As the Epic 29th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Concludes, Race Officials Begin Plans for 30th Anniversary Bash

St. Maarten, N.A. (March 9) – The wild, windswept, epic 29th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta concluded in resounding style last evening with the traditional prize-giving ceremony on Kim Sha Beach followed by musical entertainment by a host of top reggae bands including the legendary Wailers, who had a swaying crowd of thousands of sailors and islanders dancing into the wee hours.

As race organizers and the dozens of volunteers who helped make the regatta a tremendous success—despite sometimes intense weather conditions that challenged sailors and race officials to be at the very top of their games—finally took a well-earned rest after the nearly week-long marathon of sailing and parties, plans were already being set in motion for the 30th running of the annual event, which is scheduled for March 4-7, 2010.

Steering committee chairman and event co-founder Robbie Ferron said that the small army of dedicated St. Maarten Heineken Regatta volunteers and organizers learned many new lessons in this latest running of the annual event.

“There was a lot of evolution this year,” said Ferron. “We added the Budget Marine Match Racing Cup, which was a very interesting and successful experiment. And the IGY Commodore’s Cup continues to be an important part of the regatta. But this year’s weather taught us quite a bit about logistics, and risks, and how to address unforeseen challenges safely and efficiently. It turned out to be a memorable year.”

Everyone who sailed the 2009 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will have lasting memories of the staunch northerly winds and the often nasty seas over which they competed, but no one will recall them as fondly as Jamie Dobbs and his talented crew aboard the J/122, Lost Horizons, who were honored on Sunday for the Most Worthy Performance Overall of any boat in the 218-strong fleet. Dobbs and his team won the highly competitive Spinnaker 4 division with a perfect record of four wins in four races.

“Jamie Dobbs is a special sailor,” said Ferron of the Antigua-based competitor, a regular fixture at events across the Carribean. “He’s a bit of a curmudgeon but he has a big, big heart. He doesn’t miss a beat and he has such a good crew. They’re so consistent, they just do everything right all the time. They were certainly most worthy winners. They just sailed so well.”

Dobbs was not the only sailor recognized at Sunday’s awards ceremony. Prizes were also presented to the top three podium finishers in all sixteen divisions of the regatta, and for the Most Worthy Performers on all three days of the event. The Friday award went to the crew aboard Ralph Van den Berg’s Cyclades 43, French Kiss, in the Bareboat 4 class. For Saturday, the honor belonged to the Charleston, South Carolina, team aboard the Cylades 50, Sequoyah, racing in Bareboat 2. And on Sunday, Ronald O’Hanley’s canting-keel Cookson 50, Privateer, the runaway winner of Spinnaker 2, was the most worthy boat of them all.

With that, the 2009 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta comes to an official close. Race organizers wish to thank everyone who participated and volunteered, and who enjoyed the sensational parties and overall atmosphere at sea and ashore. The event has always been about Serious Fun, and this year was no different. Thanks again, one and all, and see you at the 30th Anniversary of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in 2010.

For final results, photos, video and more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.