The main event of the 5F is the Bahamian sloop regatta. We had hoped to see the start of one of the races this morning but were unsure where and when it would begin. We had asked various people and were given conflicting advice. Some said it would start at the beach near Ty’s, some said it work start five miles north, even Ty himself said he had no idea. We listened to the VHF radio this morning and finally heard that it would start at 11:00 am from the beach. We had been told the start is especially interesting because they start while the boats are anchored. The crews raises the anchors and the sails at the same time. While we were waiting this morning a few boats were sailing around the anchorage practicing—one came rather close to us. It was fun to watch.
The sloop sailing through the anchorage.
Sloops prior to the race.
Waiting for the race to begin.
View of the race in the distance.
George and I set out in our dinghy prior to the expected start, anchored our dinghy and waited…and waited. Finally, the boats raised their sails one by one and sailed north. The start was apparently going to be somewhere between where we were and five miles north. We didn’t have enough fuel in the dinghy to follow them so we went back to Breeze On, raised the anchor and motor sailed ten miles north to Black Point. We watched the race from a distance as we sailed by.
The sloop sailing through the anchorage.
Sloops prior to the race.
This link shows the start of a race 11 years ago. You can see the crews raising their anchors and sails.
This video is from the show, Distant Shores. The first part shows a race that took place in George Town and provides some information about the boats.
Waiting for the race to begin.
View of the race in the distance.
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