Media | Press
General Info

Dear members of the media,

Greetings!

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Preparations are in full swing to make this one a great experience again. Please find below all the information about accreditation, registration, press conferences, press releases and our media boats, hotels service etc. Our entire promotional committee is ready to help you with all your media-related needs and to make this the best regatta you have ever experienced. Herb McCormick, Bob Grieser, Titia Reijntjes, Bea Hootsmans, Barbara Warren,  and a team of volunteers staff this year’s media centre. Between them you will find English, Dutch, French, German and Spanish spoken.



ACCREDITATION FORMS

These are available on our website and now also work on mac.

You can submit the form to us together with a letter of assignment for your publication. With this assignment letter you can apply for free accommodation which will be available on a first-come-first serve basis. Please send it to us at your earliest convenience, as we will not be able to guarantee accommodation last minute.



MEDIA REGISTRATION HOURS

  • Wednesday March 5 11.00 am to 4.00 pm at The Sint Maarten Yacht Club at Simpson Bay Bridge
  • Thursday March 6 11.00 am to 4.00 pm at The Sint Maarten Yacht Club at Simpson Bay Bridge

On each day of racing our media volunteers will be available in the new Sailors Lounge from 4 pm to 7 pm or until that day’s results are distributed if there is a delay.



MEDIA BOATS

Media boats are available for working media personnel wishing to get close to the action. Titia is in charge of placing people on boats and will be glad to help you. The initial allocation for media boats will be made during registration. If you should want to change your plans, and would like to be put on (if we have any places left) or taken off the list after all, please let us know as soon as possible at the media booth.

Please note that if you are booked on a media boat you must re-confirm your assignment before 8.00 p.m. on the day prior to your trip or someone else may be given your place.

Media personnel will meet at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club at 7.30 am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Boats will leave the St. Maarten Yacht Club staging area both mornings at 8.00 am Please be there on time as the boats will have to leave as planned in order to make it to the start in time.

On Sunday, we gather at 7.15 am for a 7.30 am departure. Titia will be there to answer your last minute questions. Lunch and drinks will be available on the media boats. Note: media personnel are advised to bring sun tan lotion and any other sun protection you require as it may be very hot on the water.



PRESS CONFERENCES

To keep up with the news, three press conferences have been organized this year to give better overall coverage of the event.

Our first press conference will be held on Thursday March 6th. 18.00 hrs in Restaurant La Terrasse at Port de Plaisance (behind the hotel lobby).  We strongly suggest you attend. Robbie Ferron (regatta chairman and co-founder) and Herb McCormick will be there to answer your questions, and we hope to be joined by some of the sailors who have taken part in most of the 27 regattas, plus top names from some of this year’s stand-out boats.

For the first time there will be a press conference with the artists performing at the 28th Sint Maarten Heineken Regatta.
This one will be held on  Friday March 7th 17.00 hrs at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Maho Bay in the Royal Pavilion room behind the pool area. Present will be LA Crew, Intwine, Allison Hinds and Shaggy.

The third press conference will be held on Saturday March 8th. 18.00 hrs in Le Plongeoir in Marigot. Le Plongeoir is across from Marina Fort Louis. For further information on the press conferences please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


RACE RESULTS

Provisional race results will be available daily from the media centre as soon as they are made available to us by the race committee. On the final day, race results for that day will be publicly posted as usual. The press will however be given the final cumulative results as soon as possible, so they may conduct interviews.
Read more...
 
Serious! Fun!

With the 2008 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on the Books, Organizers Look Ahead to the 29th Running of the Great Celebration of Caribbean Sailing and Partying

panthera2.jpgSt. Maarten, N.A. (March 10) – The sensational 28th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta finished in fine fashion last evening with the traditional prize-giving ceremony on Kim Sha Beach followed by musical entertainment by Grammy-winning recording artist Shaggy, who had an overflowing throng of thousands of sailors and islanders dancing by the sea.

As race organizers and the dozens of volunteers who helped make the regatta a tremendous success took a deep breath after the four-day marathon of sailing and parties, plans were already being set in motion for the 29th running of the annual event, which is scheduled for March 5-8, 2009.

Steering committee chairman and event co-founder Robbie Ferron, with assistance from a host of St. Maarten officials, handed out prizes to the top boats in the regatta’s 21 divisions, with special awards presented to the regatta’s outstanding performers. The CBBS Cups, presented to the high scorers in the Caribbean Big Boat Series, went to Sam Fleet’s Swan 601, Aquarius, in the Racing category and to Peter Harrison’s Farr 115, Sojana, in the Racing/Cruising class.

Read more...
 
Dates 2009

The 29th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2009 will take place on March 5 - 8.

 
The Fleet is In:

TP 52 Panthera, SeaCart 30 True Look, and a Pair of J/Boats Among Big Winners at 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

bigboats.jpg St. Maarten, N.A. (February 9) – The 28th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta wrapped up today, in similar fashion to the way it began: With clear skies and a steady breeze offering ideal conditions for a record-setting fleet of competitors. And after the series’ final race, a point-to-point contest from Marigot, on the island’s French side, to Philipsburg on the Dutch side, an impressive array of winners emerged.

