Sandy Point's First Regatta
The Abaconian - 15 Jun 2002

The beach at Sandy Point reverberated June 7 and 8 with boats, bands and bathers. Topping the entertainment schedule were two Class C dinghy races for the small Bahamian work boats.

Race one was held Friday afternoon in very light air. Race two was on Saturday and was delayed until enough wind came up to allow the boats to sail. Race three was cancelled due to a lack of wind.

On the Friday and Saturday race days, there were speed boats, jet skis, a multitude of water toys and kite rides. Beach volleyball games, dominoes, food stalls, several bars, conch salad stands, ice cream vendors, dinners, sweets and other delicacies keep the crowd entertained and well fed. A disc jockey provided constant music during the day and a live band played at night. A Little Miss Sandy Point beauty contest was on the program.

Two days of active beach activities concluded on Sunday with church services and gospel concerts.

The goal of the organizers of the Home Coming event was to raise enough money to complete the combination storm shelter and recreation building on high ground outside town on the highway. The building is closed in but needs interior finishing.

Cigarette speed boats and jet skis strutted their stuff along the waterfront just beyond the swimmers. The nimble jet skis and their youthful riders were constantly zooming, jumping and spinning, attempting to attract the eyes of the young ladies in their beachwear. There was something for everyone to look at. Cars lined the highway for a quarter mile on each side of the Oiesha Resort across from the beach site. The freighters Mia Dean and the Cherese M brought race boats and passengers from Nassau and the southern islands.

Accommodations in Sandy Point are limited and the town was full of visitors. A steady stream of cars were on the highway coming from the central Abaco area bringing people to the evening activities.

Although the home coming is a Sandy Point tradition dating back to the 1970s, this was the first year a regatta was incorporated which seven boats entered. The Class C boats are a shallow draft boat, well suited for the shallow water off the Sandy Point beach. The races began and ended close to the beach, giving spectators on the shore a good view.

The Sandy Point Improvement Association and the Sandy Point Homecoming and Regatta Committee worked together to make the event a success. The Improvement Association has a Nassau Branch which helps greatly with publicity, fund raising and logistical support. Administrator Everette Hart assisted the committee in planning the event along with Bruce Lightbourne, Treasurer of the Home Coming and Regatta Committee.

Sandy Point was competing with other communities and islands staging events over the long Labour Day weekend. Little Abaco held a home coming in Fox Town, a 110 mile drive to the north. Further away, Andros was holding a Crab Festival and Eleuthera was holding a Pineapple festival.