NFI Regatta 2024 - onward together

The National Family Island Regatta (NFIR) is an anticipated annual event that brings together the communities of Exuma along with national and international visitors, for a week of sloop sailing competition. The NIFR is the highest level of sloop racing throughout The Bahamas and arguably the largest Bahamian cultural event of the year. This year, over 6,000 people are expected to attend the regatta festivities in Elizabeth Harbour for the 68th edition of the NFIR, under the theme: Onward Together, Sailing: Our National Sport.

Festivalgoers will look forward to experiencing onshore cultural activities including music concerts headlined by top Bahamian performing artists, a fashion show, a beauty pageant, traditional games, art & craft exhibitions, and sample a taste of some of The Bahamas’ best dishes. Elizabeth Harbour will be host to over 80 sailing sloops, ranging in size from 28ft to 12ft (class A to E), from throughout The Bahamas, to race for the title of Best of the Best.

In 2023, the Bahamas Government officially declared sailing the national sport of The Bahamas, and this will be the first National Family Island Regatta to be held since sailing became the National Sport. 

The National Family Island Regatta is the perfect blend of competitive sports and the unique culture of The Bahamas. While many people travel to Exuma at the end of April to take part in the great food and entertainment in George Town, there are also the faithful sailing fans who attend specifically to watch the 4 classes of sloops race in beautiful Elizabeth Harbour. 

The task of a successful National Family Island Regatta is made possible only with the help and support of so many faithful sponsors both locally in Exuma and Nationally, and of course the continued dedicated support of the Government of The Bahamas. Every year the Ministry responsible for Regattas and Family Island Affairs, which is currently the Ministry Of Works, picks up a substantial portion of the budget. This along with the Ministry of Tourism and private sponsorships from corporate Bahamas and philanthropic individuals helps to reach the budget for this massive event, a budget which now soars over $500,000 every year.

This event is seen worldwide and captures the interest of sailing purists throughout the world. In a world where the sport of sailing is becoming more and more advanced to the point of being almost unrecognizable as sailing in some instances, the sight of wooden hand-made boats with canvas sails and no electronic instruments assisting the sailors is a breath of fresh air to sailing enthusiasts around the world. 

The National Family Island Regatta is the longest-running sailing regatta in The Bahamas and still proudly holds the record as the most attended of all the sailing regattas throughout the islands. It is one of those authentically Bahamian events that’s part of the reason so many visitors conclude that It’s Better in The Bahamas.

A special thanks to all of the donors who contribute to making the NIF Regatta successful each and every year. If you’d like to donate, please visit our donors page. We look forward to seeing you in George Town April 23-27th, 2024.

Thanks to Commodore Dallas Knowles for providing this information

An eventful year for the exuma arts network

The Exuma Arts Network has an eventful year! This year EAN hosted monthly Paint & Sip’s which were always well attended. The After School Creative Club had a regular attendance of 6 children, with the addition of 6-10 drop-in children from ages 6-15.

In February, L.N. Coakley presented Turquoise Impressions, a student art exhibition with an opening reception. This was such a successful exhibition, that the Ministry of Education requested a short documentary, which a Coakley student produced. EAN also hosted a full-day collage workshop with students from Exuma Christian Academy. A total 170 students came through the doors from schools from Williams Town to Stuart Manor High School.

Also in February was the Encaustic Painting Workshop with guest artist, Domenica Brockman, attended by students from L.N. Coakley H.S.

In April, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas Inter-Island Travelling Exhibition “30 Island Life Perspectives” shared selected works from the National Collection. EAN had an amazing turnout of 100+ people at the opening reception, and received over 400 visitors throughout the month of April, including having seven schools tour the exhibition.

EAN was represented at the Museums Association of the Caribbean, hosted by the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas in Nassau, which provided an opportunity to meet museum and creative professionals from across the Caribbean, US, and Canada.

The first solo exhibition for local self-taught artist, Beatrice Oliver Gould was warmly received by locals and visitors to the community. Her art is known for bringing her stories of Bahamian island life to canvas.

The Summer Eco-Art Camp ran for three, one-week sessions. A total of 18 campers joined, some participated for all three weeks, while some dropped in for a few days. A total of 12 one-week scholarships were extended. The first Summer Camp Internship brought a recent graduate from the University of The Bahamas Arts and Education program, making camp extra special, and also providing the opportunity to give the campers more attention.

EAN partnered with the Bahamas National Trust in giving a hands-on experience to the eco aspect of art. Dr. Kathleen Sealy, a retired marine biologist gave a presentation on marine plant life and algae, with a printing project. The camp ended with an exhibition at the NAGB of the camper artist’s work from both Nassau and Exuma locations.

The Goombay Festival Garbage Bins project was in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism in which our summer campers painted marine life-themed garbage bins for the Goombay Festival in July, which was attended by hundreds of locals and visitors.

And this was the first year participating in BNT’s Jollification event in Nassau where EAN represented Exuma artists and artisans in the Nassau community.

EAN is grateful for the support from donors and is looking forward to more exciting events and exhibitions in 2024.

Exuma Arts Network >

Skullers Rowing competes in international events in 2023

It’s been quite a busy year for the Skullers Rowing Club! In February 2023, the team competed at the Sarasota Invitational and brought home a gold medal in the Mixed Double event. In May, they took a smaller team of two boys (Andrew Bowe & Phoenix Robinson) to compete in the 2nd Annual Copa America Coastal in Lima, Peru.

In September they compiled the largest ever national team to go to Barletta, Italy to compete in the Beach Sprints, which included 4 first time athletes: Alicia Adderley (15), Shannen McKinney (17), Kyara Adderley (14) and Xihanna Rolle (13).

