The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A 16-member team will represent the Bahamas as the island nation prepares to host one of the most prestigious junior regattas in the world.

The Nassau Yacht Club and Bahamas National Sailing School will host the 2019 Optimist North American Championships, September 27 to October 4 in Montagu Bay.

The 16-member team of student athletes includes products of the Bahamas Nassau Sailing School (BNSS), Nassau Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Nassau Sailing Club (RNSC), Lyford Cay Sailing Club (LCSC) and the Hope Town Sailing Club.

Team Bahamas includes Joshua Weech (BNSS/NYC), Kaemen Floyd (BNSS/NYC), Craig Ferguson (BNSS/NYC), Cameron Eldon (RNSC/BNSS), Finley McKinney (RNSC/BNSS), Jasmin Aberle (HTSC), David Huber (LCSC), Maison Koepke (HTSC), Zane Munro (RNSC), Matthew Reid (RNSC), Patrick Tomlinson (LCSC), Saoirse Duffy (RNSC/BNSS), Amy McSweeney (RNSC/BNSS), Jack Guinness (HTSC), Mary Jac Nash (LCSC) and Scarlett McCarroll (RNSC).

The International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) granted the Bahamas’ bid to host its 2019 Championship which showcases the International Optimist Dinghy, largest sailing fleet, and the number one junior class in the world.

The event will feature over 170 junior sailor athletes between the ages 12 to 15, from more than 20 countries, are expected on Nassau’s Montagu Bay to participate in what has become the largest youth regatta in North America and the Caribbean.

The Member countries eligible to attend are those in North America, the Caribbean, and South America. Included are Antigua, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Island, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Ned. Antilles, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, US Virgin Islands, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, along with six Non-American members of IODA.

BNSS Coach Robert Dunkley points out this is world class competition. “Over the past 60 years, the Optimist Dinghy has been the class that most World and Olympic Champions started their sailing career. At the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition in Rio de Janeiro, 85% of all competitors started sailing in the Optimist Dinghy.”

Dunkley, added that the foundation of local sailing continues to develop with the junior programme.

“Just knowing that we are hosting the OPTINAM has really brought a lot of inspiration throughout the country for so many young people getting into sailing and I think it’s one of the positive things about hosting a major event,” he said “This group is our future in the sport and if you ask these kids they all want to go to the Olympics. We haven’t been in sailing since 1996 and we want to go again. These are our young aspiring sailors and we are going to see them there. I’m sure we will.”

Scores for participants at the qualifying events were based on a weighted scale for the KPMG Winter Nationals, (25 percent), the Bahamas Youth Olympic Regatta (25 percent) and the Optimist National Championships in June (50 percent).

National team head coach, Keir Clarke, said the team emerged from the rigorous qualification process and are ready to compete against the world.

“The selection process has been very fair. We have three main clubs here in New Providence, we have the Abaco guys, so it’s been super competitive. They knew what the goal was to come and qualify for this and we are very lucky to get 16 spots for the country. Qualifying was very tough but it has been extremely fair,” he said, “Certainly, the senior members are ready to compete, we have Joshua Weech, three time national champion, but this year he has been focusing on bigger events – he’s done a World Championship, he’s done some other international clinics. Really on the big stage the kids need the international regatta experience. Their boat handling skills are actually very good but you put the same Bahamian kids in a fleet with 100 boats and it becomes very clear that we may not be on par with the powerhouse nations. For most this will be the first international experience of many and will provide motivation for future events. It will definitely inspire a ton of sailors, hopefully, it will inspire government and business people to further recognize sailing as the national sport in terms of sponsorship and a programme that requires us to compete at a world-class level.”

Chandra Parker, Optimist Dinghy Class Representative, said the OPTINAM will be the biggest sailing event the Bahamas has hosted to date.

“The Optimist is the largest class of boat in the entire world with over 250,000 being raced. This event is the most competitive and prestigious regatta in the Americas, second only to the World Championships. So, we are very proud to be hosting in the Bahamas. It is quite an achievement to be given this event to host,” she said, “Normally a country our size would only get four competitors at a continental championship, but as the host, we got another 10 and we were granted an additional two more. We set some high goals. Five of these kids were in the Green Fleet at the 2018 championships just under a year ago and will now compete with others from all over the world.”

Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, the Hon. Lanisha Rolle, said support of the event is indicative of the government’s commitment to the local development of the sport.

“The Bahamian public is optimistic and looks forward to welcoming the junior sailors, their coaches, team leaders, officials and members of their delegation as we enjoy what promises to be an unforgettable event. This accomplishment to host an event demonstrates our sailing community’s commitment to adjusting our sails to ensure the Bahamas continues to grow develop advance in the areas of sailing not only on the local front, but in international sailing,” she said, “You have family friends and supporters that will be here to cheer you on every step of the way. This is your house, these are your waters and I dare you to adjust your sails to control the outcome. My ministry looks forward to continuing to work with you and the members of your team and the entire sailing community as we advance the sport of sailing and by extension through events of this mag promote the image of our country as the ideal sporting mecca of the Caribbean”

Adam Darville, Commodore of the Nassau Yacht Club said the event continues his organisation’s long-standing culture of setting milestones in the sport.

“We are so proud of these young people. The Nassau Yacht Club is extremely proud to host this event and to be chosen among the world. The Yacht Club has a long history of sailing, produced many world champions, even an Olympic champion, Sir Durward Knowles, so we are very very proud to host this event,” he said, “We really encourage youth sailing because it is the future of the club and our sport in the Bahamas. They have been working for months leading up to OPTINAM which is going to be a massive event.”