SXM Heineken Week Escape!

16^th March 2011

As most yachties at HBYC and yachts clubs worldwide already know, “racing” skippers are a very different breed of people! Aggressive, Hypersensitive, Rude, Arrogant, and incredbly sensitive about whose “water” belongs to whom!

These attributes are honed and perfected during races, but are still very much in evidence in marinas and anchorages where the skills are still being practiced and tested in the days leading up to “Race Days”. When the racing machines approach the 80-100ft mark ,these attributes reach a state of near perfection, where “right of way” rules are easily morphed into “I’m Bigger than you” !

Heineken Week is also characterised by the onset of nightly orgies of parties, loud music, immense consumption of rum and beer etc. I have heard it described as a drinking week with a sailing theme, but the participents would probably be upset!

It starts off with the legendary Mount Gay Rum Party at the Soggy Dollar bar in Palapa Marina, which culminates in the Carribean renouned “wet T-Shirt” competition. We we invited to the party of course, and Mary suggested that I offer my services as a judge in this event, given my lifelong fascination in this field, combined with my well known observational skills. I gave the matter serious consideration, but then had to admit to myself and all concerned , that it was unlikely that I would still be awake for the event which was scheduled to start at only 3.00am, when everyone was as nissed as pewts! Besides, I heard on the grapevine, that the event had been highjacked by the Plastic Surgeons Mammary enhancement association of the World, as an advertising gimic! It would bebelow my dignity to lend my credibility to such a sham!! I had to offer my apologies!

And so,with our new watermaker installed, and ready to be tested, we decided to seek the peace , quiet, and clean water, of Anguilla, some 20nms distant. We chose the 9.00am Bridge opening, and were hauled and ready by 8.45am. We eventually escaped from the lagoon at about 10.00am in last place, in a 30knot rain squal and a hysterical bridge operator, having been pushed and bullied out of the way by the entire Heinekin fleet, who just knew that their “water” was more important than ours!

The weather prediction had been for a 10-15NE breeze, with clear skies,which is why we enjoyed 27-30knt SE rain squalls all the way to Anguilla. No sooner had we finished anchoring in the rain and gloom, than the skies cleared, the wind dropped, and to reveal the turquoise beauty of the Caribbean, and lovely golden beaches………a very long way from the madness of St Martin!

We learned later that our departure was a doddle compared to the chaos of the following morning, where one yacht did its best to demolish the bridge, and another got itself jammed diagonally in the channel!