In the animal kingdom, the term “Panthera” is synonymous with a mighty species of “cats that roar.” It proved to be a fitting title in the big-boat Spinnaker 1 division as well, where the UK-based TP 52, owner Benny Kelly’s Panthera, capped a strong effort by conquering an impressive fleet of competitors, particularly the canting-keel, turbo-charged Cookson 50, Privateer. Panthera went undefeated in the five-race series for the spinnaker classes, with Privateer wracking up five straight seconds.

Read more...
 
Big Saturday!

Tight Racing Across Board Sets Up Grand Finale for 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

pindaralphagraphicssmall.jpg Marigot, St. Maarten (February 8) – With two great days of racing down, and one huge Sunday still to go, the cream is rising to the top in one of the windiest, wildest St. Maarten Heineken Regattas to date. After Saturday’s racing, in some classes, a clear front-runner has been established. In others, the final outcome is far from certain.

The seven divisions of high-level, spinnaker flying race boats had a busy day Saturday, with three races contested in winds that started out in the mid-twenty-knot range, but gradually eased into the teens as the day progressed. The first two races were windward/leeward, around-the-buoys contests of Simpson Bay. After lunch, the Magnificent Seven reconvened for a point-to-point, 20-mile distance race to Marigot on the French side of St. Maarten. The other classes—including three Multihull fleets, the six bareboat divisions, and the Open and Exhibition classes—each enjoyed a single race to the lively French town.

Read more...
 
March 7,

Multihulls Lead the Way, Chippewa Off the Warpath in Wild Opening Session of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten (February 7) – On roiling, turquoise seas flecked with whitecaps, a record fleet of 284 entrants – fueled by steady easterly Caribbean trade winds of 25-knots and more – set sail today to begin the 28th annual running of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. And as the day progressed, there were more than a few surprises throughout the sizable fleet.
Perhaps the biggest surprise occurred relatively early in the action, when Clay Deutsch’s Swan 68, Chippewa, a seasoned campaigner in major East Coast events and throughout the Caribbean – and a defending champion in the Heineken Regatta, having won its class in 2007 – was forced to the rear of the Spinnaker 2 division after losing its lone headsail halyard.

Read more...
 
Let the Games Begin!!
dsc_3845.jpg 47 Boats in 7 Classes Kick Off Heineken Action in Second Budget Marine Commodore’s Cup 

 

St. Maarten, N.A. March 6 – The sailing was spirited, the images memorable. There was Elandra, the Beneteau First 40.7, wiping out at the leeward mark and struggling with a spinnaker takedown as many of her competitors slipped past. And MAD IV, the Grand Soleil 50, suffering the same mishap with her kite flailing away at the masthead. And no one who saw it will forget the sight of the Melges 24, French Connection, in a near knockdown with her big red asymmetric spinnaker in the water as her crew scrambled to windward to try and get her back upright. 

But no crew had more of a handful than the team aboard the J/109, Vrijgezeilig, which faced not one but two fire drills: a spinnaker that exploded into three sections and, worse, a man-overboard situation when an unfortunate crewman went into the drink after yet another broach. That incident had a happy ending, as the soaked sailor was recovered a minute later and Vrijgezeilig resumed racing.  

In other words, the weathermen said it would blow today, and blow it did. 


Read more...
 
Breeze On!
minniethemoocher3.jpg

Ideal Sailing Conditions Await Record Fleet for the 28th Running of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

St. Maarten, N.A. February 5 – The race committee, event organizers and islanders – as well as the dozens and dozens of volunteers who help pull it all together – are ready. The party venues are set, the tents have been erected, and the musicians are tuning up. The icy green bottles of Heineken are waiting in the coolers, and folks are getting thirsty. There’s only one thing left to do. 

Go sailing. 

The 28th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is about to commence, with a record-setting fleet of 281 boats registered to compete. The wind gods, it appears, are smiling on the racers, with ideal Caribbean sailing conditions – east-northeast tradewinds hovering in the mid-20-knot range – forecast for the opening days of the event. 

“It’s great to have a record number, it shows we’re doing something right,” said Robbie Ferron, the chairman of the regatta’s steering committee. “But our emphasis has never been about getting bigger, only better. And I like to think we’re doing that as well.” 

For the second straight year, the action will commence on Thursday as seven classes of flat-out, spinnaker-flying race boats gather on the racecourse for the Budget Marine Commodore’s Cup. Fifty-eight yachts have registered for the Commodore’s Cup, a three-race series that is scored separately than the main event. The three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta then begins on Friday, March 7. 

Today, a number of boats took advantage of the clear skies, bright sunshine and brisk breeze to hoist sail and continue preparations. A pair of boats in the spinnaker racing classes – the Swan 70, Blue Pearl, and the Ker 11.3, Minnie the Moocher – sailed several long tacks to windward before hoisting kites and practicing jibes. One of the five Gunboats set to race in their own separate division – the 62-footer, Looking for Elvis – spent much of the afternoon working on upwind technique. Meanwhile, the crew of the CM 60, Venomous, bent on a new carbon-fiber mainsail. 

Read more...
 
