Staniel Cay, Exumas --­ With a steady 15 knot wind, the 37th Annual Staniel Cay New Year's Day Cruising Regatta got off to its earliest start in years, possibly due to the cruising yachts not having to wait for a local Bahamian challenger.

Last year, Staniel Cay's Tida Wave sailed to finish almost an hour ahead of everyone else.

Renegade, Peter Mader's 48-foot catamaran, was the first to cross the finish line in 1hr 22 mins, his fourth year to race.  

Different Drummer, Bruce Sarandrea's 47-foot sloop, was the first monohull across the finish line in 1:31 hours, his seventh time entering, followed by Ed Radonic's 39-foot Black Diamond for second place in monohulls.

Boomerang, Don and Lynn Walton's 39-foot catamaran, placed second in the multihull division. Murry Rand's 40-foot Windswept IV took third place in monohulls.

A total of 17 boats registered to race, with 13 finishing and one, a small 14-foot boat sailed by Stu Fierlage, capsizing. Only working sails are allowed in the race, no spinnakers.

"The weather was perfect, with the wind steady and lots of sunshine," said Capt. Burke Smith, this year's Staniel Cay commodore aboard Kin Lani, the 49-foot committee boat provided by Capt. Ray Leese.

Others committee members aboard included Helen Smith, Jack Swanton, who provided the race statistics and also presented trophies, and Marty Wohlford, this year's race reporter and photographer.

Race buoys were set by Brooks Miller and Mal MacGregor, Brooks Miller was master of ceremonies at the awards banquet, opened with a prayer by Rev. Berkie Rolle, and Steve Smith gave a vote of thanks to everyone.

Shore committee chairs included Rene Thompson and Millicent Kelly, with Ronnie Rolle and Bernadette Chamberlain in charge of the captain's cocktail party at Happy People on Dec. 31. This year's fundraiser auction was Dec. 30 at Club Thunderball, with Mal McGregor auctioneer.

One of the early fundraisers was a movie night at Happy People with the showing of a 1991 video of the rebuilding of Staniel Cay's Class A sloop Lady Muriel, the first native boat to challenge the cruising yachts in the first regatta 37 years ago.

Although there was a mishap with the committee's timing for the start, everyone else timed it right, even if the cannon, courtesy of Jim Sherman, fired a little late. Nine of the boats had entered the annual regatta in previous years.

Other entries, from fourth place on, included Al and William Budding's 42-foot Tanden, Bob Argue's 39-foot Flextime,  Richard Samson's 40-foot Imperial de Quebec, Gordon and Lorrie Stevens 44-foot Mystic, Doug Merrill¹s 44-foot High Stepper, Michel Jeanneau's 39-foot Kribi, Kevin McPadden's 37-foot Dream Seeker and Martha Sherwood and David Marsh's 32-foot Antigone.

Boat's that did not finish were Stu Fieriage's 14-foot Nomad, Michael Sanborn's 37-foot Pagan Chant, Mac and Shirley MacVean's 44-foot Cat's Paw and Yuan Chanard's 37-foot Tacksea.

New Year's week is a fun-filled time on the island that includes pig roasts and cookouts, auction, C-Class sailboat races, long drive competition, New Year's Eve dinner, New Year's Eve Watch Night church service, cocktail party, beach bazaar, and the Annual New Year's Day Cruising Regatta and Awards Ceremony. Visitors return year after year to enjoy this friendly family island tradition.

Photo 1: The crew of Different Drummer, monohull winner, was awarded several prizes: a painting by local artist Joan Mann (straw hat), another by Bernadette Chamberlain (far right), the Blanche Gray perpetual memorial cup and 2009 winner's trophy. Every entry also received a basket of local items. Burke Smith, this year's commodore, is second from right.

Photo 2: Flextime and Mystic round the second buoy near Harvey Cay.

Photo 3: Renegade was the first boat to cross the finish line, winning the multihull class.

Photo 4: Different Drummer heads to the finish line, placing first in the monohulls.

5. Boomerang and Black Diamond, second place winners in multihull and monohull classes.

6. Windswept buries her rail as she sails to a third place finish in monohulls.

(Photos by Martha Wohlford, Serenity, Staniel Cay)