St.Maarten Classic Yacht Regatta host Tall Ships
West Indies Events and the St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta Foundation announced today that a Tall Ship Day has been implemented in the fourth classic regatta which will be held during the third week of January in 2009.
'Tall Ship Caledonia'
www.classicregatta.com
Click Here to view large photo
The first Tall Ship has already registered for the event. It is the 245 ft (75.5 m) long Canadian build and based barquentine 'Caledonia'. She carries 1,579 square meters of sail, 31 guest cabins and 20 crew.
The St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta 2009 kicks off on Thursday January 22nd with a skippers briefing and official openings ceremony. Effective sailing starts the next day on Friday January 23rd from Simpson Bay to Marigot where the yachts will be complimentary hosted again at Fort Louis Marina.
Saturday will be the special Tall Ships Day when all classics and the Tall Ships will start out of the bay in Marigot and sail towards the finish line in Great Bay.
Organizers are planning to ask government and the St.Maarten Port Authorities permissions to dock the Tall Ships at the Pointe Blanche cruise ship pier so that passengers can disembark and an on board reception can be held after the regatta that day.
The idea is to keep the tall ships at the pier also on Sunday and to offer the general public the possibility to visit the ships on Sunday morning. New passengers will board the ship in the afternoon to go on cruise again that evening.
The company Canadian Sailing Expeditions, in cooperation with No Limits Charters n.v. offers the possibility to sail on board the Tall Ship Caledonia on a one week Island cruise departing from Philipsburg that includes the Tall Ships Day in the St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta 2009.
There is nothing like the feeling of a tall ship slicing the waves, tilting as its sails to catch the wind. Those majestic vessels are romantic and appeal to those who don't want the crowds found on floating resorts. A tall ship, like the Caledonia, provides intimacy, elegance and activity. The Caledonia is not the ship for those who require the myriad amenities offered by large cruise ships but it's perfect for the active, semi-active or gregarious traveler.
Having just completed a $9.5-million retrofit, it offers a boutique adventure that eschews the concept of 'making do.' The cabins and suites are well-appointed, have flat-screen TVs, and generous ensuite baths with plenty of hot water (forget notions of navy-style dry showers...) and the food is fabulous!
The regular classic yachts will set sail that Sunday morning for the last regatta day to Simpson Bay and finish there. Over 30 classic yachts are expected to participate in the 2009 regatta.
Additional and updated information is available in the web site www.ClassicRegatta.com
by St.Maarten Classic Yacht Regatta Media 
