoring the last race, which was won by the Cayman Island Hotel and Condo Associations Catboat.
Discussions are now underway to look at dividing the class into a Heritage Class and an Evolutionary Class to ensure that the Cayman Catboat moves on a futuristic course as well as a traditional one.