The Tribune

DESPITE the testing conditions, with winds gusting up to 20 knots, 20 brave junior sailors took to the sea as the Rotary Club of East Nassau hosted its first Fun Junior Regatta on Saturday in association with the Bahamas Sailing Association (BSA).

The sailors came from the BSA’s year-long programme and their summer programme, of which Rotary has been a sponsor for many years, and showed their skills in a day of friendly yet hotly-contested competition featuring three fleets; Opti’s, Sunfish and Laser.

The summer programme is an intensive course which runs five days a week for six weeks during the school holidays. Approximately 90 students pass the programme every year with around 60 per cent coming from the public school system through contacts made in the schools by officers of the BSA.

The cost of the course is $400 per student, which includes lunch, and the BSA relies heavily on donations such as that provided by Rotary and many corporate and individual sponsors so that they can provide scholarships for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience the sport of sailing.

As well as sailing skills, participants learn how to rig and de-rig their boats and the importance of self discipline, team work, respect for fellow competitors and decision making. As BSA President, Lori Lowe, explained “once out on the sea, the sailors are on their own. There is no coach in the boat with them so they are forced to make decisions for themselves and quickly learn the importance of good decision making. This is something which is often missing from other aspects of these young people’s lives.”

The BSA also runs sessions for youth sailors every Saturday, with 56 students currently enrolled in the programme, and regular sessions for students from government schools. They will be hosting the Opti Nationals on Long Island in October, when 90 junior sailors are expected to compete.

This was the first time that the Rotary Club of East Nassau has staged a regatta for the sailors, giving club members the opportunity to see first hand the work that the BSA is doing with these young Bahamians. Competitors were also treated to lunch from the clubs ‘World Famous’ hamburger van.

• Results: Lasers: 1 AJ Brown, 2 Donico Brown, 3 Michael Taffin. Sunfish: 1 Justin Carey and Richard King, 2 Paul DeSouza and William Cash, 3 Luke Brownrigg and Jason Scott. Opti: 1 Cochise Burrows, 2 Richard Spurlock, 3 Denzi Cartwright.