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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