Every year, for four days only, the best sailors from all the main islands of the Bahamas gather in Elizabeth Harbor on Exuma Island for the National Family Island Regatta. During these four days, Bahamian sailors arrive prepared to sail their locally built sloops for the coveted title of “Best in the Bahamas.” The competition is fierce and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement as yachting enthusiasts from around the world descend on this picturesque island in the sun. Since the first race held in April 1954, the National Family Island Regatta has grown in size and popularity. Today, although the race is still the main attraction, visitors are invited to participate in countless activities on land, including fashion shows, beauty pageants, weightlifting competitions, volleyball tournaments and endless parties. This festival certainly differs from its early days when the boats were smaller and the participants fewer.
It was in April 1954, when some 70 Bahamian schooners, dinghies and sloops gathered in Elizabeth Harbor for a three-day racing event. The first participants in the event were excited to compete and certainly attracted by the reward offered for winning the competition. Unlike the boats you see competing in the event today, the first sailors in 1954 competed on the same boats they used for a living. These workboats were fast, but the sailors realized that they would have a better chance of winning prize money if they had even faster boats. This competitive spirit led many sailors to enter the regatta with boats designed for speed in the second year of competition. One of the first goals of the regatta was to help preserve the boatbuilding skills of Bahamians, and with the prize money luring, Bahamian sailors were motivated to continue this tradition. Today, the regatta attracts top-tier racing boats from virtually every island in the Bahamas, all ranked in one of five classes, A through E. Although the race has changed, the goal remains the same. : Prove that you are the best best sailor in the Bahamas.
The Out Island Squad Committee The early organizers were delighted that the event was a success, but soon realized that if the event was going to continue to grow, they would have to form a proper committee to oversee it each year. Therefore, the Out Island Squad was created. The committee was made up of avid sailors from the Bahamas and the United States, and these members took on the responsibility of sponsoring and planning the regatta. From 1954 to 1967, this same committee organized what became a famous annual regatta event in Elizabeth Harbour, in beautiful and historic George Town, on the exotic island of Exuma.
Family Island Regatta Rules The success of the event has always depended on the skills and enthusiasm of the sailors and over the years the quality of both the boats and their drivers has improved. The National Family Island Regatta is about competition and excellence. World-class sailors face each other in an extreme competition that tests skill and endurance. Racing rules dictate that sailboats must be designed, built and sailed by a Bahamian. There are also strict restrictions on the construction materials used to keep these ships as closely related to their traditional origins as possible.
Although the world of sailing has changed in many ways, the National Island Family Regatta in Elizabeth Harbour, George Town, is one of the last places to see sailboats built in the unique Bahamian tradition. Standing on the shores of Elizabeth Harbor and witnessing the arrival of a traditional Bahamian schooner is a wonderful event not to be forgotten. The National Island Family Regatta is not only a week full of fun and excitement, but it is also a unique opportunity to participate in the history of the Bahamas, a history that all islanders are proud of.
