INDEX Commodore’s Welcome & Regatta Organization ... 3 Regatta Program ... 5 Island Map ... 6 Most Worthy Performance 2015: L’Esperance ... 7 Notice of Race ... 8 Regatta Art Competition ... 11 Behind the Scenes ... 12 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Gear ... 15 St. Maarten Coast Guard ... 17 Rick Wesslund & El Ocaso ... 19 Heineken: “It’s time to party!” ... 20 Meet the Sponsors ... 23 At the helm with Bouwe Bekking ... 25 A Sail Down Memory Lane ... 26 Where to Stay ... 29 Fun Facts & Social Media ... 31 Serious Fun since they were Seriously Young ... 32 Serious Fun Bridge Openings ... 35 Q&A with Regatta Sailors ... 36 Best Viewing Points ... 39 Sol’s Water Taxi Service ... 41 The Nature Foundation ... 43 Winners 2015 ... 44
REGATTA ORGANIZATION 2016 Regatta Office Sint Maarten Yacht Club Welfare Road #90 Simpson Bay, St. Maarten +1 721 544-2079 www.heinekenregatta.com SMYC Board Ian Hope-Ross Jeffrey Sochrin Christopher Marshall John Gifford John Leone Steering Committee Regatta Chairman John Gifford Regatta Director Michelle van der Werff Race Director Paul Miller Regatta Assistant Fleur Visser Press Coordinator Heather Court
COMMODORE’S WELCOME “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all participants and guests to the renowned St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on our friendly Island! This year we again have some noteworthy changes – we have a new Regatta Director at the helm, Michelle, ably assisted by Fleur and the rest of the HR Team and volunteers without whom none of this would be possible. We get to welcome back the Beach Cats after more than 10 years absence– so there will be some exciting near shore course racing as well as some extra-long courses for the MOD 70’s and larger oceanoriented boats. I hope they enjoy racing halfway around the Caribbean in a morning… This is the 36th Edition of our Regatta, I hope you are all prepared for some Serious Racing and Fun and I look forward to seeing you out on the Racecourse.” Ian Hope-Ross Commodore St. Maarten Yacht Club
Event Committee John Leone Nila Hoogenboezem Gwendolyn de Kock Maxime Kuhne Tourism Office Marla Chemont Operational Committee Willem Dekker Race Officials Principle Race Officer Stuart Childerley NRO GBR Race Officer Rob Rowlands NRO USA Race Officer Bob Philips NRO IVB Race Officer - Beach Cats Jamie Clark NRO GBR International Jury Margriet Pannevis IJ NED Chairman Peter Shrubb IJ BER David Pelling IJ CAN Bruce Martinson IJ USA Sylvie Harle IJ FRA Alexis Duvernoy NJ FRA Steve Schupak NJ USA
Entry Form Enter online via: www.heinekenregatta.com or contact the Regatta Office directly 3
ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA 2016
REGATTA PROGRAM
REGISTRATION MARCH 1-3, 2016 Tuesday March 1, 2016 10:00h - 18:00h Wednesday March 2, 2016 10:00h - 18:00h Thursday March 3, 2016 10:00h - 13:00h
TEAM BRUNEL @ THE DOCK PARTY MARCH 2, 2016 From 17:00h Team Brunel, 2nd place winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2015, will be @ the dock. Everyone is welcome to come and see this beautiful racing machine.
GILL COMMODORE’S CUP MARCH 3, 2016 Two or three races for all classes (except Lottery Class), starting and finishing between Philipsburg and Simpson Bay. 17:00h - 01:00h Welcome Party 18:00h - 19:00h Press conference 19:30h - 20:30h Prize giving Gill Commodore’s Cup
ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA MARCH 4 - 6, 2016
Welcome to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Sunsail is proud to once again be a presenting sponsor of this iconic regatta. At Sunsail, we love sailing and we love some solid competition when chasing the horizon. Each year we strive to put together the largest and most competitive bareboat fleet ensuring exciting and exhilarating racing. This year is no exception with a full fleet of strong competitors on the water vying for line honors. If you aren’t part of the Sunsail bareboat fleet this season, give it a go next year. Best of luck to all of the crews participating. We hope you’ll consider reserving your boat with us in 2017.
SEE THE WORLD, DIFFERENTLY. 844.806.7615 SUNSAIL.COM/SXM16
FRIDAY MARCH 4, 2016 RACING DAY 1
SATURDAY MARCH 5, 2016 RACING DAY 2
SUNDAY MARCH 6, 2016 RACING DAY 3
Around the Island Race First start: not before 09:30h. All starts and finishes in Simpson Bay
First start: not before 09:30h. Racing on both sides of the island, with the last race of the day finishing in Simpson Bay
First start: not before 09:30h. Racing on the South Coast and the North West with the grand finish in Simpson Bay
17:00h - 01:00h Friday night party
17:00h - 01:00h Saturday night party
18:00h - 20:00h Prize giving 17:00h - 01:00h Closing party
Any changes in the regatta schedule will be posted on www.heinekenregatta.com. 5
ISLAND MAP Sint Maarten Yacht Club The regatta headquarters. Welfare Road 90, Simpson Bay
Budget Marine Leading retailer and wholesaler of pleasure boat marine equipment. For all your boat supplies. Waterfront Road 25B, Cole Bay
UTS For all your mobile services. Buy a local SIM-card and stay connected.
Sol To make sure you don’t run out of fuel. Located all over the island
Welfare Road 71, Cole Bay
Sunsail The perfect starting point for a bareboat sailing vacation.
Tourism Office For information about our friendly island. Juancho Yrausquin Blvd. 6, Philipsburg
Captain Oliver’s Marina, Oyster Pond
La Sucriere French bakery for all your sandwiches, pastries and quiches. Welfare Road 130, Simpson Bay
WIB The official Bank of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Airport Road, Simpson Bay
Shipwreck Shops Get your official regatta gear here. Located all over the island, main store is Philipsburg
Penha For your duty free fragrances and cosmetics. Located in Maho and Philipsburg
Paradise Car Rental Rent a car to explore the beauty of St. Maarten. Airport Road, Simpson Bay
ILTT: International Liquor and Tobacco Trading The best place to go for beer, wine spirit and tobacco.
WINNER 2015
Sir Bobby Velasquez, the man that won the 2015 most worthy performance with his boat L’Esperance, talks about his years of experience with the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. “The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta used to be a gathering of a Heineken drinking group of friends organizing a race which has blossomed in to the largest Caribbean sailing event, attracting 200plus boats and it is now a major contributor to the marine industry and tourist activities on the island during a 7 day period. There are more and more high class sailors participating in the regatta with high tech gear and boats. My challenge is keeping up with these in a classic boat like L’Esperance, winning the race or being in the first three of our class. That moment when tacking in tight positions or calling for a tack after mental calculations while at the wheel, pushing the crew into rapid actions and seeing the instant result gives me the feeling of serious fun. The excitement starts when we cast off the dock. Talk is only allowed amongst those hanging on the side. Silence in the cockpit is required unless I decide to ask for opinions on a tactic or info on the position of a boat. All ears have to remain wide open to hear my voice. After the race and once the boat is secured, we will have drinks and fun debriefing, play music and sing with everyone over a well-deserved, ice cold Heineken.” BUT WHAT IS SIR BOBBY’S SECRET? “I am constantly looking around and anticipating what others are looking to do. Keeping my boat in the right position during a race is key. Seeing possibilities to get ahead and seizing the opportunity to carry out the move is a must. Of course keeping your eyes on the sails, trimming and getting the balance of the boat correct is vital as well as accelerating her speed to maximum as soon as possible. It’s a feeling and is based on a perfect and low voiced communication between me and my main sail trimmer “Mickey”. Each time I sail L’Esperance I am impressed by her speed and hidden secrets which get better and better with every race.” As a veteran sailor, Bobby loves to see more youth join the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta ensuring the continuation of such a magnificent sailing event while creating their own many Serious Fun moments. He gives a big applaud to Mr. Garth Steyn, Mr. Rien Korteknie, Mr. Robbie Ferron and the Sint Maarten Yacht Club for the great job everyone is doing in teaching the St. Maarten youth to sail. “After all they are our future!” concludes Sir Bobby.
