The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

JOSH Green showed why he is considered one of the top sailors in the country.

Green dominated the Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company's 'Man in the Boat' event that was held as a part of the National Family Island Regatta in Elizabeth Harbour in Georgetown, Exuma, last weekend.

It was the second Family Island stop for Bahamian Brewery as they reintroduced the "art of sculling" with the four boats named after their products - Sands, Sands Light, Strong Back Stout and High Rock.

In the series of one-man "sculling" races, Green took first place on High Rock over a field that included Richard Ross, the second place finisher (Sands Beer) and David Rolle, who came through in third (Strong Back).

James 'Jimmy' Sands, president of Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company, said the event is catching on and they are looking forward to the future.

"A lot of the older fellows are apprehensive in entering the event but once they see this event take place more often, they will come out of their shell and participate," he said.

Green was one of the older persons to compete as he joined Robert Hall who captured the overall title in the Rock Sound Homecoming in Eleuthera over the Easter holiday weekend.

The next stop on the calendar for Bahamian Brewery will be the annual Long Island Regatta in Salt Pond over the Labour Day holiday weekend.

Looking back at Exuma where the boats were also used in the E Class, Sands said they accomplished their goal which was to rejuvenate "sculling" in the Bahamas again.

"I could see down the road where this class grows tremendously," Sands said. "The people are slowly catching on to competing in it. I expected more people to participate in the sculling itself. However, the people that did participate were able to bring a lot of excitement to the regatta. It reminded me of being at the race track where the people were enjoying themselves."

It is hoped that the boats, which were built by Sheldon Gibson and made their debut in the St Valentine's Massacre at Montagu Bay in February, will enhance the regattas and homecomings in the Family Islands.

"I think the committee was very pleased in the results of the sculling and the sailing," Sands said. "It was a breath of fresh air instead of having the same thing all the time."

All four boats competed along with three others in the E Class competition.

Corey Knowles, sailing on High Rock, took first place with 22 points. Sir Durward 'Sea Wolf' Knowles' One Bahamas, sailed by Steve Rolle, got second with 18 and Sands Light, sailed by Terrance Gibson, was third with 17.

Rounding out the field of sloops, Strong Back (sailed by Clayton Bain) was fourth with 15, Sands Beer (sailed by Sheldon Gibson) was fifth with 15, Old Faithful (sailed by Reuben Knowles) was sixth with nine and Scholarship (sailed by Dave Smith) got seventh with two.

Lynden Johnson, marketing director at Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company, thanked the organising committee headed by Danny Strachan for allowing them to participate in the regatta.

"I am very pleased and excited to be a Bahamian to see the amount of Bahamians who were really enthused about the sculling races, which is actually a Bahamian thing," he said.

"I was very pleased to be a part of the Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company, who started this event and we look forward to it growing bigger and better."

On the sidelines, Johnson said he was thrilled to hear the spectators as they cheered for their favourite sailors.

And he is even more eager to go to Long Island because they have been bragging about having the best "scullers" in the country.