The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The 27th St Valentine’s Day ‘Catch Me If You Can’ Regatta is all set for February 15-26 in Montagu Bay.

“This year, we will have boats competing in the A Class, the C Class, the Optima sailing and the sculling races,” Johnson said. “For the first time, we will be having the Running Tide coming all the way from Long Island, so the regatta is venturing out to be a big one for the Bahamas. Without the sponsors, we can’t have the regatta. So we want to thank all of those persons who have come fourth to give us a hand.”

For the past 26 years, Johnson said the regatta has remained on the sporting calendar because of the commitment that he has gotten from his committee members, including Clyde Rolle and Stafford Armbrister, the Bahamas Government and Minister of Agriculture, V Alfred Gray, Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles, Everette Sands and now his son, Jimmy Sands, the sailors and the general public.

“Everybody wants to see the St Valentine’s Day Regatta,” Johnson said.

Bahamian Brewery and

Sands Beer Sponsorship

For the fourth consecutive year, Bahamian Brewery and Sands Beer will be partnering with Johnson as they will also organise their season opening E Class sculling event.

“We see this event as a great opportunity to showcase things Bahamian,” said Johnson as he mentioned part of their motto. “Sloop sailing will continue with our Sands E class boats - Sands, Sands Light, Strong Back and High Rock we will also put on the Sands ‘Man in the Boat’ sculling race.”

The Sands ‘Man in the Boat’ competition is slated to begin 5pm Sunday, February 16.

Sheldon Gibson, who built the boats for Bahamian Brewery’s president James ‘Jimmy’ Sands in his bid to revive the sport of sculling three years ago, is the defending champion of the St Valentine’s Day Regatta.

The winner from this year’s competition will go on to compete in the National Sculling Championships at the end of the year, following the various competitions that will take place at the regattas and homecoming celebrations on the islands.

Clayton Bain repeated as the national sculling champion last year in Treasure Cay, Abaco. Dennis Fox out of Salt Pond, Long Island, was second, Clay Moxey out of Mangrove Cay, Andros and the winner of the National Family Island Regatta, got third.

George Kelly, the coordinator for the sculling races, said after having such a fantastic time last year in 5-6 islands with about 40 competitors in total, said they are looking forward to a whole lot more excitement this year.

“Hopefully we will have about 30 scullers out there competing,” he said. “We will have cases of Sands beer for the winners and the winner will get to go to the National Championships at the end of the year. So we look forward to kicking off this season with everybody coming out to have a good time.”

Coca-Cola also a sponsor

Stedman Bullard, the merchandiser for the Caribbean Bottling Company (Bahamas) Limited, said they are also pleased to have the opportunity to sponsor the regatta.

“The Caribbean Bottling Company Limited recognises that our strength as a company is determined by how well we serve our customers and the positive social impact we have within our communities,” Bullard said. “Participating in this year’s St Valentine’s Regatta will once again allow us to emerge our customers and community by celebrating a part of our Bahamian culture.

“Again, we are happy to be here. We want to thank Mr Eleazor Johnson for allowing us to be a part of this event.”

The regatta

competition is all set

As the race coordinator, Stafford Armbrister said he’s delighted to have the opportunity to work with Garth Johnson and Clyde Rolle.

“I would like for all Bahamians to come out and support this 27th annual Regatta, which I think is going to be the biggest one ever,” he said. “We are looking at some 30 boats participating in the A Class, C Class, E Class and the Optimist. The sailing days are Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the C Class and the Optimist will be sailing. The grand finale, the Catch Me If You Can, will be held on Sunday.

Gibson lends his support

Thanking Johnson for allowing him to be a part of the regatta, Sheldon Gibson said when he got started with the children’s race, Johnson was right there supporting him. So he feels indebted to him to do whatever he can to assist with his St Valentin’s Regatta.

“The E Class will not only be in the famous sculling race, but we will also have a sailing race,” Gibson said. “Beside the Sands boats, we will also have Bluebird, Lucayan Tropical and some boats that belong to the sailors.”

As for the sculling race, Gibson said he’s not sure if the younger competitors will allow him to repeat as champion, but he will give it his best shot.

“We have some very hard mouth people in the E Class, so we are looking forward to cooling some of them down this time,” Gibson said.

Rolle and Lady Nathalie

Ready for Challenge

The biggest challenge during the regatta is the ‘Catch Me If You Can’ race that is to be held on the Sunday. Johnson’s B Class Lady in Red, Lady Nathalie, is given a headstart over the rest of the A Class field of boats and the object is for them to try and catch her before she gets to the finish line.

Clyde Rolle, the long-time skipper for the Lady Nathalie, said that while they got caught last year, he’s hoping to turn the tables on their rivals this year.

“When we started, we had the old Lady Nathalie. We won about three or four in the old Lady Nathalie and then she had an accident in Long Island,” he said. “Eleazor went ahead and built another Lady Nathalie and since he built it, the Lady in Red has won about 12-14.

“I didn’t win all. We had Fred Greene, who won one or two and Captain Hezron Moxey won one or two and I won the rest. I came up with Barber J from being very young and all of those gentlemen who have passed on, leave me to carry the baton on. But this year it is expected to be very stiff because a number of the A Class boats have been remodelled.”

In addition to the Tida Wave, Rolle said the Red Stripe, Courageous and the Good News are always there to provide some close competition.

“If I can’t beat them with speed, I will try some other method to take them out,” he said. “But they have some good skippers out there. So I have my work cut out for me. Let us pray for under 15 miles per hour because they can’t catch me with winds under 15.”

Race Format designed

for competition

As far as Armbrister is concerned, there won’t be any drastic change to the schedule this year, unless there is some inclement weather.”

As for the competition, Armbrister is of the opinion that it will be stiff this year.

“Everybody wants to win this race,” he said. “You have the Red Stripe, Southern Cross and the Good News and the other guys come prepared to win this regatta. This is the first race that we will have for the year so everybody is going to be trying to get their boats fine tuned.”