Caribbean Revival

bahamas speed week REVIVAL 2013

Over the past 10-20 years, the collector car community has seen a number of “destination events” spring up. Whether a road race, a rally, a concours or a driving tour, these destination events usually share the intoxicating mix of significant cars, interesting or exotic locales, great food and wine and lots of driving or racing. However, a mere handful of these events can encompass an additional dimension—a direct connection to some significant racing history. Events like the Mille Miglia Storica in Italy, the Goodwood Revival in England and the Tour Auto in France, all have become world-class automotive events, founded around a significant slice of racing history. On the surface, each stands as a great automotive event that any enthusiast would love to take part in, but when you add in the “Walter Mitty” factor of being able to enjoy a luxurious automotive vacation, while playing like you are Fangio or Moss, well that makes these events all the more special. 

With all the above said, I have to confess to being excited when I was recently asked if I would like to attend the latest of these historically grounded, destination events, the Bahamas Speed Week Revival, which took place in historic Nassau, over the first week of December. But why include it here in Vintage Roadcar, you may ask? Wasn’t the Nassau Speed Weeks of the ’50s and ’60s a pure race meeting? Yes, like the Mille Miglia, the Nassau Speed Week was a full-blown race, but the Bahamas Speed Week Revival has really developed over the past three years as a road/speed event with lavish parties and a concours thrown in for good measure. However, as you’ll see, this looks likely to change for 2014.

In the beginning…

The notion of racing in the Bahamas came about in the early 1950s, ostensibly as a draw to lure wealthy Americans to vacation on the Caribbean island of New Providence, in the Bahamas. It was the brainchild of American Captain Sherman “Red” Crise, in conjunction with Sir Sydney Oakes and Robert H. Symonette.

Dubbing themselves the Bahamas Automobile Club, the trio organized their first Bahamas Speed Week, the first week of December 1954, which included sports car and motorcycle races on the abandoned Windsor Field airport, as well as a host of welcoming receptions, dinners and parties. Due to a combination of the warm tropical weather and the fact that the event was held in December when the majority of the racing world was at rest for winter, the Bahamas Speed Week quickly became a popular end-of-season destination for some hard driving…and even harder partying! According to Crise, “In the Bahamas, no cocktail party ever gets held up by a late race.”

As the 1950s gave way to the swinging ’60s, the Bahamas Speed Week continued to grow in popularity, attracting significant factory entries and drivers, not only from the U.S., but from Europe as well. It seemed everyone liked the idea of escaping the cold of winter for some warm Bahamian sunshine in the first week of December. Sadly, by the mid-’60s, top-level motor racing was changing. Professionalism and sponsorship were playing an ever-larger role in the sport, making it both difficult for factory teams to commit the time and resources necessary to attend the Speed Week during the ever shorter off-season and simultaneously, when they did, making it all but impossible for the “amateur” entrants to compete against such large, well-funded teams. By 1966, the quality of fields had diminished, attendance had dropped and so the Bahamian government pulled its financial support from the event. While an international Formula Vee race was held in 1967, the Bahamas Speed Week passed into the history books after that year’s event.

Revival…

Brit David McLaughlin is no stranger to racing or organizing historic races. He and his wife Lorina have not only been active competitors in historic Formula One races (in everything from a Lotus 49 to Schumacher’s 1992 Benetton) but they were also the founders of the FORCE race series, which eventually became the foundation of the Masters Series.

In 2010, David had the idea that, like the Mille Miglia and the Tour Auto, the Bahamas Speed Week was a historically rich event that was ripe for a revival catered to today’s affluent collectors and competitors. With enthusiastic support from the Bahamian government and local enthusiasts, he was able to pull together an event that included some high-speed driving events, along with islands tours and of course, a host of the parties and functions that made the Bahamian events so popular (and notorious!) back in the day.

With this year’s third iteration of this revived event, McLaughlin and his team sought to raise the bar even higher, in terms of the supporting events that comprise the Revival and set the stage for a major announcement regarding this coming year’s event in 2014.

