By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France over and done with, Joshua Higgins is now more eager to get the cycle sailing for the 2028 games in Los Angeles, California.

Taking a break from the vigorous two-year campaign in which he fell short of qualifying for the 2024 games, Higgins said he’s better prepared for the journey ahead of him when he returns to Portugal, which is his base for training. 

“It was a very steep learning curve. I started sailing in the Laser class, but I started pretty later than everybody else,” said Higgins, who began his international journey in 2021. 

“But it wasn’t until 2022 that I started sailing the Olympic class. But at this level,  you need more time. I pretty much only sailed in the Olympic class for two years, but I made a lot of improvement in such a short time. It was a lot of pressure I had on myself to make the games, but I did the best I could, but it wasn’t good enough.”

In falling short of qualifying for the Olympics, Higgins did make some inroads in the sport, becoming the first Bahamian to embark on an Olympic campaign, unlike the Bahamian pacesetter like Sir Durward “Sea Wolf” Knowles, who was basically invited to compete.

"I became the first Bahamian (sailor) to qualify for the Pan American Games, the first to go to the Pan American Games (in the IlCA 7 Class) in over 20 years and I was the first to compete in the World Cup series in Palma de Mallorca Spain, French Olympic week hyères France, ISAF Senior World's, ILCA 7 Senior Class World's, Ilca under-21 World's and the IIlca Senior European Championships," Higgins said.

He added: "I was the first sailor out of Harbour Island to compete in a Central American and Caribbean games for the Bahamas, to do the silver fleet in the European Championships in 2023. I was basically the first to do a lot of other things like to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Games, the senior Europeans, the senior World's, ISAF 7 World's" 

“Now when people see The Bahamas, they see me because I’m well-known around the circuit. My name is getting up there for sure." 

In starting his campaign for the road to 2028 in Los Angeles, Higgins just competed in the ILCA 7 fleet at UK Open and National Championships in Dorset, England.

“That was a nice feeling to get back into the boat and get into the swing of things,” said Higgins, who finished 11th out of a field of 60 boats from August 12-17. “That was my first event to begin my campaign for the Olympic Games.” 

However, the first Olympic Qualifier will be the ISAF Worlds, which will be held in 2026 where the top 17 boats to finish automatically qualify for the games.

The second qualifier is the Pan American Games where there are two spots available. Then there’s the Class World Championships where another seven spots are up for grabs.

Failing to qualify, Higgins said there’s always the Last Chance Qualifier in France where there are three spots available. 

But the last chance for competitors from the region will be at the Emergination sport where the smaller countries like The Bahamas have a final shot at qualifying. “Unlike track and field where there are two and three competitors per event, in sailing, they only take one sailor per class, so you really have to perform at your best at all times in order to be able to compete for a spot in the games,:” Higgins stressed.

In order to embark on this entire journey for the next four years, Higgins said he will need all of the financial support he can get from corporate Bahamas and Bahamians in general.

“You have to take in consideration, you have coaches e=xpenses, travel and accommodations,” he pointed out. “THe last three years, it was costing us around $70,000 a year.

“But now that we’ve done it, we’ve found ways to cut the cost because I have my visa now, so I can stay over in France for a longer period instead of having to travel back and forth to the Bahamas,

“And I also have my own boat, which helps a lot. Also, the sailing club tht I train with, we set it up in a way where everyone made an agreement to share the expenses, so it will now cost me about 30-40,000 a year, which cuts my expenses into about half.”

Interested persons wishing to assist Higgins financially can contact him at 242-470-7936 or email him at joshuahiggins360@gmail.com. Funds will have to go directly to the Harbour Island Sailing Club. 

Higgins, who is also seeking to get on the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s monthly subvention for athletes, will compete again at the qualifier for the Junior Pan American Games in January.

“If I win it, it will allow me to get more sponsorship, but at the same time, it qualifies the Bahamas for the next Pan American Games.,” he said.

Also next year is the Class Worlds in China and the European circuit that starts in April, the World Cup in Spain and the French Olympic in France in April and the Junior Pan American in July in Paraguay.

After competing in the UK earlier this month, Higgins returned home to get in some much needed rest and relaxation, while helping out her parents, Margaret and Melvin Higgins.

He also intends to return home to Harbour Island where he gets his career started in sailing. 

“It’s good to be back home because I got bored being over there for so long,” Higgins said. “In the past, the most I would probably come home for is about ten days.

“It was such a fast pace overseas and then when you came home, you had to slow down and get used to the island stuff. So I just want to spend some time with my family, my dogs and helping out to coch some of the young people ndv see the smiles on their faces.”

Higgins’ three dogs are all potcakes named Bailey, who turned ten this year; Ace, who is five and Hope, who is just three this year. Put their names together and Higgins said it’s BAH, which is the abbreviation of Bahamas that is placed on his boat for identification when he’s competing.

To the younger sailors who are looking forward to one day competing in the ‘Olympics as well, Higgins told them that it’s “going to be hard. The one thing is d=saying it, but the other thing is doing it.

“So I would definitely say to them to be someone who is more action than words. Just cling to people who support you like your parents and family and just focus on the journey and not the end result.

“Just keep working hard. The results will come. Don’t klet no one tell you that you can’t do something. You have the last say in what you can and can’t do. If you do something, go full at it.”

Higgins said he will also be grateful to Keir Clarke, a British coach, who said him when he was competing in the Laser class and he helped him to win several national championships and he recommended him to go to Europe to pursue his Olympic dream.

Of course, not much of the journey would have been possible without God, who has provided him with good health and strength, his parents and Rosemary Clarke, who helped him to get all of his logistics together, along with the Harbour Island Sailing Club and The Bahamas in general.

“I really appreciated all of the love and support and the nice messages on instagram and Facebook. I’m really thankful,” said Higgins, who will celebrate his 21st birthday on Monday, September 2nd.

When he heard the news that sailing was going to become the national sport of The Bahamas, Higgins said he was very elated because while he never got to play cricket, sailing was always a part of his family.

“Sailing started with my grandfather, Jacob Higgins. It was passed down to my uncle, Dwayne Higgins, who has helped me out tremendously, and then to my father and now to me and my sister and my cousins,” he said.

“So sloop sailing is a big part of me and I love to do it whenever I get a chance. I competed in the Long Island Regatta this year and it was a fun experience. Different post, but it was definitely a fun experience.”

One day, Higgins said he would like to see a regatta where all types of sail boats can come together and compete because they all do the tacking and the jibbing. The other difference is the technique used.

But in the meantime, he hopes his experience as van /Olympic hopeful will be able to inspire the next generation of sailors that include Albert McKenzie, Craig Ferguson, Norman Cartwright, Josh Knowles, Seania Jones and Mary Jack as they all look forward to one day competing at the Olympics in the various sailing classes.