Hey!

Another HEINEKEN REGATTA and an excuse to get back to SXM for Michele and I.

We used our floating week at SUMMIT RESORT and ditched the first 2 nights while adding 2 at the end. This move allowed FF tickets from AA through MIA to be viable. The recession hits deep and SUMMIT is an option for adequate accommodations at a low price. Our room was recently refurbished and provided a great view of the lagoon. It was QUIET….TOO QUIET and we slept, showered and ate there a bit choosing to socialize elsewhere.

DEEP BLEU has taken over the bar/restaurant lease at SUMMIT and are a work in progress upstairs while downstairs at their restaurant/dock business as usual is in full swing. We met Michelle and Tracey of DEEP BLEU who seemed to be very busy with the Water Taxi portion of their enterprise. I’m sure we all will hear more from them later as they finish their refurb tasks at the SUMMIT deck venue.

During our stay we met with Chloe and Thierry, recently returned from BALI. Thierry was in his usual good mood and Chloe was looking forward to returning to the Carolinas to be with some of her family. This is not the best time to find opportunities on Island with multi conflicts including Immigration and a down turning economy. Decent jobs are scarce and pay is low, so reinventing yourself is difficult and in their case seems definitely out of the question. I’m sure we will all see them back some day when they can return with a better financial base to start over.

As a result of my affiliation with Aviation News Journal in YVR and Express Digital ( Robbie Cijntje) in SXM, press credentials for HR-09 were obtained. This perk allowed following the Regatta sailing events on a 51 foot Sea Ray called TOP SECRET. Capt. Miles positioned the boat up front and close to the starts and the photo ops were great. Stage side at Port de Plaisance and Kim Sha was also a bonus and Percy Rankin and the Wailers were two of the events we caught.

Regatta was exceptional, high winds provided the action. HEINEKEN staged the 29th. event with the precision of a brain surgeon. Everything went off flawlessly and it’s a BIG job. Volunteers and the St. Martin Yacht Club worked to make HR-09 an event to be remembered by all.

Dining experiences were few this year…SUBWAY provided the food for the boats, Food Express our supplies for the room and friends staying at Royal Palm a home cooked meal to die for. One of our Penn. buddies, Peter, prepared a 4 course meal consisting of salad, gnocchi, various sauces, chicken pasta and a desert of triple chocolate dipped truffles. With the bands on Kim Sha playing in the background and antics from the various Facebook buds, dive shop folks and others we really had a blast. This was a launching spot for another night of fun on the Dutch side. Other great food was found at TOPPER’S by the Sea, TOPPER’S Simpson Bay, Pineapple Pete, ESPN ( part of Pete’s open until 6 a.m.) RIC’S PLACE and the SUGAR CANE CAFÉ at Atlantis Casino.

Got to give a paragraph to KARAKTER…location, ambiance, service, quality and everything in between…what a great idea! This has got to be one of the best places to spend a day relaxing. Michele spent 3 days enjoying the beach while I Heinekened. Very safe, good company, ice cold beer, plane action and more.

Other observations….DRIFTWOOD BOAT BAR, good service, still laid back. SSBG on South Maho….busy, didn’t go there, nor did many of our local friends and long timers. Food mediocre according to many and unfamiliar staff. Traffic..yeah..the bridge but what can you expect ? Crime…as always but a lot more Police presence and thousands at HR-09 were totally unaffected. Left the YARIS open, keys under the mat and windows cracked 3 inches as usual. PARADISE CAR RENTALS…$180.00 for the week plus insurance. AMIN is very reliable and respects past customers.

RED PIANO continues to be a magnet for those able to start partying after midnight. Service is great, entertainment exceptional and you never know who will turn up. The spot provides INSTANT COMPANY…everybody talks, introduces, meets, dances and mingles nightly. The club is a mix of young and old, locals and tourists and serves the coldest beer and best mixed drinks on the Island. NEVER a complaint about anything! Colin and Jason have created a business that’s powered by service and high quality. Bring energy ( even though you may need to power nap to get prepared) and stay the course..always a good time!

For us a vacation provides the opportunity to socialize. Regatta week this year brought together a host of friends, acquaintances, media buddies and cohorts both new and old. There was always something to do, and not enough time to do it…we packed multi positive experiences into a week. SXM can not be duplicated as a tourist destination if this is your objective. Thanks to everybody who shared their time with us another memorable week passed in the wink of an eye.

Pics are coming…


Denis and Michele

Denis, great report! Looking forward to the pictures!!!

