Team Island Water World is seen in the foreground at the start of CSA 5. (Robert Luckock photo)
SIMPSON BAY—After a one-year absence, the 42nd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta made a triumphant return on Thursday with racing getting underway for the first of four days of racing for over 100 boats in thirteen classes.
Just one race was organised for all classes starting in Simpson Bay with wind in the 14 to 16 knot range. Race Officer Mark Townsend sent CSA 1, the 10-boat class of mostly Volvo 70 or 65s on a long 30-mile course to stretch their legs, up to and around Isle Fourche and back. CSA 1 was won on corrected time by I Love Poland.
There was a particular nerve-wracking moment for three boats on starboard tack during the start of CSA 1 when Leopard 3 had to call for water at the pin end of the start line.
“We were the leeward boat and running out of water because we draw five and a half metres,” explained Leopard 3 tactician Ian Budgen. “We knew we had to tack but there were boats above us stopping us tacking. So, we called for water on the boat that was immediately to weather of us, Sisi (Austrian Ocean Racing project). Ambersail was stopping Sisi from tacking and Sisi was stopping us from tacking. Sisi then signalled for us to tack. Sisi tacked but Ambersail didn’t. Sisi ended up head to wind, and we completed the tack but had to luff violently head to wind to avoid a collision with Sisi.”
A protest was filed against Sisi by Leopard 3 but after discussions with the crews of the three boats, the protest was not pursued.
CSA 2 was won by the Class 40 Victitan and CSA 3 by the Swan 58 Omi. CSA was won by Peter Harrison’s TP 52 Jolt. There were just two boats in this class. Rivalries were renewed again in the highly competitive CSA 5 class with five Melges 24s and two Melges 32s in the fleet.
F.K.G.’s Melges 24 skippered by Andrea Scarabelli won the class with Frits Bus’s Team Island Water World coming second and the Sint Maaarten Yacht Club youth sailing team on Island Water World 2 made it onto the podium in third place.
Frits Bus lamented the wind shifts that conspired against them when they were leading the race. Niall Dowling’s brand-new Cape 31 Arabella finished in sixth place as the crew get used to this new boat.
Bobby Velasquez’s rebuilt L’Esperance was back on top form to win CSA 6 defeating old foe Hugh Bailey from Antigua on Rebel who settled for third. The J122 El Ocaso won CSA 7 ahead of Liquid and Spike. Regular participant Ross Appleby’s Scarlet Oyster missed out on a podium place this time coming in fourth.
CSA 8 was won by GFA Caraibes La Morrigane and Island Time Class by the classic Alfred Mylne 65, The Blue Peter.
Multihull 1 was by Five Oceans and Multihull 2 by the Diam 24 Cry Macho. This class had four Diam 24 trimarans making their debut in the Heineken Regatta. Multihull 3 was won by Ian Martin’s Leopard 45 Guru Brokers.
There was just one Bareboat class with 10 boats won by Girl, a Dufour 455. Today Friday is the around the island race for all boats.
