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Regatta Time
In The Abacos ... For more RTIA
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Click HERE The 2000 All Abaco Regatta was held October 25 through 28 at the Regatta Village. The windy weather prevented the entire fleet from arriving. Finally on October 28 the weather lay down and three boats arrived from Nassau to join the Abaco Rage in one race late that afternoon. Competition was tough and the defending champion, the Abaco Rage came in second. Even without the boats the three days of shore parties were almost non-stop with music featuring DJ's and bands including the Gully Roosters of Green Turtle Cay, and two bands from Nassau, the Impact group and the Royal Bahamas Police Pop Band. On Saturday night the Ministry of Local Government, Sports and Culture sponsored a Junkanoo Competition under the direction of Eddie Dames, National Junkanoo Coordinator. The winners of this competition will compete in Nassau on December 16. ----- Awards Ceremony Includes Special Presentation The Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday night, October 28, at Regatta Village. Island Administrator Everette Hart regretted that Mother Nature tried to "strike us out" another year. He announced that the regatta next year will be earlier to lessen the chances of the weather creating problems. Mr. Jack Thompson, now Chief Passport Officer, returned to Abaco to be Master of Ceremonies. Attending the closing ceremony were the Hon. David Thompson, Minister of Local Government, Sports and Culture; the Hon. Ronald Knowles, Minister of Health; and Mr. Archie Nairn, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Sports and Culture and other officials from Central Government. A special presentation concluded the evening awards. Three people were singled out as being outstanding in the history of work boat regattas. Special pins were created by the Sand Dollar Shoppe in Marsh Harbour and presented to these three persons. The first went to Capt. Rollie Gray of Staniel Cay, Exuma, and captain of the Miss Marcie as being the greatest Bahamian work boat captain. His career spans the entire history of the work boat regattas beginning in 1954. The second pin went to Capt. Hexron Moxey of Ragged Island who captained the Second Eagle. He also has been involved in the regattas since its inception in 1954. The third pin was for Ms. Cynthia Smith of Marsh Harbour for her efforts in the early regattas held on Abaco in the 1970s. These pins were planned for presentation last year but bad weather resulted in no racing at all. ----- Abaco's Work Boat History Spans 25 Years A syndicate was formed on Abaco in 1974 to raise money for an Abaco work boat to compete in Georgetown against the entries from other islands. That first boat was the Abaco and was built by Mr. Emerson Albury of Man-O-War. The regatta held on Abaco in 1976 boasted one work boat from Abaco and four from Nassau. Ten cruising boats were included in this race. The Abaco was later sold and renamed the Rough Waters. The syndicate raised money for a second competing Abaco boat which was the Abaco II. In 1977 two Abaco work boats competed with pleasure boats in the summer regatta off Marsh Harbour but no boats came from Nassau. This was due to the logistics of transportation and the lack of cash incentives. The Abaco summer regatta evolved into the Regatta Time in Abaco program which now caters to fiberglass racing and family cruising sailboats. Last year was its 25th year. The Abaco work boats have competed at various times in these races. During this time the Abaco II was sold. The Abaco Rage was the third work boat built in Man-O-War specifically to race in the Exuma regattas. It was successful there for many years. After several years recent years of inactivity, the boat was renovated by a Hope Town group and is once again competing nationally under the new name Abaco Rage. Work boats race The All Abaco Regatta was able to stage one race late Saturday afternoon October 28, the last day of the scheduled three-day event. High winds and 15-foot seas had kept the boats in Nassau. A favorable change of weather let three of the boats arrive on the morning of the final race day aboard the mail boat Sherice M. These were the Original Courageous and the New Courageous both from Ragged Island, and the Sea Star from Cat Island. The three boats stepped their masts alongside at the Green Turtle Cay freight dock and were joined by the Abaco Rage, the defending champion. The previous day, the Whale Cay passage just south of Green Turtle Cay was closed to all shipping due to "rage" seas. On the morning of the race, the passage was still quite rough but larger vessels were able to get through. The winds had subsided and the waters in the sound only showed a light chop. By afternoon the single Abaco Challenge Race was run under clear blue skies in light winds. A sizeable crowd on the shore watched as the four boats set their anchors well forward on the start line just after 5 p.m. A Bahamian start was used with the boats at anchor and the sails lowered. At the starting signal, the crew hoisted the sails while pulling the boat forward on the long anchor rode. This got the boats moving and the forward motion let the rudder take effect. The helmsman then pointed the boat off the wind, the sails filled and the boat picked up speed. The boats began on a starboard tack and the Abaco Rage was the first to switch to a port tack and head for the first or windward mark. The other three boats soon followed with a port tack. The Abaco Rage rounded the buoy first with the Original Courageous close behind. The New Courageous was third and the Sea Star was last. The boats maintained this order around the second or reaching mark with the Abaco Rage first and the Original Courageous about two boat lengths behind. On the downwind leg to the third or leeward mark near the starting line, the Original Courageous overtook the Abaco Rage and rounded the buoy one minute and thirty seconds ahead of the Rage. The Original Courageous managed to hold this lead throughout the final two laps around the course. The boats completed their second lap around the buoys just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The final lap of the course was in twilight with the winner crossing the line at 6:51 p.m. At the finish, the Original Courageous
was one minute 28 seconds ahead of the Abaco Rage. The winner
was four minutes ahead of third place New Courageous and seven
minutes 30 seconds ahead of fourth place Sea Star. Although the winning boat came from Ragged Island, she was captained by Ivan Stuart of Moore's Island. The Abaco Rage was captained by Chris Thompson of Hope Town. Captain Emmitt Munroe was on the New Courageous and Captain Ron Miller was on the Sea Star. |
