The Royal Nassau Sailing Club had all hands on deck to prepare its clubhouse to host an international regatta just 10 days after Hurricane Matthew. The white building trim was gleaming and yellowbird cocktails were plentiful as 70 competitors from nine counties were welcomed for the Id Crook Snipe World Masters regatta last Saturday.
An attraction of Snipe sailing is it's a lifelong sport. Skipper Oscar Gonzalez Urquia from Argentina is the oldest competitor at 85 years old. Skipper Terry Timm from the United States of America is the second oldest. Crewing for Timm is Bahamian junior sailor Branden Sands from the settlement of Cherokee Sound in Abaco.
After race three Sands commented, "It is an honor to be sailing with so many great sailors at the Snipe World Masters. The weather was spectacular for sailing today and Friday promises to be even better."
The Bahamian entrants are Robert Dunkley (past Olympian) and Michelle Lakin; husband and wife team, Jimmie Lowe and Lori Lowe (past Olympian); and seven-time world Bronze medalist in the 5.5 meter class sailboat, Gavin McKinney and crew Adam Boorman.
Photos of the empty area in front of the clubhouse where docks used to be were circulated in social media along with other images of hurricane damage. All that remain are the cement T posts and one lone boat which survived on a lift. In a meeting days after the hurricane, George Kelly, regatta chairman, insisted the club would be able to pull off the event. Club Manager Lindsey Darville said, "Going through with the event was a blessing because it forced us to put together the club much quicker than if we didn't have this deadline."
The Royal Bahamas Police Pop Band performed during the opening ceremony Monday evening, from a stage erected on the beach with a beautiful background of palm trees and blue seas. Persons giving remarks included Gweneth Crook, Snipe Class International Racing Association (SCIRA) commodore, and Harrison Thompson, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. Also in attendance were Rena Glinton, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government; Virginia Kelly, sports tourism director; and Cindy Gay, assistant secretary, regatta desk.
Per the SCIRA rules, the Snipe World Masters cannot be raced in winds greater than 15 knots. That has been a challenge this week with the tropical disturbances teasing the area. The fleet was able to get one race in Tuesday morning.
During the race, wind speed is constantly measured from the committee boat with a handheld device. There were tense moments for Fernando de Cardenas, the primary race officer, when the wind speeds inched close to 15 knots when measured to the tenth of a knot. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday races were postponed due to high winds.
Racing resumed Thursday and the fleet was able to get two more races in. Moments from the finish line during race two, the boats skippered by Augie Diaz (USA) and Ernesto Rodriguez (USA) battled for first place in a tacking war. During a tack Diaz didn't settle in securely and slid out of his boat causing it to capsize.
Rodriquez went on to win race two. Diaz was able to right his boat in time to secure a second place finish. The winners of race three and the current leaders of the regatta are Luis Soubie and Diego Lipszyc (Argentina). The regatta continues with two races on Friday and the last two races on Saturday.
The Snipe, a two person sloop rigged one-design boat, became an official class in 1931. Being a one-design boat, all rigging and sails of the Snipe are almost identical, unlike native Bahamian sloops which allow significant variation in design. Despite the class having non-Olympic status, it remains strong with 31 active Snipe countries and over 30,800 boats having been built.
Congratulations to all the sailors and a special thank you to the regatta sponsors: the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government; Shell FOCOL, Sands Beer, Bristol, Burns House, Bahamas Food Services, Dunkin' Donuts, Asa H. Pritchard, Chilly Willy, Starbucks, the Betty K., Import Export, and Saga Boy Charters. Follow the Bahamas Sailing Association on Facebook for photos and http://www.snipeworlds.org/masters/ for news and results.
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