The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Donald “Donnie’’ Martinborough, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Bahamas Realty, became the first Bahamian to be presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 52nd International Sunfish Class Association (ISCA) World Championship in Miami, Florida.

Martinborough has not only experienced success in his professional endeavours but also in the national sport, winning three world championships in the Sunfish Class over the years. Although he was not as successful at last weekend’s World Championships, the avid sailor has gained full membership privileges due to his noteworthy contributions as recognised by the Sunfish World Council.

“The Lifetime Achievement Award was for all my accomplishments in the Sunfish Class, which came as a huge surprise and was very humbling. This is an award voted on and presented by the Sunfish World Council mainly for my success in winning three world championships. Being the first Bahamian to achieve such an honour is truly exciting,” Martinborough said.

The 12-time national champion earned the first of his trio of titles at the 14th Sunfish Worlds in San Andrés, Colombia, in 1983.

The feat accomplished four decades ago made him just the second Bahamian since Pierre Siegenthaler at the time to attain this achievement at the sailing event.

Two years later at the 16th Sunfish Worlds hosted in Riccione, Italy, Martinborough earned his second title. The final title, which might be the sweetest of them all, was secured on home soil at the 19th Sunfish Worlds in 1988. During this stretch, he also claimed 10 consecutive Bermuda International Invitational Race Week championships. The triple champion was not only the first Bahamian to receive the Lifetime Achievement honours but the last one to win gold at the Sunfish World Championships.

Despite being introduced to sailing at the tender age of 15, Martinborough still feels the same excitement felt when he first stepped onto a boat with top Olympic sailor Percival “Percy” Knowles.

“Sailing has been such a challenging and exciting sport for me from the first time I stepped into my first boat at the age of 15 with Mr Percy Knowles, who took the time to teach, mentor and mould me into the sailor that I am today. My appetite for winning at the highest level in the world is what drives me. It is a feeling I can never express in words but it is great knowing on any given day that I can be the world champion.

“This is all the motivation that I need to keep me going, even at my age, in the sport that I have grown to love so very much,” he said.

As for his recent stint at the 52nd ISCA World Championship hosted by the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Martinborough was the top Bahamian finisher at the event. He concluded ranked 53rd out of 100 sailors. After competing in 12 events, the skipper finished with a cumulative total of 469.0. Unfortunately for the former world champion, he was disqualified from two races which affected his outcome.

“The racing in Coconut Grove, Miami was tough. There were 100 plus boats and it was extremely windy. I learned a lot but did get thrown out of two races which really hurt me in the overall standings. But I hung in there and being the first Bahamian and a part of such a talented team of Bahamian sailors, namely Gavin Mckinney, Jimmy Lowe, Lori Lowe, George Damianos and Peter Vlasov, all whom gave their best and represented The Bahamas well, is really special,” he said.

Lori Lowe, who became the first Bahamian woman to collect the Bahamas Sunfish Open National Championship, turned in the best performance for The Bahamas in the ladies’ category. She finished ranked 72nd overall at last weekend’s Sunfish Worlds.

The event wrapped up on December 10 with Peru’s Jean Paul de Trazegnies taking home his second consecutive Sunfish World Championship.