Over the weekend of March 8 and 9, some 24 young sailors from the Sint Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC) Sailing School demonstrated their skills in the highly anticipated Next Generation Class. Competing in 12 teams, the sailors raced over two days as part of the 45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. With a mix of experienced and less experienced sailors teaming up, all the Sailing School’s youth programs were represented at the event.
“It was amazing to see children from our Afterschool Sailing Classes, Primary School Program, and SMYC Racing Team working together and learning from one another,” said SMYC Race Coach Sam Peeks. “This event provides a fantastic opportunity for younger sailors to be part of such a major regatta.”
The competition kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a series of races. The 12 teams sailed in rotation aboard five RS Zests, switching between racing boats and the committee boat throughout the race. While waiting for their turn to race, the young sailors aboard the committee boat took on the role of race officials. Elja van der Horst, the Race Officer for the Next Generation Class, was impressed by their enthusiasm: “It was so much fun to see how engaged the kids were in keeping time, sounding the horn, and ensuring that all flags were raised correctly and on time. They were incredibly focused on monitoring the start line for early crossings – they really took over my job and did amazing in doing so.”
On Sunday morning, the youth sailors gathered early at SMYC to watch the bridge opening, marking the start of the last day of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. From there, they followed the racing boats in dinghies to spectate the start of race area A. Although the start was delayed by 30 minutes, the young sailors had a great time, enjoying the thrill of driving alongside the larger racing boats.
After an exciting morning, they returned to the Regatta Village at Port de Plaisance for lunch and prepared for their own afternoon races. Once again, the competition was fierce, with teams pushing each other to perform at their best. “Pairing experienced sailors with those who are still learning made the races incredibly dynamic,” Peeks noted. “The young sailors really challenged each other while having a great time. It was a fantastic spectacle on the water and a proud moment for us as instructors.”
After an intense weekend of competition, Harper Treadwell and J’Amari de Groote secured third place. They faced strong competition from second-place finishers Adilyn Treadwell and Christian van der Horst. Taking the top spot on the podium was the consistently strong duo Nathan Sheppard and Micha-el Alexander, who sailed impressively throughout the event.
Amidst loud applause, all the young sailors took to the main stage, where the top three teams were awarded their prizes. The 2025 Next Generation Class once again proved to be an inspiring experience, reinforcing the excitement and passion for sailing among Sint Maarten’s young sailors.