Alicia competed in the Junior Women's Solo, while the other 3 girls served as alternates. The remainder of the team included Andrew Bowe (18 - Last year's Copa America Champion), Phoenix Robinson (15), and Renea Ingraham (16). The team improved over last year and has been very competitive with the best teams in the world.

The quartet of Alicia, Phoenix, Andrew and Renea also competed at the World Coastal Rowing Championships where they were by far the youngest team and were still competitive.

Membership increased this year by 50% bringing the total number of athletes to 25-30 active members. The future definitely looks bright for the club as they head into the next few years with Beach Sprints as an Olympic discipline at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Perhaps we will see some future Olympic athletes representing the Bahamas one day soon!

2023 Run for Pompey & the upcoming 2024 Tour du Turquoise

The 9th annual Exuma Half Marathon, featuring the Run for Pompey, was hosted on November 11, 2023. The event was a great success, welcoming approximately 300 runners to Regatta Park for a true community event. Young and old, Bahamian and tourist, it brought together a wide cross-section of people with a shared love for the island. Thanks to the generous sponsors and supporters, the race raised close to $10,000. These funds, as in the past, will go towards our annual Pompey Scholarship, awarded to a deserving student graduating high school each year to assist with university fees.

The much anticipated 10th Exuma Half Marathon is already in the works. While the date has not been officially announced, it is looking at Saturday, November 23rd, 2024. The hope is to make this event our biggest ever, inviting back all of the past runners and supporters.

The Tour de Turquoise, otherwise known as Ride for Exuma, is set for January 18-21, 2024. While it draws a smaller number of people compared to the Exuma Half Marathon, this event has become a significant fundraiser for the island. In recent years, it has raised upwards of $100,000 for a variety of causes across the island. Through the Tour de Turquoise, the donation proceeds have purchased a bus for the hospital, a bus for the local high school, iPads and computers for the schools, refurbished a basketball court, supported the Bahamas Humane Society and Bahamas National Trust, and many other accomplishments.

This year, it is projected that at least 20 VIP riders will join from abroad, and typically around the same number of local riders. The ride benefits from both a police and ambulance escort, and in addition to the cycling, participants can enjoy organized boating, dinners, parties, and all the island has to offer.

Successful establishment of mooring fields for the Elizabeth Harbour Conservation Partnership

Thanks to the Friends of Exuma Harbour Fund, 2023 has been an exciting year for the Bahamas National Trust and the Elizabeth Harbour Conservation Partnership as their joint initiative to install environmentally-friendly moorings to protect the ecosystem of Elizabeth Harbour came to fruition. The BNT and EHCP developed a vision to work together in 2022 and soon after signed a memorandum of understanding committing to collaboration on the establishment of mooring fields, as well as scientific monitoring and education programs. The project officially got underway in January 2023 and as of Dec 12th, there are now three new mooring fields at Stocking Island and Red Shanks Cay. The two mooring fields by Stocking Island with a total of 64 buoys will be managed by the EHCP. The BNT will manage 34 moorings at Red Shanks Cay/Crab Cay. A Bahamian Company, Bahamas Maritime Solutions was engaged to do the installation work, supported by Applied Technology Management, American Underwater Contractors, and FourCs Ltd.

Jason Hanna of Bahamas Maritime Solutions and Bob Coughlin of Friends of Exuma

The moorings initiative features an environmentally-friendly mooring system design that does not impact the seabed like traditional chain moorings. Once the anchor is embedded into the seabed (15’), a shock absorbing downline is held above the seafloor by a subsurface buoy, thereby allowing the seagrass around the area to grow undisturbed. The organizations will continue to collaborate to ensure that the moorings are maintained properly, and that new mooring field safety rules are followed. 

Thanks to the tremendous funding assistance from the FOE Harbour Fund, the EHCP and BNT are now poised to generate sustainable revenue for both organizations through mooring fees while protecting the environment.

Read more about EHCP>

Exuma Sailing Club 2023 recap

2023 was an amazing year from start to finish for the Exuma Sailing Club. This year ESC team members competed in eleven regattas, including the National Family Island Regatta, the Long Island Regatta, Opti Nationals, and Sunfish Junior Nationals.

At the 2023 Opti National Championships in Nassau the ESC took a team of 6 sailors, three in the rookie green fleet and three in the advanced championship fleet. For the second year in a row, they had a new sailor win the green fleet, Treysean McKenzie, brother of last year's winner Tyreese McKenzie.

Treysean McKenzie

For the first time this year, ESC hosted another National event: The 2023 Sunfish Junior Nationals in Elizabeth Harbour. The event had fourteen sailors from Exuma and ten sailors from Nassau. Joss Knowles of the ESC placed 3rd overall out of twenty four boats and lost only to the two current best junior sailors in The Bahamas from Nassau.

In the end, the regatta was a huge success even though the wind was very high, some of the newer sailors struggled, and many boats broke down. All of the visiting sailors enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to the next event, which is forecasted to be next year.

In late November, two of the top junior sailors, Joss Knowles and Tanaj Manos, traveled to Nassau to compete in the Sunfish Open Championship against adult veteran sailors. Joss sailed amazingly and was leading the final race which would have crowned him the champion of the regatta except the wind died and that race was canceled, which resulted in him coming in second overall.

Since December last year, when The Exuma Sailing Club lost to the team from Lyford Cay in the final race of the 2022 Best of the Best Regatta, one of the major goals this year was to take revenge and win the 2023 Best of the Best Regatta.

ESC was represented by 3 E class boats:

One Bahamas (Tanaj Manos), Mako (Emit Knowles), and last year's runner-up Lady Kayla (Joss Knowles). Several other ESC sailors sailed in other private E Class boats as well. The three ESC boats sailed well from the beginning of the regatta and swept the top three finishes in two out of three races, and Lady Kayla won every single race. All three ESC boats qualified for the “winner take all” final race on Sunday, boasting three out of the five finalist boats.

