Rainbow Cup organisers ask CAL for help

Passengers travelling between Trinidad and Tobago via the TT Express and the TT Spirit over the past few months have been frustrated as mechanical problems, delays and cancellations have become common with the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley taking a trip to the sister isle on Sunday to see firsthand what citizens have been enduring.

Hundreds of people will be going to Tobago over the next few days for the annual triathlon event with the boat the preferred option for many athletes and supporters in the past.

Gooding is optimistic that the Rainbow Cup will run smoothly on Saturday, but is hoping CAL can assist.

Gooding said, “I think a lot of people have changed their minds from taking the boat to flying, making alternate arrangements.

I have written somebody in CAL to let them know that we have a race coming up, and a lot of people did not get tickets so they will be coming on as a standby. They said they will try their best.” Gooding said it is often difficult to get to Tobago on any given weekend, but it is even more difficult on Rainbow Cup weekend.

“On a regular weekend you get so many problems (to get to Tobago), and then now you have a Rainbow Cup weekend.

The athletes, participants and spectators that are coming for this event will be a lot.

The majority of people will be coming from Trinidad.” On Monday, sailing was cancelled by the Port Authority with their official reason being inclement weather.

The T&T Express is the only passenger boat available as the T&T Spirit has been pulled from the sea bridge to undergo maintenance works.

“It affected us yesterday (Monday), because we were supposed to be in Tobago yesterday, but we are now on our way to drive onto the boat. We are now leaving Trinidad, so we have lost two days in setting up. That should not affect the race, it would not take us too long to set up.” The Rainbow Cup is one of the most popular triathlon competitions in the Caribbean and also doubles as the National Championships.

It has attracted athletes from the US, United Kingdom and the Caribbean in the past and this year promises to be another fun-filled event.