Avoid traffic congestion, park at Port de Plaisance on Sunday March 9th!
parking.jpgHeineken St. Maarten and the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, organisers of the 28th St Maarten Heineken Regatta, today announced improved parking facilities for the general public during the final party night of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta on Sunday march 9th when international superstar Shaggy will perform at Kim Sha Beach.  

In partnership with Port the Plaisance Princess Casino, Heineken St Maarten and the Sint Maarten Yacht club, the parking capacities for the final party at Kim Sha Beach have been greatly improved. The general public is advised to park at Port de Plaisance on Sunday March 9th – the final night of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta.  

The big parking lot at Port de Plaisance will be open to the public on Sunday March 9th from 4.00 PM to 2.00 AM and will be guarded. A shuttle boat service will operate from the dock next to the parking lot. The boat shuttles will transport people from the parking lot across the lagoon to the dock of the St Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay. The drop off location at the St Maarten Yacht Club is within walking distance from Kim Sha Beach where the final Regatta party will be held.  
Read more...
 
The Momentum Builds!
Entry List Tops 220 as Racing Draws Near for the 28th Running of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

With just over two weeks to go before the action commences in the 28th edition of the world-renowned St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, race organizers have received some 224 entry forms from skippers and crews eager to test themselves in the fresh Caribbean tradewinds. As always, the Heineken field is comprised of a vast cross-section of yachts ranging from flat-out Grand Prix racers to laid-back bareboat cruisers to an ever-expanding fleet of multihulls. There is, however, one common denominator amongst the hundreds of competitors who’ve made the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta a highlight of the sailing calendar for nearly three decades. Along with the champagne sailing conditions, they come to the regatta in search of “serious fun.”

The “big-boat” contenders for the 2008 event are grand indeed, with over a dozen entrants topping the 20-meter figure in length overall. These include a pair of Bruce Farr designs, Peter Harrison’s exquisite Sojana—which, at 35-meters, or 115-feet, is the current “Queen of the Fleet”—and Jeff Hanlon’s rapturous Rapture, which measures in at 30-meters, or just under 100 feet Sojanaand Rapture are two of the 60 entries thus far in the Spinnaker Racing classes. Both boats will also compete in the Commodore’s Cup on Thursday, March 6th, the extra day of racing now in its second year that is scored separately from the main event. To date, the Commodore’s Cup has attracted 41 entrants. The three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta follows immediately after, from March 7-9. The event has always been well represented by Swan owners, and the 2008 running continues that long-standing tradition. Nicolai Tangen’s Swan 82, Nikata, and Duke Steinemann’s Swan 80, Selene, are the largest Swans in the Spinnaker Racing divisions, while Bill Titus’s Swan 100, Virago, tops all seventeen entries in the Non-spinnaker Racing fleet.
Read more...
 
Heineken warm-up race

Sunday 2nd March 2008

smyc_logo.jpgThe Sint Maarten Yacht Club will hold the annual Heineken Warm Up Race as usual on the Sunday before the Annual Heineken Regatta. This year the race will take place on Sunday the 2nd of March. The race will start at 10 am in Simpson Bay and the skippers meeting, where the courses will be announced will be at 6pm at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club on Saturday 1st March. The race will run along the South Coast of St. Maarten and will be a moderate length Sunday course. All boats that are eligible to sail the Heineken Regatta are welcome to participate. There is no entry fee for the boats participating in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta warm up race.

Robbie Ferron

 
Buy a Heineken Bracelet and Help Protect our Marine Life!
hk_braclet_sticker_2008.jpgHeineken St. Maarten, The Natural Reserve of Saint Martin and the Nature Foundation of St. Maarten are proud to announce a collaboration kicking off during the 2008 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta scheduled for March 6-9, 2008.  

In partnership with Heineken and the Sint Maarten Yacht club, both marine parks will be able to sell black “St Maarten Heineken Regatta bracelets” to the various shopkeepers around the island. Shipwreck Shops will be the first stores to carry these environmental reminders, in their stores and in their merchandise tents during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2008.  

The money collected from the sale of the bracelets will be used to fund the various efforts of the French and Dutch marine parks to help them to protect the natural patrimony. Similar effort by these organisations during 2006 and 2007 Heineken Regattas brought a total sum of $ 8.000!   “The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is THE nautical and sporting event on St Maarten and it is very important from an economical point of view, because of its contribution to the tourism development of the island. Many sailors put their anchor in our waters in order to participate in ‘Serious Fun’ during the days of racing and the nights' activities. “We want to use Heineken’s exposure during the event, to generate interest in helping to protect our marine life.” says Beverly Mae Nisbeth of the Nature Foundation.  
Read more...
 