Joss Knowles

This time, Joss in Lady Kayla won the overall championship, completing a four-race clean sweep of the E class series. No E class boat has ever swept all four races in a major regatta ever! This was a major goal that they trained for and were able to accomplish this year. The best of our performance boats in this one event netted $4,300 for the Exuma Sailing Club in prize money from the four races.

Another major focus in 2023 was to secure the A class boat Lady M from Staniel Cay. While progress has been made and both the ESC and the interested parties in Staniel Cay are in agreement for the acquisition of the boat, as of December 2023 Lady M still remains in Staniel Cay and work has not begun on her yet. ESC remains committed to this endeavor and will continue to work to make it happen.

Another great win for the club this year was that the Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Brave Davis, while naming sailing as the Bahamas’ National Sport at the 2023 National Family Island Regatta, also verbally committed to giving the ESC the property adjacent to where the club currently operates, giving us the green light to begin planning the layout for our future clubhouse building and boat building shed. A big focus of 2024 will be officially securing the property and fundraising for the clubhouse building.

The ESC membership grew at the end of the summer after the annual Learn to Sail Camp. The Sunfish fleet is currently at sixteen sailors and the Opti fleet is at twelve sailors.

Thanks to the continued funding from the Friends of Exuma the ESC have once again been able to grow this year, keep the fleet in good shape, and are preparing for another great year in 2024.

Update provided by Dallas Knowles of the Exuma Sailing Club

FOE 2023 Midyear Update

Greetings friends,

In our third year of existence, Friends of Exuma has added programs and we are starting to plan for 2024. We are also exploring ways to assist the community within our areas of focus: Youth Development, Conservation and Sustainability, Cultural Preservation and Celebration, and Community Relief. When the organization was founded in late 2020, we defined our areas of interest as facilitating funding for local projects, programs, and organizations that encourage healthy living and sustainable growth in the community.

So what have we accomplished? 

Over the past year, we have increased our support for youth programs in Exuma. We provided significant support to the Exuma Sailing Club, Skuller’s Rowing Club, Exuma Arts Network, and the Nelson Ranger Tennis Program. In addition, we are the sole outside funding source for the LN Coakley High School Farm and the Exuma Christian Academy after-school tutoring program. We also provide funding to support the education associated with Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park.

FOE also partnered with the Exuma Foundation of Canada to support their primary events, the Run for Pompey and the Tour de Turquoise bike event. Significant proceeds from those events supported a scholarship at LN Coakley High School, along with other programs at the school including funding for field trips and other improvements. US citizens can donate to those events through FOE. This year, the Run (and walk) for Pompey is scheduled for November 11, 2023.  Click on the individual programs for more information or refer to our website for a dropdown menu of all of our initiatives and causes at www.exumafriends.org

Our main funds are defined as:

• Community Fund: Used to provide base gifts for the charitable initiatives that FOE supports. Also covers a low overhead (accounting, legal, marketing, bank fees). In the past 12 months, we granted approximately $200,000 from the CF.

• Harbour Conservation and Preservation Fund: This is a supersized designated fund that supports Elizabeth Harbour Partnership, Mariah Harbour Cay National Park, and other environmental causes. Over the past year, we funded a strategic plan and bathymetric survey, an oral history project for Moriah Harbour Cay National Park, and a grant for Harbour Management Initiatives. 

• Designated Funds: Once FOE enrolls a charity or an initiative, a donor can give funds to that charity to supplement our general fund giving, and take a US tax deduction.    

Our role is to provide structure and credibility to the process, so donors have confidence, and recipients have a better chance of success by following some basic practices. FOE supports programs in Exuma, but does not currently operate any programs or have any paid staff. We play a role by engaging donors and creating a pool for base support. The FOE board of directors meets quarterly for two hours and recently met on June 7. We have six engaged board members and seek to grow to nine board members over the next 18 months. 

Homeowner Weekend Events: One of the challenges of connecting donors with organizations is the realities of travel-timing, and also hosting our guests and families while on-island. We are going to promote two dates for homeowner gatherings to create social connections and awareness of initiatives on Exuma, as well as to have time to listen to ideas. Save the dates - November 11 & December 2 to connect on-island, in-person. More information to come, but please feel free to reach out at any time.

Thank you to our board of directors and those who are supporting Friends of Exuma and the organizations we enroll. We will soon be defining goals for 2024 and beyond. Our success is primarily dependent on donations from the second homeowners in Exuma. 

We welcome your ideas and feedback to info@exumafriends.org. 

Thank you,

Bob Coughlin, Board President

Bill Sanford, Treasurer, Bev Brigner, Secretary, and Board Members, Chris Joest, Rob Hall, and Kelly Tattersall 

Exuma Sailing Club Update

2023 is shaping up to be an incredible year for the Exuma Sailing Club. This year they celebrate their 10-year anniversary, as well as accomplishing a few milestones that will likely change the trajectory of the ESC’s future.

In the early months of 2023, the ESC hosted a fundraising event with the goal of raising funds to acquire an A-class Sloop for the Club and for George Town, which has been a long-time dream of the ESC. 

The legendary A Class Sloop “Lady Muriel” has been unused and in slight disrepair in Staniel Cay since 2016. The estimated costs of the repair are about $30,000, and with the support of donors, the ESC was able to raise that amount. At recent meetings in Staniel Cay, the ESC met with those in charge of “Lady Muriel” and have reached an agreement for her to be repaired and sailed by the Exuma Sailing Club. It is forecasted that she will be repaired and ready to be sailed for the Best of the Best Regatta in Nassau in December.

Another big accomplishment is that the ESC has been given permission from the Prime Minister to use the land next to the ESC to officially begin building a permanent clubhouse, sailing academy, and boat-building workhouse. At the National Family Island Regatta this past April, Hon. Brave Davis publicly gave the land between the fish fry and the Augusta Bay hotel to be used by the Exuma Sailing Club to begin construction on a clubhouse. After 10 years, the ESC begins to have a real home with proper storage and a classroom and clubhouse to hold events and train more young sailors in Exuma. This will mean presenting blueprints and plans for buildings, and seeking assistance from those that love the sailing club and want to help build a better future for sailing in Exuma.

This year, Dallas Knowles of the Exuma Sailing Club was named the next commodore for the National Family Island Regatta. He will be in charge of next year's regatta, and with this responsibility it will also mean a more active role for the ESC in the event as well. 

Sailing in Exuma is growing fast and the community is becoming the capital for Sloop Sailing, NFIR will become more organized and better funded as Dallas looks to restructure and refocus the event more on the amazing sailing that takes place that week. 

2023 is off to a great start, and this is in large part because of the generosity of Friends of Exuma and those who love and support the Exuma Sailing Club.

Friends of Exuma to support New programs in 2023

Friends of Exuma is excited to announce three new programs that will be receiving support for 2023.

Boys and Girls Club of the Exuma Christian Academy

The BCG of the Exuma Christian Academy is a mentorship and tutorship program with the intention of improving Math and Reading skills of students from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade who are performing below grade level. The goal is to provide an after-school environment with access to trained teachers between 3:15 and 4:15pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from January to June 2023. Parents may enroll children who qualify free of charge in this program. At the end of the term, the student will be tested and evaluated to determine if they are at an adequate ability for their grade, or if they will need to continue with the program. Friends of Exuma will be assisting with the funds necessary to compensate tutors and for testing and teaching materials.

LN Coakley High School Farm

The LN Coakley High School Farm has received support for a facility for the agricultural program in recent years. The facility has allowed for students to learn practical and sustainable farming techniques. The farm was getting ready to produce vegetables but the pandemic stopped production for the past two years. In 2022 however, the agriculture teacher has made strides to re-start the program, and would like to continue to develop the farm. Some of the goals for 2023 are to install 4 new shade houses which can be used for crop production or chickens, upgrade the water system, and construct a compost system to increase soil fertility for raised. Friends of Exuma will assist with providing funding for these projects.

Exuma Animal Hospital

More information to come…

Your donations help to support these programs. Learn more about how you can donate.

Exuma Sailing Club has its sights on an A Class boat

2022 was probably the best year the Exuma Sailing Club has had. Sailor membership grew and they are excited to see some of their younger sailors now maturing into stronger sailors and even assistant coaches.

The Club is looking forward to another successful year, and one of the major goals of the Exuma Sailing Club for 2023 is to obtain an A Class sailboat for their fleet.

A potential good fit for the Club has become available, a proven champion that would allow the junior crew to be competitive against the best boats in the A Class. The boat has sat unused since 2019 and requires some work which means it could be purchased for about half the price of a new A Class boat.

If the Club can obtain a boat and get her to Exuma by the beginning of March, it could be ready to be sailed competitively by April. The boat would be crewed exclusively by a junior crew and have a junior skipper, something that has never been done in the A Class.

With the support of Friends of Exuma and its donors, the Exuma Sailing Club would be able to realize its dreams of competitively sailing an A Class boat.

Please consider donating to the Exuma Saling Club and helping them achieve their goal.

Please support your community with a year-end donation to the Friends of Exuma Community Fund

Friends of Exuma supports charities and initiatives from our community fund. Once we enroll a charity, we work with them to ensure that funds are used as intended and have the most significant impact. Donors may donate to the general community fund, or designate a donation to a specific charity listed on the Friends of Exuma website. The largest designated fund is our Harbour Fund (read more about the Harbour Fund here). Your support helps us to support more initiatives in our four focus areas. We expect to add additional initiatives in 2023. 

We welcome those who may wish to sit in on a board meeting and hear more about our activities. Board meetings are on Zoom, 8:30 to 10:30 am Eastern time. In 2023, our meeting dates are March 3, June 9, September 8, and December 1.   

If you have questions, please email info@exumafriends.org

Bob Coughlin

President

Friends of Exuma Harbour Fund supports national and local organizations in Efforts to Preserve the Beautiful Seascapes of Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park

Moriah Harbour Cay National Park. Photo credit: Bahamas National Trust

Conserving the beauty of the waters of the Exumas and the life supported by these fascinating ecosystems is a high priority for the Friends of Exuma. One of our first goals as an organization was to establish a Harbour Fund to support the conservation efforts of national and local non-profits committed to conservation of Elizabeth Harbour and the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park. So far, Friends of Exuma has funded two foundational projects for the work of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), the national non-government, non-profit organization tasked with management of national parks in The Bahamas, and the Elizabeth Harbour Conservation Partnership (EHCP), a local non-profit that is working to demonstrate sustainable management of Elizabeth Harbour. 

A map view of Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park gives the best perspective of the areas where these conservation efforts are focused. The western boundary of Moriah Harbour Cay National Park is located on the eastern end of Elizabeth Harbour. The park extends east from George Town to Forbes Hill along the shorelines of Great and Little Exuma and out into the deep Exuma Sound. Because of the interconnected nature of Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park, the BNT and the EHCP have formed a partnership to work on mutually beneficial goals and minimize the impact of some common stressors on the environment.

A big focus in Moriah Harbour Cay National Park and in Elizabeth Harbour is the protection and restoration of seagrass meadows that have experienced chronic impacts over the years from tourism and development. Anchoring, dredging, and declining water quality have taken a toll on this important ecosystem, compromising the functions of seagrass in stabilizing sediments. The seagrass ecosystem provides a foraging and feeding habitat for fish, sea turtles, conch, and crustaceans and cycles nutrients to keep the harbour waters clean and clear. Both organizations are working to install moorings, monitor this important ecosystem, and promote efforts to re-establish pump out services for visiting boats to the area.

