Golden Rock Regatta

Chris Coombs, presented the new Presidente Marks to the local Golden Rock Regatta Organisers Bea Hootsmans, Jelle Hamstra and Ian Thring. Presidente joined the regatta in 2006 as one of its Sponsors. This year Presidente is continuing their support of the and also plans to enter their own team led by Lee Hallem.

Photo: from left to right: Jelle Hamstra, Ian Thring, Bea Hootsmans, Chris Coombs Managing Director Presidente

Windward Adventures is entering the classic gaffrigged schooner Passaat for individual sailors wishing to participate in the Golden Rock Regatta. She and her crew will take up the challenge to race against the newly built Kate which missed completion by a few weeks last year!

Windward Adventures is having a fleet of seven Sun Fast 37’s moved from Guadeloupe to St. Maarten for their charter clients. These will sail as a “One Design” Racing fleet with Dracon sails and Asymmetrical spinnakers. The first team to charter one of these sportive charter yachts is the team of Christopher Land from the Manhattan Sailing Club. Two more are on option leaving four boats still free at this time.

Download a PDF file on these boats from the Info Pack Page.

“New Golden Rock Regatta Brochure”
The Netherlands, 7 April 2008 Every year, mid November the Golden Rock Regatta is sailed between the Islands of Saint Martin, St. Barths, St. Kitts and St. Eustatius (Statia). This year our program starts on November 10th, then we sail from St. Martin to St. Barths. Then on to St. Kitts and Statia. Finally back to St. Martin. The first edition of the Golden Rock Regatta was held in 2005 with new sailors joining us every year since. These sailors wants to know more and more about the Islands they visit, places to stay, shop, dive, play golf or tennis, beaches to swim and snorkel and places to eat. Our Regatta brochure still has some space available for your advert. Your supermarket, restaurant, bakery, shop, restaurant, club or hotel could be one of the places our sailors want to visit. With only one day to spend on an island they do not have the time to search for the right spot, so why don’t we help them a little by showing them where to go? The Brochures, printed in Dutch and English, will be handed to visitors of the Yacht Vision Boat Show (Leliestad May 2008) and the HISWA ( IJmuiden September 2008). The Boat Shows draws visitors form all over Europe. Around 2500 Dutch brochures will be distributed at the two events. Another 500 will be printed in English for use on St. Martin and will also be sent to potential participants of the Golden Rock Regatta via internet enquiries. So help the Golden Rock Regatta promote your business. Click here for the order sheet in Dutch, English or French. The format of the Brochure is A5 and the ad’s can be in the sizes: See our example page here. 1/1 page (136mm x 196mm) 395 euro 1/2 page (136mm x 96mm) 225 euro 1/4 page (66mm x 96mm) 120 euro Prices are excl. VAT. If you want to place an Ad please send your High Resolution PDF/photo/logo and/or text to the e-mail address on the form (henk@creatievereclame.nl). Do not forget to fill in the form and fax it also. Kind regards and thank you for supporting the Golden Rock Regatta! Place an Ad and we will link you from our webpage as well.
“An American Tale”.
Statia 15 - 16 November 2007, After the singing of the National Anthems, the Prizegiving got underway in historic Fort Orange who’s cannon 231 years ago welcomed the newborn United States to take her place amongst the nations of the world. It is therefore fitting that the Manhattan Team, sponsored by DLA Piper, was awarded the Governor’s Trophy for their victory. The team also won her class on a split decision against the team of Pam Morris from the Eastport Yacht Club (Annapolis). Both Teams had 6 points after 4 races and in such cases the team who won the last race is the winner. The next day Pam Morris and her team took their revenge and beat the Manhattan’s home in the reverse-feeder race to Oyster Pond, St. Martin. This race is just a fun race to get the boats back to the Charter companies. This time however the sponsor “Little Switzerland” had donated a beautiful globe of the world with the countries made of semiprecious stones from the regions they represent.
And the winners are:
Eindhoven/Statia 8 November 2007, The regatta has not even started yet and already we have 4 winners! The 4 children being treated to a trip to St. Kitts and back aboard the Regatta Support Catamaran are: - Cerdarion Cornelius Courtar, SDA school - Marie Michell Ulloa, SDA school - Casey Alwin Lopes, Golden Rock school - Tineke Mayretta Hook, Governor de Graaff school Departing early on Wednesday the 14th, they will be accompanied by Debora Norville Hinckson Teacher from the SDA school and Harmen Derk de Vries Head of the Sports Department.
Golden Rock Regatta's youngest sailors
