A Spectacular 45th Edition
The 45th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta concluded in spectacular fashion on March 9, 2025, after four days of intense competition and memorable festivities. This unmissable event on the Caribbean sailing calendar once again brought together renowned skippers and passionate amateurs from 37 countries, competing in varied weather conditions.
The Regatta Races
This edition featured several types of races, showcasing the diversity of sailing competitions:
- Coastal Races: These courses ran along the stunning coasts of St. Maarten, offering strategic challenges related to local conditions, such as currents and wind variations.
- Round-the-Island Race: A signature event of the regatta, where crews completed a full lap around St. Maarten, testing their endurance and ability to adapt to different conditions along the way.
Participants were divided into several classes, including monohulls, multihulls, cruiser-racers, and chartered boats (bareboats), each benefiting from courses tailored to their specific characteristics.
A High-Level Competition
The race saw fierce battles on the water, with an impressive fleet of monohulls and multihulls. The traditional round-the-island race was one of the highlights of the competition, challenging the crews' strategies against unpredictable winds.
Category Winners
Among this year’s champions were:
- CSA1: Leaps and Bounds 2, followed by Selma Racing - Sisi and Sailing Poland.
- CSA2: DNR secured victory ahead of GEM and Kinship.
- CSA3: Pata Negra took first place, followed by Hermes and Maluel.
- CSA5: El Ocaso dominated its category, with Quintessence III and TEAM STRADA - Escapado on the podium.
- Multihull 1: Oceans Tribute led the way, followed by TiAna and Selika.
- Multihull 2: La Novia triumphed, with Seaduction and Honey Badger 2 close behind.
- Bareboat 1: SOUTH STAR claimed victory over JOYI and SEA BREEZE.
- Bareboat 2: CARA finished in first place ahead of JACKTAI 3 - Hindeloopen 1 and Konig Ludwig - FULL CIRCLE.
Unforgettable Moments
Beyond the races, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is famous for its festive evenings. This year, the legendary band The Wailers set the stage on fire, accompanied by local and international artists who electrified the island with reggae and Caribbean rhythms.
Weather played a key role, with varying sailing conditions ranging from moderate winds to gusts reaching force 6, pushing crews to their limits. Spectators witnessed spectacular starts, especially with the Leopard 3 (Farr 100) Maxi, which dominated the races with style.
See You in 2026
This 45th edition once again proved why the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is one of the most prestigious in the Caribbean. Organizers and participants are already looking ahead to the 46th edition, scheduled from March 5 to 8, 2026, promising even more "Serious Fun."
