26th Annual Heineken Regatta A more motley crew had not been assembled for a sail since sailors were impressed into service. Sixteen, mostly strangers, gathered on the island of St. Maarten last March (March 3rd to the 5th) for the 26th annual Heineken Regatta. All but three, paying crew buying a ride aboard Avocation, a newly campaigned Swan 48 in the Caribbean for her first full season. Hailing from such diverse ports as Waterloo, Iowa (John Pedersen), Louisville, Kentucky (Mark Isaacs), Telluride, Colorado (Dave Pedersen), Bristol, Indiana (George Bucklen), and Greentown, Pennsylvania (Erik Sonsteby), for many this would be their first time racing or sailing on a big boat in a big fleet. Two Canadian lake sailors and a German diplomat working at the UN made our crew roster, at least on paper, resemble those of our semi-pro competitors. However aboard Avocation, not one crewmember was under 47 years old including bowman (Curtis Sanders) and grinders (Mike Bosela and Bernie Nagle). The pre-race crew meeting, after only one day of practice on the water, emphasized grade school team spirit, and Olympic zeal for simply participating. The pre-race pep talk given by Mark Washeim of Doyle Sails aimed at mid fleet respectability. However, a 2nd place finish on the first day in the 33 mile around the Island Race, got everyone excited about a podium finish. Day two saw Captain Hank Schmitt dumping 300 ft of anchor chain at the dock and making sure all the water tanks were empty. Despite the pre race training regimen instilled by Pitman Don Carver “We have undertaken a strict training regime - The only beer we are drinking is Heineken and lifting weights..... The garbage bags with the green bottles are quite heavy.” This crew was getting serious about winning. Day two, had three races, with two being more challenging and crew dependent windward-leeward courses. Good starts and upwind tactics masked the hourglass spinnaker sets and tangled halyard on the leader board. We finished with a 2-3-2-3 record between another Swan 48 Affinity (1st place) and a Baltic 52 Kin-Ship, with Don Street aboard. The last day of racing saw the first cancelled day of racing in the 26 years of the Regatta due to lack of wind. That the race committee still got 4 races in for the spinnaker divisions (but only two for the charter fleets) was a testament to their foresight and experience. Although legendary for the parties, this group spent more time at the chiropractic office and sipping wine at crew quarters beachside than getting to know the bartenders and Heineken girls. But as you can tell by the picture everyone showed up for the 2nd Place Podium Finish For armchair sailors everywhere who think they cannot compete, this quote from mainsail trimmer Mark Isaacs e-mailed after the race says it best. “I have been floating on air since returning from St. Maarten. I am in disbelief that I was part of a team that placed second in our division of 16 boats! The notion that I would be an accomplished athlete written about in our local newspaper is also cause for disbelief, but it ain't braggin' if it's true! As we practiced together for the first time as a team, I got a little misty-eyed and emotional at realizing that I could have gone my whole life without experiencing the joy of racing in a Caribbean regatta like this.” 1-800-4-PASSAGe Home | Membership | Message Board | About OPO | Upcoming Rallies | Contact Us