Heineken Regatta: More Than 30 Years Of "Serious Fun" in St. Maarten/St. Martin

Sailors, mark your calendars: The 32nd edition of one of the most famous regattas in the world will be transforming the island into an international sailing venue March 1-4, 2012.

By Carol Bareuther

Take a handful of sailors, combine them in a venue with ideal wind conditions, and add a heaping helping of cold beer. This is the recipe for success and ‘Serious Fun’ that has grown the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta into one of the largest international sailing events in the Caribbean. This year, the 31st annual edition saw nearly 200 boats in 18 classes compete with sailors hailing from the Caribbean, U.S. mainland, and Europe. What makes the Heineken Regatta both ‘serious’ and ‘fun’ is that both America’s Cup skippers on million-dollar high-tech racing yachts compete as well as everyday vacationing sailors who charter a yacht and race against other ‘bareboaters’. Of course, fun also means great parties. The Black-Eyed Peas, Jimmy Cliff, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Damian Marley and this year Wyclef Jean have all performed post-race at the beachside bash.

Check out the video below from the 2011 Heineken Regatta and parties:

Humble Beginnings
The idea for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta started in 1980 when a handful of local sailors, amongst them Robbie Ferron who owns the Budget Marine chain of chandleries, sat at the restaurant next to Bobby’s Marina in Philipsburg and came up with the idea to have a sailboat race. The first regatta took place early in 1981 in Great Bay. Twelve boats, live-aboard yachts and day-sail catamarans, showed up at the start line.

“We used lots of rocks as buoys as we had not yet got enough buoys to set the course,” says Ferron. “Perfect windward-leeward courses were not so unacceptable back then.”

Winning sailors were handed cold Heinekens after the race. Today, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has grown into a nearly full week event. Courses are set around the island and around GPS-set marker buoys. Festivities take place both in Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin so it’s definitely an island-wide party. The ‘greenies’ still flow freely.

Match Racing, Warm-Up & Main Event
Not only has the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta expanded from a one day event to three, but two additional competitions have been added over the years. The Budget Marine Match Race, which started in 2009, took place March 1st, while the Gill Commodores Cup, begun in 2007, followed on March 3.

Match racing involves sailing America’s Cup-style where two boats compete at a time. It’s a style of racing that’s catching on like wildfire world-wide and St. Maarten was one of the first in the Caribbean to add it. This year, eight-teams of four sailors each competed in Simpson Bay on Jeanneau SunFast 20s. True to expectations, it was the two America’s Cup winning skippers that ultimately battled it out. New Zealand’s Gavin Brady earned a come-from-behind victory on the deciding race of the 2011 Budget Marine Match Racing Cup to defeat Virgin Island legend Peter Holmberg and claim the top prize of $5000 cash.

Two days later, it was a sleek-sailing yacht named, Jazz, which was a winner in the 2011 Gill Commodore’s Cup. The fact that this 50-foot yacht with hi-tech canting keel traveled halfway around the world via freighter after winning the Sydney-Hobart Race to sail in St. Maarten gives you some idea of the caliber of this warm-up race, of which 39 spinnaker race boats entered, and the regatta that followed.

Every edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta takes on its own personality and this year’s was no exception. In fact, it will be remembered as a largely light-air affair that lacked the typical tradewinds. This didn’t deter the serious racers and only added to their fun as they eked out every last tenth of a knot of boat speed from the fitful and elusive breeze. In the end, it was a combination of skill and luck that decided the winners. The very essence of the St. Maarten Regatta could be seen on the award’s podium as an international mix of skippers and crews aboard everything from the impressive 80-foot Swan, Team Selene, from the Cayman Islands, to the fast sports Melges 32, Team INTAC with all Caribbean crew, and a Harmony 52 bareboat, Team Hamburg, with German sailors, happily accepted their trophies.

Join the Fun
The best part about the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is that anyone can join in – on sea or on land. You don’t need to be a super sailor as there are classes for many types of boat. You don’t even need to own a boat. Several bareboat companies on the island rent yachts for the week. In addition, there’s a crew board on the regatta website where sailors can sign up to sail on one of the race boats. That’s not all. You can simply stop by to party. The whole of St. Maarten and St. Martin – sailors, visitors and locals alike – are welcome to join in the parties where there’s live entertainment and cold Heineken beer. Now that’s some Serious Fun!

How To Regatta
For information on the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, contact:

If you really have a desire to sail after witnessing the Regatta but don't have your own boat, then the St. Maarten 12 Metre Challenge offers would-be sailors the opportunity to crew on one of four 12-meter yachts — including Stars & Stripes and Canada II — that formerly competed in the America's Cup. For around $75 per person, you spend a half-day of competitive sailing and get your picture taken in the process.

For 12-meter racing, call 599-545-0045 or visit the website at 12metre.com.

Heineken Regatta Goes Green

By Els Kroon

Sailors, spectators and party lovers, mark your calendar! The 32nd edition of the biggest regatta in the Caribbean will be transforming the island March 1–4, 2012.

Three full days of racing and nightly entertainment have shaped its catchphrase “Serious Fun,” and this year there’ll be a green touch once again. The organizers of the St. Maarten/St. Martin Heineken Regatta are pleased to announce their commitment to team up with Sailors for the Sea, a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the world’s oceans.

Green efforts include the use of recycled materials, green cleaning products, re-usable bow numbers and water bottles, the designation of no-discharge (of untreated sewage or black water) zones, and the implementation of a nearly paper-free registration system.

For the fourth consecutive year, they will follow these rules to obtain a bronze level “Clean Regatta” certification from Sailors for the Sea. The Regatta organizers also praise the efforts made by their title sponsor to keep the onshore side of the event environmentally friendly as well. Efforts in the past included the removal of drink stirrers from all bars at the venues and implementing the principle to leave the beaches cleaner than they were before the regatta parties. This benefits not only the event, but also the entire island, and creates a sense of awareness regarding the island’s natural resources. The Regatta will donate proceeds from the sale of Regatta bracelets and pins to local conservation programs on both the Dutch and French sides of the island.

Our Activity Guide will get you acquainted with all the tours, attractions, sports and activities in St. Maarten/St. Martin -- for you and your kids. Contact our activities providers and get full details before you go!