Giving Back to the Sport: Team Synergy and Team Goldendog Race for Charity

There are countless ways to enjoy the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. From beach cats and bareboats to Grand Prix racers and multihulls, this annual Caribbean festival of yachting has a niche for every sailor. For a couple of special crews aboard the Farr 49, Synergy, and the Beneteau Oceanis 473, Team Goldendog, the event provides another opportunity. It gives them the chance to race for a grander purpose, and to use the regatta to raise funds for great causes. Take Team Synergy, the all-woman team based in Curacao, which came together for the first time last October for a regatta in Bonaire. Team leader Lea de Haas said the 14-member crew “had much to learn” about the 49-footer, which was built in 1974. “Everything was new,” she said. “We hadn’t trained before and it was challenging learning a boat with several headsails and an asymmetric spinnaker. Luckily, the winds were light. But the group was so enthusiastic and no job was too big for anyone. It was in Bonaire that we became a team. And we had such a great time and learned so much, that we decided to do the 2008 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.” But de Haas says Team Synergy’s goals go beyond their personal aims. “The idea was to do the Heineken for our own fun but also to raise money for a group of very young teenage girls in Curacao who are pregnant, homeless and out of school. Kai di Bruder Pius is an organization that takes care of these girls by giving them a place to live and assisting in their education so they can learn a profession and take care of their child.”

Read more...
 
Prize giving of the 9th annual kids art competition a huge success!

kidsart.jpgOn Saturday the 2nd of February many enthusiastic children ages 4 – 14 years old and their parents and teachers visited the Sint Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay, because of the prize giving of the 9th annual Kids art competition organized by the Sint Maarten yacht club and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. A few weeks before the prize giving all the school children on the Dutch side of the island received the assignment for this competition,whose goal is to involve the local school children in the regatta, and help them to come in touch with sailing and the event. The Thursday before the prize giving the judges Petra Gilders (Sint Maarten Yacht Club), Ruby Bute, Antoine Chapon and Lucia Trifan (all artists), selected the prize winners. There were four different age groups with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize winners. The first prize winners of each category are Nadja van den Boogert from the Sister Marie Laurence School (4 – 5 years old), Samantha Heemskerk from the CIA (6 – 8 years old) Steven Cloose from the Sister Regina School (9 – 11 years old), and Sophia and Maike from the Sister Magda Primary School (boat project). The Prins Willem Alexander School won the 1st prize for their class project, with a huge boat made out of recycled materials, the Hillside Christian Elementary school and the Sundial school won two prizes. The organization would like to thank all the companies on the island who were willing to sponsor such wonderful prizes for the participating children: Ama Jewelers, Aquamania, Bayside Riding Club, the Butterfly Farm, Pizza Galley, Rhino Safari, Sint Maarten Yacht Club Youth Sailing program, St. Maarten Park and van Dorp bookstores. At the end of the prize giving, many children left the yacht club with a big smile on their faces and the organization was completely satisfied with another successful event. For more information or for next years Kids art competition, contact the regatta office at 544-2079.

 
Shaggy set to perform at the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta!

St. Maarten N.A., January 23, 2008

 

shaggy_3.jpgHeineken St. Maarten N.V., in cooperation with the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, is proud to announce the top musical performance for the largest sailing event in the Caribbean, the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The headline performance for the outdoor beach concert, scheduled to conclude the St Maarten Heineken Regatta on Sunday, March 9th 2008, is Mister Lover Lover himself, Shaggy! Shaggy (born Orville Richard Burrell, October 22, 1968, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican Americanreggae singer whose distinctive sub-baritone voice has made him an international supstar..

 

After one decade, six albums, two of them multi-platinum, five number 1 hits, and eleven top ten singles world wide, Grammy award winning Big Yard recording artist Shaggy is on the grind. Making music that celebrates his Caribbean culture, Shaggy is an ambassador for Reggae and Dancehall music, and he is also considered Jamaica’s only living Diamond-plus selling artist.

 

In the early 1990’s, Shaggy entered the scene with “Oh Carolina”, and the album “Boombastic” solidified Shaggy as a dancehall hit-maker, winning the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. When “Hotshot” dropped in 2000, it became a best-selling album and sold over 13 million albums worldwide. It topped the charts in the US, UK, Germany and Australia simultaneously. Hotshot rocketed to the top of the charts with two phenomenal singles, “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel”.  Shaggy's 2005 effort Clothes Drop had serious radio-play in Jamaica and Japan, and it propelled the dancehall singer's career all the way to 2007 with the release of the "Church Heathen" single. That tune took the dancehall world by storm, re-established the singer's footing in the U.K., and began to make a big impact in the States closing off 2007. The album “Intoxication”, his worldwide comeback hit, samples hot crossover material — "What's Love" with Akon, "Bonafide Girl" with Rik Rok , "Mad Mad World" with Collie Buddz and  "Wear di Crown" with Mischieve,  and boldly declares itself "Big Yard Music". With Intoxication, Shaggy has once again found that perfect balance of slick and streetwise.  To date, Shaggy has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.

 

Read more...
 
