J/105 BLINDINGLY FAST @ ST MAARTEN FINALE

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- The traditional end-of-the-season regatta for the winter Caribbean circuit for St Maarten sailors is the St Maarten Yacht Club's Simpson Bay to Friar's Bay Race and return. 


Virtually all the major players in the St Maarten sailing community attended their grand finale and super-fun race.  In the end, it was Jordan Mindich's J/105 SOLSTICE that "blinded the fleet with science and brilliance", taking overall honors over two very fast, hard-charging Melges 24s and a J/70 (all of whom have won many regattas). This time, Garth Steyn's J/70 IGY RACING could not overcome his good buddies on the M24s to have to settle for fourth place by one point.Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 St Maarten Sailing Again!

 

(Simpson Bay, St Maarten)- The first Grant Thornton Keelboat Race of the new winter Caribbean 2020/2021 winter season saw an excellent turnout and sailing under idyllic conditions in Simpson Bay, St Maarten. Two classes were sailed with the faster racing boats in one and the smaller in a second. The final results saw Frits Bus and Team Island Water World taking the win. Second was Kick'em Jenny with Ryan Hope Ross at the helm with a team of younger sailors. FRANNY, the J/70 sailed by Garth Steyn, took third place and Caraibes Diesel sailed by Erwan le Normand the fourth place. The crews of all boats had to work hard to achieve success in the four short-course races that were sailed.


Garth Steyn's J/70 FRANNY is sponsored by IGY MARINAS and by coming in third overall beat the boat that won overall at the St Maarten Heineken Regatta this past March 2020 (remember that pre-pandemic event?)!

According to Garth, "this was good news for the J/70 versus our competitors. I believe we had good upwind and downwind boat speed, as well as a great crew. Our team was comprised of Rien Korteknie doing main and tactics, Iain Mobbs doing jib and spinnaker and our bow goddess Kippy Guilders doing the spinnaker hoists and drops, as well as keeping us men in check!"  For more J/70 one-design sailboat information

J/70 Silvers St Maarten Series

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- There will be many stories of the challenges of dealing with the global pandemic from the sailing community. Some sad, some hopeful, some inspiring. Down in the Caribbean, as the "wave" of the Covid-19 virus spread from China to Europe to the USA and elsewhere, the Caribbean islands remained somewhat isolated from what was ravaging the rest of the world. Early measures to stop travel and self-quarantine appears to have paid off, so far. However, the cost of those conservative measures has certainly been economic; the lifeblood of island economies for the most part relying on the enormous tourism industry.


Like elsewhere, there are "sprouts" of hope and for those living "down island", there are glimmers of "normal" activity beginning to take place.

For example, Garth Steyn, owner of the J/70 IGY MARINAS in Simpson Bay, St Maarten, had this to say of their recent foray onto the Caribbean Sea...

"We are happy to report that our new normal life is returning in small increments. We have been able to get back onto the water. Our J/70 IGY MARINAS finished second overall in the St Maarten Keelboat Series, a nineteen-race series that started in November 2019 and just finished now in June 2020! The longest one ever, of course, due to pandemic delays.  We sailed against a fleet of M24s, an M32, a J/105, and Esse 850. Tough competition they all are! Fortunately, we sailed consistently and have made huge strides in learning the boat and we are enjoying it thoroughly!" 


Garth wished everyone well in the J/70 community worldwide and hopes that fellow J/70 sailors might join them one day on the spectacular azure blue waters and amazing trade winds of the Caribbean!  Sailing Photo credits- Michele Korteweg 

J/122 LIQUID Wins Caribbean Best Boat Award!

(English Harbour, Antigua)- The Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) has awarded for the second year running the CSA Traveler’s Trophy to Antigua-based Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID. Although the racing season was cut short due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, Team LIQUID had already earned a class win in CSA 1 at Grenada Sailing Week, second in CSA 2 in the RORC Caribbean 600, and second in CSA 3 at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.


CSA President Alison Sly-Adams called Pamala to give her the good news. Of the news, Pamala said, "I am so happy to win this for the second year. Skipper Jules White and I, and the rest of the crew, came together so well at the start of the season. We were confident, without being complacent, this year and we felt the team dynamics had fallen into place well. We had high hopes for the series for the season, so we are delighted to hear that we have won. I am already looking forward to the 2021 season and seeing if we can make it a hat-trick! Thank you so much for the good news right now."

Baldwin joins a long list of famous winners of the trophy including many famous Caribbean sailors and those based in the region for the season such as Jamie Dobbs, John Foster, Hugh Bailey, Bernie Evan-Wong, Dougie Myers, Tom Hill, Scott Ledbetter, Andrew Birk, Jaime Torres, and Sandy Mair, the creator of the trophy.

The CSA Traveler’s Trophy has been awarded for more than 20 years as a way of awarding excellence in yacht racing performance as well as effort in terms of travelling to away regattas.

