12 meter regatta Shore Excursion on St. Martin
- Thread starter lisak1
- Start date
My husband and I did it! It was a blast!!! You can choose how "active" you want to be. My husband did something with a winch (sp?) and I was the "drink wench" (I passed out sodas, beer, and water and he did some sort of manual sail moving job).
Let me know if you have any questions.
Ginny
Let me know if you have any questions.
Ginny
xABearx
<font color=blue>Measure twice, cut once....and wa
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2002
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Hey Lisa....looks like you will be on the same cruise as Ginny and I....we had a great time on this excursion with very little rough waters.....I highly recommend this excursion and like Ginny said, you decide how active or inactive you want to be.....I think your DH will have a blast on this one.
Do it, it's the best excursion I have EVER done! 
Here is a review of it I wrote about three years ago:
12-Metre Regatta - Review
by Michelle Hohmann, Assistant Webmaster
If you want to experience the most exhilarating and exciting shore excursion available on St. Maarten, the 12-Metre Regatta is for you.
This excursion gives you the opportunity to sail on a REAL America's Cup yacht and be as active or as laid-back a member of the crew as you like as you race against two to four other boats. Whether you're an avid sailor or have never stepped foot on a sailboat before, there is a role for you on your yacht.
Upon arrival at the dock, your tour leader escorts you to an area and gives you a brief history of the America's Cup. There's lots of humor and enthusiasm as he revs up the group for the adventure to come. The leader then chooses three team captains. Captains are chosen at random, and those with sailing experience are NOT necessarily the ones chosen. The captains then get to start choosing their crew, but the leader moves the process along and makes sure that families and groups traveling together are not separated.
After the teams are chosen, it's time for the captains to choose their boats. The group leader describes the boats available that day. Of course Stars & Stripes, the American yacht of Dennis Connor fame, is the most popular. The two other boats on this excursion were both Canadian, True North I and True North IV. Don't be upset if you don't get America's Cup, the other boats all have their strengths as well, and in fact on this excursion, True North IV was the winner.
The crews are then tendered out to their respective boats. Each boat also has a captain and two first mates from the shore excursion company, so the crew members can be comfortable knowing that there are true experts aboard who are at the wheel and assisting with the sails. On the tender, the leader assigns each crew member his or her task, based on whether they want to take an active, semi-active or sedentary role on the boat.
If you're strong then choose an active role. Most likely you'll be assigned to be one of several grinders responsible for grinding the various winches on the boat. If you're opting for a semi-active role (and you're a female), you could be a "winch wench" assigned to assist the grinders with the lines for the sails. Both of these are active roles that get to do a lot of the work during the race. If you just want to enjoy the race and not play an active role, then you may be assigned to be the timekeeper (a very important role in the start of the race) or even the "cooler queen", responsible for the very important task of distributing beverages to the thirsty crew.
Once aboard your yacht, your excursion leaders explain the various roles and have you practice a few times to get the hang of it. After everyone is comfortable, you raise the sails and begin to head out to the race course. The course is designed to replicate an actual America's Cup race, but the version on the excursion is much shorter.
The start of a race is very important, as you must sail and jockey into position to be across the starting line on time (this is where the timekeeper comes into play). If you cross over too early, you must turn around and cross again, and you're then virtually assured of losing the race.
The course on this excursion had five legs, and on the first course we had to head straight into the wind, which meant tacking back and forth across the water to reach the next buoy. This is where the excitement begins, as you must tactically maneuver to get the best wind and try to edge ahead of your opponents. The yachts sail within feet of each other as they tack and jibe across the course. Your excursion leader will heartily encourage the crew to "heckle" the opponents as you sail close together and for your crew to cheer heartily for your team. It is a true fleet race, with the boat "heeling" over (leaning to a side) at a fairly steep angle from time to time.
Crew members definitely get up caught up in the excitement of the race and their assigned jobs. Winning is the goal, and if you have a good team, favorable winds and a good tactician then victory is within your grasp. The race lasts about an hour, and as the boats sluice through the water to reach the finish line, the crews watch for the race boat member to raise the colored flag of the victor. As stated before, on this excursion, the True North IV edged out Stars & Stripes to take the "cup".
After the race and celebratory cheer, you then head back to the mooring area. At this point, crew members can take the wheel if they choose to for a few minutes. You're then tendered back to another boat, where the next crew members await their turn.
The company makes a point of saying that tips ARE allowed, so if you feel that your excursion crew members were deserving, feel free to tip. Upon arrival back to the dock, you can enjoy a complimentary cup of rum punch or fruit punch. Also you'll have the opportunity to purchase an AWESOME photo taken from a chase boat prior to the start of the race. It comes with a signed certificate detailing your accomplishments, and if you win you'll get an extra kudo on your certificates. T-shirts, caps, and other assorted regatta souvenirs are available in the small gift shop at the dock. You can purchase a crew member shirt with the yacht name that you sailed on.