Have Another Heineken: Another Day of Racing
Have Another Heineken: Another Day of Racing, that is, at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta’s Budget Marine Commodore’s Cup  

redboat.jpgThe St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has it all: outstanding sailing in blue Caribbean seas, world-class parties and entertainment, and an island venue that can’t be beat. If you asked the event’s most competitive sailors what, if anything, was missing, there really could be only one answer. More racing..
Race organizers listened, and last year they added a fourth day of competition, the Budget Marine Commodore’s Cup, to the traditional three-day event. It isn’t for everyone, noted race chairman Robbie Ferron. “It’s for the flat-out racers in the spinnaker classes,” he said. “The rest of the fleet can enjoy the regatta over the usual three-day schedule.” Still, according to Ferron, the first running of the Commodore’s Cup was an instant, unqualified success. “It was just one of the greatest days,” he said. “We had spectacular 15-17 knot tradewind conditions, a very competitive fleet, and three windward/leeward races in one day. Everyone enjoyed it immensely.” So, not surprisingly, they’re doing it again. The second annual Commodore’s Cup will kick off the 28th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on Thursday, March 6th. Last year’s Cup attracted 58 entries racing in seven dedicated spinnaker classes. In the Bigboat 1 class, the big winner was the Volvo 70, ABN AMRO ONE. Antigua’s Carlo Valcone did well, winning the Spinnaker 3 division on his 44-foot Caccia alla Volpe. Another well-known Caribbean campaigner who scored a spot in the winner’s circle was Puerto Rico’s Sergio Sargramoso, who topped the Spinnaker 5 class aboard his Beneteau 40.7, Lazy Dog. Other winners in 2007 included Clay Deutsch’s Swan 68, Chippewa, from the USA, in Bigboat 2, and St. Maarten sailor Ian Hope-Ross’s Beneteau First 36.7, Kick ‘em Jenny, in Spinnaker 7. Both boats are among the early entrants for 2008 and will be looking to defend the titles they earned last year. 

Read more...
 
Heineken St. Maarten raises money again for Nature Organizations

press_relase_2007_hregatta_bracelets_donation.jpg  
Picture from left to right: Kim van Loo (Manager Shipwreck shops), Heather Tackling (Director Heineken Regatta), Marisa Brandy (Office Manager Nature Foundation Sint Maarten) John Leone (Director Heineken St Maarten) and Mandy Renkens (Event & Promotions Manager Heineken St Maarten).

The Nature Foundation of Sint Maarten and the St. Martin Réserve Naturelle were delighted to each receive a much needed donation from Heineken St. Maarten this week, to put towards their conservation programs on both side of the islands. The funds were raised through the sale of white ‘serious clean fun’ bracelets during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2007. “During the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, we wanted to raise the exposure concerning the importance of keeping our island and it’s waters clean”, says Heineken St. Maarten Managing Director John Leone, the green “Meet You There” bracelets we donated last year were very well received, so we decided to repeat this mechanism again this year. This year we contributed white “Serious Clean Fun” bracelets”.  “We were very happy that we were able to generate over $3000.00 to share between the 2 foundations.”

Read more...
 
The Caribbean’s Queen of Soca Alison Hinds to perform at the 28th St Maarten Heineken Regatta!

alisonorange2.jpgHailing from the tropical island of Barbados, and crowned the undisputed “Queen of Soca” by fans worldwide, the British born Alison Hinds is set to release her power and passion on Marigot, St. Martin, Saturday March 8, 2008 during the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The intoxicating musical movement known as SOCA (popular dance music of the SOuthern CAribbean) is rapidly gaining popularity among music lovers around the globe. It is a sexy and uplifting music known for its infectious rhythms and spirited spicy lyrics that inspires jubilant audience participation albeit with waving hands and flags to swaying hips, all in a ritualistic celebration that exemplifies life today in the Caribbean. ALISON HINDS is poised to become a major force in the eruption of innovative urban-influenced Caribbean-based artists such as fellow-Bajan popstar Rihanna, Sean Paul, and Shaggy, who are changing the face of music worldwide Alison will be performing hits off the August 2007 release of her first solo album SOCA QUEEN, an upbeat collection of original songs which captures Alison Hinds’ passionate sensual vocals, infectious driving rhythms and spirited lyrics.

Read more...
 
High speeds gunboats to attend St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

gunboat.jpgForget foreign navies, the St Maarten Heineken regatta is to get its own fleet of high performance Gunboats and other than high–tech construction there won’t be a weapon in sight. As many as six Gunboat catamarans will inject a shot of adrenaline into the multihull division of the 2008 Heineken regatta. The boats, built in Cape Town, South Africa, and sailed to the Caribbean on their own keel, are gaining worldwide popularity as an alternative to a performance monohull. Gunboat company founder Peter Johnstone had no doubt when he chose the Heineken Regatta to showcase his spectacular boats. "Gunboat is developing a premier owner based class and we have selected the best venues and events in the world because our owner's demand that.

Read more...
 
Sponsorship between the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta and Heineken N.V still going strong.
ycplusheineken.jpg
Picture: Left to right-Commodore Frank Hoedemaker, Heather Tackling regatta director and John Leone Managing Director Heineken

After 28 years of what they now fondly call “Serious Fun” it was all business as Frank Hoedemaker, commodore of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, and John Leone, Managing Director of Heineken N.V sat down to finalize the sponsorship agreement for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 regatta. Both men were pleased with the results and look forward to several more years of partnership. Commodore Hoedemaker stated “negotiation were intense, and in the end both parties goals and needs for the upcoming event were met, it is a pleasure to work with Heineken once again and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship” Heineken N.V has been a long time sponsor of the regatta with 28 years of cooperation. “We are extremely happy to continue our partnership with the St. Maarten Yacht Club. We feel the St Maarten Heineken Regatta continues to grow in quality and importance to both the sailing world and the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin.
Read more...
 
