RESOLUTION TO NAME SAILING THE NATIONAL SPORT OF THE BAHAMAS

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MARINE RESOURCES AND FAMILY ISLAND AFFAIRS

HON. CLAY G. SWEETING HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

10:00 A.M.

MADAM SPEAKER,  I RISE TO MAKE THE HISTORIC RESOLUTION TO NAME SAILING THE NATIONAL SPORT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS.

THIS HAS BEEN A LONG AWAITED ANNOUCEMENT BY BAHAMIANS FAR AND WIDE AS SAILING HAS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF WHO WE ARE AS BAHAMIANS. FOR CENTURIES, BAHAMIANS HAVE BEEN KNOWN AS MASTERS OF THE SEA. FROM THE LUCAYANS AND ARAWAKS, SWASHBUCKLING PIRATES, QUAINT WORK BOATS TO METICULOUSLY CRAFTED SLOOP RACE BOATS, BAHAMIANS HAVE EVOLVED THE SPORT OF SAILING AS IT PLAYS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR CULTURE. HISTORIANS TELL US THAT THE FIRST REGATTA WAS HELD IN ROLLEVILLE, EXUMA IN 1943.

HOWEVER, IN THE LATE 1950s, REGATTAS BECAME MORE ORGANIZED,COMPREHENSIVE AND TECHNICAL.  THE FIRST REGATTA HELD IN THE ELIZABETH HARBOUR, GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA WAS RECORDED ON MARCH 26-28,1954 AND WAS CONSIDERED A MAIN EVENT AS MORE THAN 70 VESSELS FROM THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS COMPETED.

MADAM SPEAKER, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES, THE SPORT GREW IN STRENGTH AND IS NOW A FORMIDABLE ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE FAMILY ISLANDS. SAILING IS SO UNIQUE TO EACH ISLAND THAT PARTICIPATES IN HOLDING REGATTAS.  THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NOTICED THIS EARLY ON. THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL YACHTING COMMUNITY FORMED AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE OUT ISLAND SQUADRON TO FUND BAHAMIAN REGATTAS.

IN 1959, THE LATE DUKE OF EDINGBURG PRINCE PHILIP WAS BOTH A PATRON AND PARTICIPANT OF THE REGATTA IN GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA – SIGNALING TO THE WORLD THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS NATIONAL TREASURE.

ANOTHER PIVITOL MILESTONE IN BAHAMIAN HISTORY WAS CEMENTED BY THE LATE SIR DURWARD KNOWLES AND CECIL COOKE, WHO WON THE FIRST EVER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL FOR THE BAHAMAS IN SAILING IN 1964.  SOON AFTER, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS BEGAN SPONSORING REGATTAS – A PRIVILEGE THAT IS NOW CARRIED BY MY MINISTRY.  WHEN THE BAHAMAS BECAME INDEPENDENT, A SAILING REGATTA WAS HELD FOR THE FIRST TIME OUTSIDE OF GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA IN NEW PROVIDENCE.

THERE ARE NOW 18 SENIOR REGATTAS HELD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.  THERE ARE ALSO SOME 17 JUNIOR SAILING EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE ANNUALLY. RACES ARE HELD IN THE A, B, C, AND E DIVISIONS AS THEYDIFFER IN BOAT SIZE, BUT NOT IN THE FIERCE NATURE OF THE OVERALL COMPETITION.  THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT REGATTAS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY.

REGATTAS ARE A NATURAL DRAW FOR BAHAMIANS THROUGHOUT OUR ISLANDS AND ENCOURAGES SUSTAINABLE DOMESTIC TOURISM.  IT ALSO GIVES BAHAMIANS OF DIFFERENT TALENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THEIR CRAFTS FOR ALL TO ENJOY.  EACH ISLAND WHERE REGATTAS ARE HELD BENEFIT FROM A SIGNIFICANT, ECONOMIC BOOST. ARTISANS, MUSICIANS, FOOD VENDORS AND MAIL BOAT OPERATORS ALL BENEFIT FROM THE POPULARITY OF REGATTAS.

MADAM SPEAKER, WE CANNOT NAME SAILING THE NATIONAL SPORT WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THE MANY CHAMPIONS WHO HAVE BUILT THE SPORT TO WHAT IT IS TODAY. THOUGH IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO NAME EVERYONE – LEGITMATE SAILING CHAMPIONS SUCH AS ROLLEY GRAY; HEZRON MOXEY, EDGAR MOXEY, RUPERT KNOWLES, VERNON LOCKHART, LIVINGSTON MILLER, BROOKS MILLER, ALFRED BAIN, FRED FINLEY, RICHARD HEPBURN, SAMUEL STUBBS, AND LAURIN KNOWLES MUST BE GIVEN THEIR JUST DUE.  THESE ATHLETES USED THEIR INTELLIGENCE, HEARTS AND BRAWN TO DEVELOP SLOOP SAILING IN OUR COUNTRY.  THEY HAVE PAVED THE WAY AND INSPIRED MANY BAHAMIANS TO CONTINUE TO EXCEL IN SAILING.

MADAME SPEAKER,  SAILING IN THE BAHAMAS IS EXTRAORDINARY AND LEGENDARY.   NO OTHER SPORT SHARES THE AMOUNT OF DEPTH IT HAS IN OUR HISTORY. THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING LIKE IT. AS A FORMER FISHERMAN, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO THE WATER AND WITH SAILING – IT IS NO DIFFERENT.  I HAVE SAILED AT EVERY REGATTA, I HAVE ATTENDED – A TRADITION THAT I HOPE TO KEEP IN THE FUTURE.

