What's in a name?

Serious hardware heading for St Maarten Heineken Regatta

St Maarten’s Heineken regatta racing classes are already filling up with some of the top racing names from the Caribbean, the USA and Europe.

Among the out and out racers, the TP52 Rosebud, an exceptionally well prepared boat campaigned with considerable success by Roger Sturgeon has been here before, but this year might not get things all her own way. Trader is a well known name in Caribbean racing circles, but this year it is not Fred Detweiller’s venerable Andrews sled that carries the name, but another of the hot TP52s. If Trader can stay with Rosebud we are promised a remarkable regatta from their class.

St Maarten always attracts a large flock of Swans and this year is no exception. Lolita is a well respected name in Swan racing circles and this year the 56, sailed by Frank Savage, is back and spoiling for a fight. The two Swan 48s Swan Benelux, sailed by Gideon Messink and Swan Benelux 2, campaigned by Paul Dielemans, have their own battle to re-enact from last year. Swan 45s are here in force, with names like Plenty, Devocean and DSK Comifin to conjure with.

From the Caribbean directory of racing greats, Puerto Rico’s Sergio Sagramoso is back with his Beneteau 40.7 Lazy Dog which won top prize in the regatta last year. There might be a Beneteau 40.7 battle like the one between the TP52s as sister to Lazy Dog, Spirit of Athena is in St Maarten to make sure that Mr Sagramoso doesn’t have it all his own way. Another boat of note is the Soca 44 Storm, a Caribbean-built boat which rivals the best in world high tech boatbuilding and has a racing record to envy. And don’t count any of the mass of boats that will make a bee line for St Maarten from Antigua, St Lucia and many of the other Caribbean islands.

But if the names of boat and owner mentioned above might strike a chord in racing circles, the names that some of the bareboat entries bear might strike something else entirely.

If you charter a boat you, of course, have the possibility to change it’s name for the regatta - after all, Sunsail 93 might not float your boat - but you have to wonder where some of them get their ideas from.

Some of the names are clearly connected with sponsoring companies like SAP, Oracle, Fortis Bank, KPMG , Elevator Services and Snickers M&M's - something of an eclectic collection we must admit. Those are the serious side of Serious Fun, but with some you cannot be sure.

Why would you call your entry First Wheels? Just how big are The Giants? What will the crew on Gabes Babes look like? The entry is indeed made by someone called Gaby, but babes in which sense? Are they all still in diapers or . . .

You have to wonder about the history of a name like No Rubber no Glory - or perhaps it would be better not to. Green Heine is a little obvious for a regatta sponsored by Heineken, and perhaps Sailing Caviar is raising culinary expectations a trifle too far. This is the Caribbean after all!

Primates of the Caribbean has some obvious connotations, but if the crew are followers of the Volvo Ocean Race might like to check the security of the boat’s keel before the first race.

And finally, while most of the names have a connection with having a good time – this is the regatta whose motto is Serious Fun after all - might Sail and the City be going too far?

Whatever the name and whatever the class, the omens look good for another regatta of unsurpassed enjoyment both on and off the water. St Maarten Heineken Regatta 2006, the only place to be, March 3, 4 and 5.