This is an EXTREMELY enjoyable excursion, with lots of laughter, a healthy sense of competition, thrills and excitement. Spaces are limited, so book as soon as you can. HIGHLY recommended.
Here is a review of it I wrote about three years ago:12-Metre Regatta - Review
by Michelle Hohmann, Assistant Webmaster
If you want to experience the most exhilarating and exciting shore excursion available on St. Maarten, the 12-Metre Regatta is for you.
This excursion gives you the opportunity to sail on a REAL America's Cup yacht and be as active or as laid-back a member of the crew as you like as you race against two to four other boats. Whether you're an avid sailor or have never stepped foot on a sailboat before, there is a role for you on your yacht.
Upon arrival at the dock, your tour leader escorts you to an area and gives you a brief history of the America's Cup. There's lots of humor and enthusiasm as he revs up the group for the adventure to come. The leader then chooses three team captains. Captains are chosen at random, and those with sailing experience are NOT necessarily the ones chosen. The captains then get to start choosing their crew, but the leader moves the process along and makes sure that families and groups traveling together are not separated.
After the teams are chosen, it's time for the captains to choose their boats. The group leader describes the boats available that day. Of course Stars & Stripes, the American yacht of Dennis Connor fame, is the most popular. The two other boats on this excursion were both Canadian, True North I and True North IV. Don't be upset if you don't get America's Cup, the other boats all have their strengths as well, and in fact on this excursion, True North IV was the winner.
The crews are then tendered out to their respective boats. Each boat also has a captain and two first mates from the shore excursion company, so the crew members can be comfortable knowing that there are true experts aboard who are at the wheel and assisting with the sails. On the tender, the leader assigns each crew member his or her task, based on whether they want to take an active, semi-active or sedentary role on the boat.
If you're strong then choose an active role. Most likely you'll be assigned to be one of several grinders responsible for grinding the various winches on the boat. If you're opting for a semi-active role (and you're a female), you could be a "winch wench" assigned to assist the grinders with the lines for the sails. Both of these are active roles that get to do a lot of the work during the race. If you just want to enjoy the race and not play an active role, then you may be assigned to be the timekeeper (a very important role in the start of the race) or even the "cooler queen", responsible for the very important task of distributing beverages to the thirsty crew.
Once aboard your yacht, your excursion leaders explain the various roles and have you practice a few times to get the hang of it. After everyone is comfortable, you raise the sails and begin to head out to the race course. The course is designed to replicate an actual America's Cup race, but the version on the excursion is much shorter.
The start of a race is very important, as you must sail and jockey into position to be across the starting line on time (this is where the timekeeper comes into play). If you cross over too early, you must turn around and cross again, and you're then virtually assured of losing the race.
The course on this excursion had five legs, and on the first course we had to head straight into the wind, which meant tacking back and forth across the water to reach the next buoy. This is where the excitement begins, as you must tactically maneuver to get the best wind and try to edge ahead of your opponents. The yachts sail within feet of each other as they tack and jibe across the course. Your excursion leader will heartily encourage the crew to "heckle" the opponents as you sail close together and for your crew to cheer heartily for your team. It is a true fleet race, with the boat "heeling" over (leaning to a side) at a fairly steep angle from time to time.
Crew members definitely get up caught up in the excitement of the race and their assigned jobs. Winning is the goal, and if you have a good team, favorable winds and a good tactician then victory is within your grasp. The race lasts about an hour, and as the boats sluice through the water to reach the finish line, the crews watch for the race boat member to raise the colored flag of the victor. As stated before, on this excursion, the True North IV edged out Stars & Stripes to take the "cup".
After the race and celebratory cheer, you then head back to the mooring area. At this point, crew members can take the wheel if they choose to for a few minutes. You're then tendered back to another boat, where the next crew members await their turn.
The company makes a point of saying that tips ARE allowed, so if you feel that your excursion crew members were deserving, feel free to tip. Upon arrival back to the dock, you can enjoy a complimentary cup of rum punch or fruit punch. Also you'll have the opportunity to purchase an AWESOME photo taken from a chase boat prior to the start of the race. It comes with a signed certificate detailing your accomplishments, and if you win you'll get an extra kudo on your certificates. T-shirts, caps, and other assorted regatta souvenirs are available in the small gift shop at the dock. You can purchase a crew member shirt with the yacht name that you sailed on.
This is an EXTREMELY enjoyable excursion, with lots of laughter, a healthy sense of competition, thrills and excitement. Spaces are limited, so book as soon as you can. HIGHLY recommended.
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