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NOTICE OF RACE ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA March 3-6, 2016 Sint Maarten Yacht Club
Event website: http://heinekenregatta.com Entry and results: http://regattaguru.com/heineken
1. RULES 1.1. The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing. 1.2. All boats will also be governed by the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Safety and Equipment Regulations. 1.3. Any class using the CSA Rating System will also be governed by the CSA Rating Rule. 1.4. CSA Bareboat classes will also be governed by the St Maarten Heineken Regatta Bareboat Rule. 1.5. If there is a conflict between languages the English text will take precedence.
3.5. Eligible boats may enter by completing the entry form online at the entry and results website prior to the close of registration. 3.6. Entry fees shall be paid no later than the close of registration by cash, St. Maarten bank cheque, Travellers cheque, Visa, or Master Card. 3.7. Late entries may be accepted at the discretion of the Race Committee who may charge a US$ 100.00 late entry fee.
2. ADVERTISING Boats may be required to display advertising chosen and supplied by the organising authority. 3. ELIGIBILITY, ENTRY, AND ENTRY FEE 3.1. The regatta is open to boats of the class groups listed in Attachment A and any other classes accepted by the organising authority, subject to any additional eligibility requirements listed. 3.2. Boats entering a class group that uses a CSA Rating System shall hold a valid CSA rating certificate. 3.3. The Race Committee may subdivide each class group into classes, including creating one-design or monotype classes where entry numbers permit, or combine class groups into a single class, or re-assign any entry between class groups at its discretion. 3.4. The required fee for a boat is determined by its length overall as shown in Attachment A.
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4. SCHEDULE 4.1. The schedule of events is shown in Attachment A. 4.2. The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race of each race day is 0925. 5. IDENTIFICATION 5.1. Boats with sail numbers shall: a) p rovide their sail numbers at registration, and b) n otify the Race Committee of any change to their sail numbers prior to the warning signal of the first race in which the changed number will be used. 5.2. Boats without sail numbers a) B oats without sail numbers shall obtain a set of identification numbers (‘ID set’) provided by the Race Committee at registration. b) A deposit of US$ 100 in cash shall be lodged with the Race Committee prior to issuing the ID set. c) A fter racing on the final day but before 1 June 2016, the ID set may be returned to the Race Committee who will refund the deposit. d) W hile racing, a boat with an ID set shall prominently display it as described in the Sailing Instructions.
6. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS Sailing Instructions will be available by 1000 on 1 March 2016. 7. VENUE 7.1. The regatta office will be at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club. 7.2. Racing will take place in the waters around Saint Martin. 8. COURSES 8.1. Course and mark descriptions will be distributed with the Sailing Instructions. 8.2. The courses to be sailed by each class will be chosen on each day of racing and will use marks and/or islands to make courses of varied geometry. 9. PENALTY SYSTEM 9.1. For classes listed in the Sailing Instructions rule 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty. 9.2. Decisions of the international jury will be final as provided in rule 70.5. 9.3. Except for infringements of Part 2 of the Racing Rules of Sailing, the Jury may impose any penalty it deems equitable. 10. SCORING 10.1. One race is required to be completed to constitute a series. 10.2. A boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores. 10.3. Beachcat classes will be rated by the Portsmouth Yardstick system. 10.4. Lottery classes will be rated by an arbitrary system where ratings may change daily. 11. PRIZES 11.1. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each class except Lottery class, 11.2. 1st place for each day in Lottery classes only,
MARINAS MERCURE Phone: (+590) 590-519183 www.mercure.com
11.3. The Sint Maarten / Saint Martin Cup for the Most Worthy Performance of the Regatta as determined by the Race Committee at their sole discretion, 11.4. The Columbus Cup for the Overall Winner in the CSA Bareboat classes, 11.5. Round-the-Island Trophies for the Monohull Spinnaker, Monohull Non Spinnaker, CSA Bareboat and Multihull boats with the fastest elapsed time in the Around the Island Race, 11.6. Most Worthy Performance for each day may be awarded at the sole discretion of the Race Committee. 12. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Competitors participate in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta entirely at their own risk in accordance with Rule 4, Decision to Race. The organising authority and its affiliates, will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the Regatta. 13. PHOTOGRAPHIC AND MEDIA RIGHTS Competitors grant the organising authority the unrestricted right and permission to use the name and/or image for any text, photograph or video footage of either themselves or the boat they are sailing during the event to be published or broadcast in any media whatsoever (including but not limited to press and TV advertisements or internet), for either editorial or advertising purposes or to be used in press information; in this respect, competitors’ names and any biographical material of themselves may also be used or reproduced in any way known.
PALAPA MARINA Phone: +1 (721) 545-2735 www.palapamarina.com
PORTO CUPECOY MARINA Phone: +1 (721) 545-2318 or US Toll Free: 1-888-606-8844 www.portocupecoy.com SIMPSON BAY MARINA Phone: +1 (721) 544-2309 or +1 (305) 356 6476 www.igy-simpsonbay.com YACHT CLUB PORT DE PLAISANCE Phone: +1 (721) 544-4565 www.pdpmarina.com
BOBBY’S MARINA Phone: +1 (721) 542 2366 www.bobbysmarina.com
ISLAND WATER WORLD MARINA Phone: +1(721) 544 5310 www.islandwaterworld.com
ISLE DE SOL Phone: +1 (721) 544-2408 www.igy-isledesol.com
LAGOON MARINA Phone: +1 (721) 544 2611 www.lagoon-marina.com
MARINA FORT LOUIS (MARIGOT) Phone: (+590) 590-511111 www.marinafortlouis.com
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Official Suncare Of The 2016 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
REGATTA ART COMPETITION
THE COLOR YOU CRAVETHE PROTECTION YOU NEED™
This year the St. Maarten Regatta will organize the 17th edition of the Regatta Art Competition. The main goal of the Regatta Art Competition is to make the children of St. Maarten aware of the St. Maarten Regatta and to give something back to the local community. The Regatta Art Competition is a fun way for kids in different age groups to become involved with the event and sailing at an early age.
Competition. Children do their utmost to fabricate the best to their ability; drawings, coloring, building boats, designing logos, you name it. Every afternoon, as soon as they finish their homework, the children spend time on their artwork. With all very dedicated and motivated children, it is a buzzing atmosphere in the weeks of the competition, hoping that they designed the prize winning artwork.
“When I create things I feel good, and when I win I even feel better”
F.O.H. Distributors N.V.
E.C. Richardson Street # 17
Tel: 542-3563 Fax: 542-6660
During the Regatta Art Competition the children can choose from various assignments, which are divided up per grade. All assignments make use of recyclable materials. Art related judges will judge the art pieces after they have been handed in at the SMYC or at both Van Dorp locations. Every assignment has a first, second and third place which will be rewarded with great prizes that are generously donated by local companies.
