Nassau Sailors dominate at Sunfish and Optimist Regatta in Marsh Harbour

Thu, May 12th 2011, 11:59 AM

The 21st Homer Lowe Memorial Sunfish Regatta was held over Motherʼs day weekend hosted by the Marsh Harbour Sailing Club. The Regatta was held in conjunction with the Hugh Cottis Memorial Optimist Regatta. The Optimist Dinghy is the top youth boat sailed by sailors up to the age of 16 in more than 100 countries throughout the world. The Sunfish is a boat well- known throughout the Bahamas and a natural progression for youth too old or big for the Optimist. Thanks to the attendance of the Grand Bahama Sailing Club who attended the Lowe Cottis event for the first time bringing some 21 junior sailors from Freeport and West End the Optimist Regatta eclipsed a somewhat sparsely attended Sunfish Regatta by a factor of three. Sailors attended the Event from Nassau, Freeport and West End and locally from Marsh Harbour, Hope Town and Cherokee with some as young as 8 years old. It was great to see all those youth sailors, both girls and boys, sailing in and out among the sailboats moored in Marsh Harbour. The beautiful weather added to the ambience of what has become the “fun” Optimist Sunfish Event of the year providing light and very manageable winds for most of the regatta. This proved to be fabulous conditions for all the young sailors providing a great introduction to racing especially for those just embarking on what is hoped will be a lifelong passion, if not in competitive sailing then just in being out on the water. The usual 30 degree shifts that Marsh Harbour is known for were also much in evidence providing some frustration but also ensuring that most competitors remained close to the money in every race even sometimes until the last tack thus making for some exciting racing and nail-biting finishes.

With the exception of Jim Kaighan of Abaco who finished 2nd in the Homer Lowe all trophies in both Sunfish and Optimist Classes were taken by the Nassau crew. Jimmie Lowe took the title and the trophy named for his father in the Sunfish Class yet again putting his name on the trophy for the 8th time in 21 years with the trophy for top junior in the Sunfish Class going to Nathan Rolle. In the Optimist fleet, Paul de Souza took the Hugh Cottis trophy in his first time sailing this event with second and third going to Spencer Cartwright and Daniel Gibson. The trophy for top green fleeter (generally youth not having raced before) Atticus Ezis. Girls were also in evidence in both fleets although it is hoped that next years event will attract more girls along with sailors from a few more communities throughout the Bahamas.

Thanks go out to Snappas Chill and Grill who once again provided their restaurant facility as the on-land venue. Special thanks are also extended to long time regatta organizers Jim and Lianne Kaighan without whom the Regatta would not happen. Thanks also to the pinch hitting race committee of Lenora and David Mulock who filled in at the last minute for the scheduled committee who were unable to come due to a sudden death in the family. Not to be forgotten are Bahamas Ferries, who have historically accommodated youth and adult sailors travelling to Abaco for the Homer Lowe and more recently those travelling to regattas in Islands to which they provide ferry services.

All participants are anticipating next yearʼs regatta although presumably some of the bigger people will be hoping for slightly more wind.

 

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