The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

With the National Family Island Regatta still months away, the most iconic name in the sport and arguably in the history of Bahamian sports, has made the call for the sailing community and the public at large to assist with funding of the 60th edition of the event.

Sir Durward Knowles said that adequate funding for the regatta remains vital to its success and implored the public to lend its support.

“I have been associated with this regatta for many years. It has been an honour to be associated with not just this major one, but with all the regattas throughout the country,” he said.

“For it to be put on the way it deserves to be put on, it needs funding. An event like this takes hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is my baby and it needs support. We in the sailing community, we need to support this venture and we need to spread that spirit of support throughout the Bahamas to make this regatta one to remember.”

One of the main events planned leading up to the regatta, to be held April 23-27 in Georgetown, Exuma, is a grand banquet the British Colonial Hilton on March 23, which highlight and honour the contributions made to the development and support of the regatta by Sir Durward Knowles, Chris Kettel, Warren Rolle and the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band.

Danny Strachan, Commodore of the National Family Island Regatta (NFIR), outlined the reasons for the committee choosing the aforementioned honourees: “The RBPF Band has been our partner from the beginning, thrilling crowds gathered at the Regatta Park year after year, and we take pleasure in being with them for their 120th year; Sir Durward, our Olympian and sailing icon, and more importantly the patron of the National Junior Championships, a hero of the first order and supporter of sailing in the country.

“I will perhaps take a week to talk about his accomplishments, but suffice to say, he is one of the greatest Bahamians to ever live in our Bahamaland and we should continue to honour him for as long as we is with us; Rolle, a member of the NFIR committee member and past president of the All Exuma Association, president of the Exuma Foundation and a distinguished retired public servant always working tirelessly to advance the causes of these various organisations which result in growth and development of Exuma and the nation as a whole; Kettle, the national coordinator of the regatta management team and managing director of the Exuma Foundation, and an educator of the first order.”

During the months of February and March, special interviews with the honourees, conducted by Charles Carter, will be aired on his radio programme, “There Are Bahamians”, on Island 102.9.

Mr Carter, co-chairman of the National 40th anniversary of Independence committee, said the legends of sailing have a story that the entire country should hear.

“They are nationalists, they are patriots and their stories deserved to be told. Their status is based on the one thing every Bahamian should be able to do, one enterprise every Bahamian should be concerned about, the one endeavour very Bahamian should know, and that is sailing. The one thing all Bahamians share is the love of regatta,” he said, “So I was very excited when the Sailing Association came forward and asked me to conduct these interviews for the Jubilee Regattas.”