THE marina at Port Antonio will now be known as the Errol Flynn Marina, named for the long-dead movie star, a move its owners hope will help to brand the facility among its intended clientele – high-income luxury yacht owners.

“. We needed a brand we could take to the market that had some recognition, some sense of spirit and adventure, that could give some history and story behind it, that would create an interest for someone to want to come to Port Antonio versus any other port,” said Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) vice-president for cruise shipping, William Tatham.

The marina, opened by former prime minister P J Patterson in 2002 with great fanfare, includes the Ken Wright Cruise Pier, 32 berths that can accommodate yachts up to 76 metres long, a free zone boat yard, on land storage for 50 boats, a restaurant and several shops.

Since its opening, the marina has been criticised as a ‘white elephant’, but the Port Authority said it was confident that while the marina was not operating at full capacity, it would eventually, given the right marketing and promotion.

“Once people come here, they fall in love, but when you ask captains, ‘Why not go to Port Antonio?’, they ask, ‘What’s that?’,” said Tatham.

“Now, not only is Port Antonio beautiful, but that it has some history, some mystique, gives us something to bring the people in. And now, here’s this world famous icon, in movies and stuff, who loved the place, and that should help us to sell the marina, Port Antonio, and by extension, Jamaica.”

Errol Flynn, whose name and image will now be central to the marina’s brand, was one of Portland’s most famous residents.

His name has been used in the past to pull tourism business to Jamaica’s rustic eastern shores, in particular, rafting on the Rio Grande.

Flynn, a Hollywood actor, gained his fame in the middle of the last century as a movie star with a flamboyant lifestyle, which at times seemed to outshine his achievements on screen.

In the 1940s, ostensibly fleeing the backlash of a statutory rape case in Los Angeles, Flynn, who was rumoured to have uncountable sexual relations with women, and occasionally men, purchased property in Jamaica, and introduced many of his celebrity friends to the island, sometimes taking them for raft cruises and throwing lavish parties at his estate.

At the renaming ceremony on Tuesday night, Flynn’s widow, Patrice Wymore Flynn, who still lives on and operates the family’s estate and ranch in rural Portland, alluded to her late husband’s colourful character and passion for Jamaica, relating anecdotes about the former movie star.

“When Errol first laid eyes on Jamaica, it was an instant love affair. (It was) the beauty that captured us, the warmth of the people and the quiet, tranquil life. In fact, Errol has been quoted as saying that Port Antonio is more beautiful than any woman he had ever met. That was before he met me,” said Wymore Flynn to peals of laughter from the audience.

It was Flynn’s and her dream to pursue a venture similar to the marina, she said, explaining that their plan never came to fruition because she and her husband were too busy managing their careers, their marriage and their daughter.

“But I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see a dream and a vision come to reality. I think this is one very positive step forward that will help to return Jamaica to its status as jewel of the Caribbean,” said Flynn, who still raises cattle on her 1,000-acre estate.

At the same event, prizes were awarded to winners of leg 6, the Panama to Jamaica segment of the Clipper ’05-’06 Round the World Yacht Race, boats from which were berthed at the marina since June 17.

The yacht team from Durban, South Africa came away winners and were awarded a large, locally-carved cock to be installed on the ship’s bow as a mark of the bragging rights the team earned for its effort.

In third place was the New York Clipper, and second was the team from Western Australia. Ten yachts are participating in the race, and represent major world cities. The other seven teams represent Qingdao, Singapore, Jersey, Victoria, Cardiff, Liverpool and Glasgow.