To qualify for the Trophy, a boat must participate in a minimum of three regattas of which at least one must be in an away region and at least one a major event. Boats accumulate points over the season so that by season's end an overall winner - "Caribbean Best Boat" - will emerge. Final totals are assessed at Antigua Sailing Week, with the winner being announced and the trophy is awarded at the Antigua Sailing Week final awards presentation if the winner is in Antigua. Today would have been the prize-giving of Antigua Sailing Week 2020 and, therefore, in line with tradition, the CSA decided to announce the winner.
For more J/122 offshore sailboat information. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

St Maarten Heineken Regatta Report

 
(Simpson Bay, Saint Maarten)- Over 100 yachts from thirty-five countries are competing in the 40th St Maarten Heineken Regatta. A key event on the Caribbean race schedule, the regatta attracts some of the world’s elite sailors and crews, with fast and furious racing in monohulls, maxis and multihulls.

Crystal clear waters and east-northeast trade winds give the pristine conditions for spectacular racing just off the coast of St. Maarten. And with Heineken as title sponsor, the racing days blend seamlessly into four nights of exceptional parties. The event is a bucket list must-do! The "Serious Fun" goes for four days from March 4th to the 8th.

The regatta started on Thursday and the PRO's managed to get in two long races for the fleet. The ENE trades settled in around 10-20 kts on a simply spectacular day of sailing, sunny, warm, with puffy white tropical clouds scudding across the sky. The J/Teams all sailed Course #13 of 17.5 nm, basically a 1.5nm beat, then a tour around the west/ southwest point of the island.


In the CSA 3 Class, Sam Talbot's J/111 SPIKE sailed two excellent races and posted a 1-2 for 3 pts to lead their class. Tied for second is Pamela Baldwin's J/122 LIQUID with a 2-3 tally for 5 pts. Then, Peter Lewis' J/121 WHISTLER posted a 5-6 for 11 pts to be tied for fifth. Over the next three days, the top of the leaderboard will surely change quite dramatically each day!


The CSA 4 Class has commenced with an epic battle for the top of the leaderboard. Just two point off the leaders that are both tied with 4 pts each are Jordan Mindich's J/105 SOLSTICE and Tristan Marmousez's J/109 SANG NEUG, each with identical 2-4 records.

Finally, in CSA 5 Class, Tanner Jones' J/30 has a 1.5-2 for 3.5 pts total to sit in second place.  For more St Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

St Maarten Heineken Regatta Preview

(Simpson Bay, Saint Maarten)- Over 100 yachts from thirty-five countries will compete in the 40th Heineken St Maarten Regatta. A key event on the Caribbean race schedule, the regatta attracts some of the world’s elite sailors and crews, with fast and furious racing in monohulls, maxis and multihulls.

Crystal clear waters and east-northeast trade winds give the pristine conditions for spectacular racing just off the coast of St. Maarten. And with Heineken as title sponsor, the racing days blend seamlessly into four nights of exceptional parties. The event is a bucket list must-do! The "Serious Fun" goes for four days from March 4th to the 8th.

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is famous for both its parties and racing. Over four nights, some of the world’s top artists take to the stage and ensure that each day of racing starts as well as it ends with the festivities continuing long into the night.

Looking forward to enjoying all the Serious Fun are a several J/Crews from the USA, Canada, Caribbean, and Europe.  In the CSA 4 Racing class are four J/crews. Having just won Grenada Sailing Week, Pamala Baldwin’s LIQUID (including her international crew of Julian White, Matt Kasorzycki, and Sil Grijpma) from Jolly Harbour, Antigua will be looking forward to another run at the top of the podium with her talented team.  Joining them in class are Peter Lewis' debut of his new J/121 WHISTLER from St. James, Barbados. Additional teams include Sam Talbot's J/111 SPIKE from Centerport, NY and the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club, and Andrew Guhl's Charleston, SC team on the J/120 JAGUAR.

The CSA 5 Racing class has a fleet of 35 footers that will push each other hard and such tight racing keeps the scores very close.  The two J/105s include SOLSTICE (Jordan Mindich from Long Island, New York) and JENK (Remco van Dortmondt from Curacao). Joining them this year will be Tristan Marmousez's J/109 SANG NEUF from Saint Lucia, Martinique; Roland Wagner's J/35 PEGASUS from Hergiswill, Switzerland; and Garth Steyn's J/70 FRANNY from the hometown of Simpson Bay, Phillipsburg, St Maarten.

Finally, the CSA 6 Cruising class has two quite competitive J/Crews; Tanner Jones' famous J/30 BLUE PETER / ABSOLUTE PROPERTIES from Jolly Harbour, Antigua and Ryan Schenck's J/42 SHAZAAM from Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida.  For more St Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Heineken St Maarten Regatta Preview

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- Over 110 yachts from thirty-five countries will compete in the 39th Heineken St Maarten Regatta. A key event on the Caribbean race schedule, the regatta attracts some of the world’s elite sailors and crews, with fast and furious racing in monohulls, maxis and multihulls.