Welcome to the Bahamas…

Flying in to Nassau’s brand new Lynden Pindling International Airport on Wednesday, December 4, I was whisked away to our hotel, the Graycliff. Situated next to the seat of the Bahamian government at Government House, the Graycliff stands as the oldest hotel in the Bahamas, having been built as a mansion for pirate Captain John Howard Graysmith in 1740! Oozing with period charm, I didn’t have much time to soak in the rich ambiance, before coat and tie had to be donned to walk across the street to Government House for the Royal Welcome Reception.

Among the grounds of the Bahamian’s equivalent of the White House, champagne, food and live entertainment were enjoyed by the many competitors and their crew before we were joined by Governor General of the Bahamas, Sir Arthur Folkes. Not only did Sir Folkes mingle and welcome the many competitors, but he also set the assembled group abuzz when he announced that the Bahamian government was committing to the construction of a purpose-built racetrack, at the site of the original Oakes Field circuit. The Governor General made public his commitment that next year, the Bahamas Speed Week would be able to enjoy a full slate of proper races on a brand-new dedicated facility.

007 Tour and Lyford Cay Concours

Those familiar with the early James Bond movies of the 1960s will be aware that Nassau plays prominently in the filming and storyline of the 1965 Bond flick Thunderball, starring Sean Connery. Much of the movie takes place on New Providence Island, of which Nassau is the major city. Because of this connection, the Revival organizers devoted Thursday, December 8, to a James Bond-themed island driving tour culminating in an informal concours d’elegance and luncheon at the exclusive, private Lyford Cay Club.

Led by a phalanx of motorcycle-mounted Bahamian police officers, two-dozen sports and exotics left the competitor paddock at Arawak Cay for a fast-paced tour of the island. Led by patron of this year’s event, Derek Bell, in a convertible Audi R8, the group crisscrossed the island at sometimes surprising speeds (it’s hard to tell whether the entrants or the police were having more fun), taking in filming sites from the Thunderball movie and even the old Oakes Field race site before the procession made its way to the west end of the island and the ultra-exclusive Lyford Cay gated community.

As the cars backed into their respective spots in front of the stately Lyford Cay Club, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu that I recognized this place. Then I realized that the porte-cochére and entry that all the cars were lining up in front of, was the very same one that Sean Connery was filmed in front of, as Lyford Cay was used as his hotel in the movie. Amazingly, it has not changed one iota in over 50 years! So impressed with Lyford Cay was Sean Connery that he has maintained a home there for many years and was even a guest at last year’s concours. Sadly, he was out of the country this year.

After being treated to an obscenely lavish buffet lunch, the winners of the informal concours d’elegance were announced. With Derek Bell standing by to present, awards were presented to the 1971 Ferrari Daytona of Dirk Van de Velde of Belgium, the 1955 Maserati 200S of Mikel Willms and the Best of Show honor was bestowed upon the one-of-a-kind 1965 Ferrari 206 prototype of Austrian Andreas Mohringer.

That evening we were treated to a lavish dinner at the Graycliff’s five-star restaurant, as well as a tour of its 250,000 bottle wine cellar—the largest in the Caribbean.

Exploration

While the Bahamas Speed Week is comprised of a significant number of events, one of the thoughtful things that the organizers have done is to schedule in enough “down time” for entrants either to relax or explore the island on their own. As such, Friday was an open day that left one with time to wander and shop through downtown Nassau, visit the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas or the newly renovated John Waitling Rum Distillery, gamble at the Atlantis Casino or do absolutely nothing and plop down on the beach and enjoy the 82-degree day…in the heart of winter! For me, I got the rare treat to swim and interact with Atlantic Dolphins at Blue Lagoon Island, just a short 30-minute boat ride from Nassau.

That evening yet another party was in store, this time a street party and display of entrant’s cars along Nassau’s famous “Fish Fry.” The Fish Fry is a segment of beachside storefronts devoted exclusively to dozens of small local restaurants specializing in native foods. In addition to a wide assortment of fresh, locally caught fish, these eateries serve up many variations of the Bahamian’s favorite food, Conch. Harvested from local waters and plucked from their ornate shells, the Bahamians eat more Conch than any other country on the planet! Conch Fritters and Conch salad (very much like ceviche) are two of the most popular variations, which can be backed up with a maddeningly delicious and sweet local desert known as Guava Duff.

