BELLBUOY - MAY 2023

BELLBUOY

P E R F E C T S A I L

the Newsletter of The Barbados Yacht Club

FromtheDeckoftheCommodore

Fortunately, the producers are more than happy to stay with the Club for future events

Our planning for our Centennial Celebrations is coming along very well and we hope to share the programme of events with members within the next couple of months.

Dr. Isobella Parkinson

Our long bank holiday weekend has been and gone. I hope you all managed to take advantage of the many events that were going on around the island or just relaxed at home. Our Elton John tribute event, Elton Rohn, was very well attended and much enjoyed by everyone who came. The producers were enthusiastic about how well the event was organized and complimented our General Manager, Wayde Clarke, and his staff for everything they did to make it such a success.

I was disturbed by a comment made by one of the producers He said he had been told they would have sold more tickets if the event had been held at a venue other than the BYC. We seem unable to shake off completely the stigma of the perceived prejudices of many years ago. I would encourage all our members to try and dispel this image of the Club whenever the opportunity presents itself.

In this edition of the Bellbuoy we highlight the results of two regattas held in April; The Avril Parker Dinghy Regatta held on the 23rd April and the R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd. Regatta held on the 7th May Our congratulations to all the winners. The next Regatta to be hosted by the BYC will be the Harris Offshore Memorial Regatta on the 28th May

Also in this edition we have a special feature on another one of our Trustees, Charles (Reds) Packer who will be well known to many members We take this opportunity to thank Charles for his continued dedication and unwavering commitment to serving the Club and its members

We are now in low season at the Club as most of our winter visitors have left Our food and beverage facilities are still available as usual so please come out and enjoy the sea and the beach now it is quiet, and the Sargassum has largely disappeared.

Commodore - The Barbados Yacht Club

Special Feature

Charles Packer, MBA Trustee

The Barbados Yacht Club

In our penultimate feature on our Trustees, we sat with Charles Packer familiarly known as "Reds Packer" who was more than happy to give us a glimpse into his busy life.

Charles had this to say about his exciting journey...

I commenced my early schooling with Mrs. Weatherhead at the Aquatic Club Gap and Ms. Watkins at 10 Ave Bellville then moved to Harrison College starting in prep one.

I left Harrison College at 17 years and went to work at R & G Challenor one of the subsidiaries of BS&T group joining as a junior (i.e. mailing and banking), while there, I learned customs, costing and converting pound sterling to Barbados currency. R & G Challenor sold large quantities of fertilizers to sugar estates and animal feed, had branches in Speightstown and Six Mens. Six Mens had a jetty into the sea where the Challenor Schooners docked. When Hurricane Janet arrived in September 22, 1955, the jetty at Six Mens was destroyed.I was a volunteer and a member of the Regiment and was called out to duty to deliver food stuff to the people hardest hit and who had lost their homes in the Southern areas of Christ Church, St. Philip and St. Michael. We spent several weeks occupied at the Regiment headquarters until matters were under some control.

In the early 70s, I purchased an old traditional Barbadian home in Hastings opposite the Caribee Hotel with property going back to what is now the BARP Headquarters. The building was a large coral stone building and had two small cottages at the back. I saw an opportunity to renovate and convert the building into four apartments which I did and rented them to visitors/tourists. We lived in one of the cottages at the back. Since the property was underutilized with vacant land, I conceived the idea of developing this into an apartment and shops project for tourists and submitted an application which was approved for a six story apartment building.

To do this development required investment partners which I found and we demolished the old building and started construction. The front of the roadway was Royal Bank and immediately behind was a sub-basement and first floor of shop spaces with plans for apartments above for tourists. We completed the bank and shops, however, my partners got cold feet and would not go forward with borrowing for the apartments section as in their opinion, tourism had become too risky. The plan was never completed and we sold the Skyway shopping plaza after a few years in operation.

I was employed with the BS&T Group for fortyfive years and worked at several of the companies as during this time they were various mergers taking place between subsidiaries e.g. Six Mens store closed, R & G Challenor merged with Wilkinson and Haynes to become Wilkinson & Challenor, Mannings merged with Wilkinson & Challenor to become Manning Wilkinson & Challenor and later, Manning Wilkinson & Challenor merged with DaCosta to become DaCosta Manning. During these years, I became Manager of the hardware, lumber and building department at the Bridgetown branch and was eventually appointed Manager in charge of DaCosta Manning with retail stores in Bridgetown, Speightstown and a fisherman’s outlet in Oistins.

Special Feature

In addition to hardware, lumber and building materials, we branched out into furniture and appliances and employed over five hundred people at which time I was appointed Managing Director of DaCosta Manning in 1974. During this period, I attended UWI and completed my MBA degree in 1994 and subsequently retired in 1999.