Annie

no wonder I never got to see you! LOL
thanks for the report.
I didn't know you were such a V.I. P.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Thanks Den...from some of the pictures I saw...it looked like a good time had by all!!!

Thanks for the informative, upbeat report.
We were all anxiously awaiting to hear all the details of HR-09,
wishing we all could be there.
Sounds like a good time was had by all!

Hey MIKENTARA and all,

The weather for HR-09 was exceptional although high winds altered the course on some of the race days. On Saturday a few incidents at the start due to cruise ships, a demasting on Friday, a few minor collisions and a stanchion through the port aft gunwale of one boat I saw on the way in.

The entertainment was enjoyed by all. I'm into roots reggae and Percy has the voice to make the arm hair stand up when he does Marleyesgue numbers and Carib. stacatto rap . "Smile, you're in St. Maarten" was met with whoops at Port de Plaisance. I wish Percy played more venues and later into the night than he does but he's a perfect example of "Island time"











Orange Grove, the Netherlands based group with SXM roots rocked Kim Sha followed by the Wailers on Sunday night and into Monday morning. Listened to OG and was up front for The Wailers for about an hour when we exited for Piano. The feature act was somewhat underwhelming to most, and the crowd possibly weren't expecting the lead singer to a skinny white kid. They did a number of Marley numbers familiar to all and kept the crowd happy. A strong Latin influence dominated the other venues and again the audiences were pleased.

A bad turn of events for a Florida based bare boat team that were sailing a Beneteau 35.5 out of the MOORINGS at Oyster Pond. They got beat up by the breakers on the way to port through the channel and control became impossible when the engine cut out. You may have read they ran aground but they didn't. A series of breaking waves caused the problems that eventually found them on the reef. We spent time with them yesterday on the trip from SXM to MIA and they were shaken up, bruised and a broken wrist on one of the gals. They were short minutes from being drowning victims.

Lost the names but I'll include a pic later.



Denis

I have to disagree with one comment about the food at Guy's Driftwood Bar! I don't know about the other items on the menu, but I ate many a shawarma while looking at the waves crash on Sunset Beach and definitely craved one again this time, but like you said, we were too busy to wander that way last week. Oh, and Heather was the other chef in the kitchen, that night at Royal Palm; must give credit where credit is due!

Hey Big Den ... while i looked around for you a bit at SSBG and Driftwood didn't get to meet up ya you .. Can't wait to see all your photos to see what we missed ... i found the SSBG to be kinda of a vanilla version of what it once was

Great, great, great report Denis! Thanks.

And I believe you were talking about SSB&G when you dissed the food, not Driftwood...is this correct?

Vicki

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

Hey Vicki!

Yes, and not dissing rather commenting, since I didn't eat there. Only bearing the views of others. All I can say is that it was hard to beat the previous fare. BTW, BUCCANEER has great ribs and burgers !

Denis

Hey!

Our meal at the BOATWRIGHT/LAKAH/SCALISE dinner party was a group effort and I'm sorry to say I forgot who did the honours. The pasta ( gnocchi) creator was Peter. The lovely Heather and sous chef Brigitte were abley assisted by Roger the sommelier.

Heather did the chicken pasta salad, mouth watering crab dip and an assortment of appetizers and salad.

They found me a can of cream of broccoli soup as it's my fave but I didn't partake because of lack of pepper.....

Gawd it was a great meal!

Denis

Thanks for the recommendation on the Burgers and Ribs at BBB. We'll have to try them on our next visit!

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

Denis - great trip report. Sounds fantastic. Will look for photos on facebook.

Denis - thank you for a very enjoyable read & for recognizing the efforts of those involved with the Regatta. As 1 of the shore based volunteers I have to say that special credit should go to the Water Taxi team this year. What an incredible job they did this year ferrying racers to & from Simpson Bay to the Yacht Club until 1am in the morning in truly nasty weather. Incidentally, it wasn't just the high winds that caused the courses to be altered so that racing finished in Simpson Bay instead of Marigot on Saturday; the wind direction (more Northerly than usual) & the huge swells meant that it would have been too dangerous for the boats to be anchored in Marina Fort Louis & to transport people safely ashore.

As for celebs, Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau (a nephew of Queen Beatrix & 10th in line) was racing.

I too look forward to your photos!

Hey Islandbound!

THANKS for the clarifications of the event changes. We used the water taxis on 3 occasions. The service was flawless...your folks got us out to the boats effortessly, and it was a bit choppy on Simpson Bay. Like I said, the whole experience was an example of groups working together to provide world wide attendees with an experience they won't soon forget...GOOD JOB !

Denis