By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
SALT Pond, Long Island -- The Sands 'Man in the Boat' sculling race stopped at the 45th Annual Long Island Regatta where Danny Knowles pulled off the title to help keep all of the trophies on Long Island in just about every other category of competition.
Although the race was held late Friday night, Knowles maneuvered to victory in the dark ahead of Exuma's Stephen Rolle and Harcourt Rolle in what Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Limited president Jimmy Sands called the most exciting racing series so far.
Sands and his company have been on a tour promoting the return of sculling in the Bahamas. They started in New Providence during the St Valentine's Day Regatta in Montagu Bay in February and intend to end up with a championship series at the Grand Bahama Regatta at the end of the year.
By virtue of winning in Long Island, Danny Knowles booked his trip to the final with the winners from New Providence, Eleuthera and Exuma, the previous stop of the tour.
"It was good. In Nassau, I got third, but I knew that it was coming to my roots, so I made sure that the title wasn't leaving here," said the Salt Pond resident. "I was really pleased to do it here because I had all the fans cheering for me."
Knowles, a fisherman by profession, said he's looking forward to travelling to Grand Bahama because it would give him the opportunity to do what nobody has done before - win the national sculling title.
Stephen Rolle said while he improved on his third place performance at the National Family Island Regatta in Georgetown, Exuma, last month, he really wanted to win the title.
"It's been over 30 years since I last sculled a boat, so I was pleased with the way I performed here and in Georgetown," he said. "In the final, I knew I could have done better, but I had some problems with the oar. It was difficult sculling with that one.
"I did better in the heats with the other ones, but I was a little disappointed that I couldn't use this one like that. I really should have won it."
Harcourt Rolle, a long-time sailor from Georgetown, said in all the years he has competed, he has never faced the competition that he got in the sculling races.
"My old man had a boat when I was around 12-13 and that was the last time I sculled a boat," he said. "To come in here and compete against those young boys, I think I did well."
The final had a four-man showdown and was keenly contested from start to the finish. It was almost a photo finish at the tape but Knowles was able to power in ahead of the two Rolle competitors.
The fourth man in the field was Reuben Knowles, a 79-year-old resident of Long Island, who felt he was actually cheated out.
"They need to have law and order in the races," he said. "I was pushed twice, so I felt I should have moved up. "I just think if they didn't push me, I could have won."
Despite the loss, Knowles said he was still impressed with his performance.
The top three finishers all received trophies and cases of Sands Light, Sands, High Rock and Strong Back beers, all produced by the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Limited.
"I figured the Long Island event would be a very successful one with the many great scullers who live in Long Island," Sands said. "It was a tremendous event, very, very exciting."
Although organisers of the Long Island Regatta didn't allow the races to be held until late in the evening, Sands said he was just as thrilled as the competitors and the spectators in the races held.
"I think it's catching on extremely well. This one here has really ignited the interest of sailing," he said. "The people have been really pleased with the races. It's really taken off."
Lynden Johnson, the marketing manager at Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Limited, said the sculling races have lived up to its advanced billing and the results showed.
"It was good that a son of the soul won the sculling race," he said. "We thought we saw a large crowd in Exuma a few weeks ago but what we experienced here was tremendous. We're looking forward to the next event."
The company, however, has not decided on where the next stop will be over the Independence holiday in July. But there are plans to go to Cat Island for their homecoming during the August Monday holiday.
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