Mark Plaxton’s Melges 32 Team INTAC Earns “Most Worthy Performance Overall” For the 2013 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
Simpson Bay, St. Maarten- The final day of the 33rd annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta closed in outstanding fashion last evening at the traditional Prize-Giving ceremony-followed by an evening of world-class musical entertainment, headlined by the Grammy winning Motown legends, The Commodores-on Kim Sha Beach.
The evening’s top prize-the St. Maarten Cup-for the regatta’s Most Worthy Performance Overall went to Mark Plaxton’s Melges 32, Team INTAC, the winner of the event’s highly competitive sport boat class, CSA 8. Plaxton’s team did not lose a race in capturing the division, comprised largely of Melges 32s and 24s.”It’s a real honor to receive this award,” said Plaxton, who is based in the BVI and whose crew included Canadian Olympic sailor Richard Clarke and St. Thomas native Taylor Canfield. That same trio of Canfield, Clarke and Plaxton actually kicked off their highly successful week of sailing off St. Maarten by winning the Budget Marine Match Racing Cup.
“I have an awesome crew, some of the best sailors in the world,” Plaxton continued. “It’s a real pleasure to sail with them.
The CaribServe Cup for Most Worthy Performance on Friday went to Nico Cortlever aboard the X-612, Nix, who also received the Sol Cup for the fastest non-spinnaker yacht to complete Friday’s Round the Island Race.
The Heineken Cup for Most Worthy Performance on Saturday was presented to Richard Wesslund, the skipper of El Ocaso, in the CSA 3 class. Australian sailor Maas Hanen’s fast Outremer catamaran, Teora, took the Sint Maarten Yacht Club Cup for Sunday’s Most Worthy Performance. The Best Swan was South African James Blakemore’s well-sailed Swan 53, Music.
The Panama Jack Cup for Fastest Multihull Around the Island on Friday’s opening race was Nil Erickson’s Formula 40 cat, Soma. The Fastest Monohull (Spinnaker classes) went to another South African yacht, Jan Rupert’s Tripp 75, Blackbird, which earned the Windward Islands Bank Cup in honor of the feat. Blackbird was also honored with the Team Goldendog Cup for the team’s contribution to the Sint Maarten Yacht Club’s Youth Sailing program.
Rodion Luka’s Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44, Team Ukraine, was the Bareboat Overall winner. Luka, an Olympic silver medalist in 2004, also participated in the opening Budget Marine Match Racing Cup. Jaime Torres, captain of the Melges 32, Smile and Wave, was given the Sportsmanship Award, and the Captain Morgan Cup for the Most Rum-worthy Performance went to Dimitri Bruhns of Belgium, the skipper of the diminutive 21-footer, Liberte, the fleet’s smallest boat. Finally, Angus Ball’s Gunboat Coco de Mer won the Xerox Obersi Cup, also known as the Spirit & Style Award.
With that, the 2013 event came to a close. The 34rd annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will take place from March 6-9, 2014. The time to start planning is now!
For over three decades, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has showcased the top boats and sailing in the Caribbean, and has become equally famous for its world-class slate of parties and musical entertainment. Now recognized by sailors around the planet as one of the sailing world’s best regattas, each year the event lives up to its worthy motto: Serious Fun.
For full information on the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, including entry forms, photos, videos, party and band information, and much, much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.
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