Good Luck and Success to the Sailors in Canada!

Budget Marine Curacao said goodbye to brother and sister Jarink and Milou Bijlsterbosch at the Asiento Harbour. Together with eight other children from the Netherlands Antilles they left for Kingston, Canada, to participate in the Optinam 2010, which is held from June 26 to July 3.

 

The OPTINAM stands for North American Optimist Championship. In 110 countries there are 150,000 children up to the age of 15 are sailing in this popular small one-man sailing boats. Many Olympic sailing champions started in the Optimist. Jarink and Milou have been supplied with the latest life vests from Gill and have received a financial contribution to purchase new sails on the spot.

During the competition an average of 3 to 4 races are sailed each day. A full program for Jarink, Milou and the other Antillean participants.

Budget Marine/Gill end successful season with podium place in Barbados 

A happy if slightly bemused Budget Marine/Gill sailing team returned to St. Maarten earlier this week having wrapped up a successful season with yet another podium place, this time in the Mount Gay Rum Boatyard Regatta in Barbados.

Sailing a Melges 24 chartered for them by the Government of Barbados, the team, Christopher Marshall, Andrea Scarabelli (skipper), Derek Little and Rene Edwards came within a halyards breadth of  winning the regatta, however, a mix-up on the final day meant they had to make do with second place overall.

“Unfortunately things fell apart a little after we were protested for hitting a mark, which we didn’t hit,” said Marshall. “In the ensuing confusion we decided to do a 360 to be safe which was a disaster. We still came in second overall but I guess the pressure of being so far ahead go to us.”

The boat sailed by the team had not been used in over a year. “It was a big achievement to arrive in Barbados, put the boat together, then learn to sail with four crew members instead of our usual five, and still beat some of the best guys in the Caribbean. One thing we now know for sure is that we can beat them all,” Marshall said.

The Mount Gay Rum Boatyard Regatta brought down the curtain on a successful 2009/2010 season for the Budget Marine/Gill Team. As a crew they took part in ten major events, winning five and scoring three podium places.

FUN MILES and BUDGET MARINE CURACAO

Budget Marine Curacao and Fun Miles have joined forces this past month. You may have heard the radio ads or  seen the advertisment in the Curacao local paper. Customers who purchase at the Curacao Budget Marine Location get one Fun Mile for free with every ANG 2.50 spent. This location has the exclusivity of being the only one in the Chandlery Market.

Customers will privately gain from this union by getting the Fun Miles on their own personal account. As this is the introduction you can get double the Fun Miles until May 15 and also enter for a chance to win a Kayak. Call or visit the Budget Marine location for more details.

New Budget Marine Perpetual Trophy for Female Sailors at
Grenada Sailing Festival 2010

Budget Marine Grenada, a long standing sponsor of the Grenada Sailing Festival, will be extending its involvement in the annual event by initiating and presenting a new Perpetual Trophy at the next Festival, to be staged from Friday 29 January to Tuesday 2 February 2010.

 The Budget Marine Trophy will be awarded to the most outstanding female sailor participating in the Grenada Sailing Festival Port Louis Racing Series, four days of international yacht racing based out of the Festival’s Home Port – Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. Nicholas George, Manager of Budget Marine Grenada, explained: “The Company has long been a great supporter of the promotion and recognition of talented female sailors, and we are very pleased to bring this to the Grenada Sailing Festival. The aim of the Budget Marine Perpetual Trophy is to acknowledge and encourage sailing talent, spirit and ambition in our many female sailors, and will not necessarily go to the one over the Finish Line first.”

 The Trophy is a beautifully crafted wall-mounted Chronometer, which will be displayed permanently in the Budget Marine Grenada Store in True Blue. Each year the winner’s name will be added to an engraved plaque under the Chronometer, and a picture of the presentation featured in a Grenada Sailing Festival Photo Gallery also in the Store.

For the first time the 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival will offer not one, but two week-ends of great sailing action. The organisers plan to take the ever popular event to a new level, and expand and grow both elements that make the Festival such a success – the international yacht racing and the traditional work boat regatta. By staging the sailing over two week-ends , the Festival will provide more interesting and challenging racing for all participating sailors; more chances to share and exchange different sailing experiences and more fun and entertainment for supporters and visitors.

For more details on the Grenada Sailing Festival, visit  www.grenadasailingfestival.com

Budget Marine Challenge 2009

On Sunday June 15th the yearly Budget Marine Challenge took place in Curacao. Budget Marine Curacao invested in long sleeve shirts for all crewmembers and that was a great success. The shirts were very much appreciated and even now weeks after the race the shirts are often used for the weekend sailing. The weather was absolutely beautiful. A calm sea, winds around 15 to 18 knots. The perfect sailing weather for Curacao. Normally around this time of the year the sea can be pretty rough. 

