The forerunner of the Bonaire International Sailing Regatta was established long before this sailing regatta started in 1968. It all began over 60 years ago with the annual sailing races of the fishing boats of Bonaire on Queen's Day. Queen's Day in honor of Queen Wilhelmina took place by the end of August and later in honor of her daughter Queen Juliana by the end of April. The sailing races with fishing boats formed part of various activities organized on land and at sea by the House of Orange Commemorative Committee of Bonaire. Those sailing races were by then already regional events in which also fishing boats from Curaçao participated, in particular boats from Boca Sami. Sailing cargo and passenger vessels that maintained a regular service between Bonaire and Curacao participated in those races as well. Even after the annual Bonaire Regatta had started, the Queen's Day races continued for a while. In the course of time these activities on Queen's Day were discontinued, which also had its consequences for the annual sailing races on that day with fishing boats. It is easily forgotten, but the sailing races with genuine fishing boats were the original sailing races of Bonaire. Hopefully this special kind of races with fishing boats will remain a regular feature of the Bonaire International Sailing Regatta. This feature has become an old and good tradition that should be cherished. The annual celebration of Saint Peter's Day by the end of June in commemoration of the patron saint of the fishermen usually takes place in the pleasant environment of the yard at the house of the Diaz family on Bonaire. Doei Diaz has been a participant in and a strong supporter of the sailing races with fishing boats in the coastal waters of Bonaire.

The first race

The sailing race that was the beginning of the annual Bonaire Sailing Regatta took place on Sunday ­ September 8, 1968.This was a race between two fishing sloops designed and constructed on Bonaire with the names "Velia" and "Sislin". The skipper of the "Vella" was Hubert "Ibo" Domacassé and the skipper of the "Sislin" was Don Stewart. Ibo was born on Bonaire, Don arrived on this island with his schooner from California in 1962 and has lived on Bonaire ever since. Don Stewart has put some of his experiences on this island on paper. His latest publication is a book named "The Adventures of Captain Don" which is on sale in bookstores and dive shops on Bonaire. Don Stewart will be most happy to sign your personal copy of this book during his weekly slide presentations on Tuesday nights in the conference room of Captain Don's Habitat.

The decision for this sailing race clockwise round Bonaire's satellite island of Klein Bonaire was taken in the first week of September 1968 in the bar of the Flamingo Beach Club, currently known as the Divi Flamingo Beach Hotel & Casino, as a result of a bet among the many regular customers of this bar. The bet was to choose a winner, at the expense of some boxes of beer, of a race between the "Velia" and the "Sislin". The rules for this race were rather flexible but sportsmanship was the main issue. The start would be on Sunday September 8 at 9 a.m., each boat would carry four persons, the trajectory as mentioned before with start and arrival at the Flamingo Beach Club. Don Stewart was then manager of this club and Ibo Domacassé a bartender. Don was accompanied in the "Sislin" by Larry Thielgard, co­owner of the "Sislin", Don's son Cavin Stewart and Roy Irving.

Hubert "Ibo" Domacassé was accompanied on the "Vella" by Al "Cowboy" Royce, Paul Harris, and J. Margarita. Many supporters had gathered near the jetty of the Club at 9 a.m. when the departure signal was given by exploding a small piece of dynamite at the end of this jetty. Both participating boats had an excellent start. The "Velia" carried a blue and black colored flag with the initials Z­S (Zink­Smith, a sponsor) and looked like a pirate vessel. "Sislin" got the lead on its the way to the west coast off Klein Bonaire before the wind but this situation changed after the boats had passed the north coast of Klein Bonaire and a new strategy had to be developed for the return leg of the race against the wind. The "Velia" continued it course until it reached some shelter and quiet waters near the Bonaire waterplant before changing its course towards Flamingo Beach Club. This was an advantage. The "Sislin" stayed closer to the east coast of Klein Bonaire in a choppy sea and therefore lost its leading position.

The winner was the boat that arrived first at the arrival buoy near the Club. That was Hubert on the "Velia" with his crew, just three minutes before Captain Don arrived on the "Sislin". The "Sislin" arrived at this buoy at 10.40 a.m. Hubert "Ibo" Domacassé later explained the change of leading position during this race to be a result of a difference in the behavior of fishing boats and in experience while handling these boats.

However, lbo considered Don Stewart an experienced handler of sailing yachts. Don had sailed to Bonaire in 1962 on a schooner. This 1968 race between the "Sislin" and the "Velia" is considered to be the beginning of the Bonaire Sailing Regatta, which became the Bonaire International Sailing Regatta later.