Endangered and threatened species are also on the priority list for conservation. There are several cays included in the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park that allow for the protection of land-based animals and plants.

Endangered species such as the Sandy Cay Rock Iguana are of global concern and are protected within the park. Vulnerable seabird and shorebird species also rely on undisturbed foraging and nesting habitats on the sandy shores and sand bars within the park.

Coral Reefs in Great Exuma. Photo Credit: Bahamas National Trust

Underwater, Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park provide vital habitats for important species such as Queen Conch, Nassau Grouper, and Elkhorn and Staghorn Coral. Coral is an important part of the underwater ecosystem by providing safe spaces for marine life during all stages of the life cycle. Coral reefs throughout the world are endangered, but healthy populations still thrive in the waters around Exuma. As the island develops, it is critical to maintain water quality that ensures these reefs stay disease-free, the waters stay clear, and the corals maintain resilience against threats such as abnormally warm sea temperatures. One of the underlying goals of both the BNT and the EHCP is to ensure that conservation efforts are community-based, meaning that the local perspective is respected and included, and local Exumians are given the opportunity to participate and benefit.

Friends of Exuma has supported two projects that are helping to achieve community-based conservation. One grant issued from the Friends of Exuma Harbour Fund to the BNT is currently supporting an Oral History Project. Leaders of this project are interviewing elders within the settlements of George Town, Rolle Towne, Hartswell, The Ferry, The Cottage, and Forbes Hill which are located along the park boundary, in order to document their stories. These communities have deep connections to the land and seascapes of Moriah Harbour Cay National Park having utilized the area historically for farming, fishing conching, and sailing. The stories of their way of life help to understand the culture of the people of these island communities and the importance of preserving traditions in park management. Another grant from the Harbour Fund has supported the EHCP to create a strategic plan that includes creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs, creating working partnerships with the government, and financial sustainability.

With your help Friends of Exuma can continue to support these efforts of conservation and preservation within Moriah Harbour Cay National Park and Elizabeth Harbour. We look forward to connecting our donors with the non-profits driving the initiatives and fostering community ties that make our efforts meaningful. Please feel free to reach out with questions. All donations to the Harbour Fund are tax deductible in the US and go directly to fund approved projects and programs by the BNT and EHCP.

Skullers Rowing Club competes in Wales, UK

The World Rowing Beach Sprint Championships was held October 14-16th 2022 in Saundersfoot Beach in the Pembrokeshire National Park, Wales, UK. The Beach Sprint is a new up and coming rowing format which consists of shorter and faster sprint-type events in a coastal environment (opposed to flat water). This October event was the third event to be hosted in this category, ever. Coach Michael Knowles and four junior athletes from George Town, Exuma traveled to this event where athletes ages 14-17 competed in a challenging open-seas environment. The Skullers Rowing Club was the youngest team there, adding to the challenge. Two of the athletes were the first Bahamians to ever medal in a rowing event in Peru earlier this year.

The event is unlike other rowing events in that athletes must rely on speed and dexterity. The beach-start entails a 10-50m sprint to the boat, a 250m row-sprint out to a slalom course, a row-sprint back to beach, and a sprint to the finish line.

While the team didn’t win any medals, they were grateful to have taken valuable lessons home from the experience. This is still new and developing event and the team is pacing themselves for long term goals to include more strength training and practices as they prepare for the Commonwealth Rowing Association Championships in Namibia, December 2-4, 2022.

The team is also preparing for several events in 2023 including the Sarasota Invitational in February and the Copa America Championships, which is a major regional event for Central & South America and the Caribbean, held in Lima, Peru.

The Skullers Rowing Club is grateful for the support they receive throughout the year from organizations such as Friends of Exuma, which makes it possible to compete in these international events. Michael Knowles comments “It’s been a struggle to get to this point and it’s gratifying to see things start to pay off. The athletes put in a huge amount of work and are finally starting to see results of their labor.”

Exuma race to set new record on Nov 12th

Press Release

Runners take off from the starting line at Regatta Park. After two years of being virtual, Exuma Half Marathon is returning to in person. CREDIT: Jeff Todd

Since 2015, The Pompey Scholarship has helped eight students attend college

Exuma’s tourism product is expected to receive a much-needed boost next month when the Exuma Half Marathon returns, with a record number of runners ready to depart from Regatta Park.

With the 8th annual race fully in person, the event’s organizers say there has been unprecedented enthusiasm from tourists and locals alike.

“The last two years or so have been hard on everyone,” says Jeff Todd, who founded the Exuma Half Marathon, Featuring the Run for Pompey, with Kevin Taylor in 2015.

“It’s clear that people are excited to be back to in person for this outdoor event. We are expecting 300 plus runners, which would be a new record for us. Our sponsors have also stepped up in a big way, so this year we are just seeing a big outpouring of support from both the community and tourists eager to be back in Exuma. Meanwhile, as a non-profit, every dollar collected from registrations will go towards a great cause.”

Exuma Half Marathon raises funds for The Pompey Scholarship, awarded in June to one graduating student from LN Coakley High School in Exuma, so he or she can pursue post-secondary education that fall. Students must submit an application to a school committee, demonstrating a financial need and why this scholarship will make a difference in their lives.

Eairik Bullard, who received the award last summer, cited the death of his mother as his inspiration to succeed.

“She was a huge supporter of my academic endeavours and she helped to push me to greater heights,” Bullard writes. “Her wishes for my life are what push me to do better every day - going to college, graduating with a degree, and living my dreams. I made a silent promise to myself that I would complete her dreams for my life and make her proud of me on that graduation stage.”

A total of eight scholarships have been awarded since 2015, Todd adds. 

The Run for Pompey, a community-run of just 2km around the pond in George Town, and the annual Pompey Scholarship are named after Pompey, the slave who in 1830 led a rebellion on Exuma. Thanks to his courage and resilience, Pompey stopped the transfer of 77 men, women, and children off of the island.