One of last year’s winners is Lancelot (11) who came up with the prettiest wind chime made from recycled material, namely a beer bottle and lots of caps. During an interview he said he just had fun creating this, because he loves doing things like that. “When I create things I feel good, and when I win I even feel better” he said. The winning prize was a family pass for the Butterfly Farm which he enjoyed very much with his family. Lancelot will definitely participate again next edition.
The Afterschool Care Program (ASA) from “No Kidding With Our Kids Foundation” is strongly supported and contributes lots of participants to the Regatta Art Competition every year. Each year their program is slightly adapted to make room to work on the assignments for the Regatta Art
The official start of the competition will be on January 4th, 2016. The deadline of handing in the artworks will be on January 31st, 2016. The prize giving ceremony will be on February 7th, 2016, 3 PM sharp at the SMYC 2016. All children from the ages of 4 to 18 are eligible to enter. 11
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Meet the people behind the regatta
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BEHIND THE SCENES… BASTIEN POUTHIER OFFICIAL CSA MEASURER “Due to my engineering background in yacht design, I have a strong interest in understanding what makes a boat faster or slower. Translating basic naval architecture principles that are mostly easy to understand into a mathematical formula that attempts to serve a very vast range of boats is a huge task. Identifying parameters that may alter sailing performance positively or adversely and gauging how much weight each should carry is a challenge. Being a measurer is a way to give back to the Industry. Regattas are seen mostly by volunteers and would not
exist the way we know them if volun teers were not helping. I appreciate the effort of the teams that allow us to race and I want to give my share of help. The nice part of the job is the opportunity to travel and meet new people. Particularly nice for me is meeting the many professional crews that visit our shores and of course their amazing racing machines. Getting to sail with them is the cheese at the end of a meal (I don’t enjoy icing on cakes). A measurer must be able to understand sailing and racing techniques and must be able to identify what makes a boat go fast or slow. Patience and understanding are also required as not every competitor understands basic principles of rating rules. Feedback
from competitors is very important. But the feedback must be technical. Too many competitors come to me: ‘There’s something wrong with my handicap... Today, I sailed a perfect race and I finished 9th.’ A successful regatta is obviously to see the tired happy faces at the end of the event. But as a measurer, success is when you study the results and the corrected times are close. Or if they are not, you can identify the reasons why (weather change, different tactical options, difference in maneuvers, problems with the handicap).” Bastien Pouthier is a trained Naval Architect with an Engineering degree in Yacht and Powercraft Design. He acts at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta as the Official CSA measurer in charge of ensuring correct handicaps are provided and to deal with any rating issue arising before the rating protest deadline.
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Who are they, why are they involved and what exactly are they doing?
MARGRIET PANNEVIS INTERNATIONAL JURY CHAIRMAN “It all started when my brother decided to quit sailing. I was an active sailor until I was 20 years old. I sailed on a rather high level in the vaurien class together with my brother. When he decided to quit, I thought that sailing in a oneperson dinghy was just too lonely, so I started to do race committee work as mark layer in rubberboats. Later I became a race officer in my club, the Royal Yacht Club Hollandia, who organizes all the big regattas in Medemblik, the Netherlands, and grew out to International Race Officer. In those days I got interested in the Racing Rules of Sailing and started as
ARTHUR MACDONALD ON SHORE SUPPORT LEO PAUL START BOAT COORDINATOR “Since 3 years I am living with my wife and two sons in St. Maarten. Every year, I volunteer with great pleasure for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, as coordinator of the start boat. The Regatta is the biggest sailing event in the region and sailors from all over de world are coming to St. Maarten to participate in this event. Also volunteers come over from many countries just to help to make the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta a big success and to enjoy the fun that comes along for free.
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As member of the Race Committee, I am responsible for recruiting the crew for the start boats. Quite an important job, because all the start boats have to be prepared with the right equipment and with well-trained crew. The start sequence has to go perfect and no failures or mistakes are allowed. At the starts of the races everybody of the crew has to be fully prepared, focused on the job and work as a professional team. This is the serious part of the event. But being on the water is also very spectacular. The start is a very exciting part of the race. On the start boat you are in the middle of two hundred sailing boats, sailing on a clear blue Caribbean sea. It’s a very special sight
that you will never forget. All this and meeting friends from former years and meeting new friends is for me the reason to join the regatta organization team.
“The start is a very exciting part of the race.” Every year, the whole island is enjoying the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta as a sailor, as a volunteer, as a partygoer. I am proud to be part of this event and hope to be for many more years to come.”
“I have been volunteering for 10+ years. Volunteering is ‘serious fun’ – I really enjoy pitching in with a great team of volunteers working hard to get the job done each year. Along with the hard work, the reward is the camaraderie shared with people from all over the world. Leading up to the regatta, I work to distribute posters to local businesses on both sides of the island. Furthermore, as a team we work to assemble the sailor goody bags a week prior to the event – we’ve really mastered the goody bag assembly line over the years! Just before the regatta, the team hands out bags – it’s one of those
a protest committee member in the Netherlands. I like travelling and I decided to apply for International Judge about 26 years ago. I love the contact with sailors and race officials all over the world, travelling to new countries and meeting new people. Sometimes I don’t even see the country, but only the hotel, the jury dinghy, the club and the protest room.
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that the maximum amount of ‘happy customers’ is 50%. You’re a service to sailors. When necessary apply rule 42 on the water as fair as possible, but also be available to the sailors for questions and for a drink after your work is finished.
“The maximum amount of ‘happy customers’ is 50%”
It’s a successful regatta when everybody goes home convinced that the right person won, when the race committee and the jury did a great job, so fair sailing was possible. Of course good weather helps a lot! The Caribbean gives this all; great weather, a relaxed atmosphere and fair and professional sailing.
A good judge is somebody that is friendy, but strict, a good listener, but always applying the rules in a fair way. You always have to remember
I already look forward to the traditional lunch in Grand Case, when the boats sail around the island and the Jury watches the windwark mark close to Tintamarre.”
things where sometimes it’s crazy busy and other times it’s quiet, but our goal is to make sure each participant gets their bag! I also am the ‘ice man’ during the regatta running around selling ice.
“The reward is the camaraderie shared with people from all over the world.” Finally, I am very honored to be a member of the A-team, especially since they all drink Heineken! The A-team really knows how to ‘dress’ things up
and makes sure that they fulfill the regattas motto ‘Serious Fun’ to the fullest. My real highlight is seeing the kids out on the water. The St. Maarten Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program offers local youngsters an opportunity to learn how to sail and have a chance to participate in the regatta. These types of programs are so important not only in teaching sailing skills, but lessons in responsi bility and self-confidence. Heineken’s support as a title sponsor creates a world class event – the regatta is the beneficiary, through Heineken and its other sponsors, the resources to allow the regatta committee to draw world-class competitors to the event, impact the local community, engage and excite tourists visiting the island.”
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THE OFFICIAL ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA GEAR How it became a real collector’s item
It was that day back in the 90’s when the Sint Maarten Yacht Club approached the managers of Shipwreck Shops, Reinier and Lydia Heere, and asked them if they would be able to print and sell Regatta t-shirts and pay a commission to the Yacht Club. As the Heeres were avid travelers, they always looked for new and innovative ideas to increase the sales in Shipwreck Shops and make the shops diverse to the ‘competition’. During their travels, they learnt that sailors that took part in major boat races were wearing their team name/logo on their entire gear. With the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta as a fast growing event, the Heeres saw a great potential in their St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Gear for Shipwreck Shops. This t-shirt line soon expanded to the now famous St. Maarten Heineken
Regatta collection, which includes all kinds of garments, such as polos, sweaters, long sleeves and accessories like caps, bags and koozies. Shipwreck Shops is known for its quality merchandise and the Regatta gear has become a collector’s item for many visitors and locals. Shipwreck Shops always try to make their garment Fun, by using bright colors and trending styles, while keeping it Serious, as they also want to capture the regular person who is not into the boating lifestyle, as well as the Sailors during the parties. Their bestseller will always be the collector’s t-shirt with the image provided by the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Shipwreck Shops have some customers collecting these t-shirts for the past 15 years.