  

We had 50% more yachts in the race than last year. I remember last year’s race was a tough one with very high waves and lots of wind. A great and successful day also thanks all the staff who helped to make this day into a success.

Budget Marine Group hosts Boatyard Seminar – June 8 & 9, 2009

The Budget Marine Group will be hosting a Boatyard Seminar in June at which all major boatyard managers have been invited. The seminar takes place at the Group Offices in Sint Maarten. The seminar will hear presenters from major boatyard product suppliers and will report on latest developments in their area. West System will be represented as will the Prop Speed, Epifanes, 3M and Nidacore product lines. The seminar will also provide an opportunity for boatyard managers to network and share views on operating boatyards in the Caribbean.

Budget Marine believes that the economic recession is going to create great opportunities in the refit business as older boats are kept "alive" for longer. Budget Marine believes that the passion for boating is far from disappearing and the result of this the potential for boatyards will grow. This means that better training for product use and greater productivity is an ideal subject to focus on at this time.

Budget Marine Race Day in Trinidad - May 3, 2009

This Budget Marine Race Day at the Trinidad and Tobago Sailing Association was hailed as “the best race day of the season” and Budget Marine Trinidad Manager, Risa Hall Lequay, with strong support from her staff team, went all out to make it so. 
 
The day started like a wet squib, but ended with a bang. Soaking rain and minimal visibility delayed the race for 25 minutes and a number of boats were late at the start, as they lost sight of the committee boat flag signals. But the sky steadily cleared as boats close hauled up to the windward mark and wind strengthened to provide ideal racing conditions.

In the Racing Class, comprising four Melges with the same design and handicap, winner was Drunken Monkeys (skipper Paul Amon), who, after some close dueling, beat 2nd placed Mojo by 43 seconds on corrected time, with Wasabi taking 3rd place. In Cruising Class I after a late start, Nirvana managed to catch up and take 2nd place, beating Sea Wyf into 3rd place. Winner was Jahaji Bhai (skipper James Arrindell). Sailing conditions suited this J24 well and with a new set of sails and competent crew work they were able to stay ahead of a number of bigger boats. In Cruising Class II BMobile Enzyme (skipper Paul Solomon) was 1st across the line by a good margin and also 1st on handicap. 2nd placed Wajang had good boat speed around the course and 3rd was Jaguar, largest boat in the fleet, whose foredeck crew were particularly pleased with their new carbon boom.
 
At prize-giving, skipper's packs with Budget Marine caps, t-shirts and koozies to keep one’s drink cold were presented to every participating boat and quality chandlery products were given to the top 3 in each class. Music and plentiful refreshments, including Trini's favourite snack, “doubles”, warmed the wet sailors up, providing a satisfying the end to this successful day's racing.

Prizes Awarded Across Fleet As Racing Concludes In 2009 Antigua Sailing Week

On the seventh day, they rested. A wild, windy and memorable week of racing is over. The Dufour 385, KH+P Sun King, chartered to Hans-Robert Nitsche, topped the 12-boat Bareboat Gold fleet to earn the honor as best overall bareboat charter boat in the 2009 edition of Antigua Sailing Week. The Dufour 40, Fantasque, chartered to Rolf Jacob, and another Dufour 385, KH+P Clarabella—an all-women team skippered by Mareike Guhr—finished second and third, respectively, to round out the podium finishers.

Among those winners were the Club Swan 42, Interlodge, and the Swan 53, Dragon Fly Plus, as the Best Swans in Division A and B. The Best Caribbean Yachts were the Grand Soleil 43, Curacao Marine, and the First 456, Hugo B, which was also named Best Antigua Yacht in Division B. The Division A honor as top Antiguan yacht went to the Mumm 36, Café Americano.

The recipient of the Fletcher Trophy as Best British Yacht went to the TP 52, Rio, which was also the overall winner of Antigua Sailing Week in 2009. The Best American Yacht was the Beneteau First 40.7, Elandra, while the Best German Yacht was a charter boat, the Dufour 455, KH+P Sea You Later, which also earned the Holtmann Cup given to the Best Yacht Sailed by Women. The Mollihawk Trophy given to the Best Classic Yacht went to the S&S-designed Swan 43, Pavlova II.

For complete information, news, photographs, video, entry lists and much more, visit the Antigua Sailing Week website at www.sailingweek.com.

