45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Overall: Iconic Sights for the Final Day
by St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 10 Mar 19:41 NZDT
March 6-9, 2025
45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Day 4: The turning marks for the final races brought the fleet close to shore to give spectators a final grande show! © Laurens Morel /
www.saltycolours.com
The final day of racing was nothing short of legendary to wrap up an amazing 45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Fleets made their way to their designated start boats out in Cole Bay and Simpson Bay.
It was a delayed start waiting for the wind to fill in; so fleets were running the line, sailing through a sea of spectator boats who were waiting for the action to start. Race Committee reset the course 3 different times, but finally conditions delivered! Once the wind arrived, it sustained, giving sailors a champagne sailing day on the crystal-clear water.
The courses created by Race Committee were a mix of around the mark and windward leeward, taking fleets along the southwestern Dutch coastline - making their way to Maho and Mullet Bay Beaches. This is where the magic happened. It was a sea of colors as fleets approached the shoreline on their downwind legs, while planes soared overhead and landed at Princess Juliana International Airport. Fleets collided once again to create a dynamic scene of Bareboats, Volvos, Melges, Diams, J-Boats, Multihulls, and more, all racing together with an iconic St. Maarten backdrop.
The competition has been as close as ever, with many fierce match-ups within each class creating close standings that were settled out on the racecourses.
The race boats made their way to the same windward mark where the tone was set for the day. In CSA1, Sailing Poland strayed from the mark and lost ground, meanwhile Ocean Breeze was late hoisting their spinnaker. A clean mark rounding by Leaps and Bounds 2 earned them a strong lead to claim first but DNF the second race - losing out on an undefeated Regatta, yet still coming first overall in their class.
The close competition in CSA2 between DNR, GEM, and Kinship continued. DNR led the way rounding the mark followed by GEM and Kinship. But it would be Kinship to cross the finish, claiming their first win of the Regatta and coming third overall in the fleet. "It was a GEM of a day!," said the DNR team as they walked off the stage with their awards at the final prize-giving, teasing their friendly competitors.
Two teams were going for sweeps in their class heading into today's races. Pata Negra in CSA3 and El Ocaso in CSA5 finished the Regatta undefeated! These two teams had strong leads in every race the last 4 days of competition. "Given the wind conditions, our boat was really favorable. We're really happy with our performance. It's an amazing Regatta, the seas here are always enjoyable, and we had a great time together. We'll be back for sure!," said crew member Steve Rigby after the final day of racing. El Ocaso went on to win the entire St. Maarten Heineken Regatta with a crew full of friends and family.
There were great performances in the Multihulls, Bareboats, and Island Time classes. Alethia claimed their first win of the Regatta in Island Time class, while Oceans Tribute took 1st in Multihull 1. La Novia was finally overthrown by Seaduction who took 1st for Multihull 2. "It's not easy - it's a fight on the water every day, but it's exceptional here. We've been doing the regatta for the last 8 years and we'll continue to do it for more," said Georges Coutu of La Novia, a Regatta regular.
The atmosphere on the water today was something special. The turning mark at Mullet Bay delivered exhilarating scenes for the spectator boats and crowds on shore. Cheers erupted while race boats whipped around the mark as planes were landing and taking off. As the day was wrapping up, teams came over the radio thanking the Race Committee for their hard work, great organization, and particular course selection over the last 4 days, especially given the tough conditions.
The day on the water ended with a celebratory Bridge Show at the 2 PM Simpson Bay bridge opening. The Sint Maarten Yacht Club was packed with spectators to watch teams decked out in costumes putting on their finest performances. Shirts were off, Heineken was sprayed, sailors went up the masts, and there was even a proposal (she said yes!).
The final value for the final day of the 45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is, fittingly, "celebration." This year we are celebrating what makes the Regatta unique in its 45th anniversary. The scale of this internationally-acclaimed, bucket-list event is one you cannot describe until you come and experience it for yourself. The diversity and inclusivity are at the forefront of our values, and are represented on the water and on shore. Everyone is welcomed - sailors and tourists from all around the world, and island-wide locals.
What a better way to close out this celebratory anniversary than with a legendary party. As mentioned by Oceans Tribute this year, "The racing is only part of it. Good music and great beer! It's nice seeing everyone from the water in the Village." Sailors filed into the Regatta Village for the final prize-giving at the main stage before live entertainment kicked off the good vibes. Then it was time for the grand finale - The Wailers!! Reggae legends put on an iconic performance as a packed crowd grooved to Caribbean vibes all night long.
The magic of the regatta would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of our hundreds of volunteers. From building the Regatta Village, Race Committee, Volunteer Care, Hospitality, and much, much more, the volunteers are the heart of the Regatta.
A huge thank you to all of our sponsors who help create such an incredible bucket-list event: Heineken, Veuve Clicquot, Port de Plaisance Resorts and Yacht Club, SEIKO as the official Regatta timekeeper, St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, St. Martin Tourism, Shipwreck Shops, Gill, Real Auto, Vie L'Ven, Sint Maarten Yacht Club, Windward Islands Bank, Divico, Avis, Exofor, Sol, Sunsail, Flow, Port St. Maarten, Seahawk, and Island 92 Radio.
It was an exceptional end to an incredible 45th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. We can't wait to do it all again next year! Mark your calendars for the 46th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta - March 5-8, 2026!
Overall Results:
CSA1
1 Leaps and Bounds 2
2 Selma Racing - Sisi
3 Sailing Poland
CSA2
1 DNR
2 GEM
3 Kinship
CSA3
1 Pata Negra
2 Hermes
3 Maluel
CSA4
1 Apollo
2 Altivo
3 Imaginaire
CSA5
1 El Ocaso
2 Quintessence III
3 TEAM STRADA - Escapado
CSA6
1 Maëlia
2 More Zessin'
3 SWEET CALYPSO
Melges 24
1 Team Island Water World
2 TEAM BUDGET MARINE - Rodeo
3 F.K.G.
Diam 24
1 zeebest
2 Opteamwork.dev
3 Andiamo
Multihull 1
1 Oceans Tribute
2 TiAna
3 Selika
Multihull 2
1 La Novia
2 Seaduction
3 Honey Badger 2
Bareboat 1
1 SOUTH STAR
2 JOYI
3 SEA BREEZE
Bareboat 2
1 CARA
2 JACKTAI 3 - Hindeloopen 1
3 Konig Ludwig - FULL CIRCLE
Sunfast 20
1 IGY Racing
2 Team Budget Marine Miss Tyknight
3 Team Spellbound
Island Time
1 Sao Jorge
2 Maline
3 Bluejay of Portsmouth
Next Generation
1 Sheppard/Alexander
2 Adilyn Treadwell/van der Horst
3 Harper Treadwell/de Groote
More information at www.heinekenregatta.com