Long Island Sailing Regatta

Thursday, Friday June 6-7





If you are boating in the Bahamas, you have to make a point of attending a sailing regatta. Sailboats are divided into different classes, but, must be Bahamian designed, built, captained, and crewed (except they allow a certain number of non-Bahamians on each boat.) The boats and masts are wooden, with fiberglass only allowed on the decks and in some strengthening areas. No bowsprits, no spreaders, no aluminum spars, and no winches or windlasses are allowed. No wind or speed instruments, and no tell-tales are allowed. The sails are made of canous, a natural fabric, with no synthetic materials.





The booms on these vessels overhang the sterns by a third to half of the boat's length, and there are boards that the sailors clammer out on to counter-balance the wind in the sails. For the Long Island regatta, the A class boats, those over 25' can have up to 15 crew on board, the actual number changing with the wind speed for the weight required to balance the wind. Class B is 21-25' with up to 9 crew, and Class C is 16-21' with up to 5 crew.











The boats are lined up and anchored at the starting line. When the starting gun sounds, the race begins by the sailors scrambling to raise the anchor and the sails at the same time, all man-powered, without the help of winches and windlasses. They race in a varied course, generally triangular with a windward tack as well as a downwind run.

















The races are highly competitive, with cash prizes and island bragging rights to the winning vessels. The islands cheer their vessels like a city cheers her franchise ball team.





As the racing vessels converge on each other, you will hear shouts of "starboard, starboard" as a vessel with her wind to starboard is screaming that she has right of way to a vessel with her wind to port.











The races are exciting and fun, and with a skiff, it is fun to accompany the race, using care to stay out of the wind and out of the way, to yell encouragement and shoot photos. The crews of the Full Deck and Simpatico and I spent the entire day Thursday in the midst of the races.





On the first race on Thursday, three vessels were involved in a collision pretty early on, and were out of the race. A fourth broke her boom at the furthest distance of the "ocean race," and after the race ended, we went out and towed her in. Several of the crew members on that boat were involved in different racing classes, and I think they even delayed the next class awaiting some of the crew members to get in.





Ashore, it is like the fair has come to town, with food booths, souvenir booths, music playing, a kid's bounce house, and some kiddie games, etc. The opening ceremonies included welcomes from the race committees, politicians, a prayer from a pastor, a song from the primary school (they were awesome!)





When the kids were sailing Sunfish in an open class, the Full Deck, Simpatico, and I went to the finish line and whooped and hollered when the kids would cross the line. Its always nice to have someone behind you cheering for you!





Friday, Pastor Jimmy Fox joined us on the Whaler to watch the class B races to cheer for the Long Island Boat, which won the race by almost four minutes. The race was very close for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.





In the afternoon I went ashore with Pastor Jimmy, who showed me around their ministry complex. They have housing for a team of about 16 for missions trips.





They poured a slab this past year for a community center. It presently has two sailboats sitting on the slab, to be used for missions outreaches to the neighboring islands.





I was amazed at a water evaporator system they have set up. They pump salt water into a glass enclosed low, flat tray, and catch the evaporated water. He told me with good sun, his little 4' x 8' trays make about 10 gallons in a day and a half.





After we'd visited for a bit, I met Scott and Heather at the dock, and we grabbed John and Barbara off the Full Deck, and hurried out to see the final race of the day.







Then the five of us ate supper on Simpatico, and it was great!