3rd Electec Lagoon Regatta: Competitive Sailing Shines in St. Maarten

A Showcase of Skill and Strategy

The 3rd Electec Lagoon Regatta showcased the quality of sailing on the island at all levels, age groups, and genders. In both the Gold and Silver fleets, results were mixed, with winning positions spread across a wide number of participants. The event was sailed in Jeanneau 20 boats, which were rotated in every race to provide the ultimate level playing field.

Final Races Bring Intense Competition

After a slow start, Frits Bus, last year’s winner, gave his all in the final races to clinch the winning position in the Gold Fleet, while Petro Jonker and his family coasted to an easy victory in the Silver Fleet.

Spanish Water—The Floating Town of Curaçao

Varied Weather Conditions Test Sailors

On Saturday, the conditions were calm, sunny, and balmy, with a moderate and reasonably constant wind speed. However, Sunday brought overcast weather, accompanied by gusty, variable winds and squalls, challenging the sailors’ skills.

Gold Fleet: A Hard-Fought Victory

The overnight leader in the Gold Fleet was the FKG team, skippered by Shag Morton, with Simon Manley of the Scuba Shop team in second place. In the last race, both teams had the opportunity to win the event, but a series of careful strategic moves put Bus in the first position. Although the race was led by Luc Knol until the last fifty meters, Bus’s persistence and stamina, along with his experienced crew consisting of Rien Korteknie and Garth Steyn, secured the victory.

A surprising performance in the Gold Fleet was delivered by Team Island 92, where Mirian Leffers’ team, skippered by Peter Gramnetia, achieved some good scores. Luc Knol took two first places, but a disqualification dashed his chances of winning.

Youth Participation: A Bright Future for Sailing

A group of six teenagers who participate in the youth program constituted a single team sponsored by Necol. This participation reflected the strongly growing youth program being carried out at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, highlighting the bright future of sailing on the island.

Looking Ahead: North Sails Caribbean Keelboat Championship

The next major lagoon regatta will be the North Sails Caribbean Keelboat Championship, where the best Caribbean sailors will be enticed to compete. This event will take place during the third weekend in June and promises to be an exciting continuation of competitive sailing in the region.

Results

Gold Fleet

1. Frits Bus, Bucaneer/Carib (SXM)
2. Simon Manley, Scuba Shop (SXM)
3. FKG (SXM)

Silver Fleet

1. Petro Jonker (SXM)
2. Lucille Frye (SXM)
3. Richard West (Anguilla)

Nick Marshall has written for ALL AT SEA since 2004.