Askew's Wizard Take IRC Line Honors in Montego Bay

Linda Ambrose, Regatta Manager

Starting 28 hours after the PHRF fleet, the Volvo 70 Wizard was first across the line in the IRC division shortly before 6 pm on Thursday. Although the team spent a lengthy amount of time in a wind hole, Peter and David Askew's crew, including John von Schwarz and made up of multiple Volvo Ocean Race sailors, were still pleased with their performance.

Tactician Charlie Enright said, "We enjoyed some champagne sailing with bohemian tactical challenges. We felt like we lost a day of our life, like 24 hours of basically being parked up in a transition zone. But, it was an unbelievable start and great finish. The post frontal bombing across the gulf stream at 24 knots – where we kept pace with Argo for at least two seconds - was great and then we had some awesome sailing through the windward passage. We did the race in 2017 and came back for good reason. You can’t always pick the forecast, but we still had a good race and good time and good group. The hospitality when you get here is absolutely amazing, sailing down the Windward passage is really sick."

One of the oldest offshore races on the calendar, The Pineapple Cup – Montego Bay Race started in 1961, making 2019 the 34th edition of the venerable 811 nautical mile race. Immediately after the start, racers cross the Gulf Stream for the Northwest Providence Channel. The middle of the race offers a fetch down the eastern side of the Bahamas Island Chain toward the tip of Cuba. The final stretch is typically a sailor’s dream: a 240-mile downwind sleigh ride from Cuba’s eastern tip, known as the Windward Passage, to the finish at Montego Bay. For more information visit the official event page: https://www.pineapplecup.com/