Eindhoven 1 November 2007, This year the Golden Rock Regatta has invited 4 schoolchildren from Statia (St. Eustatius) to come aboard our support Catamaran to get up close to the racing boats and see what a regatta is all about! Officials form Sport Affairs on Statia will draw 4 names from a selection children between the ages of 10 and 12 years. The lucky winners will be able to learn about sailing and regattas, hopefully nurture a bond with the Ocean. We will meet our young sailors on November 13th on podium in Oranjestad, during the prize giving for the winner of the day prize. Together with the main prize giving, held in historic Fort Orange, the two days the regatta fleet spends on Statia have become part of the annual “Statia week” celebrations. The Golden Rock Regatta’s goal is to promote Tourism to the region and to Statia in particular. With enthusiasm the children of Statia threw themselves into projects on the Tourism Awareness Exhibition last October. "The exhibition was attended by pupils of the elementary schools on Statia and by the general public. The exhibition was the highlight of a tourism awareness project in which the Bethel Methodist School, the St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation and the Innovations Bureau worked together in a new venture which focused on enhancing the tourism awareness among youngsters." Source: http://friendsofstatia.blogspot.com/
US Victory at the Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge
New York 25th August 2007, With Eric Leitner at the helm, Vicky Jo’s team were undisputed winners of the third Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge, sailed off Manhattan in the waters of the Hudson, winning 4 of the 8 races outright and after discarding a 5th ending on 14 points. It was a Royal fight for second between the Royal Cork Yacht Club (the world’s oldest Yacht Club) and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The Irish team needed to finish the last race ahead of the Bermudans to hang on to their second spot. finishing 7th over the 10th placed Bermudans thus ending with 29 points with the Bermudans on 33 points. On the dock of the Manhattan Sailing Club, the winning team was handed an invitation to come to the Golden Rock Regatta and enter a team on a yacht sponsored by the regatta organisers! This would make them the third US Yacht Club with a team at the Golden Rock Regatta! We look forward to welcoming them to the Caribbean where they can continue their battle with the Manhattans, last years winners of the Golden Rock Regatta ! Photo: Michael Fortenbaugh, organiser of the DCIYCC (far left) hands the Winners Trophy to Vicky Jo Neiner and her team from the Raritan Yacht Club
New Marks for the Golden Rock Regatta.
3 september 2007, Chris Coombs, presented the new Presidente Marks to the local Golden Rock Regatta Organisers Bea Hootsmans, Jelle Hamstra and Ian Thring. Presidente joined the regatta in 2006 as one of its Sponsors. This year Presidente is continuing their support of the and also plans to enter their own team led by Lee Hallem. Photo: from left to right: Jelle Hamstra, Ian Thring, Bea Hootsmans, Chris Coombs Managing Director Presidente Read more in our latest Press Release.
Another Classic Yacht Joins the fleet!
Windward Adventures is entering the classic gaffrigged schooner Passaat for individual sailors wishing to participate in the Golden Rock Regatta. She and her crew will take up the challenge to race against the newly built Kate which missed completion by a few weeks last year!
“One Design Racing Charter Fleet”
Windward Adventures is having a fleet of seven Sun Fast 37’s moved from Guadeloupe to St. Maarten for their charter clients. These will sail as a “One Design” Racing fleet with Dracon sails and Asymmetrical spinnakers. The first team to charter one of these sportive charter yachts is the team of Christopher Land from the Manhattan Sailing Club. Two more are on option leaving four boats still free at this time. Download a PDF file on these boats from the Info Pack Page.
De Wilgen Vastgoed sails Kate.
3 March 2007, Team “De Wilgen Vastgoed”, sponsor of the Golden Rock Regatta, have entered the 1906 design 12 metre “Kate” in the HR2007. They are very enthusiastic sailing in the ideal wind conditions being experienced on St. Maarten at the moment and are talking about sailing the Kate in the Golden Rock Regatta for 2007. Our own Bea Hootsmans followed the Kate's progress in the Heineken Regatta and took these beautiful aerial photo's for us. Owner Philip Walwyn (our St. Kitts & Nevis Liason) wanted to enter the Kate in the Golden Rock Regatta 2006, but sadly work on the Kate was not finished in time. It has been confirmed that "De Wilgen Team" will sail the Kate in the 2007 Golden Rock Regatta.
Statia Day celebrations in the Netherlands December 10th.
26 November 2006, Statia Day will be celebrated by Statians in the Netherlands on December 10th. With music an Local dishes the celebrations will take place from 13.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs in Club Kahtedraal in Vlaardingen, The Netherlands. If you are interested in this celebration please see the Friends of Statia Site: http://www.friendsofstatia.net/
