CYGNETTE WINS CRUISING RACING FLEET AT 17th
ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA

Philipsburg, ST. MAARTEN (Monday, March 10, 1997) - Bill Mayer's Swan 441 CYGNETTE was confirmed today as the overall winner of the Cruising Racing Main Class in the 17th St. Martin/St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. CYGNETTE competes with a complete inventory of Banks Checkmate kevlar mainsails and genoas, and Series 2000 spinnakers.

CYGNETTE, helmed by Banks Sails USA president Steve Benjamin, sailed to conservative second place finishes in all three races for a total score of 6.00 points. MERMAID, a Beneteau First 51 with Shoal Keel, placed a very close second overall with finishes of 1-1-5 and a total score of 6.50 points. Third overall was IWW EXPRESS, Ian Martin's very fast Lauranos 48' that won the last race; that victory combined with her 5-4 in the first two races for a total of 9.75 points. The Swan 51 SPLASH TANGO and the Baltic 43 MUTINY rounded out the top five with 11.00 and 18.00 points respectively, while the Nelson Marek 45 DEVASTATOR finished sixth with 20.00 points.

The three races in the Heineken Regatta, one of the most popular events in the Caribbean circuit that now boasts over 220 competitors, are all point to point type contests of approximately 20, 25, and 30 miles long. St. Maarten is graced by strong Northeast tradewinds during early March. This year the winds have been particularly heavy. These gusty winds shift predictably in geographic patterns around the Island, while strong currents and challenging navigation kept the racing exciting and close at all times. CYGNETTE's navigators Heidi Benjamin and Greg Sloat ably assisted tactician Kevin Burnham during the excellent weekend of sailing.

For the first race start in Great Bay off of Philipsburg (on the Dutch side of the Island) the leeward end of the starting line was very favored. CYGNETTE took the pin start and almost lead at the first mark after picking up a favorable left shift from the harbor. However, the windward mark was laid in the lee of the steep hill behind Wathey Pier and the wind is extremely shifty in this area. CYGNETTE was forced to tack to starboard as IWW EXPRESS passed astern and shot head to wind in the foul current to barely round the mark. The port tack tight reach from mark 1 to mark 2 off Proselyte Reef is always tight and it is difficult to carry a symmetrical spinnaker. But in Friday's first race the 20 knot winds were backed enough to make the spinnaker carry possible and the boats that set immediately made large gains.

The third leg was a starboard reach into Simpson Bay off Juliana International Airport. Again, the spinnaker carry was difficult especially in the backed puffy winds nearer the Island which rolled down off the mountainous terrain. Most of the fleet shifted to genoas to approach the large green "Heineken" marker buoy set deep within the Bay. A quick jibe to port with spinnaker was required at the mark to pass Beacon Hill Point, and an equally quick jibe back onto starboard as soon as the reefs were safely observed was ideal.

The next rounding mark 5 was set off Pointe du Canonnier, which is the Westernmost point on Island, in the French side, which is known as St. Martin. At this buoy the fleet changed from spinnakers to genoas and began a starboard reach to mark 6, which was essentially the leeward mark of the race. From here a long beat began to mark 8 which was set Northeast of Crowl Rock in the Baie des Froussards. Since this beat in the Anguilla Channel is against a foul current, which always flows Southwest with the wind, it usually pays to either sail starboard to the shelter of the Anguilla shoreline, or on port into St. Martin. The latter is generally better as the winds gust and veer out of the large Baie de Marigot, and all the other Bays along the Northern French side coast, until Bell Hill where sudden backs are prevalent. CYGNETTE went close inshore and gained significant ground on the leaders, saving enough time to move up to second by the windward mark 8. The port tack reach to the finish off Marigot is fairly straightforward, again passing seaward of Crowl Rock and honoring the submerged offshore rocks off Pointe Molly Smith.