Commodores Welcome
DSC_0021.jpgThe 2007 St.Maarten Heineken Regatta proved to be yet another ideal regatta with competitive racing, high winds and an added day of racing.

It is my pleasure to invite you to the 28th edition of this world know event, and become one of the many sailors to grace our shores. Over 40 different countries are represented at this event, and no where can this be seen better than at the evening festivities where people of all nationalities mingle together sharing their stories of the day and enjoying good food, and good music. I am honored to be the Sint Maarten Yacht Club Commodore once again and I encourage you to visit our regatta headquarters located at the Yacht Club in Simpson Bay, right next to the bridge. This event is one that our members are proud to be a part of and hope that you come back to visit our shores on other occasions as well.

Sincerely,
Frank Hoedemaker
Commodore of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.
 
2008 Regatta Program
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club will be the main head quarters for the 2008 regatta registration. Our Club can be accessed by both tender and car, so we look forward to seeing you there during the regatta.
At the Sint Maarten Yacht Club you will find:

  • Regatta Registration Office
  • Regatta Organization Office
  • Regatta Media Center

The official program during the 28h edition of the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta will be as follows:

Wednesday, March 5th  

  • Registration for all classes at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay from 11.00 - 17.00

 

Thursday, March 6th

  • Registration for all classes at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay from 11.00 - 17.00
  • Budget Marine Commodores Cup
  • Welcoming Party at Port de Plaisance


Friday, March 7th

  • The first race starts outside of Simpson Bay:
  • The Race around the Island for most classes from Simpson Bay to Great Bay
  • Prize Giving Ceremony & Party in Great Bay


Saturday, March 8th

  • Most classes race from Simpson Bay to Marigot
  • Prize Giving Ceremony & Party at Waterfront in Marigot

 

Sunday, March 9th

  • The final day with a race from Marigot to Simpson Bay
  • Prize Giving Ceremony and Final party in Simpson Bay

 
28th Heineken Regatta

Plan for the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

6 to 9 March 2008 !

 

 
The Fun was Serious!

With the 2007 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on the Books, Organizers Look Ahead to the 28th Running of the Great Festival of Caribbean Sailing (and Partying).

The 27th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta concluded in fine fashion last evening with a prize-giving ceremony on Kim Sha Beach followed by musical entertainment by the band Orange Grove and the offspring of reggae legend Bob Marley-sons Damian Marley and Stephen Marley-who captivated the crowd of thousands of sailors and islanders with a set that included stirring renditions of many of their father's most memorable songs.
Read more...
 
With Style and Finesse...

With Style and Finesse, Bernie Evans-Wong's Cal 40, Huey Too, is Named Boat of the Regatta as the 27th Running of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Wraps Up in Spectacular Fashion.

huey-too-big.jpgThe 27th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta concluded today in spectacular fashion as more than 200 boats in 20 divisions enjoyed classic Caribbean sailing conditions to wrap up a most memorable running of the annual event.
Highlights of the regatta included the dominating performance of the Volvo 70, abn-reach-finish-big ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson's world-beating yacht, which put on a sailing clinic while regularly registering speeds of better than 20-knots; the addition of a first-ever fourth day of racing for the top race boats, which turned out to be a resounding success; and a Boat of the Regatta award to a design that was first introduced some 40 years ago.
With three straight wins to capture the Non-Spinnaker 2 class, veteran campaigner Bernie Evans-Wong's Cal 40, Huey Too, was named Boat of the Regatta for the 2007 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Evans-Wong, from Antigua, was sailing the venerable design first introduced by designer Bill Lapworth in 1967. The boat was an immediate success in the classic Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu, and four decades along, Evans-Wong sailed it to perfection to win his class, and the prestigious prize for 2007.
Read more...
 
Let it Blow!

In Big Breeze and Rolling Seas, the Fleet Faces Challenging Conditions En Route to Marigot in the 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

storm-big.jpgThey said it would blow, and blow it did. As early as last Monday, forecasters peering into their long-range crystal balls predicted that the conditions for the 27th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta would peak for Saturday's racing, with winds hovering around 25-knots and more. Meteorology, of course, is often an inexact science, but this time the weathermen were spot on. When the figurative dust had settled this afternoon and the crews aboard the final boats to arrive had set their anchors off the French port of Marigot, they did so after a fine, challenging and memorable day of yacht racing.

It was the sort of day that sailmakers love, for there was no lack of carnage in the sail inventories-particularly the downwind sails for the seven spinnaker divisions-of many of the 239-boats competing in the event. Tom Hill's 75-foot Titan 12 shredded a spinnaker in spectacular fashion while trying to reach up to a mark off Simpson Bay. A cloud of headsail aboard Lord Irving Laidlaw's Swan 112, Highland Breeze, came floating down to the sea after a halyard parted as the boat cleaved to windward.

There were other, more dramatic incidents on the race course today, too. A crewmember off the Olson 30, Lost Horizons 2, racing in the Spinnaker 6 class, went overboard and was recovered by the team of the Dehler 34, Budget Marine, racing in the Spinnaker 7 division. There were also reports, unconfirmed at the deadline for this release, that a sailor on a Spinnaker 3 class yacht lost a finger in a sail-handling maneuver gone very wrong.


