Record Pusser's Painkiller Thriller Takes Place in Trying Conditions

Ewan Anderson, winner of the 2006 Pusser's Painkiller Thriller. Owen Waters is in the background.

Last minute safety briefings on the beach at Pusser's Marina Cay.

Rusty Henderson, second placer in the 2006 Pusser's Painkiller Thriller.

Some of the finishers after a refreshing Pusser's Painkiller

On Saturday May 27, a record twenty-five hardy souls entered the 2006 Pusser's Painkiller Thriller, a twenty-mile downwind windsurfing race in the British Virgin Islands. Nineteen finished, last year's winner defended his title and some do or die sailors landed at Nanny Cay beach over fours after they left the start line.

Last year's event took place in grueling 30 knot winds and 4-6 foot standing seas but this year conditions were more killin' than thrillin'. The race started in solid planing conditions with an upwind beat from the mouth of Trellis Bay to Beef Island Bluff. The lead was won and lost several times as the fleet approached the lighter and fluky conditions off the Bluff. Last year's winner, Ewan Anderson, was the first to emerge and managed to hold his lead in the downwind sprint all the way to the finish in a time of one hour and three minutes. Next to finish was Rusty Henderson followed by Bill Bailey.

"Coming round Beef Island Bluff there was deep water and no wind with the wind buffeting off the bluff and you had to keep high of that to get past it," said Anderson. "I managed to tack high enough and fortunately Rusty got stuck in the hole there and I managed to get past him. Then it was a matter of using all the islands, and the lifts off the islands, to keep as deep as I can. I went deep all they way. I took a lift off [Road] Town, took a lift off Dead Chest, came in here to the bay at Sea Cow's Bay and then another lift down round to the finish here."

Ewan's sons Sean and Alec finished fourth and seventh respectively.

The first half a dozen sailors finished in what were described as "technical" planing conditions but the wind started to die and the rest of the fleet was left with painfully light conditions. After an hour of light wind, it rallied and brought the middle of the fleet to the finish - and then finally died for the rest of the day. Some of the tail-enders turned back, while the rest battled to the finish. Craig Chomiak, the last to finish, staggered up the beach with his Camelbak hydration pack drained, three hours and fifteen minutes after Anderson. "I'll die trying," were his final words as he left the beach before the start; he didn't finish the race last year.

This windsurfing event in the British Virgin Islands was resurrected in 2005 and takes competitors from Pusser's Marina Cay to Nanny Cay Marina, home of the event's organizers Island Surf & Sail. This year's event was postponed from its original date of April 29 due to extremely light wind conditions.

2006 Pusser's Painkiller Thriller Results

1. Ewan Anderson 2. Rusty Henderson 3. Bill Bailey 4. Sean Anderson 5. Owen Waters 6. Roy Keegan 7. Alec Anderson 8. Chad Emmanuel 9. Eric Spencer 10. Chris Simpson 11. Dave Pettigrew 12. Mirko Sangers 13. Ben Butler 14. Carolina Pettigrew 15. Eddy Brockbank 16. Tom Merrigan 17. Dara Thomas 18. Simon Cook 19. Craig Chomiak

Did not finish (no order):

Mattieu Saunterre Gareth Thomas Andrew Stanbury Yegane Guley Rod Lang

Did not start (no order): Chris Cormack Chris Brockbank