Model Sloop Racing

The islands ran on sailing sloops until engines arrived, and when the working boats went the tradition survived in miniature: men carve model sloops from local wood, rig them with cloth sails, and race them across the shallow bank water where the models can be waded after and turned. The Valentine's Day Cup at Bambarra Beach on Middle Caicos each February is the main event, with boats built through the year for it, a beach full of the island's population and a good deal of argument about rules. The models are properly made, sail properly, and the competition is entirely serious.

What you actually see

• The Valentine's Day Cup - the main regatta, at Bambarra each February.
• The carved models - built by hand from local wood with cloth sails.
• The shallow-water racing - waded after rather than followed by boat.
• The full-size sloop regattas - at South Caicos and elsewhere.

When to go

The Valentine's Day Cup at Bambarra is in February. The Big South regatta at South Caicos is in May and races full-size sloops. Both are single days and the only reliable opportunities.

Honest expectations

It happens on specific days once or twice a year and there is nothing to see otherwise. Getting to Middle Caicos for a one-day event means a ferry, a causeway and most of a day either side. There are no facilities at the beach. Dates shift and are confirmed locally.

Nearby

Bambarra Beach on Middle Caicos; South Caicos for the full-size regatta.