A total of 78 boats, including at least four from the Cayman Islands, and others from around The Bahamas, are on course to line up at the starting line in various divisions, in what is expected to be a tight series of races in the Bahamas Junior Optimist Nationals set for October 1-2. It will be the first time in the five-year history of the event that it will be held in Grand Bahama.
"The kids are really excited about this for a number of reasons," said senior sailing instructor Robert Dunkley, now the official instructor after years of volunteering with others who give countless afternoons and weekend hours to make the junior sailing program possible. "For most of these sailors, it will be their first time competing against Opti sailors from another country and for many, especially those from Governor's Harbour, Harbour Island, Long Island, Abaco and Nassau, their first time in Grand Bahama. Hopefully, it will be a little bit of a much-needed boost for Grand Bahama as well and the waters there are ideal for races like this."
While Dunkley is hoping for an economic boost for the country's second city, Daniel Gibson and Paul de Souza have other things on their minds. Gibson, 15, a student of C.R. Walker Senior High School, is the defending champion in the Blue Fleet, the championship class. De Souza, a seventh grader at St. Andrews, beat 44 boats to take first place in the Green Fleet last year, the novice class. This year he's moving up to Blue Fleet and plans to give Gibson a fight for first place. Both will have to out-sail and out-perform hopefuls like Spencer Cartwright who is taking sailing so seriously he's studying sailing tactics.
"In sailing, it's not just about physical strength," said the articulate Queen's College seventh grader. "You don't have to be fast. You don't have to be strong. You just have to know what you're doing. It's about being smart."
Cartwright said he has made a lot of good friends through the program, but he doesn't plan to let friendship stand in the way of winning.
"I came second last year and I'm not coming second again. I plan to win."
Pedro Rahming, a 10th grader at C.R. Walker, plans on coming out on top as well even though winning for him would mean defeating his best friend, defending champion Daniel Gibson.
"That's okay. We'll still be best friends," he said.
Rahming actually has Gibson to thank for getting him involved in the program. Rahming admits that the program has changed his life for the better. It's certainly changed Donico Brown's life as well. Once a junior sailor just hoping to cross the finish line first or at least walk away with a few respectable second and third place finishes in a large fleet, today he's a sailing instructor, paid by the organization made up mostly of volunteers. The Bahamas Sailing Association's (BSA) Junior Sailing Program is sponsored in part by the Ministry of Tourism, Rotary, RBC, KFC, Oddysey, Diane Phillips & Associates and private donors. Brown took advantage of opportunities he had to sail internationally in larger boats, and in 2009, he represented The Bahamas in Brazil.
"I started in an Opti, just like these kids," he said, sweeping his hand across a parking lot at the Nassau Yacht Club where the youngsters had gathered after a day's practice. "The first day out, I capsized and that's when I knew I loved it."
Someday, Brown hopes to get his captain's license and be at the helm of a fast ferry. For now, he'll be coach, counselor and sailing instructor for a fleet of hopefuls, including his younger brother, all battling for the National Optimist Sailing Championship.
Caption for photo:  Sailors round the mark and head downwind in last year's Opti Nationals at Montagu Bay. This year's national championships are set for Grand Bahama, October 1-2, with about 78 competitors in two classes, championship and beginner. The young sailors are part of the Bahamas Sailing Association's Junior Sailing Program sponsored in part by the Ministry of Tourism, Rotary, RBC, KFC, Oddysey, Diane Phillips & Associates and private donors.
Photos courtesy of DIANNE PHILLIPS & ASSOCIATES

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