Bahamian Olympic icon Sir Durward Knowles died on the afternoon of February 24 at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, New Providence. He was 100 years old. Knowles, who had been admitted to hospital earlier in the week, succumbed to kidney failure and other complications. He was surrounded by family and his minister as he passed.
Nicknamed ‘The Sea Wolf’, Knowles was introduced to the sport of sailing by his father who was himself an ardent sailing enthusiast. His first major international competition was in 1946, when he and crew Robert Levin finished third in the Star World Championships in Havana, Cuba. The following year, they teamed again and won the Star World Championship in Los Angeles, USA.