The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the 47th Long Island Regatta takes place in the newly refurbished regatta site in Salt Pond, the Bahamian Brewery will be back to continue their promotion of the ‘Man in the Boat’ Sculling Championships, while sponsoring the E Class competition.

The championships will be staged for the E class dinghy boats, which are named after the Sands beer products - Sands, Sands Light, High Rock and Strong Back - all produced by Bahamian Brewery. The Bahamian Brewery made the announcement on Tuesday as they presented their sponsorship cheque to the organisers of the regatta.

Marketing manager Lynden Johnson said they are looking forward to the third event in the series of sculling competitions 5pm Saturday, June 6. The top three finishers will all be vying for trophies and Sands Beer products, while the champion will get a chance to compete for the National Sailing Championship title in Montagu Bay in November.

“Last year, Dennis Fox from Salt Pond emerged as the winner. He went on to participate in the National Championship in Treasure Cay, Abaco where he placed second overall,” said Johnson of the native son of the soil, who was beaten out for the title by Clayton Bain.

At the conclusion of the Long Island Regatta, competitors will get a chance to compete in both Treasure Cay and Grand Bahama to secure their spots in the National Championships in November.

The first two sculling competitions this year were held at the St Valentine’s Regatta in February and the National Family Island Regatta in Georgetown, Exuma, in April.

Henderson Burrows, the chairman of the Long Island Regatta committee, said they are delighted to once again have the Bahamian Brewery on board as a sponsor of both the E class and the sculling competition. He noted that it will enhance their series of races that will include the A, B and C classes.

“We thank them for their support over the years and we look forward to their continued sponsorship,” Burrows said. “This year we are expecting some 42 boats in Salt Pond for the overall regatta and from what I hear that may swell to about 48 before we get started.

“We are looking forward to a very nice regatta next year and we want to welcome everyone to Salt Pond to our new cultural site in Salt Pond.”

Burrows said they were able to establish a committee in Grand Bahama, who helped them tremendously in getting some sponsorship. The committee is headed by Lou Carroll.

“We are putting in a brand new stage on the structure that was there,” Burrows said. “We will also have two new offices for the Pay Masters and the Police, so it’s coming on good.”

As for the competition, Burrows said they are anticipating the return of defending champions Red Stripe in the A Class, Lady Sonia in the B class and It Ain’t Right in the C class to head the list of boats.

“In Class C we are expecting about 20 boats, so It Ain’t Right has its work cut out for them,” Burrows said.

“I understand Lundy (Robinson) is getting his boat ready, so we are looking forward to outstanding competition.”

Even though the focus of the regatta will be on the sloop sailing in the various classes, Johnson noted that they are expecting the competition to be quite a treat for the spectators and they are inviting as many participants as expected to come out and take part, including the women.