Sports
SMYC hosted the 19th St. Maarten Budget Marine Optimist Championship in late 2024
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club hosted the 19th St. Maarten Optimist Championship from 28 November to 1 December 2024, with about 45 young sailors from eight Caribbean islands and a new extra day of racing.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 25 November 2024.
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC) hosted the 19th annual St. Maarten Optimist Championship from 28 November to 1 December 2024, sponsored by Budget Marine for the second year running. According to the club, about 45 young sailors were expected from Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Guadeloupe, St. Barth, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin and Sint Maarten.
Illustrative: Optimist sailing dinghies, La Rochelle, France. Photo: Mozzihh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
SMYC event organiser Dolein van de Loo said the club was pleased to see more participation from other Caribbean islands than the year before.
What was new
According to the SMYC, the 2024 regatta added an extra day of racing: instead of Saturday and Sunday only, competition started on Friday, after a practice race and welcome ceremony on the Thursday. During the ceremony, teams sailed through the Simpson Bay bridge at its 5 PM opening.
The club also introduced a Green Fleet for newcomers, replacing the previous year's SailQube fleet, with a simpler course, easier rules and less time on the water. The main Optimist fleet and the Benjamin fleet, for the youngest sailors, shared a course and start line but were ranked separately.
Related
The 21st edition is scheduled for 26 to 29 November 2026 in Simpson Bay; see 21st Budget Marine Optimist Championship.