Crystal clear waters and cooling northeast trade winds give the pristine conditions for spectacular racing just off the coast of St. Maarten. And with Heineken as title sponsor, the racing days blend seamlessly into four nights of exceptional parties. The event is a bucket list must-do! The Serious Fun goes for four days, from February 28 – March 3, 2019!

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is as famous for its parties as it is for its racing. Over four nights, some of the world’s top artists take to the stage and ensure that each day of racing starts as well as it ends with the festivities continuing long into the night. So far, Alison Hinds, The Jacksons (originally the Jackson Five), Shermanology and Fatman Scoop have been confirmed with more party announcements to follow.

Looking forward to enjoying all the Serious Fun are a several J/Crews from the USA, Canada, Caribbean, and Europe.  In the CSA 2 Racing class, Roger Gatewood’s team on his J/145 KATARA have already sailed 600nm two weeks ago, having participated in the RORC Caribbean 600 Race that started and finished off English Harbour, Antigua.  Joining them in the class will be Emilio Torres-Requena’s J/130 MAZU from Puerto Rico.

As has happened multiple times in the past, the two famous, colorful J/122s that live in the Caribbean will be going at it again in CSA 3 Racing class.  The protagonists are Pamala Baldwin’s LIQUID (including her international crew of Julian White, Matt Kasorzycki, and Sil Grijpma) and Bob Hillier’s EL OCASO.  Both boats have won many of the top Caribbean events, so watch for this battle royale to drive both boats to the top of the podium!

Similarly, the trio of J/105s in CSA 4 Racing class push each other hard and such tight racing keeps the scores very close.  Those J/105s include WHISTLER (Peter Lewis from Barbados), SOLSTICE (Jordan Mindich from Long Island, New York), and SUNBELT REALTY JENK (Remco van Dortmondt from Curacao). Joining them this year will be the J/30 BLUE PETER/ CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE, sailed by Tanner & Shari from Antigua and Barbuda. Sailing photo credits- Loren Morels. For more Heineken St Maarten Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Another J/Family Performs in St Maarten Heineken- “The Jacksons”!

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)– The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is famous for world-class racing and attracting some of the world’s top musical acts for their legendary parties. This year is no different. Another famous “J/Family” will be present- Motown royalty, no less! “The Jacksons” (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon), will perform on Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 at the final Awards Ceremony!

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Production Director, John Leone, comments, “Along with an action-packed race schedule this year, we are ecstatic to announce The Jacksons will headline our final party on Sunday March 3rd, 2019. They need no introduction. We are 100% certain their iconic through-the-decades beloved music will inspire all regatta competitors and party revelers. The Jacksons, will take us on an unforgettable journey through their historic lives and influential musical careers. Hearing this band on this beautiful Caribbean island will be Legendary!”

The Jacksons made history in 1970 as the first recording act whose first four singles reached number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, they celebrated 50 years as one of the most successful groups in music history. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, five brothers from Gary, Indiana, began as the Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, and rose to fame for their combination of extraordinary musical talent and spectacular choreography.

First signed to Steeltown Records in 1967, The Jacksons found international success with the songs: "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There". Five albums later, the brothers went on The Victory Tour in 1984, and it became the highest-grossing concert series ever staged in the United States. The group, already inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, came to serve as inspiration for several generations of boy bands, including Backstreet Boys, New Edition, N*SYNC, News Kids on the Block, and today, the Jonas Brothers, One Direction, and many more.

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is now in its 39th year, and now sports a brand new 2-handed racing class. The sailing and parties take place over four days, from February 28th to March 3rd, 2019. Four days of World-Class racing mixing perfectly with the awesome Heineken parties, electrifying the island well into the night. The entire event is located at the St. Maarten’s Heineken Regatta Village at the Port de Plaisance Resort, Casino and Yacht Club. Get ready for some Legendary “Serious Fun”!

To date, there are nine members of the J/Family participating, with more rumored to be hopping aboard the bandwagon of “serious fun” soon!  Here are the J/Teams currently registered:

• Emilio Torres-Requena’s J/130 MAZU from Puerto Rico
• Roger Gatewood’s J/145 KATARA from the USA
• Bob Hillier’s J/122 OCASO from the USA
• Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID from Antigua
• Kathy Campbell’s J/120 JAGUAR
• Remco van Dortmondt’s J/105 SUNBELT REALTY JENK from Curacao
• Peter Lewis’ J/105 WHISTLER from Barbados
• Jordan Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE from USA
• Tanner & Shari’s J/30 BLUE PETER/ CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE

Follow the action on social media links here:
Facebook – www.facebook.com/StMaartenHeinekenRegatta
Twitter – www.twitter.com/sxmheineken
Instagram – www.instagram.com/stmaartenheinekenregatta
YouTube - www.youtube.com/heinekenregatta

Sailing photo credit- Laurens Morel.  For more St. Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 Flies at Course de’Alliance Regatta

(Saint Maarten)- The Course de’Alliance Regatta is a port-to-port event that is raced between three magnificent islands in the Caribbean- St Maarten, St. Barth, and Anguilla- over a three day weekend.  For those that love sailing in the spectacular aquamarine waters of the Caribbean and enjoying the 15-25 kt trade winds, you cannot get much better than racing to those three amazing islands!