GETTING TO KNOW THE SXM
COAST GUARD The Sint Maarten Yacht Club has the unique situation where they are located directly across the bridge channel from the Coast Guard station St. Maarten. We wanted to know what they thought about the r egatta so we had a chat with Captain Glen Werleman, Chief of the St. Maarten Coast Guard. Is there a specific event that happened during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta that sticks out? During the regatta most of the time the event is very well coordinated and we have some minor incidents like boat collisions, search and rescue cases with boats that went too far out and had problems with their sail and engine. Before and after the Regatta we have a lot of traffic from boats coming and going. People that drink and party too much. We also gave a few fines for vessels that don’t have their papers in order or safety equipment. There are no major specific events. This regatta is a stressful time for the Coast Guard crew, do you take the opportunity to use it as a training tool? We from the Coast Guard station SXM always have the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in our yearly planning. The Coast Guard plans extra equipment and personnel for the period of the event. It is a good training tool for us. It is good to have busy events to practice our patrols and also practice for the new Coast Guard staff to look out for safety issues and operating of routine controls. How does the Coast Guard manage to assist the regatta with on the water safety while still taking care of the day to day duties? We plan extra staff and equipment for the event and still have a reserve to attend regular duties. The Coast Guard also gets aid from the Police, Immigration and Custom officers to patrol together. We also have the aid from the Marine vessel that patrols in our territorial waters at the time. The Sea Rescue Foundation Sint Maarten is our greatest partner in this event.
Do you have any simple safety or common sense tips for regatta participants? For the participants it’s good that they know the procedures of clearing in/out by the Immigration of Sint Maarten. They must have all legal documents of the vessel and passport ID of the participants. For basic safety, every vessel must have safety equipment following international safety rules on sea, a good radio communications system, life vests, water, flares, GPS/ compass to give coordinates etc. Are the regatta shifts something the crew compete for? It is a pleasure for the Coast Guard and staff to assist the event because of the people that we meet during the event and that we can help in all different cases. For the Coast Guard it’s also good for the public relationship. The Coast Guard officers are always glad that they can help and they do it with love for the country of St. Maarten. We know you work with the Sea Rescue Founda tion to manage safety on the water, how has this relationship grown throughout the years? The Sea Rescue Foundation Sint Maarten is our greatest partner in this event. And our relationship is very good. We have a good communication with each other and work well together. The regatta is in its 36th year, how many years has the Coast Guard been part of the water safety for the event? The Coast Guard St. Maarten has existed for 20 years as of February 2016. From the first year the Coast Guard has assisted the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
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CSA INTERNATIONAL REGATTA CALENDAR 2016 - 2019 PLAN YOUR CAMPAIGN WITH WWW.CARIBBEAN-SAILING.COM
REGATTA
ISLAND
2016
2017
2018
2019
Mt. Gay Rum Round Barbados Race Series
Barbados
Jan 16 - 24
Jan 16 - 24
Jan 16 - 24
Jan 16 - 24
Grenada Sailing Week
Grenada
Jan 28 - Feb 2
Jan 26 - 31
Jan 25 - 30
Jan 31 - Feb 5
Antigua Superyacht Challenge
Antigua
Jan 28 - 31
Feb 2 - 5
Feb 1 - 4
Jan 31 - Feb 3
Round Redonda Race
Antigua
Feb 16
Feb 14
Feb 13
Feb 12
Antigua 360
Antigua
Feb 20
Feb 18
Feb 17
Feb 16
RORC Caribbean 600
Antigua
Feb 22 - 26
Feb 20 - 24
Feb 19 - 23
Feb 18 - 22
Swan Rolex Caribbean Cup
Virgin Gorda
–
Mar 1 - 5
–
Feb 27 - Mar 3
Gill Commodore's Cup
St. Maarten
Mar 3
Mar 2
Mar 1
Feb 28
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
St. Maarten
Mar 4 - 6
Mar 3 - 5
Mar 2 - 4
Mar 1 - 3
Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous
Virgin Gorda
Mar 9 - 12
Mar 8 - 11
Mar 7 - 10
Mar 6 - 9
St. Barths Bucket Regatta
St. Barths
Mar 17 - 20
Mar 16 - 19
Mar 15 - 18
Mar 21 - 24
St. Thomas International Regatta
St. Thomas
Mar 25 - 27
Mar 24 - 26
Mar 23 - 25
Mar 22 - 24
BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival
BVI
Mar 28 - Apr 3
Mar 27 - Apr 2
Mar 26 - Apr 1
Mar 25 - 31
Maxi Yacht Cup
Virgin Gorda
Apr 4 - 9
–
Apr 3 - 7
–
Les Voiles de St. Barths
St. Barths
Apr 11 - 16
Apr 10 - 15
Apr 9 - 14
Apr 8 - 13
Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
Antigua
Apr 13 - 19
Apr 19 - 25
Apr 18 - 24
Apr 17 - 23
Round Antigua Race
Antigua
Apr 23
Apr 29
Apr 28
Apr 27
Antigua Sailing Week
Antigua
Apr 24 - 29
Apr 30 - May 5
Apr 29 - May 4
Apr 28 - May 3
RICK WESSLUND OWNER OF ‘EL OCASO’, WINNER OF THE 2015 GILL COMMODORE’S CUP
El Ocaso is an old Colombian phrase meaning “beautiful sunset” “The Gill Commodore’s Cup was the very first event we ever did in the Caribbean – 2007 was the first year we brought the boat down for the season. We had a great contest with Sergio Sagramoso on his Beneteau 40 Lazy Dog – he won and we came in second. That got us hooked and we have loved the event ever since – starting with some fun buoy races it is a complement to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. I also remember great spills last year as it was blowing “crabs out of the water”. El Ocaso lives in Anse Marcel, Saint Martin…..the Gill Commodore’s Cup is our first event of every season. We sail with a crew of 10 – have a great bunch of guys that have sailed together for years.
“We call ourselves “team boring” and try to keep it that way – no drama on the race course. Shore side that’s another story.”
We love St. Maarten and choose it as home base for all it has to offer – great yacht services and supplies, great air access, wonderful beaches and restaurants, great sailing, central location for all our Caribbean sailing, protected harbors – and don’t forget it is “The Friendly Island”. Our team includes sailors from California, Wisconsin, Michigan and South Florida – we’ve been together for a number of years and look forward to our Caribbean season each year. Virtually all of us have Midwestern roots so we get along great, and are calm and focused on the race course. We call ourselves “team boring” and try to keep it that way – no drama on the race course. Shore side that’s another story.” Sail Fast! Rick
Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth.
For a Complete List of Regattas Visit: www.caribbean-sailing.com | Follow Us on Facebook for Regatta News and Updates.
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It’s time to party! Come enjoy the legendary Heineken onshore entertainment at night with your friends by your side! Get yourself ready to dance amidst the palm trees. The warm breeze is blowing, cold Heineken is flowing and the excitement is growing!
