The History of Grand Bahama Sailing Club.

THE IDEA

The idea for a children’s sailing club was the collaboration of a few sailing enthusiasts late in 2006. It was felt that there was a demand in the community for young people to learn how to sail. We had made contact with the Nassau Yacht Club who provided great encouragement as their club was extremely active and growing. By March 2007 we had purchased 14 new Optimist sailing dinghies – the perfect boat recognized worldwide for kids to learn to sail, aged from 7 to 15. When looking for a base from which to operate the Club, we were fortunate enough to be offered the Sir Charles Hayward Yacht Club by Sir Jack Hayward. This is a beautiful facility that had been unused for several years and Sir Jack was very supportive of our idea to resurrect it as an active yacht club which it had been many years previously.

GETTING STARTED

With some initial cosmetic work to the clubhouse we were able to get established in time to operate our first Summer Sailing Camp in July 2007 when we put 42 children through three two week courses of a basic ‘Learn to sail program’. In September we were invited to participate in the Optimist National Championships. We shipped ten boats to Nassau to join kids from Nassau, Long Island and Abaco as part of a fleet of 56 competitors. Our sailors did remarkably well considering their limited experience! In early 2008 the club purchased a further 8 Optimists taking our fleet total to 22. The ownership of the boats is split coincidently, 50 /50 between individuals/families and corporate sponsors. All boats are placed in the “Club Pool” for use by Club members.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING

There was still much to be done to take the Club to the next level and again it was the generosity of Sir Jack that made this possible. We acquired two Club coach boats – a Boston Whaler and a Freeport skiff which enabled us to tow boats out to the ocean to sail and race as well as to provide additional safety and support for the sailors. Proper storage facilities were needed to house the boats, sails and equipment and construction of the sail shed and custom made boat racks commenced in February. With careful thought and planning the end result has proved user friendly enabling boats to be rigged washed down and stored in a secure environment. In tandem with this project the Clubhouse underwent significant up grades with improvements to the kitchen and bar facilities as well as the purchase of furniture and appliances.

SUMMER 2008

In July of 2008 we commenced once again the six week Summer sailing Camp and with 22 boats were able to put 66 kids through the program. We enlisted the help of two qualified sailing instructors from Canada who were assisted by four local teenagers. One of the main objectives of the Summer Camp was to make the experience available to less fortunate children in the community and therefore allocated one third of each two week camp to sponsored kids. We were greatly appreciative of individuals and local companies who made the funds available for these kids to attend the Camp. The rewards were plain to see as their smiles were only matched by their enthusiasm of being introduced to a new and exciting sport!

COMPETITION

In September 2008 we once again journeyed to Nassau to participate in the Optimist Nationals. This time with 18 boats and sailors accompanied by equally enthuastic parents and friends. With sailors from other family islands, the total entry of 82 boats was a record reinforcing the growing popularity of junior sailing throughout the Bahamas. The GBSC team acquitted themselves well with several sailors having moved up from the ‘Green Fleet’ to race in the ‘Championship Fleet’.

MORE BOAT OPTIONS

By the end of 2008 plans were underway to purchase Lasers. It was thought that for the Club to grow, a more versatile boat was need that could be used by both kids and adults. The Laser seemed the best option providing a single hull with three sail sizes to accommodate larger kids, adults and expert sailors. The arrival of 6 new Lasers in March 2009 was received with much enthusiasm and prompted the introduction of our in house ‘Laser Sailing School’ run by Committee member Toby Olssen. This was seen as the beginning of the transition from a kids sailing club to a kids and adults sailing club and the response to this concept has been greatly encouraging judging by its growing membership. The Club upgrades continued and again thanks to Sir Jack, we were able to renovate the lower floor bathrooms. Another major project was the complete renovation of the two tennis courts and shuffleboard courts. These have been beautifully restored to ‘better than new’ resulting in expanded facilities for club members and guests.

SUMMER 2009

August of 2009 marked the third year of our Summer Sailing Camp. Now offering both Opti and Laser sailing the camp was oversubscribed and at the end of the six weeks with the help of two instructors from the US, over 70 kids had a blast getting wet in one or both boats! Again we made the Camp available to sponsored kids (24 in total) and in spite of the global economic challenges were extremely grateful to find such generosity within the community from both individuals and the corporate sector.

PLANNING AHEAD

Current plans include to expansion of the Laser fleet which will result in more competitive sailing for kids and adults. Following our first ‘in house Club Regatta’ (Spring 2009) the objective is to have more such events and to raise the level of skill and ability of all sailors. The Club is an all volunteer organization and existing and new members are encouraged to participate any aspect of the club where their talents can be utilized. For further information you are invited to contact any of the Committee Members.