Guyanese organisers unveil plans for Bartica Regatta 2013

The delegates for this year’s Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant in Guyana were introduced on Tuesday, as DC Promotions in collaboration with the Regatta Committee launched the annual Easter Regatta.
The beauty pageant, a traditional highlight of the regatta, returns, following its absence from the annual event last year.
Pageant coordinator Sonia Noel said the pageant is one aspect of the activities that is anticipated by all. She noted that the pageant has grown more national, featuring girls from across the country instead of just Bartica. “For the past four years, it was really just for Bartica, but we want to develop it into something bigger… so it’s countrywide, the girls have been going through their paces and they’re a fantastic bunch of girls. This year, the guys have decided to give the first prize which is Gy$1 million and we’ve never had that before, so what we’ve discussed is that the young ladies, not just the winner but everybody must feel like winners.”
Meanwhile, Region Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford said the annual event serves as a means of developing tourism in the region, since that is the main avenue to economic sustainability for the community.
He said: “It (the regatta) is not budgeted for in our yearly budget, so we were carrying out the activity by soliciting sponsorship here and there and sometimes we get help from central government but it was not enough.
So we see the need that if we would have this activity grow and realise its true potential, we see the need for public/private partnership.”
The committee is also ensuring safety is adequately addressed, especially as it relates to the speedboat races, since it turned out deadly at the Lake Mainstay Regatta when Orin Bell died in a boat race.
The regional chairman said: “We’ve always paid heed to safety and at our regatta, we’ve always had a medical team on standby and we’ve always had the hospital of Bartica, I know it’s not far away, so we don’t need an ambulance. We’ve also always had on standby an aircraft, so if there is any accident or incident, we can always just call.” In this regard, one of the boat race categories will be named in honour of Bell.
Bradford also noted that the gospel concert that was introduced last year to replace the pageant will continue this year, as part of activities, as it has become the signal event to kick off the weekend’s activities.
DC Promotions, run by Deon Ferrier and Charles Jones, is the organising body working along with the Bartica Regatta Committee to stage the annual event.
Jones said: “When it comes to tourism, Bartica is the place to be, the environment is clean and healthy, people are friendly… so we had to be a part of regatta… me and my friend decide we gonna take up the challenge.”
Last year, DC Promotions brought in Tarrus Riley for the international concert and this year will be bringing Jah Cure. The line- up of activities include a football tournament beginning on March 24, the gospel concert on March 29, an international mega concert on March 30, the pageant on March 31 and the water races – swimming and speedboat racing on March 31 and April 1. (Guyana Times)