For the second race from Marigot back to Philipsburg the course is basically the reverse of the first race, however a new windward leeward trapezoid format in the Anguilla Channel provided some particularly tactical racing. From the start outside of the Baie de Marigot the beat to the first mark of Pointe Arago always favors the right side for favorable veering puffs out of the Bay and current relief. CYGNETTE played one shift to the left but gained no advantage over SPLASH TANGO and IWW EXPRESS which sailed to the starboard tack layline. Leg two was an easy starboard tack reach to the windward mark of the trapezoid set in the Anguilla Channel. Leg three was a broad reach on starboard tack. The winds were now exceeding 25 knots in the gusts, and CYGNETTE set her Banks 1.5 ounce Series 2000 spinnaker which can handle wind strengths up to 30 apparent.

The six mile beat back to Mark 2 started with a small left shift, then a huge right veer came through of about 40 degrees that heavily favored the boats on the right side. MERMAID gained substantially on this shift and moved into the corrected time lead. Meanwhile, squalls were building overhead and the conditions deteriorated with puffs over 30, rapid shifts, and big waves. The next leg was one of the hardest runs you can imagine in an inshore sailboat race. CYGNETTE had some trouble broaching, but was ultimately able to maintain control by setting the 3 genoa inside the spinnaker which helped prevent rounding up. CYGNETTE also shifted her entire crew aft and to leeward, and sheeted the spinnaker using the (leeward) guy to improve stability. Stability in these conditions is also largely a function of the form stability of the hull. Gibb Kane, the owner of MUTINY, reported that his Baltic 43 sailed beautifully on this leg and there were no stability problems.

The genoa reach to mark 4 off Pointe du Canonnier was again fairly straightforward, but for the port tack fetch to the Heineken buoy inside Simpson Bay it was very important to hold high along the shore to hold the best port lifts. Some of the small local boats even tacked to starboard and sailed in dangerously close to the shore to good advantage.

For the beat from Simpson Bay to the windward mark 6 off Wathey Pier the left side of the course continued to pay with good port lifts coming out of Cole Bay, Little Bay, and Great Bay. The starboard reach into the finish was easy sailing on the #3 genoa using an outboard lead. MERMAID sailed a great race and won again, while CYGNETTE was second and SPLASH TANGO third.

Sunday's third and crucial race was sailed entirely around the Island to starboard (clockwise), with a start off Little Bay and the finish in Simpson Bay. The winds were again gusting well over twenty knots and the spectacular start of the 14 boat maxi fleet was an impressive display of sail power to say the least.

CYGNETTE started first again taking the favored leeward end and soon tacking with the fleet to port, near the layline to the first mark set again off Wathey Pier. Predictably, the left side (closer to the Island) paid and CYGNETTE rounded the weather mark just behind IWW EXPRESS. The second leg was barely broad enough to allow spinnakers and CYGNETTE set her 1.5 ounce on the port pole to lay the mark still in second place boat for boat. The third leg was a very tight spinnaker reach to the Heineken mark in Simpson Bay. A sudden gust collapsed CYGNETTE's spinnaker and the spinnaker sheet and guy were thrown off leaving her crew no option but to drop the sail on deck and reattach the gear. A good precaution in these conditions is to attach both sheet and guy independently to the sail, that way if one is thrown off you can maintain control with the other.

From the Heineken mark to mark 5 off Point du Canonnier it paid to stay inshore on starboard and work the heading gusts coming off the land. After mark 5 there were no more marks all along the northern coast of the Island, and staying to the right in phase was the best plan for the long beat. The left shift outside of Bell Hill was again apparent, but after that the right paid all along to the northernmost point of the Island. The course now passes South of both Tintamarre Island and Spanish Rock, and rounds a mark between the two. Reaching on port Southeast along the East coast of St. Maarten it was not possible to set spinnakers until Guana Bay, which seemed unusual as this leg is often more of a run. The fleet passed inside of Guana Key, and there is not much room here so a nighttime passage is not recommended.

The last leg of the race from Mark 2 to the finish in Simpson Bay was decisive. SPLASH TANGO and MERMAID both tried to jibe their spinnakers and hold them on the starboard reach to the finish. But both were unable to carry and had to raise genoas to reach home. CYGNETTE doused her new Series 2000 0.75 ounce and set the Banks #2 genoa shortly before the mark, held high on the initial part of the last leg, and finally set the 1.5 ounce spinnaker to reach across the finish.

When the final results were calculated CYGNETTE had placed second in the last race and won overall. Congratulations to Bill Mayer and his crew for sailing an excellent series.