In the Racing Class, there was an epic battle between the J/105 SOLSTICE (skippered by Jordan and Shannon Mindich) and the M24s. In the end, SOLSTICE was 1st on the leg from St Maarten to St Barths, 4th place on the downwind leg from St Barths down to Anguilla, then 2nd on the beat/reach home to St Maarten. In the end, SOLSTICE took 2nd overall.

According to Jordan Mindich, “the conditions were spectacular, including a two hour tight spin reach up the north side of Saint Maarten. It was interesting racing, including a last minute capsize by Gill less than 100 yards from the finish - giving us 2nd overall! Loads of fun!!”

“This really is my favorite regatta. It is the season opener, and a great chance for the crews from the different islands to meet and socialize in beautiful locations. But, though the atmosphere is friendly, the competition is fierce, and it was great to see such tight racing amongst such good teams,” says Race Officer Paul Miller.

“The racing was hot, and still the participants had energy left to enjoy the socials in St Barth and Anguilla. That’s why this event is so popular, the concept of racing to 2 other islands and then enjoy the finest of the Caribbean is golden. We thank the St Barth Yacht Club & Sailing School and the Anguilla Sailing Association for their assistance with the event, the cooperation is vital for the Regatta’s continuation and success,” commented Leonde Vermeulen, Event Manager at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, organizer of the event.

Organizers like to thank sponsors Moorings, Fiji Water and Mount Gay Rum for their contributions to the event. “Not only do our sponsors help to reduce costs, they add significant quality to the event. They are not only appreciated by the organizers, but by the participants as well. We are grateful for the ongoing support,” explained Vermeulen.  For more Course de’Alliance Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/122 EL OCASO Charter- Caribbean Regatta Circuit!

(English Harbour, Antigua)- Interested in taking your team to race a Caribbean Regatta in 2019?  Caribbean Yacht Racing can help you make it happen...just arrive and race!

CYR has the J/122 EL OCASO available for the following 2019 Caribbean Regattas:

• Feb 18- RORC Caribbean 600- English Harbour, Antigua
• Feb 28- Mar 3- Heineken St. Maarten Regatta- Simpson Bay, St. Maarten
• Mar 22-24- St. Thomas International Regatta- Cowpet Bay, St Thomas, USVI
• Mar 25-31- BVI Spring Regatta- Road Harbour, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
• Apr 14-20- Les Voiles de St Barths Regatta- Gustavia Harbour, St Barthelemy
• Apr 27-May 3- Antigua Sailing Week- English Harbour, Antigua

Caribbean Yacht Racing offers a complete charter package, simply arrive to the location with your team and the highly competitive J/122 “El Ocaso” will be ready to race.  CYR can also assistant with team logistics, including lodging.

If you are interested, please contact Bob Hillier- bob@caribbeanyachtracing.com- for complete charter details or visit http://www.caribbeanyachtracing.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The Eighth Flag- the mystery of St. Croix’s Pirate Legacy- 1493 to 1750!

* Stanford Joines, from St Croix, US Virgin Islands- lost his lovingly maintained J/36 PALADIN in the hurricanes of 2017. 

For years he plied the waters of the Caribbean, sailing many of the major winter regattas on the racing circuit with a crew consisting ONLY of high-school age kids from the islands (mostly St Croix).

For the kids, it was a dream come true, and an opportunity to see a world they never knew existed. Here is his latest progress report on hoping to find a lovable J/105 to be donated to their cause for youth development in St Croix and the Caribbean islands.

Commented Stanford, “we finally have our fiduciary account open at the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development.  As a result, we have a 501c3# for any potential donor (Team Paladin Youth Sailing), learn more about us here.

St. Croix Foundation is in no way a traditional community foundation. While our portfolio does include strategic grant making, the core of our programmatic format is as an operating foundation.  You can learn more about the St. Croix Foundation here.

Also, my book is out on Amazon- “Eighth Flag- the untold story of the Caribbean and the mystery of St. Croix’s Pirate Legacy- 1493 to 1750”!

It is #14 for Caribbean History on Kindle so far, all 5 star ratings!! It is a great summer read.

I found a famous pirate shipwreck, which then took me on journey of discovery, finding many fascinating stories of a Caribbean long forgotten.  As soon as Netflix buys the rights, we'll get a new J/112e!”

You can get Stanford’s book here on Amazon (Kindle or Paperback).

