The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net SCULLS are back in Montagu Bay. With four boats now built by Sheldon Gibson for the Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company, the sport of "sculling" will make its return in the Catch Me If You Can St Valentine's Day Regatta after a 20-year hiatus. Two of the boats, named after the four products produced by the Bahamian company, were on display at Jimmy's Wines & Spirits, Shirley Street, where plans were revealed for next week's 25th running of the regatta, staged by Eleazor 'the Sailing Barber' Johnson. The Sands Beer and Strong Back Stout boats were on display. The Sands Light and High Rock boats have been completed but were not shown. The native sloop boats, which are 12 feet in length, were designed to reintroduce the art of "sculling" in the Bahamas and eventually be used for Class E sailing competition. "I would like to congratulate the builder. You've done an excellent job," said Everette Sands, the director of Bahamian Brewery. "I think he has taken a little plan from the old boat that I had when I was sailing. It looks similar and I would say that because he was a teacher, Mr Archer who built my boat, must have taught him a thing or two. But the boats look very nice and I'm sure that this event will be a great success." The idea of "sculling" was a dream of Sands' son, James 'Jimmy' Sands, who contracted Gibson to build the boats to use in reviving the sport during the various regattas and homecoming celebrations. Gibson, who began building the boats in September, said when he was approached by Sands with the idea of constructing the native sloops, he jumped on it. "It was not just something that could get the people back to sculling, but also teach it to young people," said Gibson, an educator by profession at the CV Bethel High School where he has also taught the students in building their own sloop called 'Old Faithful.' "This is a golden opportunity for me because it is going to reintroduce sculling and get the interest in the sport again. I'm looking forward to a good time with these boats, teaching young people how to scull because it was something that was on the way out." Angelique McKay, who is in charge of the Regatta Desk at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, noted that the reintroduction of the boats encompasses every aspect of their ministry. "It has a bit of sports, it has culture involved in it and it also has an element that is designed specially for youth," McKay said. "Anything to do with these three elements, we fully support in our ministry." In trying to encourage more of the female spectators to get involved, McKay said she will set the stage by being the first female to sign up to compete in the sculling competition at the regatta. "Let the record reflect that because I want to bring the sculling back," she said. "If I can do my part, let's just get this wave going and get a partner." McKay noted that with the St Valentine's Day regatta being the first major one for the year, the ministry is advising as many Bahamians to come out and participate. The regatta is the first of 14 on the calendar that will be held this year. As a native from Lovely Bay, Acklins, Eleazor Johnson said he remembers years ago when sculling was the main form of racing and he's happy to be able to include it in his regatta next weekend. "I must tip my hat to the Bahamian, Bahamian born, Bahamian idea and the Bahamian builder Sheldon Gibson from Landrill Point, Crooked Island," Johnson said. "Sailing regatta is the key to all of the islands. Without the regattas, they are all dead. People go to the regatta even if they don't have any place to live. They just go there to support it." Johnson said he knows that the Bahamian public will come out and support the St Valentine's Day regatta to honour the legendary sailor Sir Durward 'Sea Wolf' Knowles, who has been a sponsor for the past 17 years. Berkeley Williamson, general manager for New Providence and the Family Islands, said Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company is thrilled to be able to launch the boats during the regatta and he advised as many persons as possible to come out and participate. And Lynden Johnson, sales and marketing manager at Bahamian Brewery, said they are excited to reintroduce the art of "sculling" in the Bahamas through their unique boats. "If you think you can scull, come out to the St Valentine's regatta on Saturday, February 18 when the races start at 1pm," he said. Following next week's regatta, Jimmy Sands said they intend to take the boats to the various regattas and homecomings throughout the Bahamas this year. Competing in what he calls a 'Sands in the Man' championship series, Sands said the winner will be decided in the Taino Beach Grand Bahama Regatta.