The Tribune

Tuesday October 13, 1964

Durward Knowles wins first Olympic race in Star class

Olympic Star class sailor Durward Knowles of the Bahamas was all smiles after finishing ahead of sixteen other boats in today’s first race in the seven-race Olympic series.

“I took a chance,” said the 47-year-old skipper, who won a bronze medal in the class in the 1956 Olympics. “I did not cover Russian skipper Timir Tinegin on the first leg and the wind gave me a lead and I crossed the entire fleet near the weather mark.”

For Durward Knowles, this is his fifth Olympics but it was the first Olympic experience for his crewman Cecil Cooke. “Lovely. Just terrific!” Cooke explained as he stepped ashore.

The veteran Knowles added “the winds are certainly as fickle as they told us. It is going to be a terrific series.”

Wednesday October 14 1964

Durward Knowles dogged by bad luck

“Just bad luck” said Bahamian Star class skipper Durward Knowles after breaking a halyard lock in Wednesday’s third of the seven-race Olympic yachting series.

The 47-year-old skipper, who won a bronze medal in the class at the 1956 Melbourne Games, got off to a third place start behind Russia’s Timir Pinegin, who later was dismasted by the 25mph wind, and the Finnish Squid III. Knowles was sixth on the second weather leg when the shackle pulled and he was forced to withdraw.

Before today’s mishap Knowles was second in the Stars with a total of 1,964 Olympic points.

Monday October 19 1964

Durward Knowles takes his 2nd win at Olympics

The Bahamian Star class skipper Durward Knowles took his second first place in five starts in a perfect race here today. Knowles, a bronze medallist in the class at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, took first place at the start and stayed ahead all the way round the six-leg 11 nautical miles Olympic course.

“We got a terrific lift on the first leg,” the 47-year-old veteran yachtsman said. “Then all we had to do was to hold it.” Knowles and his crewman, Cecil Cooke, stand fourth out of 17 with 3,948 Olympic points.

Tuesday October 20 1964

Knowles first in Star Class

Yachtsmen from Australia, United States, Bahamas, Britain and Germany held overall leads in the five Olympic yachting classes today on the eve of their seventh and final race.

Olympic medal winnners will be determined tomorrow after the seventh race on the basis of their six best races.

Star skipper Durward Knowles sailed into a small traffic jam at the second weather mark, going into third place behind the American and Swedish boats and emerged on top. The 47-year-old Bahamian sailor lengthened his lead and placed first to go ahead overall with 5,279 points. Second in the Star Class on overall points with 5,129 was Tuesday’s second place finsiher, helmsman Pelle Petterson of Sweden.

American skipper Dick Stearns, who started the race in first place on overall standigns, finished third and slipped to a third place total standing of 4,983.

Wednesday October 21 1964

Durward Knowles wins gold medal at Olympics

Durward Knowles, the famed Bahamian yachtsman, has won a gold medal in the Star class of the sailing events at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. This is the first one ever won by the Bahamas at the Olympics.

Despite a seventh place finish in the final race of the seven race series today the 47-year-old Bahamian skipper compiled a total of 5,664 points to outclass 15 other competitors. Finishing in second place was the United States with 5,585 points and Sweden third with 5,527 points.

Knowles, sailing his Gem IX and using Cecil Cooke as crew won the opening race in the Star class division on October 12 with entries from Finland and Russia placing second and third respectively.

Following the second race Knowles was in an overall second place with 1,964 points but he was plagued by “bad luck” in the third and was forced to withdraw from that race after the shackle on his boat pulled.

The veteran Bahamian yachtsman bounced back with victory in the fifth race and backed this up with a first place finish in the sixth to take a narrow lead with one race remaining.

He went into today’s race with 5,279 points and his seventh place finish secured the gold medal for the Bahamas.

Today’s race was won by Finland with the United States coming second and Canada taking third position.

Sweden, which held the best opportunity to win the gold medal on the final day, finished fourth. This is a the second medal that the internationally-famed Bahamian yachtsman will bring back to the Bahamas from the Olympics. In the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Knowles won a bronze medal. He has also won numerous other medals in other international events.