Here is the description of the book:

“Cannibals.  Conquistadors.  Buccaneers.  Pirates.  Visions of cartoon characters dancing around a cauldron with an explorer tied inside. Balboa gazing on the Pacific Ocean.  De Leon and the fountain of youth. Pizarro conquering the Incas. Henry Morgan, in red, drinking spiced rum.  Smoke curling around Blackbeard as his cutlass slashes through the air. … all children's tales that mean nothing.

Today, we do not know who any of these people were, how they came to do what they did, or why they did it.  The struggle for power, freedom, and wealth that shaped the Caribbean for two and a half centuries has, since John Barrie created Peter Pan, been relegated to the same literary section as Barney the Dinosaur; yet, underneath the soil of the modern world, the roots are still there.  I started pulling them up on St. Croix, and the roots led to more roots, and more.  Islands connected, nations connected, and legends came to life.

Officially, St. Croix has flown seven flags over the last 500 years.  Before the American flag and the Danebrog, the Spanish came for gold, the Dutch to trade, the English to raid, and the Knights of St. John to be in charge. The French built a colony only to watch it die of fever.  During all of those years, Pirates, Conquistadors, Freebooters, Filibustiers, Corsairs, Buccaneers- whatever you call them- ruled the Caribbean and called St. Croix home, stealing at sea whether they had 'permission' to do so or not, and paying no attention at all to whatever European flag was flying.  It is time to recognize our eighth flag.  It was black.  This is the untold story of St. Croix and a Caribbean long forgotten.  Come. Sail with me.”  Stan

New J/121 Offshore Speedster Update

APOLLO Crushes Heineken St Maarten Long Distance Race
(Simpson Bay, St Maarten)- During the Heineken St Maarten Regatta, a newly launched J/121 named APOLLO created quite a stir amongst the offshore cognoscenti that were present in the 100-boat fleet.

The occasion was the traditional opening day race- the Round the Island Race.  Normally a 30.0nm picturesque circumnavigation of St Maarten, the course was changed for CHS Offshore classes due to lighter than normal winds in the 8-13 kts range from the East-Southeast.  The shortened course was approximately 23.6nm, starting in Simpson Bay heading west for 4.5nm under spinnaker to Point Basse Terre leaving it to starboard, a short reach north for 1.3nm around Point Plum, then a long 6.5nm beat up the Anguilla Channel to a turning mark off Bell Point leaving it to port, then a spinnaker run of 6.5nm back to Point Plum to port, around Pt Basse Terre for 1.3nm, then a 4.5nm beat to the infamous “Heineken Gate” and finish line in Simpson Bay.

It was a race course where no one could “hide”, you simply sailed it fast, clean, make smart sail choices, and have good boathandling.  Not much to pick for windshifts upwind or downwind, just sail fast and have fun.

That is precisely what Don Nicholson’s crew did aboard his J/121 APOLLO. They sailed away from their CHS 3 fleet that had the fastest, winningest J/122 in the Caribbean- EL OCASO- and the proven, winning offshore speedster- the J/111 SPIKE from the British Virgin Islands.  In other words, in a gold-plater division full of the best crews in the Caribbean, the J/121 sped away like a horse running for the roses and the barn door!

Leading at the first mark by well over 2 minutes, APOLLO powered away upwind to open up a substantial lead.  At the top turning mark, they gybe set their large A2 asymmetric spinnaker, and flew downwind.  By the time she crossed the finish line in 2 hrs 50 min 28 secs elapsed time (an 8.34 kts course average), they beat the 2nd place J/122 EL OCASO by 16 min 23 secs across the water and 9 min 11 secs on corrected time.  Needless to say, Nicholson and his crew were overjoyed to have proven in a simple point-to-point race that the J/121 lived up to its billing as an easy-to-sail, fast, shorthanded boat for six crew.

Nicholson commented on their performance with his new J/121 APOLLO after the regatta:

“I’m extremely pleased with our first regatta in APOLLO (J/121 hull #2).  We placed 3rd in CSA 3 Class of both the Gill Commodore's Cup and the Heineken Regatta in diverse and challenging conditions against a fleet of extremely well-sailed boats.

Being scratch boat in the class and crossing the line first in most races was a thrill.  The J/121 handles extremely well, with dinghy-like responsiveness and quick acceleration.  She pointed higher to weather than I expected and we routinely found ourselves both higher and faster than the other boats in the fleet, giving us many tactical opportunities, especially in close quarters at the start.

Downwind she was delightfully fast and competently handled all the sail area we put up.

My crew was awesome and the J/121 provided them a great opportunity to experiment with trim, weight distribution and boat handling so that we got up the learning curve quickly.

Our next regatta will be the St Thomas International Regatta in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the adjacent British Virgin Islands Spring Regatta, where we hope to hone our skills and push the boat to its full potential.

