Lagoon Round Robin Regatta Brings Tight Racing for Sun Fast 20 Competitors
Sint Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC) — After 10 successful years of the Lagoonies Regatta sponsored by Lagoonies Bistro and Bar, the Sint Maarten Yacht Club hosted the 11th edition of what is now the Lagoon Round Robin Regatta on Saturday, June 13, on Simpson Bay Lagoon.
Four Sun Fast 20s were used to complete the round robin with six teams competing. The way the format worked out was that nine races were sailed and each team completed six races while rotating boats in between contests.
A windward-leeward race course was set by the Causeway Bridge and races began at 9:30 am in wind conditions that gusted in the upper 20s and low 30s out of the east and were very shifty. The racing action between teams was very tight and competitive, and the rotations between races went smoothly. After five races, the results were extremely close as the teams headed in for a break and to have lunch at the SMYC Restaurant and Bar.
With everyone feeling refreshed, it was back out to the race course for the final four races of the day. The wind was every bit as strong and shifty throughout the afternoon and the one-design racing was true to form, very evenly matched and fun to watch as teams made their rotations. After race nine, it was time to call it a day around 3:00 pm and the boats scattered to their respective berths.
Prize giving was at 4:30 pm on the SMYC teaching deck and the results were very close. Team Elfenbien came in sixth place with 16 points, Team Maritime School took fifth place with 13 points, AS MDA nabbed fourth place with 11 points, Team Island Water World ended up in third place with 10 points, Spellbound took second place with 9 points, and Tropical Sail Loft took the top of the podium with 8 points. Only one point separated the top four teams—incredible racing!
SMYC would like to give a big thank you to Carib Marine for sponsoring the event. Also, we were happy to have former Lagoonies owner Olivia join us to hand out the trophies! On behalf of the entire Sint Maarten sailing community, we extend a well earned thanks of appreciation for what Olivia has done over the years in supporting this regatta and creating such a unique atmosphere for people to come enjoy food and drinks in Simpson Bay Lagoon. Also, we would like to thank all of the SMYC staff and volunteers who made this event possible and to all the racers who came out for a great day on the water. We’ll see you next year!
