In sail boat racing everything happens fast, these streamline wooden craft, carry a ballast of about 4,500 pounds of metal, lead is also poured in their keel of about 1,100 pounds, to prevent them from going under or turning over.

They carry two pry, which are two long plank of wood, placed in the belly of the boat to stabilize it, when the need arise.

Not only must the captain be skill full, a crew that is swift and nimble on their feet, and well versed in their responsible, are requirements for all competitors.

Whenever a boat is nearing a buoy or tacking, the crew must draw down on the sail, to slow the boat down, in a race these boats tempo are usually between 12 - 14 knots. If this did not happen, the boat would turn wide, and competitors would catch up and overtake the leader, or the boat that is ahead.

Race Course

Two buoys, placed about one hundred feet from shore, and about two hundred yards apart. About two miles to the south of the harbour near Dick's point, and the last one is about four miles away, at the eastern entrance of the harbour. All buoy have a red flag attached. The races are three laps a group, and the total distance covered are twenty to 25 miles. To the north of the course is Paradise Island.

The Event

The races being host at this event are the St. Valentine Day Massacre and a handicap event called Catch me if you can, the Lady Nathalie a c class boat owned by the barber Johnson, will be given a fifteen minutes head start. A chase by boats from the A class group will begin. Barber Johnson sent out a warning message. He said, "If the wind blows hard I would be hard to beat, " "If the winds blow light, I will be impossible to catch, so it's a no! win situation for them."

As the boats rest in their starting spot, their sails are un-hoist and their anchors kept them steady. Once the racing Chairman blows his horn, anchors pulled on board, sails hoisted, the captain is sitting near the tiller and the race begins. The captain has already made up his mind if he going to turn to Port or Starboard, he will make three Tacks to reach the first buoy which is four miles away.

After the race has started, one buoy remains, from the two used to launch the race.This single buoy becomes a part of the race.