This resistance is now considered a key precursor to emancipation in The Bahamas, which occurred in August 1938.

Fast forward to 2022, Exuma Half Marathon has become an anticipated date on the tourism calendar. On November 12th, four races will leave from Regatta Park, including a 2K, 5K, 10K, and half marathon.

All runners will receive a commemorative t-shirt, swag bag, and the coveted “Piggie Medal”, a tip of the hat to the world-famous swimming pigs.

Pauline Davis, double gold medalist, and The Bahamas’ original “golden girl”, will once again serve as event patron, draping a Piggie Medal around each and every neck that crosses the finish line.

“Returning to Exuma and being event patron was an easy decision,” the Bahamian icon explains, who released her memoir earlier this year, Running Sideways: The Olympic Champion Who Made Track and Field History. “This event ticks all the boxes, in my view. It supports the island and brings in tourism dollars. It teaches us history and supports a student every year. And it brings our communities together. I can’t wait to see everyone in November.”

This year, Exuma Half Marathon will feature a festival atmosphere in Regatta Park, Taylor adds, who also serves as Race Director.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is stepping up to provide live entertainment, food stalls, activities for children, and other attractions once the race is over, with the celebration going well into the afternoon.

“Whether you are a runner or not, there will be something for everyone,” Taylor says.

The event is supported by a dedicated group of supporters, including: GIV Bahamas, BAF Financial & Insurance, Sands Beer, Caribbean Bottling Company Limited (Dasani and Powerade), Friends of Exuma, Glinton, Sweeting O’Brien, Diane Phillips & Associates, Aliv, Grand Isle Resort & Residences, Peace & Plenty, Exuma Markets, Chat N Chill, Cash N Go, BahamasLocal.com and Athletica.

To register, runners can visit the event’s website www.runforpompey.com, or sign up in person in the lead-up to the race.

Eairik Bullard, middle, a graduate of LN Coakley High School, became the 8th recipient of The Pompey Scholarship last summer. CREDIT: Nelson Ranger

Now entering its 8th year, the race has become a draw for tourists and locals alike. CREDIT: Jeff Todd

FOE 2022 Midyear Update

In our second year of operation, Friends of Exuma (FOE) has been steadily growing to engage donors and serve the needs of the people and the environment of Exuma. When the organization was founded in late 2020, we defined our areas of interest as Youth Development, Cultural Preservation & Celebration, Conservation & Sustainability, and Community Relief. 

We are grateful to be able to play a role in supporting charities and initiatives that have made a difference in the community. Thank you to our donors who have provided funds to these worthy causes over the past two years. 

The FOE board of directors meets quarterly for two hours and recently met on September 30th. We currently have six engaged board members and are seeking to grow to nine board members over the next 18 months. 

Our main funds are defined as:

• Community Fund: Used to provide an annual donation for the charitable initiatives that FOE supports. Also covers overhead (accounting, legal, marketing, bank fees).

• Harbour Conservation and Preservation Fund: This is a supersized designated fund that gets its own headline to support Elizabeth Harbour Partnership, Moriah Harbour Cay National Park, and other environmental causes.  

• Designated Funds: Once FOE enrolls a charity or an initiative, a donor can request that the funds donated can go to a specific charity through FOE. For instance the Exuma Sailing Club, Elizabeth Harbour Partnership, etc. For any of the causes we support, donors can receive a US tax deduction and FOE takes no fees. FOE works with each charity or initiative recipient to ensure that money is used for the purposes intended. 

Our Role: 

Our role is to provide structure and credibility to the process of donating, so donors have confidence, and recipients have a better chance of success by following basic practices. FOE supports programs in Exuma but does not currently operate any programs or have any paid staff. We play the role of engaging donors and creating a platform for base support. 

Programs and initiatives update: 

Our list of programs and initiatives continues to grow. We now have a page for each organization we support on our website, which includes information on the fundraising goals of the organization and noteworthy news. In 2022, we added The Exuma Arts Network, The National Family Island Regatta, and the Skuller’s Rowing Club, and have provided initial funding to initiatives in Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park. In the past year, FOE partnered with the Exuma Foundation Canada on certain initiatives and we are looking forward to working cooperatively in the future. The Exuma Foundation Canada hosts two events that benefit local initiatives, the Run for Pompey and the Tour du Turquoise bike event. 

We will soon be defining goals for 2023 and beyond. Our success is primarily dependent on donations from the second homeowners in Exuma. We welcome your ideas and feedback so please feel free to reach out. Thank you to all of those who have supported Friends of Exuma and the organizations enrolled.

Bob Coughlin

Board President

History of the Exuma Sailing Club

If you’ve spent time in The Bahamas, you’re probably aware of the popular sport of sloop sailing and annual sailing regattas held in most island regions. It was actually shocking to find out, after doing some background research, that sailing is not the national sport of The Bahamas. The national sport of The Bahamas is in fact, cricket. A sport with a rousing history of popularity in the 1930’s until the 1970’s when The Bahamas became independent from Great Britain. These days when many people think of cricket in The Bahamas, it turns into conversation about the fabulous pot pies and draught Guinness served up at The Cricket Club in Nassau.

From the early days of settlement, sail work boats and fishing schooners were always an integral part of life in the Bahamas for inter-island commerce and connection. By the early 1950’s these working sailboats were disappearing in place of engine-powered counterparts.

In 1954 a small group of Bahamian and American yachtsmen came up with an idea to hold a regatta for the remaining working sailing boats to showcase and honor their heritage. In April of 1954, nearly 70 sloops, schooners and dinghies gathered in Elizabeth Harbour in Great Exuma for three days of sailboat racing. It was such a success that it was decided to make this regatta an annual event, and the George Town Family Island Regatta was born. Before long, local regattas were popping up throughout various island communities.

