Godfrey Kelly

Godfrey Kelly first attended the Olympic Games in 1952, when he travelled to Helsinki to support his brother Basil, who was competing in sailing’s 5.5 metres class. Godfrey would go on to represent the Royal Nassau Sailing Club and the Bahamas in the Dragon class at four consecutive editions of the Olympics, from 1960 through 1972. His best Olympic finish was seventh at the 1964 Tokyo Games, but he did win a gold medal in the Dragon class at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games alongside Roy Ramsay and Bobby Symonette. His international career as a whole lasted from 1954 through 1984 and also included competition in the Snipe class.

Outside of sport, Kelly received his education from Cambridge University, earning both arts and law degrees. From 1954 he was a member of the Higgs & Kelly firm and served in administrative capacities with the Bahamas Bar Association. He also had a political career and was elected to the Bahamas House from 1956 through 1968 and the Senate from 1968 through 1972. He was Minister of Education from 1964 through 1967 and, through that position, worked to build sport infrastructure and culture in the country.