Second Golden Rock Regatta big success
19 November 2006, All GRR participants have returned home and after so much fun and enjoyment, they are in need of a period of readjustment! Most have already started planning their participation in 2007! We expect the fleet will double in size next year! The closing speech at Captain Oliver’s Yacht Club was met with a standing ovation. Everybody’s expectations had been exceeded and this was especially true for Tim O’Brien’s MYC team on “Jasmin”, the winning boat! Dirk-Jan Verdoorn’s “Statia Invitation Team” ended second after leading the standings for just a day. Their hopes were dashed when they failed to make the finish in light winds on the third day. Koen Kloosters team “Volvo” ended third. All are planning to return in 2007! Our thanks go out to our sponsors, without their support the success of Golden Rock Regatta would not have been possible.
Commander Frigate "Stephen W. Groves" gets Remembrance plaque.
17 November 2006, During a short ceremony onboard the US Destroyer "Stephen W. Groves" the Commander of the vessel was handed a plaque commemorating the 230th anniversary of the First Salute in the presence of the US Consul and a party of Island notables. A set of three plaques were commissioned by Juul Hermsen of the Golden Rock Regatta Foundation. One for the US Navy and with the two other copies going to H.M. Queen Beatrix and Statia Governor Hyden Gittens. Under the watchful eye of the "Stephen W. Groves", Tim O’Brien’s US team on “Jasmin” and Jan vanden Eynde & Son on “Soca” (the only St. Maarten entry and last year’s winner of the Statia First Salute Race), approach the finish.
Queen Beatrix beams on Statia
16 November 2006, While the Statia Day celebrations were taking place in Fort Orange, the Statia First Salute Race was being concluded below with an exiting battle between Tim O’Brien’s team on Jasmin and Jan vanden Eynde & Son on the Soca. Later that afternoon our sailors had the opportunity to see Her Majesty in relaxed atmosphere being entertained by the program put together by the Statian population. Around 17.00 hrs it was time for her to leave and she departed in a Navy Helicopter which took her to St. Maarten, some 30 miles distant. At. 18.00 hrs the prize-giving party got underway in the fort to the sounds of a live band. After the arrival of Governor Hyden Gittens, commissioner Hooker and Harbourmaster Murvin Gittens the actual prize-giving got underway and the winners received their Trophy’s and prizes. Our GRR sailors joined the locals celebrating Statia Day on the streets of “Oranjestad” late into the night to the music of local bands, concluding with a fireworks show from the battlements of Fort Orange. A Great day for Statia and a wonderful experience for the participants of the Golden Rock Regatta!
Strong Competition in top 3.
16 November 2006, On the Water the competition was strong. With Jasmin taking three of the four races plus the race home it seemed an uneven battle however after the second day they were trailing the Drimia with two points. The light winds on day three ended the Drimia’s chances when she failed to finish (Jasmin and Soca were the only ones who made the time limit!) The Sailors visibly enjoyed the competition and party together after each race. Since the regatta is still small a lot of socializing takes place under the various teams. One has more time to weigh the opposition and plan for the next day! At Captain Oliver’s Yacht Club, the Holland House Beach Hotel on St. Maarten, the Blue Bead on Statia, the Monkey Bar op St. Kitts, the streets of St. Barths and in Fort Orange on Statia. That’s were they gathered, sharing their passion for sailing. Sometimes mixing with the other teams and sometimes on their own. On the water they battled against the elements and each other and ashore they celebrated the good fortune of each others company and their time in the Caribbean! All wish to return next year and intend bringing more sailors in more boats! See you at the next edition of the Golden Rock Regatta.
Golden Rock Regatta coverd by "Island 92" Caribbean Radio.
14 November 2006, The Golden Rock Regatta was treated to daily interview by Island 92 with Bea Hootsmans, the PR representative of the GRR. An in-depth discussion of the regatta and it’s organizers and sponsors. Daily reports were given on the competing yachts and their crews. During one of the interviews Bea was given the opportunity to present our sponsors without whom we would not have a regatta. Before returning to Holland we met Willem and now have a face to put to the voice! The accompanying photo is of Bea in action. In the background the Sailing Channel media team can be seen filming the boats. Her attention here is focused on the interview with Island 92 and the thousands of listeners in the Caribbean.
Presidente joins the ranks as Sponsor for the Golden Rock Regatta.
11 November 2006, It did not take much convincing. Presidente joined the Golden Rock Regatta as one of it's Sponsors. We would like to thank them for their support.