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MEET THE SPONSORS Without the great support of our sponsors, this regatta would never have been this BIG! TITLE SPONSOR
PRESENTING SPONSORS
36 years of “Serious Fun” is the perfect term to define the relationship shared with the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, title sponsor Heineken and its distributor International Liquor and Tobacco Trading (ILTT). The Heineken/ILTT team works year round with over 60 employees to give the participants and island residents one of the best concert series of the year. We are thrilled to once again bring you world class sailing, international artists and parties unlike any other Regatta in the Caribbean. www.heineken.com / www.ilttsxm.com
PREMIER SPONSORS With the help of UTS, the regatta staff and the organization are able to stay in touch with each other throughout the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. By using mobile services provided by UTS, the Regatta remains one of the best organized and smoothly ran events every year. www.facebook.com/ChippieSXM
The SHTA (St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association) is comprised of many of the islands hotels as its members. This association lends a hand at assisting the regatta with working together with the many hotels on the island to assure that the guests and hotels are as involved in the event as much as possible. www.shta.com
Shipwreck Shops provide official St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Gear which can be obtained at any of the 14 Shipwreck Shops locations around the island. The 2016 collection is a fun, high quality collection in bright nautical colors. You can find t-shirts, caps, polos, accessories for both men and women. Take home the best St. Maarten Heineken Regatta souvenirs!
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
www.shipwreckshops.com
The island of St. Maarten is an amazing backdrop for this one of a kind event, and with approximately 4000 visitors coming to the island to enjoy the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta it’s imperative that the Regatta Organization and the island’s Tourism Office work together to continue promoting the destination.
®
Exclusive Distributor
www.vacationstmaarten.com 23
AT THE HELM WITH BOUWE BEKKING d see Come an g tiful racin this beau esday on Wedn machine h from of Marc d n 2 e th ck of at the do 17:00h aarten the Sint M b Yacht Clu
Was there something you learned about yourself during this past Volvo Ocean Race that you didn’t expect? I did learn way more than I expected with the input of a team coach and learned that way some nuances I never used before, but which were very useful. Now that this Volvo Ocean Race is over what is next in store for you and your sailing career? I will keep racing with the Volvo 65, Swan 45, Nilaya a Baltic Yacht which is 112 ft and the J class Lionheart, plus a couple of other commitments, so there will be plenty of sailing for me in the coming months. When you were out racing around the world, what’s the one thing you missed the most about home? My wife Rikke, my daughter Laura and my dogs. Family is number ONE for me! This is certainly not your first time to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, how many times have you raced this event and what keeps you coming back? I lost count, but I keep coming back because I love the waters around St. Maarten. The racing is well organized and the aftersail is perfect as well. Everyone knows you as this tough, Volvo Ocean Race sailor, take charge kind of guy, a team leader... what would be something that people would be surprised to know about you? The surprise might be that although I am tough, I love to teach other people and get the maximum out of them. In every person there is something good and usable, but they are not always aware of their own capacities, that is a challenge I love.
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Photo credits: Stefan Coppers-Sailing Holland
Bouwe was born in Deventer, the Netherlands and was an active sailor from a very young age. He spent many hours on the water during the summers on the river “IJssel”. In addition to sailing, Bouwe also likes to ice skate (the Dutch National passtime) as well as ski and he currently resides in Denmark. His list of accomplishments includes racing around the globe an astounding 7 times in the Volvo Ocean Race. Lucky for St. Maarten, Bouwe also likes to race in the warm tropical waters surrounding St. Maarten and has competed many times at this event. We found him to be pretty down to earth when we sat down with him and his approachable personality made it an easy interview.
A SAIL DOWN MEMORY LANE THE 22ND ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA...
WHEN MEN WERE MEN GARY E. BROWN “I have so many wonderful memories of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. But there is one day, one race, one boat that I will never forgot. And when I say boat, I mean ship, for the vessel about whose decks I swaggered was the 138ft (42m) topsail schooner, Sir Robert Baden Powel, and we were taking part in the last Tall Ships race/ parade ever hosted by the Regatta. The race, from Marigot to Simpson Bay, saw us competing against the world’s largest Brigantine, Swan fan Makkum, and the 84-year-old trading ketch Avontuur with legendary skipper Paul Wahlen at the helm. Avontuur was racing with 120 tons of hardwood in her hold, a cargo she had picked up in Surinam and was taking to Canada.
Sir Robert was under the command of owner Karsten Börner and his partner Karin Volkening, both ‘seamen’ to the core. On race day, the winds howled, pushing 30kts, stronger in the squalls. As the race progressed, they blew us into another time. Read on … Now Captain Börner and his crew drove all thoughts of the race from our minds and instead took us back to the hard-bitten days of Cape Horn and the world of sail as it was then. Along the entire length of the ship guests and crew, caught up in the moment, shouted, cajoled and cursed, driving each other to greater effort to haul on the sheets, bring sails amidships, and make the ship fly. Every piece of rigging hummed with tension from deck to masthead, where the square sails were braced as close
A WHALE OF A TIME FRITS BUS “One of my most memorable moments of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta was at the end of the 80’s. We were still sailing with white sails and the regatta was still a Caribbean affair with most yachts coming from the surrounding Islands.
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Back then I was racing a Beneteau First Class 8, and on the race around the island with our competition still close to us, we were rounding on the north-east side just past Pinel Island in strong winds and big seas when suddenly a big black shape appeared. I was focusing on the sails and wanted to head up and tack but Rien Korteknie, who was my tactician and main sail trimmer, saw it coming and reacted quickly and shouted “Bear Off”.
as they would go fore and aft. Blue water smashed into the windward bow and drove across the foredeck like hail. The ship began to heel forcing water in through her scuppers until, as if seeking to become part of the ocean herself, the schooner plunged her lee rail beneath the waves sending tons of green water scything across the main deck, forcing men to leap for the safety of the ratlines or be carried away. At the wheel, Börner, his long hair streaming in the wind, his beard streaked with salt, cast his eyes over the rig, taking in every shiver of sail and creak of block. And from the gleam in his eye I could see that this was what he had been waiting for, the chance to push himself, his crew and his ship on this one magical day when together we shared something unique.
•
with Gary E. Brown, Frits Bus, Rien Korteknie and Robbie Ferron
BARGING RIEN KORTEKNIE “After I had sold my little Stribukk somewhere around 1987, I was crewing on board a Benneteau First Class with Frits Bus as skipper... In those days not too many of us had seen a rulebook and it seemed the best way to start was for some of the competitors to barge, barge as aggressively as you dared.
Luckily so, because a huge whale rose out of the water and breached, we just missed it and when he fell back into the water, his tail smashed the surface and a big wave rolled over the boat, nothing compared to the big waves we were already facing. It soaked us all. The yacht next to us shouted to us smartly “Did you see that?”. We went on to win the race and our class overall. One of my most memorable events in racing anyway, and glad I didn’t luff as it would have been a rough swim.”
The collision was unavoidable but the damage was not too bad, just a hit on the “cl” of the word ‘Class” on the starboard side of our little racer. My priority at that time was to keep our not too relaxed skipper on board as he left the tiller for what it was and planned to jump ship, I assume to explain at least
one of the rules to our respected competitor. We managed to keep him on board and with some duct tape over the “cl” we managed to continue the race without taking on too much water. We even did very well that regatta. At the first opportunity our skipper was surprised with a nice T-shirt with in bold letter on the back: Skipper First ass And of course we made sure the “cl” was not printed.”
REMEMBERING 36 YEARS OF SERIOUS FUN WITH A REGATTA FOUNDER ROBBIE FERRON
By the last mark we were back in the real world of the race. As we crossed the finish in first place, the cheers of the crew of Swan fan Makkum, perched high in the rigging, reached us from across the water ... ”
I remember a start in Great Bay where we were going to have a great start, well timed, close hauled and not leaving room for barging competitors. One barging competitor had as precaution to prevent problems, a crewmember on the bow screaming loud and clear that they were starting.