Competition Begins…

While the notion of holding a hillclimb on a Caribbean Island may seem oxymoronic, believe it or not, the Speed Week Revival had one and it was a challenging course…as one or two drivers discovered to their dismay! While the temporary road course for Sunday’s circuit activities was laid out around the scenic Arawak Cay shoreline, the circuit is also located at the base of the island’s only hillside. At 800 feet above sea level, this hill is also home to Fort Charlotte, the largest of three protective fortresses built on the island in 1787.

Competitors started off on West Bay Street (Arawak Cay’s back straight), before making a sharp right-hand turn up Marcus Bethel Way, through a right-left-left-right chicane and then on up the balance of the hill, with some off-camber esses thrown in for good measure.

In the “Period Race” category, fast times were posted by Mohringer in the Ferrari 206 SP and Willms in the Maserati, while the “Touring” category saw impressive runs logged by the Jaguar SS100 of Duncan Young and the 1929 OM 665SSMM (the car featured in Vintage Racecar, October 2013) driven by Clive Doyle.

In the “Supercar” category, Derek Bell in the Audi R8 was chased by the 2013 Nissan GTR of Hugh Bate, until Bate lost control of the lightning fast Nissan, collecting one of the barriers. Despite rearranging the front clip a little, driver and car were fine and able to return to the remaining activities. Other notable runs included local physician Pablo de Souza in his 427 Cobra replica.

After a full day of runs up the Fort Charlotte hill, the group reconvened that evening at the historic John Waitlings Distillery for a gala party that included food, spirits and a live performance from a jazz trio and the Bahamian National Symphony Orchestra.

Sunday’s program was devoted to hot laps around the Arawak Cay circuit, which included a beachfront straight and a tricky bridge crossing onto and back from Nassau’s cargo terminal island. Due to the trackside proximity of numerous hazards such as trees, vendor stalls and the Atlantic Ocean(!) this temporary circuit is limited to fast hot laps, as opposed to full, head-to-head racing. As Derek Bell noted, “You have to be very wary of making a prat of yourself!” But that fact didn’t seem to detract from the speed and verve with which the participants tackled this tricky circuit, nor the enjoyment of the local spectators filling the grandstands.

While competing at Arawak Cay, drivers and their crews had access to one of the nicest hospitality compounds I’ve seen at any historic meeting. Nestled between the circuit’s two straights and just feet from the turquoise waters of Nassau Bay, the hospitality lounge not only featured a full bar and gourmet catered meals, but even a salon offering massages and manicures! As the day wound to a close, I asked Andreas Mohringer—who had travelled all the way from Austria to be here—what he thought of the experience, “I have been coming here—now for the second time—for several reasons, the main one’s because I liked it so much last year and the people are so immensely friendly, helpful and open. And of course it’s the nice climate, plus the event, which is, I think, quite attractive. One would hope the news will come true for next year to have a proper racetrack. That will make it perfect.”

Derek Bell parroted this same line of thinking, “I think it has been really great fun. It is just a lovely event to come to. What they’ve done here, with the hospitality and the way that we are looked after, is magnificent. If you ask me what is the future of this event, it is the new, purpose-built racectrack. It has to get built.”

The combination of such an idyllic setting, with warm winter weather and such a strong connection to racing history makes the Bahamas Speed Week Revival an appealing destination event. After three years of building a solid base and reputation around a constellation of road and touring events, the Revival is poised in 2014 to make a major stride forward in its development. Assuming the Bahamian government makes good on its promise of reviving the permanent road course at Oaks Field, the Speed Week will be poised to move to one of the top rungs of international historic racing and automotive destination events. With any luck, this time next year, you’ll be reading about the Bahamas Speed Week Revival on the pages of Vintage Racecar…instead of Vintage Roadcar!