45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Day 2: Contrasting conditions and iconic St. Maarten scenes
by St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 7 Mar 23:23 PST
March 6-9, 2025
45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Day 2: The sport boat fleets did a series of windward leeward race courses, while the Multihulls and big boat classes went on a long course over to the east side of the island and back © Laurens Morel /
www.saltycolours.com
Day two of the 45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta brought contrasting conditions and iconic St. Maarten scenes along the Dutch coastlines. The morning started out with blue skies, bright sunshine, and a light breeze as teams gathered by the two startlines in Cole Bay and Simpson Bay.
A variety of courses were set by Race Committee with a combination of round the marks and rocks towards Pelican and Table Rocks, and windward and leeward courses within Simpson Bay. The day brought a fluctuating breeze of 4-12 knots and upwind start lines were set to kick off 2-3 races for each fleet throughout the course of the day.
It was a scene of diversity out on the water, as courses collided and fleets merged together - fitting for the key value of the day being celebrated by the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, "inclusivity." Volvos and bareboats crossed paths as multihulls cut through the Melges 24s. Super yachts and tankers were even in the mix creating dynamic moments out on the racecourses.
The Melges 24 fleet raced on a windward leeward course which kicked off in Simpson Bay. However, two minutes before the very first start of the day, Exodus came over the radio calling for assistance relaying they had de-masted. Marines quickly arrived on the scene to help tow the boat back in. Crew member Gregory Fink commented, "Big thanks to HNMS Royal Marines and their help today. It's important to know such fast help is available. Best of luck to all other competitors. You will miss us at the startline!" With only 4 in the fleet, it was still an incredibly close competition and each race had a different winner. The second race needed a photo finish - the fleet was that close together flying across the finish line. After two days of racing, rival teams Island Water World and Budget Marine are tied for the lead.
The Diam 24s raced a similar windward leeward course. Once again it was yesterday's champions, zeebest, to round the first mark and they never looked back - taking the win for all three races. Within the multicultural fleet are teams full of diversity, showcasing that the Regatta is for everyone. This year, the Regatta has mixed crews of young, old, men, women, and sailors from over 28 different nations. The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta also has teams that provide inclusive opportunities for sailors, including the Diam 24 fleet. These boats provide unique high-performance sailing opportunities for sailors of St. Maarten/St. Martin, and around the world with boats even available for charter.
In CSA4, Bella J crew from Canada is half from Nova Scotia and half from Newfoundland. For several years, owner Ray Rhinelander has provided his boat to young Canadian sailors for inshore and offshore racing experience. Bella J has had some competitive racing the last 2 days against a well-matched fleet - one of them being Altivo who had a great performance in their class taking 4th, 4th, and 2nd today, taking 3rd on the podium. The Grand Soleil 44 Perf from the Dominican Republic has high-performance sailor Fraito Lugo onboard alongside a group of first-time racers. No matter your sailing experience, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is for every skill level. This crew will be ones to keep an eye on for the second half of the Regatta.
The Sunfast 20 fleet kicked off their racing today and it's local teams IGY Racing and Team Budget Marine Miss Tyknight who are tied for 1st. The IGY Racing crew was asked if they had any rivals this year and without hesitation their answer was, "Of course — Robbie!" The fleet is filled with fierce St. Maarten talent, including Regatta pioneer Robbie Ferron.
New for the 45th Anniversary was today's "Sailability" race. The Sint Maarten Yacht Club hosts a variety of accessibility sailing programming for the community, including "Sailability" for young adults with disabilities. A group of these sailors went out on the water for their very own Regatta race. A caregiver from the White Yellow Cross Care Foundation described how important this program is and mentioned that "the sailors know that even though they have a disability, there are things that they can do, that they can make a difference." The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is for everyone, and welcomes and provides opportunities for all to participate.
After a hot and sunny day on the water, it was officially time to kick off entertainment for the weekend at the Regatta Village at Port de Plaisance. Ice cold Heinekens and Veuve Clicquot welcomed sailors, tourists, and locals and live music rocked the stage all night long with an amazing local artist lineup: Trilla G, Tamillia, Royalty, Elona, Meltin Pot, King Kembe, AMA Music, Hybrid Band, DJ Drink, and KRG Band.
The GREEN ZONE afterparty at Bikini Beach kept the party going long into the night for non-stop "Serious Fun!"
Keep up to date with the latest on the 45th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on Instagram and Facebook @stmaartenheinekenregatta and the Regatta Radio live feed on Island 92 or island92.com.
More information at www.heinekenregatta.com