We are very happy to inform you that the resort on St. Maarten known as Pelican Resort Club is now named Simpson Bay Resort & Marina. The new owners of this property are very excited and started the renovation of this resort that will be completely renovated in about four to five years and is expected to regain its former 5-star glory. Do not miss the chance to visit St. Maarten and become a member of this great resort and enjoy the best location on St. Maarten.
Simpson Bay Resort & Marina (formerly Pelican Resort Club) Renovation has begun
The renovation of Simpson Bay Resort & Marina has begun with the complete reroofing and exterior painting of the Alamanda, Croton and Caladium buildings. Reconstruction will pause for high season and will resume on May 7 with the remainder of the SBR roofs to be completely replaced and all buildings to be repainted. Also beginning May 7, will be the complete interior renovation of the Dieffenbachia building to be followed this year by interior renovations of Croton, Caladium and Alamanda buildings. Work will continue each off-season until the entire resort has been brought up to five-star standards.
The Regatta is on!
The Simpson Bay Resort & Marina – and in fact all of St. Maarten —will be transformed during the first week of March. An armada of sailing ships will cluster around the island; big, sleek racing vessels, America’s Cup yachts and a virtual fleet of smaller boats filled with eager spectators. The Heineken Regatta is the largest sailing race in the Caribbean. Over 180 vessels competed in 2011, with more expected to arrive in 2012. Between the crews and the race fans that follow the regatta circuit, the island’s population will swell with thousands of sailors, well-wishers and partygoers. As the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Crew says, “it takes the whole island to throw a party this big.”
Whether you’re on-island for the races or not, the first week of March will be action-packed. If you don’t yet have a crew to cheer on, the Moondance crew makes a great home team for anyone staying at the Resort — Garth Steyn, manager of Aqua Mania Adventures and his crew have been racing in the Regatta for years and will be the first to tell you how exciting the Regatta can be, direct from the helm.
Iain Mobbs, an employee of Aqua Mania and Garth’s racing partner, describes the races this way: “The out-and-out race involves the Thoroughbreds of racing boats. These are high-powered performance yachts driven by the pros. I prefer the Friday race because all of the boats participate, no matter what class; the race mainly starts in Simpson Bay but there are so many boats that they have to start in different places across the island. The Saturday and Sunday races involve different sailing classes including the Cruisers, Catamarans, Spinnakers and non-Spinnakers plus the professional Racing boats.” Iain also shares his favorite part of the race, the part that really gets his heart racing – the beginning: “First, the boats get the 10-minute warning that the race is about to start. The crews begin rushing around to check their lines while the captain studies the winds to make sure the boat is positioned in the most advantageous place. The yachts jostle around and the one-minute mark is sounded, boats come head to head with each other, pushing to get into their preferred spot. Tension is high and room is tight. The horn sounds and the boats begin their rolling start. It is awesome to watch.”
The fun starts on the water and ends on dry land. Each day, wherever the race ends, a large party takes place featuring internationally known Caribbean and mainstream acts. Previous headliners have included Wyclef Jean, Maxi Priest, Ziggy Marley, and the Black Eyed Peas. These parties continue late into the night, with after-parties taking place at a variety of clubs and bars throughout the island.
If you are lucky enough to be in St. Maarten at the beginning of March, you can sign up with Aqua Mania to enjoy the race on one of their spectator boats. And if you catch the sailing bug, the Moondance can take up to four people for sailing lessons, and up to eight people for cruises to nearby islands. Contact Simpson Bay Resort or visit the resort website to set up an outing.
