The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BEFORE the curtains come down on 2013, the local sailing fraternity will have one last opportunity to watch seven A Class boats line up to compete as the regatta returns to Montagu Bay at the end of the month.

The Good News, Ed Sky, Red Stripe, Palm Cay Princess, Southern Cross, Who Dat and New Courageous have confirmed their participation in the three-race series for the first Palm Cay Princess Challenge on Saturday, November 31 and Sunday, December 1.

No cost has been released, but Craig Flowers’ FLM Group of Companies will be one of the major sponsors. Other sponsors are expected to be announced prior to the start of the regatta that will provide an opportunity for the A Class boats to compete in New Providence for the first time in a long time.

“This race is only for A Class. There’s been much concern that A Class has not had an opportunity to sail as much as they used to, but King Eric has once again come to the aid of the A Class division in sponsoring an A Class race,” said Rev Dr Philip McPhee, one of the organisers.

King Eric Gibson, the brainchild of the regatta that will provide bragging rights for the boats going into the new year, issued a challenge for all of his rivals to see if they can compete with the new Palm Cay Princess.

“I’m not taking any prisoners. I’m about to take the crowd down with me,” he said. “I don’t like the way they were not pushing the A Class like they used to. Before they put them back on the ramp, I want to be the first one to warm their behind. So I want all my friends out there, especially George Knowles, I ain’t taking no prisoners.

“I will try to get a match again between me and (Canadian fashion designer Peter) Nygard again. I don’t know if he will be here. But I will try to put it on him. I’m correcting all of my mistakes in this one. All my mistakes that happened during the last time on the race course, I’m correcting this one. Anybody looking for some excitement, they need to be out there on November 31.”

Gerard Moxey, son of the late legendary Captain Hezron Moxey, has been named the commodore of the regatta and he congratulated King Eric for having the vision to put on the event.

“Thanks to King Eric, because last week when he was just planning this regatta, he invited all of the A Class owners to come out and that was one of the first times that I’ve seen in a long time that I saw every A Class boat represented at that meeting,” said Moxey, who serves as the commodore of the Commonwealth Sailing Association.

“Because of you, sailing may just never die because you sit back and look and say like me see what I can do different from the other guys and you try to implement those things. I just want to congratulate you on that.”

King Eric said the reason he invited Moxey to come on board as the race commodore is because he wants to try and get some fresh new faces to the forefront and, after watching Moxey, he has been impressed with the stance he has taken on many issues and so he wants to give him the opportunity to prove himself.

A number of activities will be provided on Montagu foreshore for children and Bahama Grill has come on board as a sponsor, providing all of the food items. Tickets are currently available at Bahama Grill on West Bay Street.

Eric Gibson Jr, the proprietor of Bahama Grill, said they are delighted to be able to be a part of the activities.

“It’s certainly a pleasure for Bahama Grill to participate in this event,” he said. “It’s always a good thing for Bahama Grill to seek out the indigenous things. It’s a pleasure for Bahama Grill to be a part of it and to make sure that it is successful. So we would like to see everybody come out and enjoy themselves. We at Bahama Grill will do our part to make sure that it is a success.”