The now famous nautical race which started in 1980 under the name of St. Maarten Regatta closed the chapter of its 2022 competition last Sunday after several days of frantic racing and sailors always happy to participate in this internationally renowned Regatta!
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta usually sets up its “village” at the Port de Plaisance and the 42nd edition was no exception to the rule. After a cancellation in 2021 due to a global pandemic, the organizers were happy to find the Saint Martin atmosphere that makes the competition so unique. With a specific layout consistent with the sanitary measures in application, the Regatta Village has not been empty since the launch of the competition. The village was more extensive, the stands more distant from each other, allowing a more fluid circulation of visitors and navigators. Several areas to taste one of the local dishes or to rest after the effort of a race had been installed on the lawns adjacent to the main path bordering the port. A covid-19 screening center was naturally included in the redesigned village. After each day of racing, the awards ceremony took place on the raised stage which sat in the center of the marina square. Scene that saw many music groups with Caribbean sounds that resonated throughout the village. At the end of each day, all the participating teams, as well as the spectators, sympathizers and curious, gathered around a drink while waiting for the results of the daily winners in the different categories of boats, delighted to be able to find the warm welcome typical of the Heineken Regatta. A French skipper told us how happy she was to be there: "It's so good to come back here, after the catastrophic year 2021, we only wanted to get back on the road, in the air and at sea. to your island. This race is one of my favorites, there is an atmosphere here, it feels like home, it feels good to be back! ".
A Polish navigator shared with us his particular attachment to the Heineken Regatta: "this race, apart from the fact that the environment is incredible and the landscapes heavenly, it is unique, I have never felt so much solidarity between the teams. It remains a competition with winners and losers, but when we come back to earth at the end of the race, we are a big family. » _VX
www.heinekenregatta.com
7,263 total views
No comments