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“In the first five years of the regatta the major focus was to get all the local boats to the starting line. The boats were really local boats and the owners were involved in making their daily bread and getting them to commit to a weekend in the middle of the season was a challenge. Some of our hoped for sailors were people like Rudi Stamm with his Spronk 24 , Peter Sint with his Chinese double ender and Jan Matser with his Ranger 28. They needed to recruit crew who were difficult to pin down but when it all happened everybody was delighted at the result. In those days all activity was at Great Bay and Sharon’s Rusty Pelican (now Greenhouse) was the location of some great after parties.
Whenever a visiting boat would pass by we would tell them of the regatta and of course they would all know about the Antigua Sailing Week and the Rolex Regatta in St Thomas but they would not be aware that we were having regattas in Sint Maarten as well. The most regular winning boat was Bernie Wong from Antigua who visited us yearly with his Cal 40 and loaded it up with prizes on his way back to Antigua. In those days the CSA rating system was not familiar to us and we conjured up our own system called the Sint Maarten Rating System. It was easy for us to manage but would not have measured up to anything currently in place. Later we moved the prize giving to Chesterfields who were more cooperative in organizing than the Rusty Pelican and we stayed there for many years. The space got very crowded inside so the majority of the
after race party was on the dock outside which was not yet protected by breakwater like it is now. I remember one large yachtsman with a build like an American football player picking me up by my sweater and hanging me over the water as he tried to convince me about the injustice of his rating. That is one of the clearest memories I had of Chesterfields as a location. After spending many years telling visiting yachts that we were having a regatta we slowly started getting yachtsmen that remembered we had a regatta at the beginning of March. Sailors from St. Barths and Antigua started putting it on their schedules and we were blessed by there being a great many yachtsmen and a real vacuum of events. (That has certainly changed now!)”
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WHERE TO STAY “The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association is proud to contribute to the 36th Annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. This large scale event has succeeded in putting our island in a positive light for the past 36 years and we are happy to be a part of this organization. The contribution of the regatta has had a decidedly positive impact on the entire island. We are extremely proud of the opportunity to contribute toward this
fantastic regatta and all the Serious Fun it brings to St. Maarten. As advocates of Hospitality and Tourism, we view the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta as one of the premier events to showcase our island and our hospitality.
promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information please contact our offices at +1 (721) 542-0108 or visit our website at www.shta.com.”
The SHTA was established in 1970 and is the largest private sector representative on the island. The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by
Anenda Zaandam Executive Director of the SHTA
HOTELS ALEGRIA 2 Beacon Hill Road, Simpson Bay www.alegriasxm.com
HOLLAND HOUSE BEACH HOTEL 43 Front Street, Philipsburg www.hhbh.com
ATRIUM BEACH RESORT & SPA 6 Billy Folly Road, Simpson Bay www.festiva-atrium.com
HORIZON VIEW BEACH HOTEL 49 Front Street, Philipsburg www.horizonviewhotel.com
BELAIR BEACH HOTEL Little Bay Beach, St. Maarten www.belairbeach.com
PRINCESS PORT DE PLAISANCE Union Road, Cole Bay www.princessportdeplaisanceresort.com
CARL’S UNIQUE INN 18 Orange Grove Rd, Cole Bay www.carlsinn.com
SIMPSON BAY RESORT 37 Billy Folly Road, Simpson Bay www.simpsonbayresort.com/regatta
DIVI LITTLE BAY BEACH RESORT Little Bay Road, St. Maarten www.divilittlebay.com
Looking to keep the crew under one roof this year? Check Vaystays, the Official Housing Partner of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
THE SUMMIT RESORT HOTEL 42 Jordan Road, Cupecoy www.thesummitresort.com
Go to VAYSTAYS.COM/REGATTA and use promo code REGATTA16 to get 10% off your stay! Be aware that this coupon code is valid thru September 2016 on any booking. 29
SOCIAL MEDIA
FUN FACTS Total miles Around the Island in 2015:
4690 miles
. It’s almost as far as St. Maarten to the North Pole.
8176 ft was the total
boat length of all entries in 2015.
2.5 km or 1.55 miles.
That equals about
In 2015, the newly launched website www.heinekenregatta.com
251,479 unique visitors attracted
in 2015.
331,834 persons were reached A total of
via Facebook posts in the Regatta month from 12 February – 12 March, 2015.
1:30:19 hrs. is the time it took Phaedo3 to sail around the island on April 10th, 2015.
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SERIOUS FUN SINCE THEY WERE SERIOUSLY YOUNG Q&A with two students of the Youth Sailing Program of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club; meet Daniel Gavin (30) who started at the SMYC when he was a child and who now has a career at sea and Johanna Looser (16) who is still part of the Program.
Sailing career after the SMYC I have continued to sail both for pleasure and as a competitor. I have been fortunate enough to race with Kick’em Jenny (1 and 2) for a number of years, also to compete on some of the world’s largest and fastest yachts in the St. Barth’s Bucket and a number of other international regattas.
Daniel Gavin Why the passion for sailing? I grew up on the water with both my parents being sailors so this made it a very natural passion for me. I was surrounded by very talented sailors, and was fortunate enough to have their support and coaching throughout my life. Biggest lesson at the SMYC There were so many lessons I learnt but I must say that one that really comes to mind is “Never Give Up”. Sailing is a lot like life it can be exciting, challenging, and sometimes even seem impossible, but I learnt that you never give up always stay positive and concentrate on your goal and in the end it will come right. Biggest struggle as a sailing kid There are many areas that I struggled with and still do today, but the largest I would say was learning the discipline to stay focused and appreciate the lessons learned in light wind sailing. They say that light wind sailing is where great sailors are made. 32
How have you gotten to where you are now? I have built my career on the sea. Starting out as deck cadet on commercial cargo vessels and later working on some of the largest cruise ships as Deck Officer. I am currently a Chief Officer within the Mega Yacht Industry and have had the privilege of working on some of the largest and most exclusive yachts in the industry.
“I would like to encourage all sailors but especially the youth sailors to keep sailing and pursuing your dreams.” Biggest achievement so far When I was younger I decided that I wanted to follow a career at sea and was very wisely guided by family and friends to follow the Commercial route to obtain my tickets. I have recently achieved my personal goal of getting my Master’s Unlimited UK Certificate of Competency, by the age 30. I would like to encourage all sailors but especially the youth sailors to keep sailing and pursuing your dreams.
When did you start sailing? I was six or seven when I first started sailing at the Yacht Club. I learnt in optimists with a group of other kids my age so it was a lot of fun. I’ve been sailing with the Youth Sailing program ever since, moving up to lasers, RS Visions, and recently, Sunfast 20s. Why the passion for sailing? My passion for sailing has definitely come from my family and friends. When we were younger my dad would pile my older siblings and I onto a laser and we would just sail around, not racing but just enjoying being on the water. I have a really nice group of friends at the Yacht Club, especially my sailing partner Alec, so sailing has always been exciting and social. Biggest struggle The biggest struggle when sailing is not letting a bad race get you down. If I sail badly or get a bad score on a race,
“I have to learn from my mistakes but still be positive.” I get annoyed with myself and then it messes with the rest of the races. I have to learn from my mistakes but still be positive. You and sailing in the future I’m in my last year of high school now so soon I’ll be off to university in the UK which will be a big change. Most of the universities I’m applying for have sailing teams or clubs so I’m definitely going to try out for the teams! Coming from a Caribbean paradise, the weather and temperature will be a big change for sure! Until then I plan to continue sailing here at the Yacht Club and participate in all the races and events!
