Bumboat Regatta at annual Tobago Carnival Regatta
Carnival Regatta
The annual Tobago Carnival Regatta is the place to be for the best watersports and paradise for thrill seekers. The event will be held from February 18 -20th 2011, and will have an exciting range of activities available including bum boat racing, kite boarding and wind surfing.
For avid ‘big boat racers’, The big boat (Cruiser) racing will be held in Trinidad between February 10-13th, 2011 and a traditional Trinidad carnival party will be held the evening of Saturday February 12.
Origin of the Bumboat Regatta
The "bumboat", or fisherman's boat, has traditionally been put to sail at regattas held on Easter weekend.
Long before the advent of outboard motors, local sailors began racing against each other. In the 1950s and '60s, when fishermen from other islands -- St. Vincent, Bequia, Carriacou -- would sail down to Tobago to fish, races between the visitors and the locals became popular.
The tradition has continued in Roxborough and Pembroke, on Tobago's windward coast, where bumboats are still being built today. The term "bumboat" was coined only seven years ago; in other islands, the vessel is called a work boat, and is used mainly for seine net fishing.
The increasing popularity of regattas in the Caribbean has given work boats the opportunity to compete against yachts. In Tobago, the bumboats are allowed to sail on the first day of the week-long Angostura Yachting World Regatta, which takes place about two weeks before the Whitsuntide weekend.
On Whitsuntide, however, the stage belongs exclusively to the hardworking bumboat.
"Bumboats" Take Off
The indigenous "bumboat" fishing boats were active in Tobago last Whitsuntide weekend, as they participated in the Tobago Aquatic Association's 5th International Regatta. The list of competitors also included several entrants from the islands of Bequia and Carriacou.
The Tobago boats came fresh from competing in the opening day of the Angostura Yachting World Regatta, two weeks before, as well as at the Bequia Easter Regatta, where a Tobago boat, "Thunder" had placed third. ("Third" seems to be a significant number for "Thunder", which also placed third overall in the Whitsuntide event.)
The visitors had travelled to Tobago the previous day by ferry, together with their boats. The first day of the regatta saw seven boats competing; on Sunday, however, the full complement of ten took to the water. Victories were split more or less evenly between the local sailors and the visitors.
Despite two minor mishaps (a ripped sail and a broken mast), not to mention the inevitable controversies when the winners were announced, a good time was had by all; and at the end, trophies and TT$6000 in prize money were distributed by a representative from Stag Brewery, the sponsor of the event.
A Boat Named "Trouble"
"Trouble" by name and, it would seem, trouble by nature. At least, that's the way owner and skipper Mackie Simmons, of Bequia, affectionately describes his bumboat.
Describing how the boat was purchased by his father not once, but twice (the first time from people who, it turned out, had no legal rights to the vessel) -- thus giving rise to its name -- Simmons declared: It still remains Trouble; it still is in Trouble." Living up to her reputation, "Trouble" managed to rip a sail early in the second day's sailing.
Originally built as a whaling boat and later used for seine net fishing, "Trouble" is, according to Mackie, a very old boat. The original hull is 100 years old; however, the boat has been overhauled "100 times already, and it still gives Trouble!"
Not surprisingly, "Trouble" did not distinguish herself during the Whitsuntide races. On Saturday, the boat never finished the sole race of the day because, as crew member Bob Berlinghof pointed out, "We came for fun and we were thirsty." The next day, the boat placed fifth in a field of seven ("Our best race," exulted the crew); and halfway through her third race, a sail ripped.
Luckily, none of the crew takes any of this too seriously. As Mackie pointed out, they sail "Trouble" just "to keep up the tradition, and for fun." What better reason could there be?
Whats New
On the cards for the regatta are bum boat racing, kite boarding, windsurfing and optimist sailing among games and activities for spectators of all ages. Brett Kenny, of Radical Sports Limited in Tobago, and Kyle Wyke, who is working in collaboration with Borde and Peter Knox (co-owner of Tobago Regattas Ltd) have managed to attract professional kite boarders from Cabrinha Kites, a water-sport equipment manufacturing company from Brazil, to perform an air show in Pigeon Point for the first time. The Cabrinha professionals, who are coming from Antigua, will judge the kite boarding and windsurfing competitions. Other kite boarders competing will come from Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, USA, Canada, England, Germany, France, Sweden and Belgium among other countries. Some of the competing kite boarders and windsurfers are from T&T. Internationally recognised kite boarder Niklas Huntgeburth from Germany is also down to compete.
The 2011 Tobago Carnival Regatta will allow practitioners of all wind based water sports to participate. It will be the premiere event in the region for competitors and fans of all of these disciplines to interact and enjoy and appreciate each activity. This year will feature the intense athleticism of top notch Windsurfers and death defying Kite Boarders as well as the impressive Optimists (young sailors ranging from ages 7-15 yrs old and hailing from various parts of both Trinidad and Tobago) and the Traditional Bum Boats (home built, wooden boats which are native to Tobago, Grenada , St Vincent and the Grenadines).
Local bum boat racing which declined over the last two decades is beginning to experience resurgence. The Tobago Aquatic Association which has an interesting history had a few enthusiasts in years gone by such as Malin Smith, Eric Walcott, Emile Louis, Busta Lumsden and (Humphrey Almandoz, Carlton Lindow, Miles Almandoz – deceased).
Bumboat Tobago Carnival Regatta: http://www.tobagocarnivalregatta.com/bum-boat/
Trinidad & Tobago Sailing Association (TTSA) website: http://www.ttsailing.org/