I married Barbara Cozier in 1963 and our union produced two boys, Charles in September 1964 and Robert in March 1967. They both went on to study in the United States. We have five grandchildren, four girls and one boy, all living in the United States.

During my working career, I found time to indulge in my favorite sport of swimming, water polo and yacht racing. I actually started swimming and water polo while at Harrison College sometime in 1953/1954 where I represented my school house. In 1956, the associations of Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados agreed to have a triangular swimming and water polo series in Barbados. In these games I played against Trinidad and Jamaica, Jamaica won the water polo and swimming. Before these years, many ladies also played the game and there are pictures of ladies and gents teams going on tours to Trinidad in 1951/1952.On leaving school in 1954, a group of us young guys got together and formed a new team “Tarpons” since the established teams like “Snappers”, “Bonitos”, “Swordfish” had an abundance of talent and it was difficult for us to get into any of these teams.

The “Elite” water polo series between Barbados and Trinidad resumed in November 1955 and the young players got their breakthrough in this series as a “Colts” team selected to play against Trinidad. We won the game 6-1. In 1954, at the annual swimming sports, I swam and won the 100M backstroke and against Trinidad, I won the 200M freestyle.

In 1958, I was appointed Captain of the Barbados water polo and swimming team and captained the team until 1962. The triangular series was again held in Jamaica and they won the series. In Barbados there was no swimming pool in those days so we tied a raft on the shore side anchored with lane ropes running back to the Aquatic Club piles, this was our “pool” which kept shifting with the wave movement. In 1959 in Barbados we won the series and 1960 in Trinidad, they won the series 1961. In Barbados we won and in 1966 in Barbados at North Point pool, Barbados won and in 1968 in Jamaica, Jamaica won. During these series, Jamaica won the swimming trophies every time (7).

In November 1959, a West Indies water polo team was selected for the Pan American games in Chicago.Four players from Barbados were selected, Geoffrey Foster, John Burke, Albert Weatherhead and myself. The level of these games was much higher than that achieved by the West Indies team.

Our water polo team was successful in the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Jamaica in 1962, winning a Bronze medal, we also competed in the 1966 CAC games and narrowly missed a Bronze, finishing 4th. Upon retiring from water polo and swimming, about 1966/1967, my interest in yacht racing increased and I crewed for a number of owners starting in the locally built wooden yachts and then in the Tornado, Lightning and Fireball classes. I then purchased a French cruise yacht, a “Dufour” class, from a couple who had sailed it across the Atlantic. I then proceeded to cruise race in the islands (Grenada, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago).

Special Feature

I sold this yacht and purchased a 38’ speedier yacht Angelique which we competed with in Trinidad, Martinique, St. Martins and Antigua. Jack Hoad was the skipper and partnered with me along with Peter Marshall and Julian Gill.

We had some success but being competitive, we had to sell Angelique and purchase a Beneteau 10 class racing yacht with which we raced with great success from Trinidad and Tobago in the South to Antigua in the North throughout the islands.

During the 60s and 70s, I became a member of the RBYC in November 1966.

In the 70s, I purchased four acres of land at Gibbons Plantation and built a house. At the time, there was very limited shopping in Oistins. I got together with two other investors and purchased a plot of land to the east of Oistins at the junction leading to Enterprise road which had a building formerly operating as a grocery. We renovated and added to the building and opened a small supermarket along with a number of rental shops and a few offices. We named the development Southern Plaza. After moving from Gibbons we sold the plaza.

For many years, I purchased damaged cars at auction and had them repaired and sold. I also got involved in rental cars to tourists which led to rental apartments on short-term to tourists.

After relocation from Gibbons, I partnered with two friends and purchased Cane Garden Estates, a sugar plantation.

On moving there, I quickly sold off most of the non-productive land and started growing vegetables and developed a farm raising broiler chickens, pigs and black belly sheep. Our boys enjoyed the farm days while schooling in Barbados before immigrating to the USA for further study

When the estate was sold, I continued to develop residential land for sale up to this day. On leaving the farm, we purchased a traditional Barbadian old house (Moorlands) once owned by my headmaster sited on a large plot of land at Rockley. Soon after, I was offered an attractive price by an overseas person who wanted to establish the only McDonalds restaurant in Barbados. We sold the property to him but unfortunately this venture failed and was closed. Later, I invested in a number of tourists apartments at Rockley Golf Club and managed these for a number of years.

During our yachting days as a member of the Barbados Yacht Club, I served on the Sailing and Management Committees becoming Commodore spanning 1990-1993. My tenure spanned three years. I became a Trustee in 2011 and was subsequently presented with Honorary Life membership in October of the same year for my services to the Club and Yachting in general.

SAILING

Regattas-Results

The Lucky Horseshoe Offshore Regatta

The results of the Lucky Horseshoe Offshore Regatta, sailed on Sunday, 19th March, are as follows:

1st A-Salt Weapon, skippered by Jason Tindale

2nd Bunga Bunga, skippered by Charlie Gloumeau

3rd Pheonix, skippered by Greg Webster

The Avril Parker Dinghy Regatta

The overall results of the Avril Parker Dinghy Regatta, sponsored by the Parker Family and sailed on Sunday, 2nd April and Sunday, 23rd April, are as follows:

Laser Radial Class

1st Jason Tindale

2nd Jacob Binnema

Laser 4.7 Class

1st Joseph Whelan

2nd Savannah Stuart

3rd Oliver Whelan

O’Pen Skiff Class

1st Jasper Hope

2nd Leenah Nagdee

3rd Francesca Johnson

Taz Class

1st Nelson Hope

2nd Jack Parker

3rd Asher MacKenzie

R. L. Seale & Co. Ltd Regatta

The results of the Old Brigand Rum Race 2023, sponsored by R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd. and sailed on Sunday, 7th May, are as follows:

1st Bunga Bunga, skippered by Charlie Gloumeau

2nd Pheonix, skippered by Greg Webster

3rd Glory Daze, skippered by Gus Reader

From left: Rapajam, Bunga Bunga and A-Salt Weapon

Winners Row! Crew of Bunga Bunga (L-R) Charlie Gloumeau, Cyril Lecrenay, Scott Wilson, Renata Goodridge (BSA President) Jason Trotter and Roderick Mascoll

Laser sailors crossing the start line (L-R) Savannah Stuart Jacob Binnema, Joseph Whelan and Jason Tindale

SOCIAL SCENE POP-UPSHOP

Our April Pop-Up had a wide array of products on display from local artists and artisans. From beauty products to clothing, jewellery and homemade cocktails, there was something for everyone.

ROOM RENTAL

Looking for an affordable meeting room for your meeting or venue for your upcoming party or function? Our rooms and venue can accommodate various group sizes. Give us a call at 427-1125 or email officebyc@barbadosyachtclub.com for further information.

Sharron Fergusson

Cyril Lecrenay

John Lashley, Amanda Corfe, Maisie and Hollie Lashley

SOCIAL SCENE

ELTONROHNSHOW

WHAT A NIGHT! You had to be there to witness what could only be described as a phenomenal experience with two incredible live acts

Red Plastic Bag got the evening off to a flying start and had everyone rocking Elton Rohn was an amazing Elton John, playing all the old favourites the crowd could dance and sing along to The Dj ended the evening in fine style, playing music until well into the early hours of Friday morning.

KNOW THE RULES/REGULATIONS

Members are reminded of the following General Regulations of the Club. A copy of the full Regulations is on display on the Notice Boards.

GENERAL REGULATIONS

2. BEACH FOOD AND BEVERAGE FACILITIES

Nappies are to be changed in the washroom facilities, where they can be sanitarily disposed of in the bin provided Changing nappies on beach furniture is unsanitary and unacceptable

Members and their guests are required to purchase food and beverage from the Club If you wish to bring food for your own consumption, or an item for a special occasion (e.g. birthday cake) please advise the Club management and get written permission.

10 SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN

Children under the age of 16 are the responsibility of their parents or guardians who shall ensure they do not unduly disrupt Members. Children who are guests are under the responsibility of the member who invited them to the club Children should not be allowed to play in the bar area

Members who observe poor behaviour should ask the Supervisor on duty to deal with the matter

14 DRESS

All persons using the Club must be properly dressed for the occasion A minimum acceptable standard for the covered Beach Facility being swimwear or beach wear with a suitable top If you are unhappy about someone's dress, please make the supervisor on duty aware of this.

SMOKING

There is now a smoking area to the west of the gazebo, near the fence round the kayaks in the boatyard Please use this area and do not smoke on the beach or round the beach facility.

While not a rule, members wishing to bring into the Club a large number of guests are requested to advise the Club in advance of their intention. However, the names of all guests MUST be advised to Security either in advance or on their arrival. It is a rule that the member is required to accompany their guests while they are in the Club

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR 2022-2023

Commodore Vice Commodore

Committee Members

Isobella Parkinson

Christopher Parravicino

Adrian Gale

Brian Cadogan

Jonathan Still

Keithan Laurie

Satcha Kissoon

Mr. Wayde Clarke

General Manager

Trustees Andrew P. Hutchinson

Charles F. Packer, MBA

Dick Stoute

Peter Marshall

officebyc@barbadosyachtclub.com

www.barbadosyachtclub.com