In a match made in music as well as yacht competing heaven, race officials for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta have announced some very special guests will be present at this year’s Gill Commodore’s Cup, the kick-off, tune-up event to be held on February 28. In what is undoubtedly a perfect fit, members of The Commodore’s – the legendary, Grammy-winning Motown legends who will headline the prize-giving concert at Kim Sha Beach on March 3rd – will also be on hand to watch the action during the Gill Commodore’s Cup.
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
Band stalwarts Walter “Clyde” Orange, William “WAK” King and James Dean “J.D.” Nicholas will make their first appearance for this 33rd edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta at the awards ceremony and opening party at Port de Plaisance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday following the day’s racing. The Commodores will enjoy meeting the top sailors competing in the Gill Commodore’s Cup, which is open to the spinnaker classes sailing in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta from March 1-3.
Since the departure of original band member, Lionel Ritchie, in 1983, the successful Commodores of the present have not only produced six new albums, and embarked upon a world-wide tour, but have created their own record label, Commodores Records and Entertainment. Today the Commodores stand not only as talented and successful musicians, but as artists determined to continue their success into the future. This pre-event Gill Commodore’s Cup, which is sponsored by well-known sailing apparel and technical clothing supplier Gill, has become a staple of the regatta weekend and makes for a great practice race.
Participants that enter this event won’t be disappointed, as windward-leeward courses give them lots of great racing and a chance to size up the competition for the coming weekend of racing. Boats can enter this one-day event online while entering for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, and collect all event paperwork at registration, making it easy to enter both events at one time.
Gill will offer on site through their supplier Budget Marine and at all venue locations a collection of St. Maarten Heineken Regatta branded technical gear, which makes them the official technical gear provider of the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta.
In other regatta news, the entry list for the main event has now topped 200 yachts, with boats ranging in size from Dimitri Brouhns’ diminutive, home-built 21-footer, Liberté, to Tomek Ulatowski’s Swan 100 superyacht Varsovie, and practically everything in between. The strong fleet, now numbering 203 entrants. signals yet another banner year for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
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.
