Against Overwhelming Odds

by Carol Cronin
I’ve sailed against Bahamians Jimmy and Lori Lowe for more than two decades, and I’ve always felt they perfectly embodied the Snipe class motto of ‘Serious Sailing, Serious Fun’. Don’t try to cross them on the race course (unless of course you’re going the wrong way, and have also asked politely). And at the parties, definitely give the pair some space on the dance floor— especially if Jimmy is starting to “sway.”

Last week, I watched them pull off a miracle. Despite all predictions, the Id Crook Memorial Snipe Master World Championship took place in Nassau as planned, just two weeks after Hurricane Matthew brought 140 mph winds and 10 feet of storm surge to the island.

The Royal Nassau Sailing Club is a Snipe haven. Every year this small but welcoming white concrete building hosts two of the four regattas that make up the Winter Circuit. Once RNSC was awarded the 2016 Master Worlds, members committed a lot of time and money to rebuilding, repainting, and restoring their facilities. And by late September, everything was ready to go.

Until Matthew blew through.

In the first days after the hurricane, it seemed like the event would either have to be cancelled or relocated. All of the docks were destroyed. The Club’s ground floor had been flooded with a mix of Montagu Bay and oil from the kitchen fryer, leaving walls and floors coated with a salty, slimy, conch fritter wash. Power and cable were out island-wide. How could such a big mess possibly get cleaned up in time to host a major regatta? – Full story

Jimmy and Lori Lowe