Regatta Sailing Holidays

Heineken Regatta Sailing

Mention the word 'regatta' and you probably think of colourful spinnakers, matching T shirts & baseball caps, lots of shouting and an elite group of sailors battling it out on the water for line honours & trophies.  In reality, whilst these aspects are certainly part of it, the regatta scene in the Caribbean (and elsewhere) also offers a serious party atmosphere shoreside and a chance to spice up a day's sailing with a competitive element for those of us who don't take our racing quite so seriously!

When to Go

The spring season is chock a block with yacht racing up and down the island chain, with a regatta practically every weekend from January through to April.  Caribbean Compass, our local magazine has a round up of this year's list.  Whilst there are regattas throughout the year here, hurricane season (June to October) is generally quiet, and a time when many of the serious race boats head over the Atlantic to do the Med circuit.

IOR Quarter Ton Limanj'a for Charter for the St Maarten Heineken Regatta 2011

Under Spinnaker

Limanj'a is an IOR Quarter Ton racing sloop fully kitted out for regattas and ready for your charter for the Heineken Regatta in St Maarten 2011.  Price for one week charter from 28th February to 6th March = Euros 3,500 (non spinnaker class) or Euros 4,500 (spinnaker class)*  Corporate options available.

Finding the Caribbean Holiday that's Right for You: Part 5 - Flotilla Holidays

ASA Flotilla in San Juan

Flotilla Holidays are for hands-on sailors who prefer to travel in a larger group of other boats and with the security of a lead boat and skipper to help with navigation, weather assessments, route planning, daily anchoring and general boat or sailing questions.  Prices are slightly higher than a bareboat charter, but lower than a luxury crewed charter.

Who Is It For?

Flotilla holidays are ideal for those with a reasonable holiday budget, and who generally have some experience of sailing (although it's not always mandatory). It's perfect for a couple, or family with young children, or a group of friends travelling together, who are looking for some support whilst sailing and a relatively lively time in the evenings socialising with other boats and crews.  Some flotilla operators also offer 'per cabin' or 'per person' bookings which make them a possible option for single travellers. This will generally be on board the Lead boat.

The St Barth's Bucket - Classic Yachts Under Full Sail

Hanuman - the 42m J Class replica of Endeavour II

You've seen them in the magazines.....marvelled...and if you're like me you've probably drooled a little bit.  They're beyond the reach of mere mortals, and their names and provenance will outlive their owners, designers and builders....that's a certainty.  For the yachts chosen to sail in the Bucket Regattas are the finest, most famous and amongst the most expensive on the planet.

We can but dream of sailing on one, no less of owning one, although the cost of maintenance alone would be enough to bankrupt most of us in the space of a few months!  So the closest we might ever get to one of these yachting icons is at events like the St Barth's Bucket Regatta, where those with a golden ticket gather to pit themselves against one another under full sail and in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean under a blue sky.

Put the SXM in Your Life!

Marigot Blue

St Maarten/St Martin, a wonderful sailing area in itself, provides an ideal sailing holiday base from which to explore the white sand beaches of Anguilla, protected snorkelling and dive spots, and the celebrity studded haunts of St Barths.

St Maarten/St Martin as a Cruising Base

The main things contributing to the island’s status as a yachting heaven are the fact that the whole island is duty free and, because of its European heritage, the number of excellent supermarkets and restaurants selling every type of provisioning ingredient.

It’s important to distinguish between the two different facets of this island as each offers a very different experience despite having no distinguishable border or passport control between the two.  St Maarten, to the South, is the Dutch side and has been under Dutch government since 1816.  Formally part of the Netherlands Antilles, it has just (October 2010) been declared a country in its own right as one of four that now make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean.  St Martin to the North is a French overseas collectivity (COM) having split from Guadeloupe on 2003; it remains part of France and under French government.

Not for Cruise Ship Enthusiasts

If you really love the idea of sharing your floating island with a thousand other people; if your idea of heaven is having 30 different restaurants to choose from each night; if island hopping bliss is another boardwalk of tourist shops, or if an active, healthy holiday to you means strolling along the deck while your meal goes down, then you’d better not bother reading any further!

Our epic sailing holiday from Grenada to St Martin is a full throttle, all action surf through a dozen countries and even more islands in as many days, and we won’t be stopping at any cruise liner haunts.

How to Choose the Caribbean Sailing Holiday That's Right for You; Part 1 - Why & When

About Sailing Holidays in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is one of the world’s most famous and idyllic cruising grounds, with 26 island nations and over 7,000 islands in 2,500 square miles of sparkling blue sea the possibilities for a sailing holiday are countless.  If you’re looking for sophistication, great restaurants and nightlife then St Barth’s, Anguilla and St Maarten should be high on your wish list, in contrast with the rugged, rain-forest covered mountains of Dominica which offer a true escape from the 21st century….each island has it’s own unique atmosphere and charm.  The beauty of a sailing holiday is the ability to hop from one island to the other and to have several different vacation experiences in one trip.