The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE International Star Sailors are coming to town for the third annual Star Sailors League grand finale on Tuesday, December 1. But before they start competing, the sailors will be placed on various sloop sailing boats as they compete in the Mayaguana Mini Regatta on Saturday and Sunday.

Serena Williams, whose public relations company is assisting the SSL, said the sailors are eager to compete at the Nassau Yacht Club. They are bringing in their own filming crew so they can record the footage of the Mayaguana Mini Regatta.

“Rev Philip McPhee has arranged for us to film the Mayaguana Mini Regatta, which will be on Montagu Beach this weekend,” Williams said. “The boats will stay on the water until Tuesday, December 1 when a sloop race will take place between 16 international world and Olympic champions, who are in the Star Sailors League and on the sloops will also be local sailors.”

The winners of the races will be awarded during the closing ceremonies at the Nassau Yacht Club on Saturday, December 5. The opening ceremonies will be held on Tuesday, December 1.

McPhee, the local organiser of the local sloop sailing competition, welcomes the Star Sailors League and indicated that he’s looking forward to partnering with Williams to make the entire week a success, starting with the Mayaguana Mini Regatta this weekend.

“This will be an opportunity for sloop sailing at its highest level,” he said. “Never before in the history of sloop sailing in our country have we been able to get this kind of recognition worldwide. The live streaming is so important to us because the entire world will get to see the unique and skillful artistic performances of our sailors on our boats.

“As you are well aware, our boats are different from any other types of boats in the world. They are built by Bahamians, rigged by Bahamians, sailed by Bahamians and for the first time in this league, the skippers and bowmen will actually sail our sloops. It’s a history-making occasion for us to get the exposure in both magazines and videos.”

McPhee said this will open the door for the sailors to participate as, for the first time, they will have the luxury of using their sponsors’ logos on their sails, which add to the international recognition that they will receive.

“That’s a major thing that we were trying to do for so many years,” McPhee said. “I am so happy and elated that we are now being given the opportunity to try to get sponsorship and I believe the corporate sponsors in the Bahamas will now open up their minds because they can get their names on a sail for the world to see.

“So we are very excited about it. As we are piggy-backing on the Mayaguana races that will take place on Saturday and Sunday, it’s going to be a major fundraiser for them as they prepare to host their first regatta next year in Mayaguana. So the combination of the international sailors and the local sailors will give some type of benefit to make sure that their regatta will come off.”

McPhee made a call for all C Class boats to come out and participate in the Mayaguana Mini Regatta as they give their visitors a chance to enjoy the festival competition. Out of the regatta, eight boats will be selected to compete in the international sailing competition.

On Tuesday, December 1, the competition will start around 11am and should end around 1pm.

The 2015 Star Sailors League finalists are:

Mateeusz Kusznierewicz (Poland); Robewrt Stanjek (Germany); Xavier Rohart (France); George Sabo (USA); Augie Diaz (USA); Diego Negri (Italy); Jorge Zarif (Brazil); Johannes Polgar (Germany); Lars Grael (Brazil); Brian Ledbetter (USA); Jochen Schuemann (Germany); Lorenzo Chiavarini (Great Britain); Palvos Kontides (Cyprus); Paul Cayard (USA); Hamish Pepper (New Zealand); Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (Croatia); Ian Williams (Great Britain); Torben Grael (Brazil); Jean-Basptiste Bernaz (France); Dominik Zycki (Poland); Frithjof Kleen (Germany); Pierre-Alexis Ponsot (France); Edoardo Natucci (Italy); Arnis Baltins (USA); Sergio Lambertenghi (Italy); Henry Boening (Brazil); Markus Koy (Germany); Samuel Goncalves (Brazil); Joshua Revkin (USA); Ingo Borkowski (Germany); Brian Faith (USA); Mark Strube (USA); Bruno Prada (Brazil); Steve Mitchell (Great Britain); Guilherme de Ameida (Brazil) and Pascal Rambeau (France).