Read more...
 
Clash of the Titans!

ABN AMRO ONE Leads Titan 12 and 237 Other Boats Around the Island in Ideal St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Conditions

abn-titan12-mk.jpgThe clear, azure waters surrounding the green peaks of the island of St. Maarten were dotted with sails of all sizes, colors and descriptions today when racing began for all 20 classes comprising the mammoth 239-boat fleet that has gathered here for the 27th running of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Sailing under sunny blue skies and fueled by ideal trade-wind breezes, the racers enjoyed perfect Caribbean conditions for the challenging around-the-island race that's a perennial feature of the annual event.

In what had anxiously been billed as the "Clash of the Titans," spectators and sailors alike were treated today to the duel between the powerful canting-keeled Volvo 70, ABN AMRO ONE, and Tom Hill's lean red rocket, the 75-foot Titan 12, in the 5-boat Bigboats 1 class. Titan 12 was forced to withdraw from Thursday's opening action with a damaged forestay when seven classes of all-out racing yachts set sail to contest the event's inaugural Commodore's Cup sponsored by Budget Marine.

Read more...
 
The First-ever Commodore's Cup

The 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Sets Sail for 58 Boats in Seven Classes Competing for the First-ever Commodore's Cup

abn.jpgThe 27th edition of the annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta got underway today when 58 boats in seven classes took to the waters off Simpson Bay to contest the inaugural running of the Commodore's Cup by Budget Marine. It was the first time in the regatta's colorful history that racing took place on Thursday with a special series to accommodate those racers in the competitive spinnaker divisions. The entire fleet will begin competition on Friday.

The first boat to finish in the first race for the Commodore's Cup was, fittingly, the Volvo 70 ABN AMRO ONE, the winner of the recent around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race. However, the marquis match-up of ABN and Tom Hill's  Reichel/Pugh-designed 75-footer, Titan 12, failed to materialize when Titan lost its headstay and was forced to withdraw from racing just minutes before the start.

Read more...
 
More than 100 Bareboats

With More than 100 Bareboats on the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Starting Line, Racing in Paradise is Open to One and All.

One of the fantastic things about the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta that’s been proven time and time again—and which the crews of over 100 boats will be demonstrating when racing for the 27th edition of the event begins this week—is that you don’t need to own your own boat to go yacht racing in paradise. All that’s required is a willing crew, a plane ticket, and a chartered bareboat. And on the many islands of the Caribbean, there’s no lack of opportunities to charter fast, comfortable sailboats.
“It’s easy,” said race chairman and co-founder Robbie Ferron, a point underscored by the fact that this running of the regatta has attracted 105 bareboat entrants who will compete in six separate bareboat-only divisions. He added that the level of competition in the bareboat classes is often every bit as competitive as in the all-out racing divisions. “It varies across the board, of course,” said Ferron, “but there are some really, really good boats with some top sailors. Then again, everyone’s serious about the event, but for some of the other charterers the serious part is having fun.”
Read more...
 
Final Preparations Underway

Final Preparations Underway as Competitors Ramp Up for Thursday's Start of the 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

Dodging the occasional rain squall while checking off items on their respective to-do lists, the captains and crews of several of the 258 boats registered to compete in this weekend's 27th running of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta were in various stages of preparation today. Ready or not, especially for the flat-out race boats that begin competition on Thursday, March 1, the games are about to begin.

Press Release #12 - February 27

Final Preparations Underway as Competitors Ramp Up for Thursday's Start of the 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.


Read more...
 
Twenty Classes, 256 Entries

 

Two Volvo Ocean Race Winners: The 27th Annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Begins Thursday!

The preliminary numbers are in, and they are impressive. The 27th annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta begins this Thursday, and race officials have divided the 256 entrants into 20 preliminary classes that promise to deliver close, competitive racing across the entire fleet. “It’s all we could hope for,” said race chairman and co-founder Robbie Ferron, as he perused the entry list. “The numbers are there, which is great, but we’ve never been after volume, just quality. And we’re certainly getting that.”

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has always attracted terrific boats and world-class sailors, but it’s not every year that entrants get the opportunity to share a race course and swap tacks with not one, but two winners of ocean racing’s most coveted prize. But that will be the case with the 2007 Heineken, which has attracted the victor of the 2006 Volvo Ocean Race, New Zealand’s Mike “Moose” Sanderson, and his invincible Volvo 70, ABN AMRO ONE. Sanderson and his able crew will be assisted by another Volvo champion, American John Kostecki, who skippered illbruck to the winner’s circle in the 2002 round-the-world race.

Read more...
 
Press Release 10 Anticipation is rizing

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.
Read more...
 
