Strong line-up for anniversary regatta

The latest on this year's St Maarten Heineken Regatta

Entries for the 25th birthday edition of the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta are starting to pour in and will once again see highly competitive classes and thrilling racing between a huge range of yachts.

The regatta has always had the strongest multihull representation of all the major Caribbean regattas and this year is no different. The class is also conscientious early enterers getting their names on the lists in plenty of time. Among the interesting entries is Ian Hope Ross, veteran regatta participant with various monohulls, but this year he will be sailing Archangel, a Lock Crowther trimaran originally built in St Vincent. The boat used to belong to Ian’s father, but the son will be continuing family tradition from now on.

Other veteran multis already on the list include the perennial Triple Jack, but the latest thinking is also well represented with such as Rocketeer (Atlantic 55) and Lars Svensson’s 60ft Adrian Thompson-design trimaran, Larus Roc, once known in Europe and the Caribbean as Mike Whipp's Paragon. In the Cruising class a pair of Bahia 46s are entered by Smulders and MM Printing and there is a Lagoon entered by M. Ruelle. These boats may well be joined by more of the cruising multihulls that put together such an excellent class in last year’s event.

But the vast majority of the fleet will be monohulls and as always a flock of Swans are going to be on the line in the Spinnaker fleet. The Swan 48 Affinity owned & sailed by Jack Desmond will have at least two 56s in the line up to compete with. Albireo and Hissar (Edgar Cato) have entered already, with more expected.

In the smaller Spinnaker class, rumor has it that Mike Green, one of the Caribbeans most successful yachtsmen, will be on the water sailing a Beneteau 40.7; the combination is likely to be a potent one. Sorceress, a successful and well prepared Tartan 10 from the BVI will also be a likely contender for the prizes and John Haricivet with his Beneteau from St Thomas should also not be underestimated. Plenty of inter-island rivalry to spice up the racing.

Also plenty of local boats - and some canny overseas visitors - see the Non-spinnaker class as one where hot competition at the front of the fleet can be rewarded by some major prizes. The usual regulars like Pretty Woman sailed by Heather Underwood, Island Water World under the command of Ian Martin and Dark Star with Kent Richardson in control will be joined by boats like Jos Schoonens’ Casa Tete from Curacao, Prairie Fox, Alan Walton’s Beneteau 45.5 and Marintez Impunitor a Barberis 52 sailed by Ernesto Moresino and his crew.

Among the huge bareboat class there will be many regular visitors including Marc Duranty, last year’s winner who now has a Beneteau 423 entered. Besides the local entries of Leo Ligthart and Jan Beaujon there are also two Curacao teams in the lists, both being formed from the long standing evening race groups on the Spanish Water. A team organised by the Dutch watersport magazine 'Zeilen' will also be on the start line, no doubt hoping for great things to prevent any embarrassment by having to report on progress from the middle - or Heaven forbid - the back of the fleet.