U.S. powerboats rally to Havana

HAVANA, Cuba, May 18 (acn) A new stage in nautical relations between Cuba and the United States opened on Tuesday with the arrival in the bay of Havana of the first rally of powerboats from Florida to Cuba in 58 years.

At the Hemingway International Yacht Club, Commodore Jose Miguel Diaz welcomed the 85 U.S. citizens who staged the event, the beginnings of which go back to 1922, with its last edition almost six decades ago.

After touring the capital's seafront on board of 17 speedboats, the crew members participated in the signing of an agreement of friendship between the Florida Powerboat Club and the Hemingway International Yacht Club, which lays the foundation for future meetings.

Diaz told reporters that for years both parties had shown interest in revitalizing such exchanges, limited due to prohibitions imposed by the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

He stressed that this scenario, opened after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, has contributed to strengthen nautical links, and mentioned the reopening in May 2015 of the Havana Cat Challenge, which was first organized in 2000 but that had not been repeated due to lack of permissions.

The commodore specified that since that date 200 U.S. ships and 1,200 crew members, mainly as part of sailboat regattas, have reached Cuban territory.

He highlighted the significance of this first rally of speedboats, an event that in the future is intended to include competitions in the capital's seafront.

Curtis Watkins, one of the crew members, told ACN that being in Cuba is for him an extraordinary experience and that he always dreamt about navigating to these waters.

The former professional speedboat racer added that it was a difficult journey because currents were very strong and waves exceeded two meters.

Standing out among the 18 events planned for this year with the U.S. nautical community is the Havana Key West Yacht Club Challenge, to be held on June 20 with the participation of 25 vessels and more than 100 yachtsmen.

The Havana World Record Challenge will take place in July, in which James Dennoyer, a member of the Yacht Club of Key West and of the Hemingway International Yacht Club, will try to set a new speed record of less than one hour between Key West and Havana.

In August, German racer Roger Kluh crossed in an hour and a half the 145 kilometers separating the two territories, aboard his Apache Star motorboat.