5TH ANNUAL WEST END JUNIOR SAILING REGATTA
On Saturday, April 29th, the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the West End Eco-Fishing Camp Association and the Grand Bahama Sailing Club, will host the 5th Annual West End Junior Sailing Regatta in picturesque West End.
More than 40 young certified skippers, boys and girls from the islands of Grand Bahama, Abaco and New Providence, will be participating in this year’s event.
According to Elaine Smith, Coordinator for Product Development at the Ministry of Tourism, “The Ministry of Tourism is very pleased to announce that this year’s competition will include participants from New Providence, in addition to those returning for the second year from Abaco”.
Speaking to the growth of the event over the years, Keith Cooper, Director of West End Eco-Fishing Camp Association, encouraged youngsters between the ages of 8 – 16 interested in learning how to sail to contact the Jr. Sailing Club via the West End Eco-Fishing Camp Association.
Nuvolari Chootosingh, Manager for Sports and Maritime Tourism, added that “The event is a wonderful experience for our junior sailors to get an opportunity to hone their skills and become better sailors”.
He said that, “Over the years we have seen the development of these skippers and sailors as they improve their sailing skills”.
He shared that participants in this year’s Junior Sailing Regatta will get a good feel for the competition as they prepare for the Nationals which are scheduled to be held later this year, during the month of October.
Keith Cooper, Director of West End Eco-Fishing Camp Association; Ealine Smith, Coordinator for Product Development, MOT; Nuvolari Chootosingh, Manager for Sports and Maritime Tourism
The sailors will be sailing on Flying Junior Sailboats or FJ’s, along with Optis, formally known as Optimist vessels and widely referred to as dinghies.
The Opti is a small, single-crew sailing dinghy, designed for children. It is one of the most popular sailing dinghies in the world, with over 132,000 boats officially registered with the class.
The junior sailors participating in the 5th Annual Junior Sailing Regatta will compete for trophies and recognition as being the first teams in their respective categories to win in their event.
As in years past, it is expected that not only will the event feature an exciting competition but also great food and cultural entertainment, including performances by St. George's High School Jaguar Pop Band & Legend Marching Band.
An invitation is extended to the entire community of Grand Bahama to join in on the fun at the 5th Annual West End Junior Sailing Regatta this Saturday, April 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Bayshore Road, West End, Grand Bahama Island.