The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was a big weekend for the island of Exuma.

Not only did they attract one of the biggest crowds for the 65th Family Island Regatta, but they got to kick off the promotion of the torch run for the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games just before the official proclamation of sailing as the national sport of The Bahamas.

On Friday night, the torch run made its way through George Town, Exuma, to the new regatta site to signify the launch of the return of the Bahamas Games after a 21-year hiatus during the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations from July 6-14. “Prior to announcement of the national sport, we had the torch run with Exuma getting it started,” Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg confirmed. “It will go through the various islands participating in the Bahamas Games before it gets back to New Providence. That went very well.”

In a relay form, the Royal Bahamas Police Force accompanied by some of the young athletes on the island, started the ruin with the torch that passed onto the island Administrator Donald Rolle before he handed it over to Bowleg. Minister of Parliament for Exuma and Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper received the torch from Bowleg and passed it on Prime Minister Phil ‘Brave’ Davis.

“We then made the countdown of 75 days left before the start of the games,” Bowleg said. “It’s important for us to do this torch run because a whole generation doesn’t understand the concept of the Bahamas Games. This is to inform persons of the importance of us putting on this event and get them excited to be a part of the games.”

Started in 1989, the Bahamas Games is expected to bring together more than 2,500 athletes and officials from teams throughout the country will participate from islands/grouping of islands including Abaco, Andros, Bimini and the Berry Islands, Columbus Isles, Eleuthera, Exuma and Ragged Island, Grand Bahama, Long Island, MICA and New Providence in at least 14 core sporting disciplines.

The games, which continued in 1991, 1995, 1998 and in 2001, will be staged in New Providence next year including softball, basketball, track and field, lawn tennis, swimming, soccer, volleyball, bodybuilding and powerlifting, cycling, baseball, regatta sailing, rowing and golf.

Additionally, there will be competition in beach soccer and beach volleyball.

As for the announcement of the national sport, Bowleg said they had a ceremony to receive the torch and at the same time, the announcement was made by Prime Minister Davis before the fireworks erupted. Bowleg also brought some remarks on the youth and developmental aspect of the sport, while Clay Sweeting on the history of sailing.

“I’m elated to know that sailing is the only sport indigenous to the Bahamas,” Bowleg said. “Not only did we get our first Olympic medal in sailing from Sir Durward Knowles and Cecil Cooke in 1964, but it’s a sport that identify who we are as a people.

“We are an archipelago surrounded by waters, so it’s our goal to see how best to get sailing back into the Olympics and winning medals again. It was really accepted by all those in attendance, including the sailors, who were there to compete in the regatta.”

Danny Strachan, who will demit office as commodore of the National Family Island Regatta on June 1 after serving for the past 31 years, said the announcement of sailing as the national sport of the Bahamas could not come at a more opportune time.

“I’m quite ecstatic about it because of the fact that I’ve been campaigning for this for more than 30 years for sailing to become the national sport of our country, which is another pillar in the development of our country as an independent nation,” Strachan said.

“I’m so proud and thankful that the government made the decision to name it the official sport at this year’s 67th National Family Island Regatta. There couldn’t be q better setting to do that. We had almost 80 boats competing in this regatta so it was the appropriate venue and appropriate timing for the announcement on Friday.”

According to Strachan, Georgetown, Exuma has been the cradle of sloop sailing since 1954, but he said he lobbied for the sport to become the national sport of the country because sailors have been sailing internationally in all types of sailing, led by the Olympic gold in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan with crew member Cecil Cooke. Knowles also teamed up with and Sloane Farrington to win the Olympic bronze in1956 in Melbourne, Australia.

As for the final results of the regatta, the New Legend, skippered by David Knowles, captured the A class with five points, followed by the Running Tide, skippered by Stefan Knowles with seven, The New Courageous, skippered by Stefano Kemp, got third with nine.

In the B Class, Jeff Gale skippered the Lonesome Dove to victory with six points over the Ole Boy, skippered by Cochise Burrows, who collected 10. Tari Anne, skippered by Dallas Knowles, got third place with 11 points.

The B class saw It Ain’t Right, skippered by Gale, emerged was the winners with nine points. Xena, skippered by David Knowles and Sassie Sue, skippered by Stefan Knowles, both ended up with 11 points for a two-way tie for second.

Captain Peg, skippered by Josh Green, won the E class with seven points. Para, skippered by Douglas Saunders, was second with eight and Miss Agnes, skippered by Alvington McKenzie, got third with 12.

The most outstanding skipper award went to Gale with two first and three third place finish to win both the B and C Class series championship title

Man-O-War, skippered by Leslie ‘Buzzy’’ Rolle, took the Minister of Agriculture, Marine and Family Island E class Cup race. Whitty K, skippered by Cochise Burrows, won the Commodore Emeritus C class; New Susa Chase, skippered by Stefan Knowles, took the Governor General’s B class and Ruff Justice, skippered by Mark Knowles, captured the Prime Minister’s Cup for the A class.

The next major regatta on the sailing calendar is the Long Island Regatta, which will take place in May.