Shurwayne Winchester

Heineken St. Maarten announces Shurwayne Winchester and the Top local bands and DJ’s to perform at the 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

shurwayne.jpgHeineken St. Maarten in cooperation with the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, announces one more international artist to the 27th ST. Maarten Heineken Regatta line-up. This will complement the well-rounded list of the top local bands and DJ's to perform at this year's St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

Shurwayne Winchester  will be the top Soca act for the Front de la Mer party in Marigot on Saturday March 3rd.  Shurwayne, who is blessed with a great singer's voice, was born in Tobago on February 8th, 1974. He entered the world of Soca in 1999, his performance garnered rave reviews and was deemed "Most Dynamic" by the press that year.  That same year he released his album "Rumor Riddims" which stayed on the top of the charts for seven months.

Read more...
 
Something’s Brewing!

 

The 2007 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Promises Spectacular Sailing


The 27th edition of the incomparable St. Maarten Heineken Regatta-renowned in the sailing world for its unbeatable combination of fast-paced action at sea and world-class parties ashore-is now just weeks away. And a sneak peak at the early entry list suggests that the emerging fleet will be as strong, and diverse, as ever.

As always, the Heineken Regatta is attracting an international field of competitors all anxious to test their skills in the challenging blue waters of the Caribbean. Veteran U.S. campaigner James Muldoon and the crew of his Santa Cruz 72, Donnybrook, will no doubt be swapping plenty of tacks with French skipper Rivet Gaetan aboard his Andrews 70, Renegade. The upper end of the fleet has also attracted Belgium's Anders Johnson on the Swan 70, Blue Pearl; American Jim Swartz on the Swan 601, Moneypenney; and Trey Fitzgibbons aboard his Meritan 65, Mischievous. Perhaps they should all beware of Scott Bradford and his team of knowledgeable Caribbean sailors aboard the Reichel/Pugh-designed Titan 12, who will base their tactical calls on vast reserves of local knowledge.
Read more...
 
Ziggi and Orange Grove to perform at the 27th Regatta

St Maarten Heineken Regatta announcesZiggi and Orange Grove to perform at the 27th Regatta

orange_grove.jpgziggi.jpgHeineken St. Maarten today announces two more musical additions to the lineup for the 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Ziggi from Statia will headline the performances in Philipsburg the 2nd of March 2007 and the St. Maarten-rooted band Orange Grove will perform on the main stage on Kim Sha Beach on the night of the final Party, Sunday March 4th. They will be opening for the Headline act, Damian Marley & Stephen Marley.

Heineken St. Maarten in cooperation with the Sint Maarten Yacht club strives every year to keep a high standard of musical performances.  Ziggi’s & Orange Grove’s growing fame - especially in the Netherlands – certainly meets this requirement.

 

Reggae/Dancehall artist Ziggi , a.k.a. Ziggaman, was born in the Netherlands in March 8th 1981. Ziggi later left for the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, his father’s motherland. In Statia, the young Ricardo Blijden grew up with his grandparents who gave him the nickname Ziggi, a name that he has kept ever since.


Read more...
 
Damian Marley and Stephen Marley

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta announces Damian Marley and Stephen Marley to perform at 27th Regatta.

damian.jpgHeineken, known for presenting trend setting musical performances around the globe, is proud to announce the headline performance of Damian Marley and Stephen Marley, for the final night of this years 27th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

Heineken St. Maarten, in cooperation with the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, is proud to present the globally acclaimed Marley brothers as part of the celebration for its world-renown St.Maarten Heineken Regatta. This Regatta boasts the distinguished title of the largest sailing race in the Caribbean. The outdoor concert event is scheduled to conclude the festivities on Sunday, March 4th 2007 on the white sands of Kim Sha Beach.
Read more...
 
Budget Marine sponsors commendores cup

Budget Marine sponsors commendores cup, added day to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

heineken.jpg In 2007 the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta will be held for the 27th time. Every year the regatta organization aims for improvement and evolvement of the regatta. Over the years the increase in the amount of participating boats has been astounding and the regatta has grown out to be the biggest regatta in the Caribbean.
Read more...
 
Mike Sanderson to skipper ABN Amro One

Mike Sanderson to skipper ABN Amro One in 27th St.Maarten Heineken Regatta

thumb_mike_sanderson.jpgIn the upcoming 27th edition of the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta ABN Amro One “Black Betty” will be skippered by Mike Sanderson this week named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2006. Mike Sanderson, who headed up a two boat campaign sponsored by ABN AMRO, one of the world’s leading banks, earlier this year won one of the worlds most renowned events in the sailing calendar; the ‘Volvo Ocean Race’ with a crew of some of the very best sailors in the world.
Read more...
 
Hot Participation in 27th St.Maarten Heineken Regatta
abnamro1.jpg While the Caribbean awaits the arrival of an annual influx of boats, word of plans to participate in the Heineken Regatta continues to come in. This year the regatta will be known for the participation of ABN AMRO 1, the sensational machine that won the Volvo Ocean in grand style and brought great exposure to the largest Dutch International Bank that supported it.
Read more...
 
Extra day of racing added

CHIPPIE powered by UTS joins St.Maarten Heineken Regatta

chippie.jpg SIMPSON BAY—the 27th edition of the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta will feature an extra day of racing. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club yesterday. Organizers of the Caribbean’s largest regatta also announced that CHIPPIE powered by UTS has been added to the list of many businesses that sponsor the “Serious Fun” event.  
Read more...
 

Search

Login Form