The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH it’s considered just a “drop in the bucket,” the Cat Island Regatta committee received a grant of $35,000 from the Bahamas Government for their 59th annual regatta to be held at the regatta site in the “cultural capital of the Bahamas” in New Bight, Cat Island, over the Emancipation holiday weekend.

Minister V Alfred Gray made the presentation at his Ministry of Local Government office to Cat Island Regatta president Pat ‘the Centreville Assassin’ Strachan, Max Burrows, the race committee chairman and Marcian Mortimer, the chairman of the committee to honour the late Harold ‘Herbert’ Lamont King.

King, who was born on December 15, 1905 and died on October 31, 1977, will be recognised during the regatta scheduled for July 31 to August 3 for his contribution as one of the pioneers of the regatta.

“I’m told that it is to be held in honour of one Mr King, in whose name alone is a legend. I am happy that you have chosen one of your own to honour this year and from what I have read about him, he deserves such honour and I hope the people of Cat Island will come out and support the event as they have never done before,” Gray said.

As the ministry responsible for regattas in the country, Gray said he is torn between Acklins and Cat Island, but he is leaning more towards taking his family to Cat Island and not just going to Acklins in his capacity as the Member of Parliament.

And saluting the organisers for putting on a first-class regatta, Gray made the presentation of the $35,000 cheque and he indicated that he hopes it will go a long way to assist with some of the expenses for the regatta.

“Thirty-five thousand dollars may seem like a drop in the bucket to what you need, but I want to go on record in asking all sailing clubs, Acklins included, not to depend solely on the government for the sponsorship of these regattas because when we do that and we wait for the last minute when the funds and the resources are fixed, you could be disappointed,” Gray said.

“I don’t believe that is the case for Cat Island because every week I hear you are having regatta fundraising. I hear about no boat regatta, but I don’t believe you should just have a regatta for fun. When you have a regatta with no boat, you are just fooling the people. They think regatta is a regatta. So I think Cat Island and Acklins will set the tone for the regattas.”

Gray, who was accompanied by his permanent secretary Renee Glinton, said he’s convinced that Cat Island is indeed the culture capital of the Bahamas and he’s looking forward to the time that he will spend there with his family.

Rev Dr Philip McPhee, a consultant in the Ministry of Local Government, said he is elated to see the regattas taking centre stage in the country in July and August.

“So we are excited about that in terms of what regattas bring to our country and we are delighted that our minister and permanent secretary are here to give the input on the way forward in terms of the development of regattas and sloop sailing in our country,” McPee said.

“This year we will have some of the top entertainers in the country. We will have KB, Geno Davis, Veronica Bishop, Lassie Doh Boys and D-Mach,” Strachan said. “Also, we will have some of the most competent sailors in the country in the A, B and C classes.”

Burrows revealed that the list of boats expected to participate are Who Dat, Red Stripe, Good News, Southern Cross, Ed Sky in the A Class, the Cobra, Eudeva, Passion, the Healthcliff and Susan Chase in the B Class and Jacob Ladder, Miss Katty, Dream Girl, the new Catch the Cat and Ms Cat Island in the C Class.

Mortimer said on Thursday, May 31, 1956 right after the National Family Island Regatta, the first Cat Island Regatta was held and the late Harold ‘Herbert’ Lamont King was one of the persons who played a pivotal role in the launching of the event. King joined then commissioners Campbell and RH Culmer and local government representative Harold Christie, to give birth to the event.

“Mr King was instrumental in organising this regatta and all regattas up to the time of his death,” Mortimer said. “So we are delighted to be able to hold this year’s regatta in his memory.”