Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5763/-1/135/
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Festival Del Mar: Island Harbour To Buzz With Activity
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Island Harbour Bay, now virtually quiet, except for the gentle waves caressing the many fishing boats at anchor and crashing against the shoreline, will buzz with activity on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23. That is when Festival Del Mar (Festival of the Sea) will be held there attracting large crowds from across the island.
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Panaramic view of Island Harbour Bay
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The occasion will include a deep-sea fishing tournament, races for A and B class boats, model boats and sunfish craft, culinary competitions, string band and country music and sea food. In addition there will be swimming, running and cycling races for under14 and 15 and over competitors.
The fishing tournament will commence at 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, and boats must return to the dock at Island Harbour by 1.30 and have their catch weighed by 2.00 p.m. The sunfish exhibitors will start their functions at 10 a.m.; the model boats at 12 noon and the B-class race will begin at 2.00 p.m. for the triangle route in the Island Harbour area.
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Stephenie Brooks presents cheque to Othlyn Vanterpool
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On Sunday, March 23, the A-class boat race will commence at 10.30 from Sandy Ground to Island Harbour. The triathalon races and the culinary competitions will also be held on that day. Prizes will be awarded to all winners.
“This festival is a concept that has been developed by the Anguilla Tourist Board,” said Festivals Coordinator, Fitzroy Tomlinson, at a press briefing on Monday this week. “We are trying to build this festival in the Island Harbour area to showcase the fishing relation of the people there to the sea and as such we are going to have a number of activities relating to the sea.”
He explained that the festival would not only highlight the Anguillian relationship with the sea, but would also enhance the tourism product if the Island Harbour community were to give it their full support. “We have been working very hard to get it up and going and the interest has gone very wide. We have at least two international magazines – The New York Times Travel and Forbes Travel - interested in covering this festival even before we get started,” Tomlinson said.
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Roland Hodge with model boat builders
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“We also have a lot of interest from a number of local groups and organisations including some of the youngsters from the W.I.S.E. programme (Workshop Initiative for Support in Education) who are eagerly finishing up model boats for the festival. We also have the Anguilla Cycling Club which will be involved in the triathalon and the Anguilla Boat-racing Association which is actively involved in assisting with getting the boat-racing aspect going. The Anguilla Sailing Association will have some of its youngsters in the schools racing their Optimist dinghies as part of the activities.”
Chairman of the Island Harbour Organising Committee, Othyln Vanterpool, said only vendors from the village community would be allowed to carry on their trade there. “We want the vendors in Island Harbour to be able to advertise their properties and services, such as restaurants, and to let persons know that if they want some good seafood they can come to Island Harbour.” On the other hand, Vanterpool said it was important for the fishermen to know that there was a market outside the area for their catch in a prepared state.
“We all know that Island Harbour is a fishing community not only locally but regionally as well,” Vanterpool further stated. “There is a stereotype about fishing communities and sometimes that leads to low self-esteem…but we are hoping that by having this festival in Island Harbour that the entire community will recognise that they are more than a people involved in fishing. We can take our fish and other seafood and turn it into something that is really viable and bring people to the area…Apart from showcasing what they have, it can lift the morale of the community. It is perceived that the people there have been neglected in several ways and it is good for them to be able to do something for themselves.” He said there had been a number of meetings at Island Harbour about the festival and the response had been very good.
Chairman of the Tourist Board, John Benjamin, said the festival was another marketing tool for Anguilla. He explained that the Board had been involved in various festivals on the island and was now working with the people in the West End community to do something there later on.
“We are trying to get the communities to be actively involved because tourism is not just about tourists coming to the island. It is about us marketing ourselves individually and as a nation on a whole,” Benjamin said. “We have many talented people in our areas. Island Harbour may be known for its fishing but there are also some very astute businessmen in Island Harbour, but that is overshadowed by the issue of fishing.
“We have a lot to be proud about in Anguilla and as a Caribbean destination. There is something that is happening world-wide in the tourism industry which we are not taking notice of. In Dubai, for example, which is a desert, they are out to create a Caribbean experience in Asia and have made that quite clear – so much that they want a CuisinArt [resort] there…and they are creating little islands and having racing boats, fishing competitions and everything else to feel the Caribbean experience. We have a lot to be proud about and to offer the world…Island Harbour has a lot to offer the rest of us and if they can produce the fish and in a style that we can be proud of…it would all be good for the people there, all of us and for tourism.”
Country Manager of Digicel, Stephanie Brooks, said that the festival was a new initiate and that her company was very excited about supporting it. “It is a community-based festival that features the sea and Digicel is proud to sponsor the A class boat race and we are looking forward to seeing all the boats come out,” she stated.
Roland Hodge, a woodwork tutor with W.I.S.E. and two students involved in the making of model racing boats, were also at the press briefing about Festival Del Mar and brought with them samples of their sailing craft.