Setting the Stage for a Competitive Weekend

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.0.6″ background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding=”0px|||” z_index_tablet=”500″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.6″ width=”100%” z_index_tablet=”500″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kialoa3-website-1.jpg” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.0.9″ z_index_tablet=”500″ hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” alt=”Setting the Stage for a Competitive Weekend” title_text=”Setting the Stage for a Competitive Weekend”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.9″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ admin_label=”It was a fun but challenging day of racing”]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 Maxi, Offshore Racing and Multihull Classes completing the regatta’s famed 26-mile around the island race, while the remaining classes completed a shorter coastal race.
The Brazilian team on the 65-foot Maxi Camiranga was the first boat to cross the finish line in the Around the Island Race, with an elapsed time of three hours, 22 minutes and 41 seconds, but in the end the 1974 Sparkman & Stephens Classic Kiaola III beat them on corrected time. The latter team holds the class lead going into tomorrow’s racing.
“We had a game plan, we stuck to it and it worked,” said Kiaola III Skipper Stephen Stewart. The 43-year-old Sparkman & Stephens classic yacht is world-famous for its victories back in the 1970s and was restored in 2015 by the K3 Foundation, which had the goal to race it competitively again. “She was ideally built for ocean racing, so courses like the around the island suit the boat better. We were second around the first mark, then leading up to the top of the island, but then Camiranga stretched its legs and was able to get ahead. Overall the boat went well and crew work was good. We didn’t have any problems.”
The CSA, Bareboat and Melges 24 took off on 12 and 15 nautical mile courses, 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 the J/111 Whistler took win the day in the CSA 3 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”
And after some serious racing, came some “Serious Fun” for which the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is famously known. Competitors went from the docks to the Regatta Village to join friends and locals for libations and performances by a stellar lineup of musicians. Tomorrow, Carnival legends Destra and 3 Cylinder will take to the stage, while on Sunday, the Grammy Award winning musician and regatta headliner Shaggy will perform.
“The spirit of this regatta is open and we want to involve everybody here on the island,” said Heineken’s John Leone. “You’ll see organizations here that have nothing to do with sailing, you’ll see people here that know this event just from the musical standpoint and others that know it from a racing perspective. There is something for everybody.”
For full results, visit http://regattaguru.com/heineken/100237/results 
For press inquiries, please contact Media Coordinator Kirsten Ferguson, +1 (401) 330-7889, kirsten.ferguson@mediapronewport.com
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
38 years strong and it just keeps getting better. Four days of world-class racing with some of the world’s most seasoned sailors, from more than 35 countries, sailing Maxis, Monohulls and Performance Multihulls to holiday-makers on chartered Bareboats and live-aboard families cruising the Caribbean. 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. This event is your bucket list must-do! Come and enjoy life in the Caribbean, come for some Serious Fun from March 1-4, 2018!
For full information on the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, including results, photos, videos, party- and band information, and much, much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.
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