MADAM SPEAKER,  THE WORLD CONTINUES TO MARK THE MANNER OF OUR BEARING WHEN IT COMES TO SAILING.  WE CONTINUE TO MARCH ON TO GLORY AS WE ARE SEEING OUR YOUTH TAKE A KEEN INTEREST IN THE SPORT AND THIS IS FROM BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SAILORS. YOUNG CRAIG FERGUSON, MADE WAVES LAST YEAR WHEN HE WON THE OVERALL TITLE IN THE SILVER FLEET AT THE 2022 ARKAS OPTIMIST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN BODRUM, TURKEY. YOUNG SAILORS LIKE ELLIANNE HIGGS, JOSHUA HIGGINS, SPENCER CARTWRIGHT, JOSHUA WELCH, PAUL DE SOUZA, FINLEY MCKINNEY-LAMBERT, ZANE MUNRO, JOSHUA WEECH AND OTHERS HAVE REPRESENTED THE BAHAMAS INTERNATIONALLY.

MADAM SPEAKER, BAHAMIANS CONTINUE TO MAKE THEIR MARK GLOBALLY IN SAILING.  WE WANT TO THANK THE VARIOUS YOUTH SAILING CLUBS SUCH AS THE ROYAL NASSAU SAILING CLUB, THE BAHAMAS NATIONAL SAILING SCHOOL, THE LYFORD CAY SAILING SCHOOL, EXUMA SAILING CLUB, ABACO SAILING CLUB AND THE BAHAMAS SAILING ASSOCIATION – THE GOVERNING BODY FOR CONTINUING OUR COUNTRY’S TENACIOUS LEGACY IN SAILING.  THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR SAILING IN THE BAHAMAS.

MADAM SPEAKER, IN JANUARY, UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF MY MINISTRY, SEE HOW THE MAIN SAIL SETS DEBUTED AT FUSION SUPERPLEX. THE 90MINUTE DOCUMENTARY IS A REVEALING, TIMELY, MASTERPIECE DETAILING THE HISTORY OF BOAT BUILDING AND SLOOP SAILING THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS.  MY MINISTRY IS GRATEFUL TO HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BAHAMIAN PRODUCER-DIRECTOR CHARLIE SMITH, A.K.A. CHARLIE BAHAMA AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS FRED MUNNINGS AND NADIR HASAN, COMMODORE DANNY STRACHAN, THE MOVI GROUP AND DR. CHRISTOPHER CURRY FOR THEIR AWESOME WORK ON THE FILM. THE FILM IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED INTERNATIONALLY THIS YEAR.

MADAM SPEAKER, WE ARE PROUD TO ANCHOR SAILING AS THE NATIONAL SPORT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS. FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS, BAHAMIANS HAVE DISPLAYED PASSION AND GRIT FOR THE SPORT AND IT IS ONE THAT HAS BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN YOUNG AND OLDER BAHAMIANS.  WE HAVE WITNESSED ITS EVOLUTION, AND IT IS A SPORT THAT HAS WON THE HEARTS OF BAHAMIANS AND THE MILLIONS OF VISITORS TO THE BAHAMAS.

IT IS A SPORT THAT SUBTLY REMINDS US OF WHO WE ARE – A FRIENDLY, MARITIME PEOPLE THAT CONTINUES TO MAKE WAVES INTERNATIONALLY BY SAILING WITH VIGOR AND GRACE – THE UNDERPINNINGS OF THE BAHAMIAN SPIRIT.  MY MINISTRY AND I ARE PROUD OF EVERYTHING THIS SPORT HAS ACHIEVED AND WILL ACHIEVE FOR OUR COUNTRY OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE. WE SALUTE ALL BOAT OWNERS, BOAT BUILDERS, SAIL MAKERS, MAST AND JIB TRIMMERS, ANCHOR RODE HAULERS AND PRY RIDERS FOR THEIR TIREDLESS DEDICATION TO THIS SPORT.   AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS INCREDIBLE SPORT GROW FOR MANY MORE YEARS TO COME.

MADAM SPEAKER, I OFTEN SPEAK OF GOVERNMENTS BEING CONTINUOUS.  THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE FRUITION OF THIS HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY. ONE WEEK AHEAD OF THE NATIONAL FAMILY ISLAND REGATTA TO BE HELD AT GEORGE TOWN WE SEE THIS IN ACTION.

I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THE INITIAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE FORMER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND MARINE RESOURCES, THE MEMBER FOR MARCO CITY AND THE FORMER ADMINISTRATION FOR TAKING THE INITIAL STEPS TO NAMING SAILING AS THE NATIONAL SPORT.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXTEND MY SINCERE APPRECIATION TO THE MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORTS AND CULTURE, THE MEMBER FOR GARDEN HILLS, THE MINISTER OF TOURISM, INVESTMENTS AND AVIATION, AND MEMBER FOR THE EXUMAS AND RAGGED ISLAND, THE HONORABLE PRIME MINISTER AND MEMBER FOR CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR AND ALL CABINET COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS EFFORT.

IN 2023, THE YEAR OF OUR GOLDEN JUBILEE, I AM PRIVILEDGED TO STAND HERE TODAY TO DECLARE THIS RESOLUTION THAT WE MOVE TO MAKE SAILING, THE NATIONAL SPORT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS.