Heineken Regatta 2023

I’ve been a volunteer at the Heineken Regatta in St. Martin / Sint Maarten for many years. This is my first regatta since the twin knockout blows of Hurricane Irma and the COVID-19 lockdown hit St. Martin.

The main events are now held at Port de Plaisance across from the Simpson Bay Bridge and the Sint Maarten Yacht club. Consequently, there is a different vibe but the new venue is certainly bigger and more presentable.

I’m fortunate to have been on the Race Committee Boat “A” and this gave me, quite literally, the best seat in the house. From my vantage point I can get close-up shots of the boats starting the races as well as images of the finishes.

Committee Boat

Life aboard the committee boat starts early, we meet up a 07:00. We need to get everything aboard shipshape and Bristol fashion prior to leaving the dock. Then we head out to make the first outbound bridge of the day. The start position is quite a bit offshore and towards Philipsburg and exposed to the seas. Fortunately the sea state and winds were quite light this year. Consequently, we only had one case of mild vertigo (a.k.a. seasickness).

With just over 100 boats the regatta is recuperating and the weather was perfect. The winds were light enough to allow full sails and not require any reefs. But there was enough wind to let even the heavier boats have a chance and for all competitors to use their full suit of sails. The waves were quite settled throughout the Regatta as well.

Overall the Heineken Regatta 2023 was a great success and I enjoyed the races and working with our committee boat “A” team. Kudos need to go out to the organizers who put together the event and to the legions of volunteers on the shore. They worked harder and for longer hours than we had to on the start boat!