After that, Apollo will return to her homeport of Newport, RI in preparation for the Newport-Bermuda race.  I’m a big fan of the J/121 already and it’s great to be able to reduce our crew numbers and simplify the logistics of the Apollo program.”  Sailing photo credits- Laurens Morel. For more J/121 Offshore Speedster sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Gorgeous, Chill Heineken St. Maarten Regatta

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- The 38th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta wrapped up on Sunday, March 4 with hundreds of sailors gathering at the event’s “Regatta Village” at Princess Port de Plaisance in St. Maarten to celebrate victors in the event’s 16 classes.

Ever since Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean island of St. Maarten this past September, the support from the yachting community has poured in, and the regatta welcomed an international fleet of 100 boats for spectacular racing on the crystal-clear waters of the Northeast Caribbean Sea. With another epic event in the history books, organizers announced that the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta’s 39th edition has been scheduled for February 28 – March 3, 2019.

The turnout of teams was impressive. They represented 25+ countries and participated in four days of stellar competition. Every day, racing concluded off Simpson Bay and boats were greeted with cheers and champagne spray from fans at the St. Maarten Yacht Club as they paraded to Simpson Bay Lagoon by way of the famed Simpson Bay Bridge opening. From there, the sailors headed shoreside to top off their “Serious Racing” with some "Serious Fun” that included a series of concerts and performances culminating on Sunday with a performance by Grammy Award winning musician Shaggy.

The battle began for the four-day Heineken St. Maarten Regatta on Thursday, March 1, 2018 with the Gill Commodore’s Cup. Set in the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean, powered by the cooling northeast trade winds and run by an experienced, friendly race team, the sailors were hoping for four days of world-class racing in idyllic conditions. However, that was not going to be the case for the 2018 edition, as light airs uncharacteristically plagued the race courses for three days before a highly unusual westerly settled in at 12-18 kts for the finale on Sunday.

J/111 Wins Gill Commodore’s Cup
In the light, but consistent easterly breeze, all fleets sailed series of stadium-style racing off Simpson Bay, competing in short around the buoy courses. Taking home the event’s coveted “Most Worthy Yacht” trophy was Sam Talbot and his team racing the J/111 SPIKE, which finished the three races in fiercely competitive CSA 3 Class with straight bullets.

“We were up against a lot of very competitive boats that are well known on the Caribbean circuit, so we were excited with this outcome,” said Talbot whose team – of U.S. and BVI sailors – is probably one of the younger ones competing, with the average age onboard being 30.  “This is my second time racing in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and we are so happy to see such an incredible turnout of competition. We owe today’s win to some great crew work onboard, and will have to stay on our ‘A Game’ for the remaining three days, as we now have a target on our back with the competition.”  Rounding out the top four in CSA 3 Class were the new J/121 APOLLO (Don Nicholson) in third place and the J/121 EL OCASO (Chris Body from the United Kingdom) in fourth place.

Heineken- Day One
It was a fun but challenging day of racing for the 100-boat fleet at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The light breeze and tricky conditions resulted in only the larger boats completing the regatta’s famed 26-mile around the island race, while the remaining classes completed a shorter coastal race.

The CSA fleets took off on a 15.0nm course, on the western coast of the island, starting and finishing off Simpson Bay with turning marks north of the island in the Anguilla Channel.

“It was really nice going downwind at the start and then around the western side of the island, but on the way back toward the finish, the conditions were a little chaotic,” said tactician Colin Symes, whose team on Peter Lewis’ J/105 WHISTLER took the win in CSA 4 Class. He added that many boats got parked with no wind off Baie Longue. “We were lucky and managed to sniff out the wind and stay in it. The whole team was better today and we hope to take that momentum through to the next few days.”  Fourth in CSA 4 Class was the J/30 BLUE PETER/ CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE and 5th was Jordan & Shannon Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE.

In the CSA 3 Class, it was a runaway win for Nicholson’s J/121 APOLLO, finishing fifteen minutes ahead of the next boat on elapsed time.  They not only won class on corrected time by nearly 9 minutes, but also earned the overall win over all CSA classes. Taking second was Body’s J/122 EL OCASO and third was Talbot’s J/111 SPIKE- a clean sweep for the day by J/Teams.

Day Two- Light & Squirrely
It was game on for competitors on Saturday, with many class leaders holding onto their positions by just a thread. Punctuated with abnormally light breeze from due south, the 100-boat fleet took to the water for shorter buoy-to-buoy racing off Simpson Bay. All CSA Classes were able to get two races off while the rest of the fleet finished with one.

In the event’s highly competitive CSA 3 fleet, Nicholson’s J/121 APOLLO was holding onto a two-point lead. “This class is very well sailed with really high quality crew onboard,” said Nicholson who finished the first race of the day in fourth, but came back in race two, to take the bullet. “There was definitely an absence of wind today. We’ve never sailed this boat in light air, so we weren’t quite sure of settings and sail choices. We were underpowered with the kite we used in the first race, but for the second race we made some adjustments to the boat and that got us moving.”  Posting a 2-4 and holding on to third place was Talbot’s J/111 SPIKE.

