Racers Get Ideal Conditions for 2026 Hoedemaker Dinghy Regatta
Sint Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC) — With bright Caribbean sunshine and near perfect breeze, dinghy sailors took to the waters of Simpson Bay Lagoon on Saturday, March 21, for the 2026 Hoedemaker Dinghy Regatta. The forecasted 13 to 17 knot southeasterly breeze allowed Race Officer Joris Zweers and his crew of volunteers to run four races before the noon cutoff time.
Part of SMYC’s Grant Thornton Dinghy Season Championship, the competition was fun to watch in the ILCA, Optimist, Optimist Green, and RS Zest fleets. The start/finish line was set up near the Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge and racers had to navigate upwind and downwind through several anchored cruising sailboats.
In a somewhat shifting wind, getting a good start was a key for finding success, as was picking your lanes on the upwind legs. Showing lots of progress in this fourth race of the series, the racers’ skills were on full display and the competition was tight.
In the hotly contested ILCA Fleet, Merlin Guerrier took third place, Clement Le Normand grabbed second place, and taking the overall win was Massimo Lapierre.
The younger sailors in the Optimist Green Fleet delivered their own share of excitement. Louisa Vanden Eynde came in third place, Magnus Cross held on for second, and J’Amari de Groote took home the top prize in first place.
In the Optimist Fleet, Axel took third place, Adam came in second place, and Nathan Sheppard stood atop the podium in first place.
Six RS Zests came out for the regatta and it was Ekamjot Jabbal Singh and Luke Little in third place, Hunter Radican and Stefan Correa Sanchez in second place, and Achillle and Samuel taking first place.
“Overall, the day went very well. It was beautiful out there with great conditions. I’m happy that we were able to get four races finished before noon,” said SMYC Race Officer and sailing coach Zoris Zweers.
The 2026 Hoedemaker Dinghy Regatta was a success, and we look forward to more events in the future. Next up on the schedule is the Bus Dinghy Regatta on April 11, 2026. For more information and full results visit: https://smyc.com/dinghy-season-championship/