International Rolex Regatta: Fans Play a Part, Too

St. Thomas, USVI (March 23, 2009) -- With less than a week to go, St. Thomas Yacht Club is applying finishing touches before the kickoff of the 36th annual International Rolex Regatta on Friday, March 27.

The three-day regatta includes professionally run racing in a spectacular Caribbean setting along with memorable regatta parties for local and visiting teams from the U.S. and Europe. The event also has plenty of fan-friendly offerings. For starters, the public is encouraged to participate in a special regatta celebration at Yacht Haven Grande on Saturday night from 7-11 p.m. Carnival flair is expected when The Spectrum Band, one of St. Thomas's most popular reggae bands, performs three shows at center stage in the mega yacht marina complex.

Racers and race fans can check out the website at www.rolexcupregatta.com to view a full schedule of events. Live results by yachtscoring.com will be posted nightly with race reports and photos. Daily video coverage will be available for free on-demand viewing at www.t2p.tv or by clicking on the TV icon on the regatta web site.
 

A Master Conducts A Clinic: Peter Holmberg Dominates Field To Win Inaugural Budget Marine Match Racing Cup

St. Maarten, N.A. (March 3, 2009) - Olympic medalist. America's Cup winner. World match-racing champion. U.S. Virgin Islands native Peter Holmberg has carved out a well-earned reputation as one of the world's top, most versatile sailors. And today, in a dominating performance, he added yet another title to his resume when he defeated English skipper Marc Fitzgerald in a straight-set, 3-0 victory, to win the finals of the inaugural Budget Marine Match Racing Cup.

In doing so, Holmberg and his crew of fellow Virgin Islanders, Ben Beer and Maurice Kurg, took home the $5,000 first-place check in the kick-off to this year's slate of events leading up to the 29th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Fitzgerald, the skipper of Sir Peter Harrison's Farr 115, Sojana, earned the $3,000 prize for second. And in the Petite Final, Russian match-racer Eugeny Nikiforov cashed the $1,000 third-place purse after dispatching American sailor Antony Hussey, who finished fourth in the six-crew field.

"Match racing's a great spectator sport, it adds a little spice to everything," said Holmberg. "It was the first year for this event and I think they did a good job. They attracted a nice little field and I was happy to come here and help them get started with it."

"Peter is just a tremendous sailor and a fantastic match racer," said Fitzgerald, a late entry to the event whose crew included tactician Karl James, a two-time Olympian from Antigua. "It's fantastic to sail against someone of that caliber. I'm hugely impressed he came here to help get the series off the ground."

Along with the top four teams that advanced to the respective finals, the fleet included two up-and-coming skippers, young Jamie Haines from the U.S. and Brazilian Francisco Bulhoes. "I think those youngsters are pretty darn good," said Robbie Ferron of Budget Marine, the Caribbean-wide chandlery that sponsored the event. "I think they know that. We had some great sailors out there today. The trouble is, one of them, Peter Holmberg, is that much greater than the others." Holmberg's lone loss in the five-flight round robin that determined the finalists was in a tight race with Fitzgerald in the second race of the day. It wasn't a matter of deficient tactics or boat speed, however; Holmberg and his team were forced to withdraw after their Jeanneau 20 was dismasted on the second windward leg. "After we cleaned everything up we found a cotter pin on deck so I think the leeward shrouds came loose before we tacked," he said.

"I just told the fellas, 'For the rest of our lives we can say we beat Peter Holmberg in a match race,'" laughed Fitzgerald. "We just don't need to discuss the details." Holmberg and Fitzgerald advanced to the finals with identical 4-1 scores in the round robin.

Good boat handling paid a premium in the early racing, conducted in 16-18 knots of puffy breeze aboard the 20-foot one-designs in the protected waters of Simpson Bay. For the afternoon series of final races, the wind moderated to a more manageable 10-12 knots.

"Good stuff in the morning," said Holmberg. "It was very settled and heavy air so you had to figure out how to go fast in that breeze with these boats. So that was a challenge for the crews. In the afternoon a couple of squalls came through and the breeze dropped so it got pretty tricky. So you had to balance it out between covering your opponent and sailing to the next puff."

Holmberg also sang the praises of his team and their spotless crew work throughout the event. "I've sailed with Maurice for years, I think he was with me in my first match-racing event some 10 or 15 years ago," he said. "And Ben is very handy and very smart. So I've got a lot of confidence in them. If we had a close race I thought our guys could muscle our way through."

Before the racing began, Budget Marine's Ferron said the new match-racing series would be "a great experiment." Afterwards, he deemed the experiment a success.

