Editor's note - Water sports and heart stoppers

There are many reasons you should visit the Caribbean and Central America: the warmth of the people, (biased I may be, but we are truly wonderful); the luxurious, romantic resorts, such as the gorgeous Florblanca in Costa Rica, featured on page 18 (of the current issue of Destinations) and the quaint Jamaica Inn on page 30; jungle adventures; and thrilling water and wind sports. And I am game for it all. My latest adventure was on water. Having recuperated from the Stanford Antigua Sailing Regatta, I think it appropriate to warn those faint of heart to stay away and to encourage the thrill seekers to participate. I went innocently to the Antigua Sailing Regatta to support the team on Enzyme, a 35-foot Henderson sponsored by MACO Destinations. The island was buzzing with excitement and the showcase of yachts in the numerous marinas across Antigua was breathtaking. Antigua Sail Week is regarded as one of the most challenging regattas in the world, with nearly 100 individual prizes being awarded to 38 separate categories. The start of the single race I was allowed to crew on began with a cacophony of shouts and frantic hand waving from crew members warning off their rivals as too many boats seemed to be trying to cross the start line, all at the same time. For the seasoned crew of Enzyme, it was all in a day’s work. For me, it was heart stopping and absolutely exhilarating. The wind was strong and the competition fierce. Soon, we were on our own, away from our rivals. Après sailing was as much fun as the regatta itself with nightly events and parties. Mingled with the diehard racers, some of them world champions, were spectators and locals, talking about the race they had witnessed that day either from boat or land. Five grueling days of racing combined with six nights of boisterous partying left me exhausted and needing a good vacation, possibly at one of the resorts featured in this magazine. My editor’s pick for May 2009 – Antigua Sail Week. Don’t forget our fabulous Fowl Cay private island getaway competition. It’s a chance of a lifetime to live it up like the rich and famous and be one of the first guests at this stunning resort. Happy reading! Neysha Soodeen MACO Editor-in-Chief www.macomag.com