Women Run the Show at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
From those with 25 years of experience to first-timers, this regatta bucks the gender trend
January 12, 2023 — Simpson Bay — According to the Maritime Institute of Technology, women comprise only 2% of the 1.2 million sailors worldwide. Yet the racing scene in the Caribbean appears to buck that trend both on the racing circuit and in the organizational teams running events.
Regatta Director Michele Korteweg has been involved with the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta for the last decade, starting in 2009 as an intern. Now in addition to overseeing the whole event, she is also the President of the Caribbean Sailing Association, which represents and connects all Caribbean racing events, many of which are also managed by women.
Commenting on the unusually high amount of women involved in the racing scene in the Caribbean, she says: “I don’t think it’s by chance because women are very good at organizing by nature! A lot of events in the Caribbean are organized by women, but definitely the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is dominated by women. Our race committee chair, our marketing committee chair, our press writer and our social media team, all represented by women and I can go on and on. The event gets lots of support from female sailors as well. It is important to us to showcase how many women are involved because it’s super special to see all this female talent working together!”
Race organizers have made it their mission to design unique courses that are best fit for these ocean racing machines. Whether it be a sprint to neighboring islands Anguilla or St. Barths, or the crowd-favorite Round the Island Race, the long courses are well-suited for these maxi boats. In 2022, the Race Committee threw in a navigator’s challenge, which allowed the Maxi boats to decide if they would go above or below St. Maarten on a race back from St. Barths – the fleet split and there were certainly big winners and losers in this navigational choice.
The international regatta team Regaty.pl is coming back again; but this time on VO70 HYPR to match-race fellow Polish competitors. Team manager Rafal Kaplar says that St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is one of the international events most admired by Polish sailors, which explains why they keep coming back.
Kaplar reflects: “There is a long story behind our participation in the race, I guess it was 2012 when we first arrived there onboard Quokka, a Grand Soleil rented from Global Yacht Racing and taking 3rd place in our class.” Since then, Polish crews have won the regatta many times, and they keep coming back to enjoy the “Serious Fun!” both on and off the water.
Kaplar continues, “The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta guarantees fantastic racing in a lovely place. It’s also great for the families of our sailors, which combined with the amazing evening entertainment, creates the unrivaled atmosphere of the regatta. We love Poland, and Poland loves St.Maarten Heineken Regatta!”
When the on-the-water action is over, the fun continues on shore with teams from all classes gathering in the race village at Port de Plaisance for daily prize giving and apres-sail libations from top sponsors Heineken, Veuve Clicquot and Titos Vodka. Teams docked at Yacht Club Port de Plaisance get front row seats to all of the action: nightly entertainment, hot food, cool bars and great company. Special rates on docking at Yacht Club Port de Plaisance are offered for registered boats on a first-come, first-serve, so be sure to register now for the 43rd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on Yachtscoring.com.
Don’t have a boat? Don’t fret! There are many opportunities to get in on the action with race charters available through OnDeck, LV Yachting, Global Yacht Racing and Ocean Racers. Individual berths and team charters are still available for the Volvo fleet; contact info@oceanracers.net or lucy@lvyachting.com, respectively, to learn more.
Follow @stmaartenheinekenregatta on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates from the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Visit www.heinekenregatta.com for more information on the event and local accommodations.
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
Celebrating 43 years, this Regatta just keeps getting better, four days of world-class racing with some of the world’s most seasoned sailors, hailing from over 35 countries. This is genuinely a Regatta for everyone, including professional teams sailing Maxis, Monohulls, and Performance Multihulls to holiday-makers on chartered Bareboats to 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. This event is your bucket list must-do! Come and enjoy life in the Caribbean; come for some Serious Fun from March 2-5, 2023!
For complete information on the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, including results, photos, videos, party and band information, and much, much more, visit: www.heinekenregatta.com.