Johanna Looser
Biggest achievement so far In sailing, my biggest achievement would have to be racing and winning our class in the 2014 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. It was my first time racing it, and it was intense and definitely Serious Fun. In the 2015 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta we were the only all-youth team, a huge accomplishment! Another less formal achievement I’ve won is bragging rights after racing and beating my dad in both RS Visions and LSR! 33
SERIOUS FUN BRIDGE OPENINGS
WAITING FOR THE BRIDGE TO OPEN HAS NEVER BEEN THIS MUCH FUN! After racing each day, at 15:00h and 17:00h and additionally at 13:30h on Sunday, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has amped up the bridge fun. All participants are welcome to take part by dancing, singing or dressing up, whatever it takes to drive the crowd crazy. The judges will be seated on the deck at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club to score the boats on originality, effort and the best crowd response. The winners will be announced at prize giving on Sunday night on Kim Sha Beach. Meet Michael Disch, owner of The Yacht Shop and initiator of this unique concept. “My name is Michael Disch and I own The Yacht Shop, a local yacht brokerage company. I first raced in the 23rd edition on a Farr 65 where we won the big boat series and I’ve been hooked ever since. The idea of the Serious Fun Bridge show came to us in the 33rd edition when we had many friends and clients out racing on yachts they bought from us and they all seemed bored and worn out waiting for the bridge. Che DeCastro, one of our brokers from Canada, went out by dinghy and
talked them all into writing HEINEKEN on their bums, 1 letter on each cheek in Red Lipstick, I was at the Yacht Club videoing them coming through and the crowd went nuts for it... Our clients had a blast, so the idea was born that day! The Serous Fun Bridge show is all about Fun and having a good laugh. The boats can choose to completely dress up and get the crowd fired up. You never know what you may see at the Serious Fun Bridge Show, so everyone needs to come and check it out. We’ve seen everything from Elvis playing a guitar in the bosun’s chair up the mast to a guy in a Gorilla suit sitting on the spreaders. We’ve seen our fair share of crazy things and we look forward to more of it. Last year’s absolute winner was team PERSERVERE. They gave us a show at every bridge opening and seeing a bunch of 200+ lb. men dressed in neon green thongs dancing on the deck was hilarious. For 2016 I can only say: let’s have some fun and take it to another level. Prizes are vouchers from Pineapple Pete and Sushi-Itto, as well as bottles of rum.”
Last year’s winner: Team PERSEVERE. 35
Q&A WITH REGATTA SAILORS… boat name:
KHS&S skipper: Neil Harvey
What was your most Serious Fun moment? On the water; beating up the coast of St. Maarten shore taking in close to the shore to stay out of the current, cover tacking the boat that we were tussling with for 2nd place. Off the water: collecting the prize for the best performance going through the bridge. We water bombed Northern Child’s sister ship Sunset Child with one of the crew at the top of the rig with a bucket of water booms.
amount of years participating:
What was your most favourite year? 2013 - we had a great crew from the Great Lakes that knew how to sail and party in equal measures. It was the first year we finished on the podium.
Lost the count, probably about 15
What was your most Serious Fun moment? We have won our class with KHS&S Contractors the past 3 years, have been bareboat overall runner up twice and finally won it overall this year, so being on stage at the awards ceremony on Kim Sha beach is always a huge “Serious Fun Moment”, BUT, I would have to say, the one that gets my adrenaline pumping each morning, is showing all the other competitors how the bridge tender prefers us to transit the bridge cut from Simpson Bay lagoon – hammer down and we wear our KHS&S construction hard-hats past the throng of cheering spectators at the St. Maarten Yacht Club. What was your most favourite year? The really windy year, back about 10 years ago, when we raced the 48’ cat-ketch “Acadia” to a class victory – two days of beating across the Anguilla Channel – that was a real test of sailing strengths, both on the boat & crew. We were tempted to pop in to 36
Bankie Banx Dunes Preserve for a cold one on the beat up the Anguilla shore. Who is the competitor that you look forward to seeing most each year? Racing in the Bareboat-Charter boat smaller classes, we have not had a particular regular competitor, but have raced for a few years now, for the overall title, against Marieke Poulie and the all-girl crew on “Something Hot”, and this past year enjoyed head to head competition in the Sunsail 44i One design class with the German crews on “Baltics” & “Baltics Too” as well as recent Olympic medallist Rodion Luka on “Kiev Racing Club”. I also enjoy the beats up along the north western coast to Rocher Creole, quite often crossing tacks with the late Jamie Dobbs on “Lost Horizons”, Bobby Velasquez on “L’Esperance” and Ian Hope-Ross on “Kick ‘em Jenny”. We know we are going to have a successful race when we can get inside these guys, out of the Equatorial current, with very few of our Bareboat competitors following suit.
Do you have a St. Maarten Heineken Regatta rival? Generally ourselves, and the clock. We spend a couple of days prior to the regatta, checking over all the rigging, sheets, blocks, winches and other hardware so that we eliminate any chance of gear failure or hang-ups, and also have our courses all mapped out before-hand so that we can sail the fastest course on the day. What does your team like to do for fun when you’re on the island and not racing? Well, apart from appearing on that huge stage at Kim Sha beach on Sunday afternoon, we enjoy the marvellous restaurants such as Toppers & Lee’s Roadside Grill, and also thoroughly enjoy the comradery of meeting friends from around the globe whilst quenching the thirst with an ice cold Heineken (or three) at the St. Maarten Yacht Club. We also enjoy listening & dancing to, the superb entertainment at the various regatta associated evening events.
What was your most Serious Fun moment? My most Serious Fun moment was I think in 2005 or was it 1995 anyway the year ABN Amro with Mike Sanderson was racing, it was the moment at the final nights presentation when I thought the prize giving was already finished, and they announced that Huey Too had won the overall prize for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta that year! I was lost for words, nothing would come out of my mouth, totally overwhelmed, that I could be chosen over all those prestigious boats in my 40 year old boat for the top prize. It was truly a historic moment in my sailing career. What was your most favourite year? I would have to say the year I won my class and the Regatta overall in my Cal 40 Huey Too.
boat name:
Northern Child skipper:
Lucy Jones amount of years participating:
Annually since 2010
Who is the competitor that you look forward to seeing most each year? El Ocaso and team Boston on Lancelot. Do you have a St. Maarten Heineken Regatta rival? There are a group of boats that come back and do the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta every year so there is good banter and competitive rivalry in our
class as the same boats come back again and again and it is probably the most competitive class. What does your team like to do for fun when you’re on the island and not racing? We enjoy eating at the restaurants, going to the parties and dancing as well as swimming in the sea.
boat name:
Taz owner:
Bernie Evan-Wong amount of years participating: 29 times to date, beginning in 1984
Who is the competitor that you look forward to seeing most each year? In recent years it is the Trinis in their Kerr 11.3 Dingo as they are really competitive against us on the water but once the racing is over we are the best of buddies and spend most of outer time ashore liming with them and having fun and we help each other with our boat prep and tuning, a great relationship.
Do you have a St. Maarten Heineken Regatta rival? Well it is really anyone that turns up on the start line with us, as we all want to win! What does your team like to do for fun when you’re on the island and not racing? Having fun, shopping, liming, and enjoying a taste of the parties and the night life available.