Out Island Regatta, 1957. Photo courtesy of Vintage Bahamas.

In the 1970s, the sport of cricket was on the decline, and The Bahamas was looking at independence from Great Britain. Competitive sloop sailing regattas began to gain popularity as a national sport. In an article in the Freeport News several years ago, the author pitches a call to reconsider the cultural sport of sailing as one of utmost importance, classifying it as THE National Sport…

“So it came to pass that as early as the 1970s, a strong case could have been made for sailing to be declared the official National Sport of The Bahamas. There were several lobby efforts subsequently, but successive governments never quite got around to making sailing officially the designated national sport. Sailing deserves such a status. Sailing led the way for The Bahamas on the world sports stage. Today, more official sailing events take place throughout the country than those organized for any other discipline.

The National Sport of The Bahamas is indeed sailing!

All that needs to happen now is for the ceremony to take place with the Governor General and the Prime Minister in attendance, to give the affair a fitting endorsement.”

Out Island Regatta, 1974. Photo courtesy of Vintage Bahamas.

Sloop sailing and sailing regattas were winning spots in the hearts of the Bahamians and weaving their way into Bahamian culture. With such strong ties to the ocean, is it the least bit surprising?

Fast forward to 2013 and a roundtable discussion at the Peace & Plenty Hotel in George Town where a group of enthusiastic Exumians were brainstorming a junior sailing program. Their aim was to encourage the youth in the community to fall in love with the sport of sailing at a young age. They would train a group of competent young sailors to embrace this sport and the competition of regatta, with the potential to lead to a lifetime love-affair, involvement in adult regattas, and perhaps even giving back to their community by training a new batch of young sailors one day.

Dallas Knowles reminisces upon the early days. “When I sailed in the National Family Island Regatta in 2013 I realized firsthand how special this tradition was and how it was more than just sailing, but also uniquely Bahamian. When Chris Ketel and Danny Strachan approached me about starting the sailing club for kids, I was 100% onboard because I wanted the kids in Exuma to have the chance to experience it. We didn't want the kids living on the out island to be disadvantaged and not have great opportunities in front of them, so we got to work.”

‘One Bahamas’ was one of the first E Class boats ever built, commissioned by Sir Duward Knowles. It is one of the oldest and best E Class boats still competing in the Bahamas.

The newest class of Bahamian sloop in the regatta scene was a 12-foot-long E Class vessel, which was perfect for blossoming young boys and girls to handle on the water. As timing would have it, The Exuma Foundation had recently been gifted two E Class boats and were in need of a team, and so, in October 2013 the Exuma Sailing Club was established.

The biggest challenge they faced in the early days was that they only had two boats available for the many interested participants, so it was difficult for each child to get ample time on the water. In time, the need was met, and 3 more boats were added to the fleet. As the demand grew, community members took notice and began donating Sunfish and Hobie Cats so that more kids could get hands-on experience on the water. Another challenge faced by the Club was the condition of the E Class boats – probably some of the most difficult boats to learn on. If they made a mistake, the boat would sink, and it would take time and much effort to raise it up from the bottom of Elizabeth Harbour.

The first major fundraiser took place in 2015 when the Club had its sights on a competitive C Class boat called Termite. Dallas Knowles, one of the founding Club members, set to work writing letters to local businesses and individuals, discussing club goals, accomplishments, and aspirations for the additional C Class boat. The Club raised $15,000 and was able to purchase this top-level boat in October 2015. Termite pulled her weight and quickly established herself as serious C Class competition against the adults in the league. In 2018, she placed first, second, or third in each of the seven regattas she competed in. Since 2018, Termite has not placed outside of the top three in nearly every local regatta in Exuma.

Termite helped to establish a positive reputation for the Club. The Club asked the community for help and proved itself by providing a dedicated and successful sailing team.

During the lockdowns of 2020, the Club struggled to stay afloat. But thanks to local charitable organization, Friends of Exuma, the Club was able to persevere. Knowles voices his gratitude: “Friends of Exuma has been a savior for the Club for 2021. With no regattas to sail in for coming up 2 years now we would have had little to no funding for the Club and would have most likely had to close practices and camps until regattas returned.  Thanks to the generosity of FOE we actually had the biggest and best year the club has ever seen.  We ADDED boats, ADDED sailors, HOSTED the 2020 postponed Optimist Bahamas National Championships for the first time ever in Exuma, and have been able to spend the year getting our 43-foot Trawler boat ready for the return of regattas (a liveaboard boat that was donated to the Club for us to use to carry the team to Long Island, Farmers Cay, and Nassau Regattas). None of this would have happened without the assistance Friends of Exuma offered us this year!”

Many young sailors have gotten their feet wet with the Exuma Sailing Club. Some have turned into impressive adult sailors. Many more will pass through the doors. As young sailors have come and gone over the years, the goal has remained the same “To teach the young men and women of Exuma teamwork and discipline through the sport of sailing with consistent practices and competing in regattas throughout The Bahamas.” With assistance from local donators and charitable organizations like Friends of Exuma, the Club hopes to continue to thrive. Here’s to many more years of fair winds and following seas.

To learn more about how you can help, visit the Friends of Exuma Donate page.

Written by Mariah Moyle with contributions from Dallas Knowles of the Exuma Sailing Club

FOE 2021 Midyear Update

Friends of Exuma incorporated as a U.S. 501(c)(3) charity in the Fall of 2020 establishing itself in the Exuma community. Our mission includes supporting local charities and clubs that foster preserving the environment through conservation, sustainable living, youth development, cultural preservation, and community relief. We developed partnerships with several local Exuma charities, and we follow the rules for a U.S. “friends of” charity to help ensure that donor funds are put to good use. As we continue to vet new charitable endeavors, progress to date with existing programs include:

Youth Development

Exuma Sailing Club

The Exuma Sailing Club (ESC) was founded in 2013 by Dallas and Tamara Knowles. It has had an active first half of 2021. In February, ESC hosted the Bahamas Optimist National Sailing Championships, the largest junior sailing event ever hosted in Exuma. The event welcomed sailing clubs from Nassau and Eleuthera with over 50 junior sailors participating.

