Peter McPherson Christie in Balanena II, Oliver Liddel in Blue Moon and Kristof Lingier in Woza all with Bahamian crew ﾓstand a very good chanceﾔ in the grueling overnight contest, said regatta chairman John Lawrence.
The trio will then face the international skippers in a two-day battle off New Providence highlighting the Miami to Nassau Race Week hosted by the Nassau Yacht Club and the Miami Yacht Club.
James Bishop in Golddigger from the New York Yacht Club will be defending the title when the fleet sets sail from Government Cut off Miami and head towards the Berry Islands and through the western entrance of Nassau Harbour.
ﾓThe three Bahamian boats certainly could be in the running,ﾔ said Lawrence, the past commodore of the Nassau Yacht Club
The Bahamas with its expansive marine environment is ideal for racing of all classes.
ﾓThe Miami to Nassau Ocean Race is a famous event and has always enjoyed the support of the Ministry of Tourism,ﾔ said Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe.
ﾓThis support will continue as we renew our efforts to broaden the range of activities and attractions for our visitors.
ﾓMany famous names have been associated with this race, several of them Bahamians. This is an event of the highest caliber which explains the fact that it has survived for such a long time,ﾔ Minister Wilchcombe said.
The Nassau Cup is a highly sought after trophy. No one has won it three consecutive times since the Bahamasﾴ first premier Sir Roland Symonette commissioned it in 1934 at the start of the race.
It is emblazoned with the names of some of the worldﾴs most famous skippers aboard some of the worldﾴs finest racing sailboats including Ted Turner of Americaﾴs Cup fame on Tenacious.
Noteworthy sailors that vied for the trophy included the Bahamasﾴ Bobby Symonette, Dennis Conner, Dick Bertram, and Ted Hood.
The Nassau Cup was on display at the New York Yacht Club during the fall of 2003 to commemorate Bishopﾴs victory. It is now home at the Nassau Yacht Club, East Bay Street.
The Miami to Nassau race is one of the oldest in this hemisphere. It use to be a part of the popular Southern Ocean Racing Circuit ﾖ a four-week long regatta that included races in southern Florida and then on to Nassau for the coveted Governor Generalﾴs Cup series.
SORC was restructured in order to accommodate modern requirements and the Nassau to Miami race ceased in 1988.
Last year the Miami Yacht Club and the Nassau Yacht Club revived the race which they first organized in 1934.
In 1998 the Nassau Yacht Club created the Nassau Race Week which consisted of three days of sailing off New Providence. This successful event was merged with the Miami to Nassau running.
At its peak in the early ﾴ80s, the Miami to Nassau race had more than 150 boats competing and Nassau Harbour would be abuzz with activity.
ﾓWe anticipate the race regaining its stature on the international sailing scene and the numbers of competing boats growing to substantial proportions over the next years,ﾔ said Mr Lawrence.
All the Bahamian competitors are in Miami and are said to be ready. ﾓWe certainly stand a good shot at the title this time,ﾔ said Lawrence.
Besides the coveted Nassau Cup, in the Miami to Nassau race trophies will be awarded for the course record breaker, first to finish multihull, first to finish monohull, first to third finishes for multihull on corrected time, first to third finishes for monohull on corrected time, and first to third for one-design classes.
Many of the trophies this year will be in the form of paintings and prints by Bahamian artists notably Ricardo Knowles and Bill Johnson.
ﾓWe try to keep the event as Bahamian as we can,ﾔ said Lawrence. ﾓWhen these people return home we think itﾴs much nicer for them to have a painting from here that has some significance rather than another silver plate to put on their wall. And the skippers enjoy that gesture.ﾔ
George S Coumantaros on the yacht Boomerang set the course record of 14 hours, 26 minutes and 39 seconds in 1986.
ﾓThe technology of sailboats has increased dramatically since the course record was set and we will see an all-out assault on the record books in the coming years,ﾔ said Lawrence.
The favourite among the multihulls is the 79-foot Patriot with its 100-foot mast. Among the monhulls, Golddiggerﾴs defence is said to be wide open.
ﾓItﾴs an endurance test,ﾔ said Lawrence. ﾓFrom a 9 0ﾴ clock start Saturday morning, through unpredictable weather, they should be entering Nassau Harbour Sunday morning.
ﾓWe shall return to the glory days of big boat international racing in the Bahamas,ﾔ said Lawrence.
The Ministry of Tourism and Mount Gay Rum are the platinum sponsors of this event.
Nassau Sailing Committee chairman Danny Strachan, Commonwealth Sailing Association commodore Anthony Knowles, and Bahamas Boat Owners Association chairman Rev Philip McPhee all from the native sloop racing clubs have been invited to the awards presentation.
During the 1978 running, Bahamian sailing great Sir Durward Knowles organized a series featuring the international skippers aboard native sloops with all native crew. Rollie ﾑThe Grandmasterﾴ Gray out dueled Ted Turner for the title.
ﾓWe want to generate interest and support across the sailing community so that hopefully next year, we can organize those races again,ﾔ said Lawrence.
Gladstone Thurston, The Bahama Journal
