vens 47, too late for the regatta. Then we noticed a sign tacked
up on a bulletin board promoting a regatta the following month
on nearby Long Island, which mollifi ed our disappointment.
The venue in Thompson Bay, Long Island, was shallow, leav-
ing one thin inch under our keel. We could watch racing from the
cockpit, but the real fun was joining the spectator fl eet by dinghy.
Near the starting line was a mix of boats, from open launches to
small cabin cruisers. Revelers played music and fl oated in inner
tubes or swam in the turquoise bathwater while cheering a home-
town crew or playfully heckling visiting sloops. Everyone was
having fun, but know this: The competition was fi erce, and pride
was at stake. This didn’t stop the sailors from enjoying themselves,
however! The crowd cheered on the pry-board crews, which wasanswered with fi st pumps and smiles around the course.
Hurricane season loomed. Totem had miles yet to go, but we
remained in Long Island long enough to soak up the energy on
the racecourse and ashore. A covered pavilion hosted a rotation
of talent, from youth dance troupes to the local rake-and-scrape
bands, while dozens of vendors in plywood shacks offering a
wide selection of food and beverages added to the carnival atmo-
sphere. Leaning against sun-warmed clapboard, listening to mu-
sic and watching the last few competitors press on to the fi nish
was pure Bahamas magic. —Behan GiffordThe fl eet of Bahamian sloops races toward the fi nish in
BEHAN GIFFORD Thompson Bay, Long Island, in the southern Bahamas.