A Little Bit About us
The Exuma Sailing Club
began in 2013. Since then the fleet of boats has grown, young sailors have come and gone through the program, and instructors have lent their time and sweat to making sure the club continued to succeed. What hasn’t changed is the club's original and continuing goal:
To train the young people of Exuma in the discipline of sailing, and develop teamwork and good sportsmanship through consistent practices and participation in Regattas throughout The Bahamas.
More than just a “sailing club”, the ESC seeks to provide opportunities for boys and girls in Exuma to both learn important skills as well as be a part of a great team, and learn how to work hard for something that matters. Sailing teaches great life lessons about attention to detail and learning to handle frustration in a healthy manner. It also can teach the importance of following rules and playing fair. Among the life lessons we try to instill in the kids are:
-Taking care of equipment
-Being on time
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Racing clean and fair, and
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Competing with integrity
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Helping teammates
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Speaking respectfully and politely
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The importance of working hard for something you care about
The Exuma Sailing Club exists in several aspects of sailing:
-Teaching young kids to sail for the first time in the small Optimist dinghy.
-Teaching kids ages 8-15 to race competitively in the Optimist Dinghy against other Bahamian sailors throughout The Bahamas, and competing annually in the Bahamas National Optimist Championship.
-Teaching older kids 15-18 to race in the Sunfish against other Bahamians throughout The Bahamas, and competing in the Bahamas National Sunfish Championship.
-Introducing young sailors to the traditional art of Bahamian Sloop Sailing through the E Class Junior Sloop and competing in the annual Sir Durward Knowles Junior Sailing Championships.
-Competing against the adult sloop sailors in the C class boats “Termite” and “Bye Gully” with the older more skilled junior sailors. Regattas include The National Family Island Regatta and Long Island Regatta, as well as several local regattas on Great Exuma and the surrounding cays.
Through outside funding, The Exuma Sailing Club is able to offer sailing at all levels to the youth of Exuma for free. We feel it is important for every young boy and girl in Exuma to have access to the great sport of sailing, and to learn more about the importance of our traditional way of sailing regardless of their status or financial means.