MONTEGO BAY, St James — BUOYED by placing third with Hark Jamaica in this year’s prestigious Pineapple Cup boat race, Andrew McGlone, the skipper and owner of the vessel, says plans are afoot to enter more boats from the island in the next competition.

“We have been speaking to a lot of people and we are now looking at a programme to put together not just one, but at least two boats for the next race, and to have Jamaican people crewing these boats,” McGlone told the Observer West.

This year, the 811-mile-race which began in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, crossing the Gulf Stream and making its way around the Bahamas before taking on the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti, ended in Montego Bay, St James, on February 11, after seven days of sailing.

Some 23 boats entered this year’s event, which has been hosted by Montego Bay since its inception in 1961.

Among them were entries from Canada, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and the United States.

The brainchild of the Montego Bay Yacht Club, this year’s event marked the first time in almost a decade that Jamaica had been represented in the race which is held biennially.

McGlone — a native of London, England — who has been sailing for more than 20 years — told the Observer West that he is working assiduously to get greater participation in sailing amongst Jamaicans, particularly children.

“Sailing is seen as a white elitist sport and I really want to do something about changing that. I want kids who believe that sailing is beyond their reach, to get involved and that really is what I want to do… put sailing within their reach,” he explained.

He argued that sailing can make significant contribution to foreign exchange earnings in Jamaica.

“Jamaica probably has the least tourism yachting in the Caribbean but once Cuba opens up, and they are in the process of doing so, Jamaica will be an alternative route on the way to somewhere, and this could bring much-needed foreign exchange to the island because of the number of crew members that would stop over,” he said.