Sports Scope

Fred Sturrup

Acting Managing Editor

The late Rev. W. Gentry McPhee will always be synonymous with sloop sailing in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

He crafted the legend of The Thunderbird, the prolific A-Class regatta sloop. During the 1960s the Thunderbird, out of Mangrove Cay, Andros, was the biggest name in sloop sailing. Of course, Rolly Gray's Tidal Wave rose to the popularity of Thunderbird, but those two boats more than any other have been the key brand names in the history of Bahamian work-boat/sloop regattas.

Other boats like the Good News and sailing heroes like the late skipper Hezron Moxey have risen to prominence for sure, but Thunderbird and W.G. McPhee were trailblazers in promoting the sport.

In recent years, since the death of his father, the Rev. Dr. Philip McPhee has persevered and continued the legacy of The Thunderbird. He has kept the Mangrove Cay, Andros banner waving with competition in both the big and smaller regatta classes. This year a new dimension of the legacy will begin. Rev. McPhee and the Thunderbird Sailing club will sponsor the Bahamian Native Sloop Boat Show on the weekend of April 9-10 at Malcolm Park.

The event will be quite an innovative one, held in the memory of the great sloop regatta patriarch Rev. Gentry McPhee. Hopefully the event will grow through the years to be a reminder of the contribution he made to the development of the sloop racing history of The Bahamas, just as the boat itself, Thunderbird, has been. His son, Dr. McPhee is simply thrilled over the prospect of latching on to something that could further connect the regatta pioneer to the sport.

The entire sloop sailing family in The Bahamas ought to participate. According to Dr. McPhee, the event will drive home an awareness in the general public of how important sloop sailing has been for the country. The view here, is that the show will go a long way towards solidifying the family concept within the nation's sloop sailing fraternity.

The sport's history is dotted with many controversies over the last three decades or so. There have been bitter verbal battles and boycotts. The collective result has been a stifling of the growth of regatta sailing. The event planned will provide that quality social forum for those deep within the competitive side of sloop sailing and all of their supporters, to get together in harmony.

It will be a call to arms for skippers, sailors, boat owners, sponsors and sailing enthusiasts from throughout the land. This event could be maximized if the organizers put together a healthy marketing program.

I understand Dr. McPhee has already communicated with the relevant government ministries of Sports and Local Government.

They will be well represented. It would be good if Corporate organizations could be brought on board to ensure that there is a meaningful representation from the Family Islands.

Perhaps the organizers can get with hotel properties in the capital to arrange special rates for those coming in from the islands for the sloop show.

The show could indeed become a fixture on the scene annually but, really good participation is imperative.