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SOL’S WATER TAXI SERVICE CARPOOLING ON THE WATER
Every year, Sol sponsors a water taxi service that will shuttle sailors between their boat and the dock before and after the races. With a team of over 40 volunteers, this service has become one of the most wanted volunteer positions during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
The water taxi service runs between the Sint Maarten Yacht Club and Simpson Bay. The Bay is divided up into three anchor zones. Dinghies are assigned to each zone, to trans port crew to several boats at a time.
OPERATING HOURS Thursday March 3, 2016 – Sunday March 6, 2016 07:00-10:00hrs 14:00-01:00hrs There is no water taxi service on Monday March 7, 2016
ANCHOR ZONES A Moorings Windward Adventures B ATP & Kras Sunsail C Non- Bareboat
This is Ki-mani Olivacce, the youngest water taxi volunteer of the 2015 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. MOM’S IDEA “My mother was the one who initially brought the idea to my attention. I wasn’t too sure at first but decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did because it turned out to be a fun and great experience. I always liked to see the sailing competitions and go to Regatta events with my dad so my interest was always there.” PEOPLE “I liked being a water taxi assistant because I got to meet new people from all over the world and it was nice to see all of the boats in the lagoon.” FUN “My funniest moment was trying to speak some of the foreign languages from different people who were teaching me how to say “hello”, “goodbye” etc. An enjoyable moment for me was being able to ride one of the boats.”
name:
Ki-mani Olivacce age:
14 school: Learning Unlimited Preparatory School hobbies: Basketball, swimming, judo, and tennis.
People were also surprised when I stayed for the last shift which finished after 1 in the morning.” 2016 “I’m definitely planning on volunteering for the year of 2016. It was a great experience and I also earned community service credit for school. I met a lot of new people, which is also one of the many reasons that I’m looking forward to the 2016 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.”
YOUNGEST IN 2015 “It was actually cool to be the youngest. Everyone always looked out for me and made sure I was okay. 41
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#2 Ground Dove Road, Pt. Blanche SXM (2nd Building on Right)
T: 1-721-522-5743
Email: chadilla@interline-usa.com lily@interline-usa.com, richardsxm@gmail.com * Restrictions Apply
MARINE PARK “Here at the Nature Foundation we are quite heavily involved in various conservation projects both terrestrial and marine. Our most important task at the moment is the management of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected area, which is a notake Marine Park located right outside of Great Bay Harbor. Various conser vation measures are taken to ensure that the Marine Park is adequately managed and protected, including the use of diver fees, regular patrolling, a mooring system, regular coral reef and fisheries monitoring and various research projects. MARINE MAMMAL MONITORING PROJECT One of our longest running projects is our marine mammal monitoring project, which runs from January to April. The peak of migratory humpback whale season is at the beginning of March, so right around the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. We always ask sailors to assist us with reporting any whales or dolphins they might see as these majestic creatures
migrate through our waters to and from their winter feeding grounds. ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES We also manage the endangered sea turtles of St. Maarten, with monitoring activities during nesting season where we protect and assist nesting sea turtles and their nests, enhancing the survival rate of the animals. Outside of nesting season we also do in-water monitoring where we identify the species and foraging grounds of our island while they are here year round. SHARK CONSERVATION One of our newest and most exciting projects is related to shark conservation. We recognize that sharks are some of the most misunderstood and maligned creatures in the ocean. They are also some of the most critically endangered and overfished animals on our planet, included right here on St. Maarten. Through our lobbying we managed to place a fishing ban on sharks, but now we are working with our partners in the Dutch Caribbean, and with the assistance of the National Postcode Lottery, in protecting these animals in all of the Dutch Islands. This will go hand in
hand with communication, education and outreach as to why these animals are so important. This is an initiative that is being led through St. Maarten Nature Foundation. Other than that we manage our usual activities: finding a solution regarding the Sargasso issue, water quality testing, lobbying for a terrestrial park and nature education in the schools.”
notice to sailors
“It is strictly prohibited from anchoring and fishing in the Marine Protected Area. We also ask all sailors to act responsible in how they dispose their waste and sewage and to refrain from throwing anything overboard, including fruits or veggies. It might sound funny but this is done more often than not. If it doesn’t come from the sea don’t throw it overboard. If marine mammals are spotted (whales, dolphins) communicate this to the Marine Park or race officials so that we can make the necessary decisions to ensure that they are protected from ship-strike or similar damage.”
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WINNERS 2015 BAREBOATS
CSA
Class
Boat
Skipper
Country
Class
Boat
Skipper
Country
Bareboat 1
J World West Coast
Wayne Zittel
USA
CSA 1
True
Doug Baker
USA
Bareboat 2
Arwen
Sergey Musikhin
-
CSA 2
Hamachi
Greg Slyngstad
USA
CSA 3
Spirit
Alan Edwards
GBR
Bareboat 3
KHS&S
Mike Cannon / Neil Harvey
USA
CSA 4
Sonadio III
Philippe Charret
Guadeloupe
CSA 5
Scarlet Oyster
Ross Applebey
GBR
CSA 7
L'Esperance
Sir Bobby Velasquez
SXM
CSA 8
Maelia
Magras Raphael
FRA
Bareboat 4
Perm Yacht Center
Igor Omelchenko
RUS
Bareboat 5
Sauerlander Highlands
Rainer Kamrath
GER
Present this ad to any of our locations and recieve a
FREE GIFT
MELGES 24 MULTIHULL Class
Boat
Skipper
Country
Multihull 1
Elvis
Jason Carroll
USA
Multihull 2
Karibuni
Erick Clement
SXM
Multihull 3
Delphi
Yuri Firsov
KAZ
Multihull 4
Ruby
Eugeniy Nikiforov
RUS
Class
Boat
Skipper
Country
Melges 24
Budget Marine/ GILL
Andrea Scarabelli
SXM
Class
Boat
Skipper
Country
Lottery Winner Friday
Tequila Tango
Dave Osmond
-
Lottery Winner Saturday
Amethyste
Gombert
FRA
Lottery Winner Sunday
Feeks
Smit, M.B.
-
LOTTERY
SPONSOR CUPS Cup Name
What
Boat
Skipper
Country
Australian Gold Trophy
Fastest Multihull Around the Island
Phaedo3
Lloyd Thornburg
USA
Captain Morgan Cup
Most Rumworthy Performance
Intuition
Yuri Fadeev
UK
Caribserve Cup
Most Worthy Performance on Friday
S'investir en Guadeloupe LIPTON
Charret Philippe
GLP
Columbus Cup
Bareboat Overall
KHS&S Contractors
Mike Cannon/Neil Harvey
USA
FIJI Cup
Fastest Bareboat Around the Island
KHS&S Contractors
Mike Cannon/Neil Harvey
USA
Heineken Cup
Most Worthy Performance on Saturday
Blue Peter
Tanner & Shari
ATG
Heineken Fun Price
Most Seriously Fun Team
Away of Life
Jeroen de Wildt
NLD
SMYC Cup
Most Worthy Performance on Sunday
Hamachi
Greg Slyngstad
USA
Sol Cup
Fastest Non-spinnaker Around the Island
Batucada
Jorge Born
ARG
Team Golden Dog Cup
Charity Sailing
Pixie
SMYC Youth Keelboat Team
SXM
The Sint Maarten Youth Challenge Trophy
Best Youth Sailing
St Maarten Sailing School
Garth Steyn
SXM
The St. Maarten / St. Martin Trophy
Overall Winner
L'Esperance
Sir Bobby Velasquez
SXM
Windward Islands Bank Cup
Fastest Monohull Around the Island
True
Doug Baker
USA
Xerox Obersi Cup
Spirit and Style
Atrevida
Atila Bohm
BRA
44
Front Street
.
Harbour Point
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Boardwalk