Freeport, Grand Bahama -- At a press conference held on the grounds of the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company (BBB) lawn, executives announced plans to host the first "Man in the Boat" Sculling Championships in Grand Bahama. "We are pleased to be ending our National Sculling competition here in Grand Bahama, where we brew our beers," noted Lynden Johnson, BBB sales and marketing manager. "We will be hosting the Grand Bahama sculling race on Friday, September 28 in the evening, 6 p.m. at Taino Beach.
We are also pleased to announce that the event will now be called the Lorenzo Johnson GB Sculling Races, in memory of our brewer who passed away last year." Johnson went on to add that the "National Sculling competition will take place on the Saturday the 29th at 6 p.m., where seven island champions will compete to win the national trophy and prizes." According to the sculling organizer George Kelly, "Winners of the Grand Bahama race on Friday, will join past winners from sculling races held in Nassau, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island and a Chairman's pick, by the brewery's owner a sculler himself, James 'Jimmy' Sands."
Kelly went on to note that the Bahamian Brewery is pleased to host these races at the Grand Bahama Regatta and help keep the tradition of 'E' class racing alive and well in our country. "Traditionally sculling was used by fishermen who went 'conching' who at the time had no outboard engines," explained Kelly. "It was also used in our Out Islands where there were no docks. The smallest person in the village would scull out to the mail boat and bring in cargo to the island."
Sculling races will be held in heats of four, with the two top finishers advancing to the next rounds, leading to the two final competitors for the championships. Kelly and Johnson noted that persons do not need to be a sculler to enter the race that all persons are invited to try their hand, including the ladies! Organizers of the Grand Bahama Regatta were also on hand for the event and chairman of this year's regatta, Harold McPhee stated, "We are extremely pleased to have Sands partner with us and help sponsor not only the Grand Bahama and National sculling races but the Grand Bahama Regatta itself and the 'E' class races.
They have been keen supporters of regattas throughout our archipelago and we are honored they will be adding to the excitement of this year's weekend of activities." Also on hand at the press conference were Lorenzo Johnson's daughters, who noted that they and their mother "are honored our father will be memorialized at this event. He was so proud of working for the Sands family again and we thank them for remembering him this way."
Those interested in participating in the Lorenzo Johnson GB Sculling races can enter on the day, Friday, September 28, at Taino Beach before 6 p.m. The top three winners will receive trophies and multiple cases of beer, the national champion taking home the grand prize of 16 cases of their favorite brew. For more information, Johnson reminds persons to visit their Facebook page or website; he also encouraged everyone to attend this traditional Bahamian event.
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