"Match racing is here to stay," he said. "We all know it's going to get bigger. The question is how. This was a great start and I'm very satisfied. I'm committed to make sure something evolves to continue what we've started."

Holmberg seconded those thoughts. "My personal dream is to see more match-racing here in the Caribbean," he said. "We started one in the Virgin Islands this year, and now Budget Marine has successfully run this event. I think we'll learn what we did from this year and make some improvements for next year. I'd be happy to help them to see if we can grow it some more."

In the shorter term, however, Holmberg had to figure out what to do with his prize winnings. "I'm going to split it with my crew, like always," he said, smiling. "And then we'll enjoy some Heinekens this week in St. Maarten."

For full information on Budget Marine Match Racing, the IGY Commodore's Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.
 

Carriacou Regatta Festival July 26 – August 6

The Carriacou Regatta began in 1965 as a local boat race using the traditional fishing workboats, to continue the indigenous art of Boat Building handed down by Irish and Scottish Ancestors. Since that time, it has evolved into a major Caribbean event, held over the Emancipation holiday weekend, with keen competition among sailors from many of the neighbouring islands - Grenada, Tobago, Martinique, Antigua and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Visitors and locals alike admire the skill and captaincy of some of the region's boatmen, as they jostle for supremacy in the different classes of boats, ranging from 14 to 35 feet in length. In 2009, the Carriacou Regatta Festival celebrates its 44th Anniversary from July 26 to August 3 to 6, with festival highlights including numerous cultural and sporting events. The Carriacou Regata Festival invites you to experience a true Caribbean traditional festival. Visit the Official Regatta website, www.cariacouregatta.com, for more information about the events and activities.

Budget Marine Valentine’s Regatta

February 2009 Jolly Harbour, Antigua - The Budget Marine Valentine’s Regatta, organized by the Jolly Harbor Yacht Club, consisted of two days of sailing in the Five Islands Harbor adjacent to Jolly Harbor with a fifteen-boat fleet, was a truly outstanding event where passionate sailors enjoyed bracing conditions on the water and great parties ashore. Winds were always stiff and above twelve knots but never got exceptionally strong.

The racing class was dominated by Jamie Dobb’s “Lost Horizons” (J122) sailed by a top-notch crew that made few mistakes. An indomitable Bernie Evans Wong followed him around the course at a fairly consistent distance to take second. The crew of Likkle Hugo went home when they decided they could not win the event like they had last year. The third place went to Paul Hoj Jensen and Sven Harder in the Dragon “Compass Point”.

The most competitive class was the Racer Cruiser class where Jerry Bardoe (Contention 33, Encore) managed to squeeze ahead of Tanner Jones’s (J30) Blue Peter by one point. A tough battle between BIWI Magic and Augustine ended with equal point with the tie of 18 points each going in favor of Biwi Magic (Geoffrey Pidduck).

The spirit of this regatta was best captured by the Cruising Class, in which a mixed group of passionate sailors drive a variety of boats around the course with great spirit and old sails. Coming out on top was Colin Jones sailing a Columbia 34 with great skill. David Milner sailed his Van der Stadt 30 into second place and Charles Kenlock took third place with the British Folkboat “May”. Winners of the Racer Cruiser and Cruising classes both received $1,000 in Micron 66 sponsored by Interlux.

Participants were pleased to welcome Jean Michel Marizou from Guadeloupe and a large crew who were pleased to escape the strike conditions on that island. The rest of the participants were Antigua residents in some form. The race officer Stephen Parry flew in from the UK to once again officiate this event. Additional prizes were Osculati binoculars, Leatherman Skeletools and Xantrex inverters, all available at Budget Marine.

The 16th edition of this event (the first was in 1993) continued a tradition of great regattas held in the flat waters and a great spirit of sportsmanship. The event is sponsored by Budget Marine whose oldest “branch” is in Jolly Harbour Antigua where they have served the growing yachting population since Jolly Harbour first opened up. Budget Marine is the Caribbean’s leading chandlery and has been operating in the Caribbean since 1982, and has 9 locations throughout the Caribbean, Antigua, Bonaire, Curacao, Grenada, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas & Trinidad.

2009 BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival is a "Must Do" Regatta March 30 -April 5

Every year, well before registration closes for the BVI Spring Regatta, people ask, "How many boats are registered?" and every year, organizers reply something to the effect that the final registration numbers are hard to predict. This year is no different, but with the economy being in the toilet and the event looming only seven weeks away, the question seems more relevant than ever.