The high visibility and quality of sailing of the Optimist National Championships sparked a boost in interest in joining the Exuma Sailing Club from local youth. The club has recently added 19 new members bringing the total membership to 40 members. The national championships also placed a focus on the importance of boosting the club’s “Opti” fleet and training. In April, ESC hosted the third annual ESC Regatta. Prior to the event, a four-day sailing clinic was led by well-known Nassau sailing coach, Robert Dunkley. The clinic and Regatta were both great successes. Other first half 2021 highlights included the gift of a 43-foot trawler motor yacht which the club will use for transportation and lodging when attending off-island regattas.  Also, during the first half of 2021, all sailing vessels in the club’s fleet were repaired and updated for future use.

The second half of 2021 goals include an upgrade to the “Opti” fleet with two new boats added, continuing to maintain the C and E class fleets, increasing club membership with new competitive sailors, hosting a learning to sail camp in August, and racing in two or three additional regattas. Financially, the ESC is on solid standing with the Friends of Exuma and the Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture being the two largest financial supporters.

ESC's goal is to teach the youth of Exuma the discipline of sailing while preserving the tradition of Bahamian sloop sailing. “Preserving the past while building the future.”

Nelson Ranger Junior Tennis Program

The newly-organized Nelson Ranger Junior Tennis Program has had a busy and productive first half of 2021. Tennis clinics are being held 3 to 4 times per month averaging 25 to 30 players per clinic. Clinics are run by volunteer instructors each Saturday for juniors ages 7 to 17 years old. Clinic sessions are one and a half hours in length and are being held at the February Point tennis courts in Georgetown.

Friends of Exuma has donated equipment, including rackets, balls, and a ball machine to the program. An all-day summer tennis camp was held from June 30 through July 3rd.

This tennis program offers an opportunity for Exuma's youth to experience a competitive sports environment that otherwise would not be available. Instruction teaches structured discipline and social skills through organized individual and team play.

Nelson Ranger also founded and runs a Junior Golf Program, partnering with Sandals Resort Emerald Bay, and has been operating since 2008. The Nelson Ranger Junior Tennis program fits into the Friends of Exuma’s youth development goal having been identified as a critical need for the people of Exuma.

Community Relief

St. Andrews Food and Housing Community Relief Program

St. Andrews Church organized and implemented a food and housing outreach program to help struggling Exuma families during the Covid-19 pandemic. Friends of Exuma has funded this program since our inception in the fall of 2020. The program includes distributing food vouchers as well as rent and utility payment assistance on a monthly basis. Approximately 200 Exuma families are currently receiving aid through this outreach program.

Cultural Preservation

Run for Pompey Event and Scholarship Fund

November 13, 2021, Friends of Exuma is supporting this running event to establish an annual event and support a scholarship fund for LN Coakley High School. 

Conservation

Elizabeth Harbour Partnership/The Bahamas National Trust

These separate organizations are working together to develop a holistic plan to improve water quality and restore habitats in Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park. Friends of Exuma has provided funding to The Elizabeth Harbour Partnership to develop a strategic and financial plan that will improve the management of Elizabeth Harbour’s natural resources. We intend to support initiatives for both organizations as they are developed over the next year and beyond. 

Other Initiatives

The Friends of Exuma board is considering other initiatives as they are presented to board members. We seek to accommodate both donors and the community. 

Letter from the founders

Friends of Exuma was started in late 2020 to fill a need and make a difference in the Exuma community that we are fortunate to be a part of. As investors in on the island, we wanted to contribute more for the long-term benefit of Exuma, and help others do the same.  

The catalyst for us to get started was an appreciation and concern for Exuma’s natural environment. We believe that conserving and protecting the beauty and ecosystems of Exuma is not only good for nature, but good for the people and economy. As growth and development accelerate on the island, it’s time to be proactive in supporting initiatives that will help manage the inevitable impacts on the environment. Over the next year, we expect to assist in many projects around Elizabeth Harbour and the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park, as well as other initiatives that promote sustainability in our daily lives.   

While we see our major efforts to be centered around supporting conservation and environmental sustainability, we realize that fundraising assistance is needed by many organizations in the Exuma community that are doing good works. So, we developed a shortlist of categories for our support that include conservation and sustainable living, but also youth development, cultural preservation, and community relief. We will seek to identify and provide momentum for locally-led projects and programs that fall into these categories by offering a way for US donors to make tax-deductible donations.

Becoming a trusted organization happens over time by operating with transparency and credibility. We will have quarterly board meetings and provide regular updates. We are a volunteer organization with no paid staff and are proud to keep our overhead low, so donations are used for the benefit of the initiatives we support. Please review our midyear update, you’ll see that we are already providing a positive impact within the community.  

Thank you to Bill Sanford, our treasurer, and co-founder of the organization who spent many years developing and supporting a computer program in the Exuma schools.  Also, thanks to Chris Joest and Bev Brigner who had enough faith to join the board when it was an idea, and to those who have jumped in with some initial donations and input. And thank you to Catherine Booker of the Bahamas National Trust for volunteering her time to guide us in supporting initiatives that will make a difference.

Please consider being an annual donor to our organization at a $1000 level to our general fund.  You can also designate to the organizations we have already vetted.  From time to time, we will also seek additional donations for specific initiatives, but one step at a time.  And your ideas are always welcome as we evolve.  

Thank you,

Bob Coughlin

President and Co-founder 

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