The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the 60th version of the National Family Island Regatta is held in Elizabeth Harbour, Georgetown, Exuma, the sculling championships will be a major part of the festivities.

Lynden Johnson, marketing manager at the Bahamian Brewery Company Limited, said they have moved up from a bronze to being a silver sponsor of the regatta, which will enable their four E class boats - Sands, Sands Light, High Rock and Strong Back - to play a prominent role in the regatta.

“We are doing the E class and we are also doing the sculling races,” Johnson announced on Saturday at their new headquarters on Nassau Street. “We will have a celebrity race using the Sands Beer boats where the captains will compete to see who the best man is.”

The celebrity race will actually kick off this year’s regatta on Tuesday, April 23. On Friday, April 26, the minister of agriculture is scheduled to hold a special challenge race from the Peace and Plenty harbour dock in another special race. Then on Saturday, April 27, the Sands Man in the Boat sculling races are set to take place with the preliminary rounds, followed by the final.

“We expect for Bahamians to come out and enjoy the regatta and enjoy a truly down home Bahamian event that will be highlighted by the sculling races,” Johnson said. “We are also very pleased that we are working very closely with the regatta committee as a silver sponsor this year. Last year we were a bronze sponsor. Next year, we will see how it goes in terms of being a gold sponsor.”

This will be the first sculling race held outside of New Providence for the year. The initial event was held during the St Valentine’s Day Catch Me If You Can Regatta in Montagu in February. At that regatta, boat builder Sheldon Gibson led by example as he captured the title in Montagu Bay over Kevin Deveaux and Stephen Rolle.

As usual, the first three winners will be rewarded. First place will get 10 cases of the Sands Beer products, a trophy and the opportunity to compete in the grand finale of the sculling series in Grand Bahama later this year to determine the national champion. The second place finisher will collect eight cases of Sands beer and a trophy, while third place will pick up six cases with a trophy.

Johnson said since their president James “Jimmy” Sands reintroduced the sculling competition with the boats that he had commissioned Sheldon Gibson to build, there has been an influx of Bahamians getting involved.

“It has created a lot of excitement at the regattas and homecomings and we have seen more and more Bahamians coming out and participating,” Johnson said. “This will be the second straight year that we will be at the National Family Island Regatta with the sculling races and we feel that it has really grown and has become a major aspect at the regattas.”

With this being the 60th anniversary of the national Family Island regatta, Johnson said they are extremely pleased to be involved this year and they are looking forward to putting on some exciting races during the course of the regatta.

Registration for the sculling races is free. All interested persons have to do is find the Sands beer tent in Elizabeth Harbour on Saturday, April 27, starting at 9am and they can register to compete.