Robert Armstong, a seasoned racer and a long time participant of the BVI Spring Regatta, is once again coming from St. Croix with his J/100. Fresh from winning the PHRF division at Key West Acura Race Week for the second year in a row, when asked why BVI Spring Regatta was on his dance card he wrote, "I'd just tell you that when I was working on my '09 budget racing in the BVI Spring Regatta went into the column headed 'necessities'.

Rumor has it that a number of Gun Boats will also be gracing the BVI for the regatta. This class is billed as high performance racing catamarans with all the creature comforts of home. Utilizing high tech materials and techniques such as honeycombed Nomex and core cell cores, carbon and Kevlar skins, and all post cured SP Epoxies, Gunboats are engineered to be as light and as strong as possible.

With the event beginning March 30, organizers are making all the final preparations. Regardless of economic conditions, due to the great hospitality of the BVI, wonderful Caribbean conditions, excellent race management and two incredible venues, the Bitter End Yacht Club and the Nanny Cay Resort and Marina, the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival is on the "must do" list for many sailors world wide. www.bvispringregatta.org
 

First Grenada Sailing Festival Dinghy Championship Takes to the Water

January 26, 2009 - The combination of excellent wind conditions and a very good attendance made the first Grenada Sailing Festival Dinghy Championship a great success. Visitors and Grenadians on Grand Anse Beach last Saturday were treated to an added bonus, as they watched the 17 keen young sailors enjoy an afternoon of competitive racing.

There were some thrills and spills, but the supervision from the safety boat, provided to the Youth Sailing Program by the Four Seasons Hotel Group, and the Committee Boat, from Budget Marine, Grenada, plus technical assistance on shore from James Benoit of the Grenada Yacht Club, ensured that the day ran smoothly and all the young sailors attending had some great racing.

The youngsters are all members of the Youth Sailing Program run by the Grenada Yacht Club, supported by the Grenada Sailing Association, and with the long-term support of Budget Marine, Grenada, also a Festival sponsor. There were classes for both Optimist and Mosquito dinghies for the younger sailors, with the youngest competitor only 9 years old. The faster Laser dinghies were also out on the water, being raced by the older, more experienced sailors, and showing the youngsters what they have to look forward to in sailing as they get older.

Crew T-shirts and much sought after sailing gloves were generously contributed by Budget Marine, Grenada, and at the end of the event, after enjoying a well-deserved supper, each competitor was presented with a Championship Certificate from the Grenada Sailing Festival. The event was organised as a run-up to the annual Grenada Sailing Festival and all participating sailors have been invited to come to the final afternoon prize presentation of the Digicel Work Boat Regatta on Sunday 1 February, on Grand Anse Beach, when the winners of each class: Nicholas Cherman in the Mosquitos; Kenzo Szyjan in the Optimists and Kevin Banfield in the Lasers, will be presented with Trophies.

By starting this new Dinghy Sailing Championship, Festival organisers aim to increase the calendar of sailing events for young sailors. It is planned that all events and Regattas in which they take part will contribute to finding a Junior Dinghy Sailing Champion for 2009, to be announced at the end of the year. This will also be a useful aid to the sailing coaches when picking teams to participate in Regional regattas, and hopefully, in the future, International events. The next date has already been set for the young sailors to compete again in a Dinghy Race Day on 1st March, as part of the South Grenada Regatta to be held at Le Phare Bleu Marina in Petite Calivigny Bay.

The organisers would like to thank again Nicholas George and Budget Marine Grenada; Richard Szyjan of Turbulence Grenada; Mark Stout and Jacqui Pascal from the Grenada Sailing Association for dedicating their time and support, and to Digicel for providing the event’s base tent on the beach.

The 2009 Grenada Sailing Festival is presented by Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons, in association with the Grenada Board of Tourism, and will be run from Friday 30 January to Tuesday 3 February. The Festival, based for the first time this year in its new Home Port at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, will be four days of International yacht racing, together with the traditional two-day fete of sailing, music and fun at the Digicel Work Boat Regatta off Grand Anse Beach. The organisers would also like to thank sponsors True Blue Bay, plus Captains’ Club Members for 2009: British Airways; Colombian Emeralds; Mount Gay Rum; Heineken; North South Wines; ScotiaBank and United Insurance; and Crew Club Members: Budget Marine; Boval; Island Dreams Yacht Services; TSL Grenada Ltd.; 809 Design and COT Media group. Thanks also go to new 2009 Party Venues Le Phare Bleu and The Aquarium, plus long term supporters Coca Cola; Glenelg Spring Water; Horizon Yacht Charters and Deyna’s.

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