Events
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2024, 2025 and 2026: fleets and overall winners
A record of the 44th, 45th and 46th St. Maarten Heineken Regattas (2024 to 2026): NED Orange, El Ocaso and More Zessin’ took the overall honours, with fleets of 107 to 115 boats.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 3 March 2024, 9 March 2025 and 8 March 2026.
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, sailed every March out of Simpson Bay, drew more than 100 boats in each of its 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions. This record brings the three editions together, using the organisers' official wrap-ups and the sailing press.
Photo: Richie Diesterheft from Santa Barbara, CA, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, illustrative
2024: the 44th edition
The 44th regatta ran from 29 February to 3 March 2024. The organisers put the fleet at 115 boats from more than 20 countries and called it the largest regatta in the Caribbean, according to a release after the event and the official wrap-up.
The overall winner was NED Orange, skippered by Silvy Leijh in Bareboat 1. Race Committee Chair Cary Byerley received the Robbie Ferron Trophy for her work in advancing Caribbean sailing.
2025: the 45th edition
The 45th edition in March 2025 drew 107 boats from 30 countries, according to the organisers and the German sailing magazine Yacht. El Ocaso finished the regatta unbeaten in CSA 5 and won the Most Worthy Performance Overall trophy. The Diam 24 trimaran class had eleven boats, double its size at its 2023 debut, according to the organisers.
2026: the 46th edition
The 46th regatta, held from 5 to 8 March 2026, brought 113 boats from 38 nations, according to the organisers' wrap-up. It was a windy edition: the organisers reported gusts of more than 35 knots on the final day, and Sail-World reported two Diam 24 capsizes on the sail back from Grand Case, with all crews assisted safely.
The overall winner was More Zessin', the J/105 skippered by Ryan Hope Ross, which won CSA 6 with four race wins. Jackknife received a new FKG Offshore-Onshore Trophy for the best combined performance in the Caribbean 600 and the Heineken Regatta. The organisers set the 47th edition for 4 to 7 March 2027.
For sailing on the island today, see our coverage of the Caribbean Dinghy Championship and the SMYC keelboat season.
Sources
- https://www.heinekenregatta.com/wrap-up-smhr-44/
- https://www.heinekenregatta.com/smhr44-reigns-as-largest-in-caribbean/
- https://www.heinekenregatta.com/smhr-45-wrap-up/
- https://www.yacht.de/en/regatta/races/45th-heineken-regatta-serious-fun-under-the-caribbean-sun/
- https://www.heinekenregatta.com/serious-breeze-meets-serious-fun-2026/
- https://www.heinekenregatta.com/day-4-grand-finale/
- https://www.sail-world.com/news/294315/46th-St-Maarten-Heineken-Regatta-overall
Source: https://www.heinekenregatta.com/serious-breeze-meets-serious-fun-2026/