Anticipation Heightens as 27th Heineken Regatta Draws Near!There's a ritual that happens every year around this time in the
Caribbean. Sailors from near and far anxiously visit the Heineken
Regatta website to review the entry list and see which interesting
boats will be on the starting lines, and who they'll be competing
against in their respective classes. For this 27th annual festival of
sailing, the entry list is as strong, and intriguing, as ever before.
In the big-boat fleet,
the early favorite certainly has to be Tom Hill's Titan 12. But don't
tell that to the crews of the two Andrews 70s-Donnybrook and
Renegade-or the sailors aboard Irving Laidlaw's Swan 112 or the Swan
60, Fenix, for these are all quick and well-sailed boats, as well.
Still, many observers feel the combination of preparation and
experience aboard Titan 12 will be impossible to beat. Then again,
that's why they sail the races, instead of just talking about them.
In the production-yacht
category, many eyes will be on the six-boat-strong Beneteau 40.7 class.
The 40.7s sport a combination of comfort, practicality and performance
that many yachtsmen have found irresistible. And this division is truly
an international one, with a Dutch boat; one each from the U.S., Italy,
and Puerto Rico; and a pair from the U.K. When it comes to Caribbean
racer/cruisers, here's a class that really delivers the goods. Watch
out for it.
The Heineken Regatta
always attracts a fleet of Bareboat charterers eager to test their
mettle on the race course, and this year is no different. Well-known
Dutch yachtsman Jan Baartmans is back with another of his "Gruppo
Sportivo" teams. So, too, are regular visitors including "The Giants",
"Primates of the Caribbean," "Team Golden Dog," "Team Breaking Wind," "
"BVI Yacht Charters," "Team Ghelamco," "Sail and the City," and
"Zeilen." Is it possible to break the record for having fun? Probably
not, but these crews certainly are going to give it a go.
Noted South African
sailor JJ Provoyeur, who distinguished himself in the marathon
short-handed circuit with a fine performance in the BOC Challenge
singlehanded around-the-world race, is scaling down his efforts for the
Heineken with a 35-footer called After You. But Provoyeur is no
stranger to Caribbean sailing-he's made his presence known in several
Antigua Sailing Weeks-and he's bringing along some top South African
sailors with plans to once again make his mark.
Taking a look at other
notable entries, U.S. sailor Graham Smith will bring a Kerr 11.3 called
Vellamo. Previous Vellamo's have been well-prepared, top-performing
Swans, and this one is likely to follow that trend. Sir Geoffrey
Mulcahy is sailing a Swan 56 that has a fine record in the Caribbean,
and with an able, experienced team, look for her to do well, too. The
German Jodel/Vrolijk-design, Bank von Bremen, will also be angling for
podium finishes.
Antiguan yachtsman Hugh
Bailey is back with his Hugo B, and no one will be surprised if he
isn't once again mixing it up with Bobby Valasquez-after all, these two
fine sailors have been waging an epic, honorable battle for years.
Whichever one comes out on top, the true winner will be the sport of
sailing, for the Bailey-Valasquez rivalry has always been about
sportsmanship, as well as fine competition.
There will be plenty of
excitement in the smaller classes is well. George Bol is bringing his
Lutra 24, Bolwerk-built in Estonia, and similar to a Melges 24-in via
container. Bolwerk will compete against a pair of real
Melges 24s, a B28 from Martinique, and the First Class 8, Sam Jang. Up
a notch, size-wise, will be the Melges 32, Chippewa; an Open class boat
sailed by Jan van den Eynde; and a Kiwi 35 from St. Lucia. Local entry
Kick em Jenny will put up a strong fight, as will a class of Sun Fast
37s chartered from Guadeloupe. Another Guadaloupe charter boat, an
Opium39 chartered to an Austrian entrant, will hope to hold her own in
a tough field that also includes two J-Boats, the J/109, Vrijgezeilig,
and the J/105, No Rubber No Glory. Both J's will be skippered by Dutch
sailors with previous Heinken experience.
The classic entries
always make for a picturesque scene. If you've got your camera out,
look for the 12-Meter Kate; Alert, the beautiful Phillip Rhodes design;
the Robert Clark 64 Lone Foxl and Hans Lammers' Rhodes Bounty, Sunshine
(which can and will compete with modern boats on any race course).
Add it all together and
the 2007 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, scheduled from March 1-4, will
again be one of the year's most memorable and best-attended events on
the yacht-racing calendar. There is simply no excuse for not being
there!
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