Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club whose founder Bob Coughlin has been called ‘the single largest supporter of sailing in The Bahamas’ was today named title sponsor of the upcoming Black Point Regatta.
The regatta, set for July 31-August 4 in the waters off the island in the northern Exuma chain of islands and cays, is expected to draw hundreds of spectators and nearly 20 native sloops in two classes. Known for being the regatta that features the C-class sloop, this year Black Point Regatta will include juniors in E-class boats, thanks to a separate Turtlegrass Resort donation. That gift of $20,000 allowed Black Point boat builder and sailing club president Leander Pinder to complete construction and equipping of several partially built E-class sloops.
“Bob has sponsored in Georgetown and Farmers Cay regattas before, but this is his first year for Black Point,” said Danika ‘Love’ Rolle, who helps run the regatta. Her appreciation extends beyond the few days of races and activities to the overall impact the building of Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club has had on the economy of the Central Exuma cays. Turtlegrass has announced it will halt construction at the end of Phase I due to unresolved environmental and safety issues raised by a proposed neighboring project.
“I want to thank Bob, he has been wonderful to the Exumians,” said Ms. Rolle. “Because of Bob, people are able to make ends meet. We have many people that work for him and they were not able to do that before, but now they can because of him.”
Economics aside, the developer’s contribution will singularly take Black Point Regatta to a new level with the addition of junior sailors, considered the primary means of preserving the national sport by providing opportunities for younger people to learn the art and skill of reading the wind and waves, working the sails, understanding the rules of racing and the power of the wooden craft modelled after the work boats of old.
“When the discussion came up and Bob (Coughlin) stated he wanted to help Black Point achieve more for their future, we said the best way to invest in the future is by way of the children of the community and that is how the idea was born to support E-class sailing,” said Ms. Rolle. “Kids are the future and Bob’s donation took us a very long way.”
For Coughlin, a decades-long Exuma visitor before making it his home and years later, becoming the second largest employer in the Central Exuma cays, supporting sailing is a natural.
“Sailing is not only the official national sport of The Bahamas, but also an incomparable part of the nation’s history and culture,” said Coughlin. “The tradition of yesteryear is revived and more powerful than ever when you see regattas with native sloops in fierce competition in all their majesty with up to a dozen men or women on the pryboard, canvas-like sails flying full, boats heeled over driving on human and wind power and it’s a sight to behold.
“Turtlegrass is honoured to be supporting this sport.”
Held over the Emancipation Day holiday weekend, Black Point Regatta features several races, food stalls, entertainment, Junkanoo rush out, trophy presentation and more. It is considered a major economic boost to the island and surrounding cays and follows an event on the island in March which drew hundreds of spectators with visitors on cruising monohulls and catamarans participating along with locals on sloops in a series of races punctuated by parties and entertainment hosted by a local restaurant.
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