The Tribune

A TEAM of Bahamian sailors will take on the world this week, with the team warning rivals in the ISCA World Championships in St Croix that “The Bahamas coming!” thanks to support from the Friends of Exuma organisation.

The five sailors – aged 14 to 19 – will be representing their country at the championships, running from November 4-14. The five are Joss Knowles, Tanaj Manos, Emit Knowles, Kahden Knowles and Abel Ponnore – with the team led by coaches Dallas and Tamara Knowles. 

Three of the five are part of the Exuma Sailing Club, with the Friends of Exuma stepping up as the team’s official sponsor as it heads to face the world’s best, and in the footsteps of top-class Bahamian sailors such as Olympic gold medal winner Sir Durward Knowles. 

The Friends of Exuma said they wanted to know that the entire Bahamas was behind this team of young sailors. 

Lori Lowe, the president of the Bahamas Sailing Association and a judge at the championships, is accompanying the team. She hailed the support from Friends of Exuma for enabling the team to take part. She said: “That is a generous gift, enabling these junior sailors from Exuma to compete at this level. It is incredible, a great gift.”

The ISCA World Championships sees Sunfish-class vessels competing against one another, and is also a qualifier for the Pan American Games. 

Joss Knowles said he saw the competition as a chance to represent the nation. He said: “I can let it shine like it used to when Durward was winning regattas and winning gold.” 

He added that sailing has been a part of his life as long as he can remember. He said: “It’s been part of my family, been part of my island, been part of my home.”

Fellow sailor Tanaj Manos previously took part in the 2004 World Championships, and talked of the mental challenge ahead. He said: “It’s difficult to train for a situation like that with the fleet that we have here in The Bahamas, so it definitely takes a mental reset.”

He added his thanks to the team supporting him, saying: “Wherever I’ve went in The Bahamas, I always had an open door for me and an opportunity to train and practice and to even coach.” He added his thanks to “the people who’ve opened doors for me, most especially the Exuma Sailing Club”.

Emit Knowles is also from Exuma, and called sailing for Team Bahamas “a huge privilege”. He is looking forward to the racing, saying: “I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun getting to compete. I try my best no matter what and I’ve worked hard to get here.”

Long Island sailor Kahden Knowles comes from a family line of sailors. “The Knowles family in Long Island and around The Bahamas are avid sailors. It’s just a long-standing family tradition,” he said.

He began sailing because he wanted to be like his father, Stefan Knowles, and said being part of Team Bahamas means “representing your people, representing your country, and overall representing your family”.

He also set his sights on a strong showing, warning: “The Bahamas coming! We ain’t going there to put on no poppy show!”

The youngest team member is Abel Ponnore, who said: “It’s an honour to sail for my country. I want people back home to know that I tried my best and I got a good position for our country.”

Coach Tamara Knowles, of Exuma Sailing Club, said: “Dallas and I feel very honoured to be a small part of this journey with our team and the ISCA community. We see how hard these kids work at the sport they love so much. We are so excited to be there as they have the opportunity to represent their country, and we are so grateful for the financial support from Friends of Exuma to help make these dreams realities for these kids and us as coaches.”

Katherine Clark, director and treasurer of Friends of Exuma, said: “Having the chance to represent your country is something special, and we want these five sailors to know their community, and the entire Bahamas, is behind them.”

Friends of Exuma board director Kathy Allyn said encouraging sailing did so much for young people in the community.

“Sailing teaches young people so much more than how to handle a boat. It builds confidence, discipline, resilience and respect for the sea. It’s wonderful to see five Exuma sailors have the opportunity to test their skills on an international stage, and we’re grateful to [coaches] Dallas and Tamara [Knowles] for the time, commitment and guidance they give to developing youth sailors. We’re proud to support this team and excited to see them represent The Bahamas in St Croix,” she said

For more information about Friends of Exuma or to support its 2026 initiatives, please visit https://exumafriends.org.