Good evening ladies and Gentleman. It is a distinct honor to host the Captain’s Cocktail at Clarence House for the very first time. Clarence House is just one of the examples of our rich history. One of our greatest assets as a nation, beyond providing the best sailing conditions in the Caribbean – is that we are blessed with a culture and history with a pedigree that few can boast in the region. Just last year, Nelson’s Dockyard and Parks was given the distinct honor of being the newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Clarence House is a key structure to this recognition. It was recently dutifully restored last November to the splendor that you can see by looking around. You are part of the few elite to be invited to celebrate an event in this venue. I would like to thank Sir Peter Harrison for making this possible as his foundation spearheaded the US$3M funding of this restoration project. We would also like to congratulate Sir Peter on his 80th Birthday, which he just celebrated in grand style during our 50th Anniversary of Sailing week.
The UNESCO World Heritage designation is just part of what we believe makes Antigua and Barbuda the sailing mecca that it is. Perhaps this year will be the first time that some of you can now say that you’ve raced from a UNESCO World Heritage site. At the very least we believe that it enriches this distinct milestone of celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Sailing Week.
I would like to thank all of the skippers for joining us to celebrate this wonderful event. You all have done a wonderful job this past week, and have made each of the race days an incredibly exciting event to watch for the hundreds of spectators. Thank you for ensuring Antigua Sailing Week 50 was an incredible success. Well done! As the week winds down it is now time for you to relax to wind down and exchange your stories about battling those 20-knot trade winds across our beautiful waters.
Congratulations to everyone! I invite you all to return to Antigua and Barbuda again throughout the year, and hope you will join us again next year for Antigua Sailing Week. I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow for the final Awards Ceremony.
Do enjoy the rest of your evening!