Stafford Patterson’s pre-race comments about the George Town Regatta :
“Compared to stateside racing, a Bahamian workboat regatta seems like a wild free-for-all. Twenty eight foot boats are rigged with 900 square feet (or more) of sail for 20 knot breezes, and take twelve good-sized men to handle them. There’s no maneuvering at the start. You anchor in a line with your sails down, to leeward of the first mark. At the gun, you pull the boat to windward with the rode, haul the anchor, hoist the sail, and force your way out of the pack. It’s raw and brash, but never underestimate either the boats or the men sailing them. What these men may lack in polish, they counter with sailing ability.”
Photos courtesy of Carol Dichter & Will Heyer.
Filed under: Race Happenings