In the CSA 4 class, the best J/crew was Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE, posting a 4.5-3 to jump into third position with the J/105 WHISTLER in fourth place.

Day Three- Gorgeous Finale
A gorgeous westerly breeze of 12-18 kts made for a spectacular grand finale of racing, and with lead positions still up for grabs in several classes, many teams were eager to make their final claims on class victories.

Chris Body’s J/122 EL OCASO sailed a brilliant final day, posting a 1-1-4 to take their very competitive class by three pts.  “We had a really tough class, so for us to be on top today means a lot,” said Bob Hillier who raced onboard with owner Chris Body. “There was no one dominant boat in the fleet, and taking the overall win came down to the last race.”  Taking third in class was Nicholson’s J/121 APOLLO with 15 pts net.  Then, not able to maintain their momentum from the Gill Commodore’s Cup, Talbots’ youthful team on the J/111 SPIKE took fourth place with 15 pts net, losing the tie-breaker to APOLLO.

Nicholson commented on their performance with his new J/121 APOLLO after the regatta:

“I’m extremely pleased with our first regatta in Apollo (J121 hull#2).  We placed 3rd in CSA class 3 of both the Gill Commodore's Cup and the Heineken Regatta in diverse and challenging conditions against a fleet of extremely well-sailed boats.  Being scratch boat in the class and crossing the line first in most races was a thrill.  The J/121 handles extremely well, with dinghy-like responsiveness and quick acceleration.  She pointed higher to weather than I expected and we routinely found ourselves both higher and faster than the other boats in the fleet, giving us many tactical opportunities, especially in close quarters at the start.  Downwind she was delightfully fast and competently handled all the sail area we put up.  My crew was awesome and the J/121 provided them a great opportunity to experiment with trim, weight distribution and boat handling so that we got up the learning curve quickly.  Our next regatta will be the St Thomas International Regatta in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the adjacent British Virgin Islands Spring Regatta, where we hope to hone our skills and push the boat to its full potential.  After that, Apollo will return to her homeport of Newport, RI in preparation for the Newport-Bermuda race.  I’m a big fan of the J/121 already and it’s great to be able to reduce our crew numbers and simplify the logistics of the Apollo program.”

The CSA 4 racing class was able to sail four quick races- all windward-leewards with a finish leg that consisted of sailing through the “Heineken Gate” to the finish near the harbor mouth.  With a course setup just off the Simpson Bay point, the winds were blowing offshore and were quite shifty.  After missing the first race of the day and scoring a DNS, Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE nearly ran the table, posting a 1-1-2 to win the day on points and also leap onto the podium, taking the silver with 16.5 pts net.  Just behind them was Lewis’ Barbados team on the J/105 WHISTLER, posting a steady 5-4-2-3 to take third with 19 pts net. Fourth place went to the Antiguan J/30 BLUE PETER/ CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE with 21 pts net.  Sailing photo credits- Laurens Morel  For more Heineken Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Tough, Challenging RORC Caribbean 600 Race

(Falmouth Harbour, Antigua)- Eighty-seven yachts started the 10th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 it was a record fleet that saw new elapsed time records broken, too. With strong 20-25 kts tradewinds that endured for the entire race, it also saw a record number of teams drop out due to the grueling conditions going upwind against 8-12 foot breaking rollers for hours on end.  Most boats spent a vast majority of the race under #4 jibs and reefed mains.

The 600nm race around the central Caribbean includes three French islands as marks of the course; Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.  The weather forecast was surprisingly accurate, most northeast winds ranging from 15 to 25 kts, making for a very fast, “reachy” race track for the top boats. As a result, RAMBLER 88 set a new course record with a mostly all New England/ Newport team.

In CSA 2 and IRC Two were two J/122s that were ready for this challenging race course.  In fact, it was a perfect challenge for them, including a grueling 70nm beat against big winds and big seas along the south coast of Guadeloupe from the rocks of La Grande Anse northeast to the next turn off La Desirade. This leg was tailor-made for the strong all-around offshore design that is the J/122.

Going into that leg, Pamala Baldwin's LIQUID from Antigua and the classic offshore J/44 cruiser/racer, Kevin McLaughlin’s SPICE with a largely New England team, were dueling for a podium finish in their respective classes.

However, after rounding La Desirade, the J/44 took off on a powerful fast reach, as did the J/122.  In the end, the J/44 SPICE took 16th overall IRC, third IRC 1 Class.  Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID took 18th overall IRC, fourth IRC 2 and then in CSA took 9th Overall and 4th in CSA 2 Class.  A good showing in a very, very tough race.  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com For more RORC Caribbean 600 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/32 COURAGE- the passage was cool!

