The Tribune

Bahamas Speed Week participants slowed down this week with a Monday excursion to Exuma’s Grand Isle Resort & Spa.

Members of Speed Week and other VIPs boarded private planes in Nassau and landed on Farmer’s Cay. The runway, normally quiet and secluded, came alive with four private planes and a helicopter.

Participants enjoyed a buffet lunch at Ty’s Bar & Grill, hit the beach and boarded a vessel for a tour of Exuma’s sprawling cays. Later that night, Grand Isle hosted a private reception, lit up by spotlights, stars and torches.

“As the official Out Island partner of Bahamas Speed Week, we were very pleased to have such an impressive line-up of dignitaries and guests,” said Grant Castle, Grand Isle’s executive director. “We look forward to next year, where the event will be even bigger and better.”

Mr Castle offered one of many speeches to the crowd, headlined by a keynote address by Philip Davis, the acting prime minister and minister of public works and urban development.

Other speakers included Jerome Fitzgerald, the minister of education; Anthony Moss, MP for Exuma; David McLaughlin, the director of Bahamas Speed Week; and Peter Nicholson, Grand Isle’s owner and president of GIV Bahamas Inc.

“We see Bahamas Speed Week as a natural partner going forward,” Mr Nicholson added. “Nassau is a beautiful place, but we want to expose these special guests to a wider Bahamas.”

A central theme at the reception was the imminent construction of a full racetrack for next year’s Speed Week. Seen as a key ingredient to the event’s success, Mr Davis announced the construction of the track during the opening ceremonies early last week.

Bahamas Speed Week attracts dozens of vintage car collectors from around the world, exposing the Bahamas to influential, high-net-worth individuals and offering another major event on the tourism calendar.

Grand Isle served as a major sponsor during the week in the exclusive Paddock Club, showcasing the resort’s villas, amenities and stunning geography to Speed Week entrants.

“Putting on these kinds of events is never easy. But with the help of Grand Isle and other sponsors, and the construction of a racetrack, I believe this event will really start to pick up some speed,” said Mr Nicholson.

Grand Isle features ocean front villas, combining a resort experience with upscale vacation home living. Each villa comes with high-end furnishings, spacious living areas and spectacular views.

Amenities include an infinity-edge pool, four-star restaurant, state-of-the-art fitness centre, and SeaStar Spa with an adjacent Greg Norman Signature Golf Course.

TripAdvisor recently ranked the resort first in the Bahamas, and third in the Caribbean, for luxury vacations.