Simpsonbay, St.Maarten -January 15th 2014- Organizers for the 2014 St.Maarten Heineken Regatta have confirmed that the main event will be preceded by the Gill Commodore’s Cup. Racers of a CSA monohull boats with a spinnaker rating can take advantage of this one day event and add an additional day of sailing to their agenda. The event, which consists of Windward-Leeward races, takes place on March 6th 2014 in the waters just off the coast of the picturesque island of St.Maarten.
Teams can hone their boat handling skills and fine tune their teamwork while enjoying challenging races in well chosen classes. The Caribbean, known for its steady breeze and crystal clear waters, offers a perfect backdrop for this fun race. Regatta Director, Michele Korteweg stated “Over the years the Gill Commodore’s Cup has become known as a warm up race for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. However it’s a standalone event, scored separately, which offers very competitive racing, challenging the participants to show off their skills during multiple races. Depending on the weather conditions the Race Committee can easily fit in 3 races. We are very pleased to have Gill as the title sponsor for this event again. Gill also produces a great clothing line specifically for warm climates, so ideal for Caribbean racing, which makes it a great fit. ”
Photo by Bob Grieser
Gill is celebrating its 5th year as title sponsor of this event. Since its inception it has maintained a steady list of entries over the years. The race committee is pleased with the continued turnout for this warm up race, and with fifteen boats already registered, it looks like this year’s Cup may boast record numbers. Several of last year’s racers have already registered like Kick’em Jenny 2 and Jaime Torres Smile and Wave, two of the nine Melges entries of 2013.
This year Gill has made a significant change to the overall performance trophy, taking it to the next level by offering the winning team, up to a crew of 15, Gill technical shirts which they can choose to have branded with their boat name after the event. Gill’s ultra-technical marine clothing is perfect for sailors that are racing in the warm tropical weather.
In addition to maintaining the title sponsorship of the Commodore’s Cup, Gill is also the technical clothing line sponsor of the weekends main event, the 34th St.Maarten Heineken Regatta. Their innovative range of sailing gear is available at all regatta party locations as well as at their local on-island distributor Budget Marine. Regatta participants and visitors can find great branded technical gear to suit their sailing needs from shirts to jackets and everything in between. Gill offers the highest quality sailing wear that works well both on and off the water.
President of Gill North America, David Pritchard highlighted that “The Gill Cup involvement led to the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta technical opportunity which we are very thankful for now. Our local dealer Budget Marine and the sailors are the real benefactors. Overall the regatta platform draws attention to the Gill brand and our warm water / warm air technical clothing offerings.”
Interested sailors can visit the regatta website at www.heinekenregatta.com and register for both the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta and the Gill Commodore’s Cup. The Notice of Race for both events is now available online while Courses and Sailing Instructions will be available closer to the time of the event. Entry fee for this one day event is a flat fee of $65 US Dollars and can be paid at registration on Wednesday, March 5th 2014 or online via the secure online payment form. Should your boat need to be measured by a CSA measurer visit www.caribbean-sailing.com for a list of measurers nearest you.
Gill North America
Gill NA, with headquarters near Atlanta, GA is the exclusive importer and distributor of Gill-brand foul weather gear in North America including Caribbean, US and Canada. Gill is a worldwide apparel and accessories brand serving the marine industry with over three decades of experience. Gill specializes in high tech, breathable waterproof clothing. The company develops and markets a variety of performance-oriented, award-winning apparel and accessories for virtually every type of boating activity with product lines that include foul weather gear; interactive layering systems; footwear; gloves; bags; junior gear; scholastic gear and team wear.
Gill products are available through hundreds of independent dealers and select West Marine Stores.
For further information, images and samples, please contact:
Gary Barker at Gill NA Tel: (941) 505-2111
e-mail: gary.barker@gillna.com website: www.gillna.com
St.Maarten Heineken Regatta
For over three decades, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has showcased the top boats and sailing-and has become equally famous for its world-class slate of parties and musical entertainment-in the Caribbean. Now recognized by sailors around the planet as one of the sailing world’s best regattas, each year the event lives up to its worthy motto: Serious Fun.
For full information on the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, including results, photos, videos, party and band information, and much, much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.
St.Maarten Heineken Regatta Office The Sint Maarten Yacht Club Welfare Road 90, Simpson Bay, St. Maarten
T: +1 (721) 5442079 Email: regatta@heinekenregatta.com