(Sakonnet River, Rhode Island, United States of America)-  Bob Kowalski- proud owner of the J/32 COURAGE provided us a quick synopsis of his “courageous” passage down to the islands (Caribbean) in the fall of 2017.  Here is Bob’s commentary:

“So, I soloed COURAGE, my lovely J/32, from Sakonnet Point (the east side of Aquidneck Island/ Newport, RI) to Brewers Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands through two storms; yeah, two of them!

One was real fun, and I did over 200 miles in a day going 10+ knots for a good amount of time until a lower started to fray. Amazing boat, yup, she’s ‘just a cruiser’, says your Uncle Rod. Not! She flies!

The other storm, not so fun!  Heaved-to for over 24 hours.  I call it “the magic storm”.  With every wave, a thousand bucks disappeared off the deck!!  OMFG, it was crazy.  Never seen ‘nuthin like it!

But, I’m thinking that I am feeling pretty good about myself, almost beating my chest. Pulled into Nanny Cay to do the repairs next to a J/35 called SUNDAY.  Very nice Dutch couple.  They have sailed around the world on SUNDAY; done two Atlantic crossings and their boat survived Hurricane Irma. But, she looks PERFECT!  I’m humbled. Can learn a lot from this Dutch couple on their J/35, so cool!

Oh, BTW, I did the trip- 1,500+ nautical miles- in 10 days. I’m wondering, do I get a “throw-out” for the 24 hours when I heaved-to?  Can I subtract that and call it 9 days for my passage?  Haha!

Thought you guys would like to hear about it.  Amazing boat!  Awesome cruiser!  Thank you Al and Rod, keep up the great work!” Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Charter The World’s Coolest J/122?

Why Not! WIN Silverware for the Trophy Room!
(English Harbour, Antigua)- Caribbean Yacht Racing was founded on the idea to make racing in the Caribbean on a truly race-ready yacht a reality and a really, really fun time.

The goal is to make your experience not only fun, but to offer you a proven yacht to truly compete in some of the best yacht racing venues in the world!

Caribbean Yacht Racing offers the world-famous, race-ready, J/122 EL OCASO for J/Boats’ aficionados.

EL OCASO is one of the most consistent podium-finishing racing yachts on the Caribbean Sailing circuit and is a past winner of the Caribbean 600, Antigua Sailing Week, St. Thomas, BVI Regatta, and Heineken-St Maarten Regattas.

Why? Because Caribbean racing has random-leg courses that requires a boat that can race successfully on every point of sail- upwind, downwind, reaching from light to medium to heavy airs.  No wonder smart sailors in the Caribbean have chosen versatile boats like the J/122 to excel, have fun, and get their fair share of silverware!

CYR is a boutique charter business and caters to teams that want to experience a Caribbean regatta, but also want to race in a very competitive class and have a yacht that is truly race-ready.  The KEY-> have FUN and WIN some SILVER ‘mon!

EL OCASO is setup to race and offers charter customers the absolute best chance to be successful from the moment they leave the dock. Charters are available for 2018 and the CYR team can assist with everything from travel logistics to lodging & food.  Visit the website: http://www.caribbeanyachtracing.com or email Bob Hillier- bob@caribbeanyachtracing.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Update

(Simpson Bay, St Maarten)– In the countdown to the 38th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, anticipation is building with a number of world-class maxi, multihull and monohull teams having signed up early to race. Scheduled for March 1-4, 2018 and staged out of the St. Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay, the regatta is a staple on the Caribbean racing calendar each year, attracting seasoned sailors from around the world with its perfect blend of top-tier racing and lively shore side entertainment.

“The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is a big destination regatta for racers from the USA,” said Jordan Mindich (Huntington, N.Y.) who will be returning with his J/105 SOLSTICE. “Up on Long Island Sound, we generally race one-design, but down in the Caribbean we always race under CSA handicap, which we find to be competitive and very even. That, coupled with consistent breeze and great weather, makes for a great time!”

David Pritchard (Atlanta, Ga.), current President of Gill North America and longtime Heineken Regatta competitor and supporter, has raced in St. Martin post-Hurricane Irma and looks forward to returning again in March.

“The thing that St. Martin offers most is great sailing,” said Pritchard. “The wind is still there, the island is still there, the ocean is still there, and that’s what the regatta is all about. A lot has happened since Hurricane Irma, and the island is coming back. In three more months when the Heineken Regatta comes around, there will be even more recovery. The sailing will always be great, and the parties have always been beyond anything you ever see at any other regatta.”

Regatta Format
The four-day event kicks off on Thursday, March 1, 2018 with the Gill Commodore’s Cup. The optional event is separately scored and followed by an evening prize giving where winners are awarded Gill gear. On Friday, the fleet embarks on the event’s 26 nautical mile Around the Island Race before taking on a series of windward leeward races on Saturday and a single coastal race on Sunday. Each day of racing is rounded out with serious shore-side entertainment, including concerts and parties.

For free concierge service, please contact- regatta@heinekenregatta.com or phone# +1 721 544 2079.  You can register here- http://regattaguru.com/heineken/100237   For more St Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.