January 20, 2026 — Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten — If you’re a fan of big breeze and fast racing, this was the weekend to be on Simpson Bay. The Sint Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC) hosted the Grant Thornton Multiclass Regatta on January 18 and 19 with a fleet of 40 boats and four Caribbean sailing clubs representing—Saint Martin Voile Pour Tous (SMVT) and ASMDA from French Saint Martin, Saint Barth Yacht Club (SBYC), and SMYC.
The regatta featured three classes: ILCA, Optimist, and Optimist Green, and the level of competition between them was impressive. Over two days, the sailors faced heavy weather conditions, with gusts in the 30 knot range, several squalls sweeping over the course, and a fairly sizable chop. While the challenging winds and sea state tested everyone’s skills, it was particularly tough for newer sailors in the ILCA Class and the younger sailors in the Optimist Green Fleet. Despite this, they delivered remarkable performances, showing incredible resilience and determination.
The Optimist Green Fleet saw five young sailors competing. On Saturday, they sailed their class maximum of four races and the way they handled the conditions was admirable. On Sunday, they sailed three races, and J’Amari de Groote from SMYC secured third place, Magnus Cross from SMYC came in second, and Louisa Vanden Eynde from SBYC took first place.
In the Optimist Class, 15 entries showcased incredible talent while getting in five races on Saturday and three on Sunday. After the first day of racing, SBYC sailors dominated the top four places and SMYC’s Nathan Shepperd was in fifth. That lineup would largely remain the same after day two as well. When it was all settled, Sheppard took fifth, Lewis Maxor came in fourth, Lourenço Couto Jorge grabbed third place, Stanley Haes came in second, and Tao Carmona Bouvrais stood atop the podium in first place. Well sailed!
In the large 20-boat ILCA Fleet, getting around the course without capsizing in the strong winds was just as tough as the competition. After battling it out in a total of eight races, it was SMYC’s Massimo Lapierre in third, Alain Pansiot-Villon from ASMDA took second, and Clément Le Normand from SMVT claimed first place.
The success of this year’s Multiclass Regatta would not have been possible without the support of Grant Thornton, a dedicated sponsor for both this regatta and the Sint Maarten Yacht Club’s Dinghy and Keelboat Series.
Special thanks to the volunteers on the Race Committee, mark layers, safety boats, and onshore support for their dedication and hard work.
For more information, photos, and detailed results from the Grant Thornton Multiclass Regatta, please visit smyc.com/multiclass-regatta/.
