The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas junior sailors faced a challenging opening day of racing at the ISCA Youth World Championships in St Croix, with Emit Knowles leading the local contingent after four races were completed in the youth, women’s and masters divisions.

Representing the Exuma Sailing Club, Knowles finished 10th, eighth, eighth and 15th in his four races to accumulate 41 points, leaving him tied for eighth overall among the 19 competitors in the youth division.

Kahden Knowles of the Bahamas National Sailing School (BNSS) recorded finishes of 13th, 13th, 13th and 10th to finish the day with 49 points and 13th place overall.

Abel Ponnore, representing the Nassau Yacht Club, finished 16th, 18th, 15th and 16th to accumulate 65 points and sit 17th overall.

Opening day presented several challenges for the young Bahamians, with changing wind speeds, rain squalls and shifting conditions making it hard to stay consistent over the four races.

The changing wind patterns also created opportunities for sailors who were able to read the course effectively, with certain shifts favouring one side while putting others at a disadvantage.

Knowles said the opportunity to compete in unfamiliar waters had been enjoyable, but adapting to the conditions and larger waves presented a different challenge from what he is accustomed to at home.

“It’s fun getting to sail somewhere new but also frustrating to not be able to predict the shifts as easily as we can back home. Exuma and other places we sail in The Bahamas don’t usually have the level of waves and swells I sailed in today, so it was another challenge learning to keep the boat moving fast through the bigger waves,” he said.

“Sailing in ISCA Worlds has definitely been a learning experience, it’s significantly more challenging than our regattas back at home. There’s a lot I’ve learned from sailing these last few days that’ll definitely stick with me moving forward,” he said.

Ponnore, meanwhile, is competing in his first international sailing competition and described the experience as a valuable introduction to different sailing conditions and techniques.

“Today was a really good day. I learned so many new things and gained a lot of valuable experience. This was my first international sailing competition, and everything was new to me,” he said.

“I experienced different types of sails, big waves, new wind conditions, and even winds coming down from the mountains. It was challenging, but I gave it my absolute best, and I think I did really well.”

Despite the difficult conditions, the three sailors will have further opportunities to improve their positions as the championships continue in St Croix.

The youth, women’s and masters competitions are part of the wider ISCA World Championships, with the Open World Championships scheduled to begin tomorrow.

There are over 75 brand-new Sunfish boats in contention for this year's championships, which run through November 14. The Sunfish competition also serves as a qualifier for the Pan American Games.