By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Long Isand Regatta, the second largest in the Bahamas behind the National Family Island Regatta, is to get underway on Wednesday in beautiful Salt Pond.

Competition will take place in the A, B and C classes as well as the juniors and E class dinghy boats that will be involved in the Man in the Boat sculling competition.

Chester Fox, commodore of the Long Island Regatta, said they are looking forward to this year’s event.

“I think the regatta this year is going to be pretty keen,” he said. “We have all of the boats, except the Tida Wave from Exuma, coming. We know that the Lady Muriel will be there. So will all of the top boats in all of the other classes. So we are looking forward to some very keen competition.”

Sailing will begin on Wednesday at 9am with the BTC Cup race for the C class. The Susanna Memorial Cup for the B class will follow at 12:30 pm and the Holly Cartwright Ocean Race for the A class will round out competition on the first day.The opening ceremonies will be held at 7pm on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the first series of races in all three classes will begin around the same time as the Cup races.

On Friday, the first two junior races will be staged in between the C and B class races. The A class will close out the day’s activities.

On Saturday, the final races in the junior C, B and A classes will take place. The Man in the Boat sculling event, sponsored by Bahamian Brewery, will also be held, as will closing ceremonies.

Fox said the local organising committee as well as the ones in both New Providence and Grand Bahama have been working very hard in their fundraising events to ensure this year’s regatta is a success.