After a nine-year hiatus, Jet Around Cayman will be hitting the water again this Easter Monday.
The jet-ski race, which first began in 1996 and was held for 17 consecutive years, is considered by some to be the Cayman Islands’ biggest water-sports event, with spectators lining the shore along all five districts of Grand Cayman to watch the race.
“This has been such an impactful event for Cayman for so many years after it was first introduced by the Rankin family, and when it was cancelled, it left a huge gap in our sporting community,” Mario Rankin, organiser and co-owner of the rights to the race, told the Cayman Compass.
Rankin, along with several other sponsors and government officials, attended a meeting on Monday, 7 Feb., to discuss the upcoming event, during which Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan expressed his support of the return of Jet Around Cayman.
“The government, particularly my ministry, is definitely in support,” Bryan told the Compass, noting the event attracts both visitors and the local community.
While the current COVID-19 regulations only permit 250 people to gather outdoors for a single event, Bryan said that those protocols may change in time for the race on 18 April.
He said government does not intend to make any financial contributions “because it is a private event”, adding, “It isn’t normally something that we would do through our marketing budget, but there’s many other ways that we can help support them [at] the ministry level.”
The race will once again start and finish at Seven Mile Public Beach, Rankin said, with $25,000 on the line for the winner.
He noted that a new amateur class will be introduced, with riders required to take a short training course beforehand.
“We are working with the [Cayman Islands Watercraft Association]… for those people who haven’t raced, to teach them the basic rules and safety, which is important,” he said.
Rankin added that the event wouldn’t be possible without the help of his business partner and race co-owner, Jason Butcher.
“He has always supported content that gives back to the youth of Cayman,” Rankin said. “We have to recognise and embrace people like that because generation now is directly responsible for generation next.”
Registration has begun, and the response has already been promising, Rankin said, noting that he is hoping to build the event by marketing the race internationally and attracting overseas competitors.
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