Island Global Yachting Teams Up with St. Maarten Heineken Regatta for Third Edition of IGY Commodores Cup

St. Maarten, N.A. (February 12, 2009) – It’s a match made not in heaven, but on one of the most beautiful islands on the planet. The 2009 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is now just weeks away, with racing for the entire fleet set for March 6-8. But the kick-off to the action, for the third consecutive year, will begin on March 5th when the flat-out racing field gathers in the crystal-clear Caribbean seas off St. Maarten for the IGY Commodore’s Cup.

And this year’s edition is slated to be better than ever, thanks to a new sponsor: Island Global Yachting (IGY).

“IGY feels strongly that through our support we can help make sure the Commodores Cup becomes a permanent part of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta,” said Brian Deher, IGY’s Director of Operations. “The St.Maarten Heineken Regatta has grown into a world-recognized event and IGY was eager to participate in a sailing race that not only offered global exposure but also was located in the Caribbean, where IGY has a host of marina properties catering to the needs of the sailors that take part in the event.”

As in the past two years, the IGY Commodores Cup is an extra day of racing scored separately from the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta that’s run exclusively for the fleet’s most competitive Grand Prix yachts and spinnaker classes. The field thus far includes veteran campaigner Peter Harrison on the Farr 115, Sojana; Rick Wesslund’s well-traveled J/120, El Ocaso; Ian Hope-Ross’s Beneteau First 36.7, Kick ‘em Jenny; and Nicolai Tangen’s powerful Swan 82, Nikata.

As far as the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and IGY is concerned, IGY’s Deher feels it’s an ideal partnership.

“The Commodores Cup is an event that somewhat targets the elite cross-section of the most serious or expert-level sailors that take part in the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta,” he said. “This plays well to IGY’s goal to target the truly discerning boaters of the world by offering the highest quality of customer service at the most sought-after marina destinations around the world. Our goals for the event are to educate as many sailors as possible about IGY and our facilities around the Caribbean and the rest of the world.”

Sailors arriving on the island for the Commodores Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta won’t have to look far to get a feel for the IGY experience. “The Yacht Club Isle de Sol and the Simpson Bay Marina are both located in the Simpson Bay Lagoon just to the east-southeast of the Simpson Bay Bridge,” said Deher, of the island’s two IGY properties.

“Both marinas offer every amenity needed for mega-yachts and cruising vessels alike,” he added. “Although IGY has gained much of its notoriety for its mega-yacht specific marinas such as Yacht Haven Grande (locations in St. Thomas, USVI and Anguilla) and The Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, we have many facilities that cater specifically to cruising and racing vessels of all sizes.”

Along with the IGY Commodore’s Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, the 2009 edition of the event will also include the new Budget Marine Match Racing series, on March 3rd. Virgin Island native son Peter Holmberg, who is currently honing his match-racing skills in New Zealand at the Louis Vuitton Pacific Cup, leads the all-star field of world-class sailors who will appear in St. Maarten.

For full information on the IGY Commodore’s Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta as well as entry lists, entry forms and much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.

ABOUT ISLAND GLOBAL YACHTING
From the islands of the Caribbean to the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf and other beautiful yachting destinations around the world, IGY is redefining the very idea of luxury marina experiences. Founded in 2005, IGY focuses on acquiring, controlling and/or servicing luxury-yacht marinas and the surrounding upland real estate properties. Island Global Yachting marinas operate under the signature Yacht Haven Grande collection and the IGY series brands, as well as several private labels. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, IGY also has offices in New York, NY; St. Thomas, USVI; Barcelona, Spain; and Dubai, UAE. IGY is an affiliate of Island Capital Group LLC, a real estate/merchant-banking firm led and founded by Andrew Farkas, former chairman of Insignia Financial Group. For more information, please visit www.igymarinas.com