The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE organisers couldn’t expect a better debut than they got for the newest regatta to be staged in the country.

The first Rock Sound King Eric Sailing Legend Regatta held over the weekend in Eleuthera turned out to be more than anticipated with a total of 10 boats participating in the two-day event for the C Class boats.

The Rev Dr Philip McPhee, the consultant in the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, said while they waited 21 years since he and the late King Eric Gibson went to the island to add the regatta to the local calendar, it was worth the wait because of the tremendous response they received.

“We couldn’t get it done that year that we went there, but 21 years later, we took just two weeks to pull it off,” said McPhee, as he thanked Samantha Campbell and the local organising committee for the role that they played in the success of the event.

Campbell, who noted that she was delighted to have called Gibson her friend, said after he expressed his interest in bringing a regatta to Rock Sound, there was no way that they could hold the event without honouring him posthumously the way they did.

“He admonished the chairman of the association to work hard in silence and let the success reverberate throughout the Eleuthera community,” Campbell said. “It is with this keen interest by the late King Eric, the Rock Sound Sailing Association felt that it was the appropriate thing to do in naming the Rock Sound Regatta King Eric Sailing Legend Regatta.

“When everything has been taken into consideration, the Rock Sound Sailing Association is of the firm view that the regatta was a tremendous success. It was one of the greatest events to have taken place in the Rock Sound community and the association hereby expresses its profound gratitude to those persons and corporate citizens alike for their invaluable support which contributed in a most significant way to the success of the first annual Rock Sound King Eric Sailing Legend Regatta.”

McPhee said the Bahamas Government, led by Prime Minister Perry Christie, gave him a mandate to spread the regatta throughout the Bahamas and he took the challenge to make sure that they got it done. He also gave a lot of credit to Damian Gomez, the Member of Parliament for Central and South Eleuthera and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, who made a significant contribution to the regatta.

Additionally, McPhee said V Alfred Gray, the Member of Parliament for MICA and the Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, must also be signalled out for the role he played in the regatta.

“In the very near future, McPhee said Gomez has advised him that he would like to add the Governor’s Harbour Regatta to the calendar next year June,” McPhee said.

“The Prime Minister has also advised me to go to Grand Bahama and to have a C Class Regatta there and the Member of Parliament, Obie Wilchcombe, the Minister of Tourism, has welcomed the idea and he is working to establish the local committee.”

As for the initial Rock Sound Regatta, McPhee said it far exceeded their expections.

“We had 10 C Class boats, led by the Whitty K, our national champion boat in Exuma and Long Island and Farmer’s Cay,” McPhee said. “She was outstanding. She won all four races, three cup races and the Minister’s Cup race. She set the bar at a very high level in Rock Sound.”

The Whitty K, skippered by Stefan Knowles, won the first race in the series, followed by the Asue Thunderbird, skippered by Effie Kemp. The Sweet Island Gal was third and the Lethal Weapon took fourth place. In the second race, the Whitty K was first with the Lethal Weapon second, Sweet Island Gal third and Asue Thunderbird third.

The Whitty K also took the third race with the Lethal Weapon second, Asue Thunderbird third and the Lady Eunice fourth.

There was also a special Cup race, sponsored by Minister Gomez, which featured 10 young men from Rock Sound, one of whom sailed on each of the boats. The idea, according to McPhee, was to encourage more participation from the local community in the sport.

Again, the Whitty K took the top spot with the Sweet Island Gal second, Asue Thunderbird third and the Leathal Weapon fourth.

At the end of the four races, the Whitty K emerged as the overall champion. The Lethal Weapon was second, Asue Thunderbird third, Lady Eunice fourth, Sweet Island Gal fifth, Melba B sixth, Lady Ruthnell seventh, Two Friends eighth, San Sally ninth and the Dream Girl rounding out the field in 10th spot.

“All of the races were cup races and all of the races had trophies. It was the first time in my involvement in regattas that C Class were given that many trophies and monies in a regatta,” McPhee said. “It was a first-class event. The trophies were unmatchable at any regatta that I’ve been to. We really want to thank Samantha Campbell and her committee and Damian Gomez, the member of Parliament for his contribution.”

While the Bahamas Government provided the majority of the funding to pull off the regatta, McPhee aso thanked Shane Gibson, the Minister of Labour and National Insurance, for assisting the commmittee as the regatta was held in honour of his late father, sailing legend King Eric Gibson.

“Next year the same time, same place, we hope to continue the regatta,” McPhee said. “After what we saw in the first one, we can’t imagine what the second one will be like.”