Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

Jaime Torres sets sights on St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

by Michele Korteweg on 17 Jan 2012
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2012 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta http://www.heinekenregatta.com
Beneteau First 40.7 Smile and Wave's skipper, Jaime Torres, may not be the most experienced skipper that is making preparations for the upcoming edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, which is now under two months away, but he certainly is one of the most passionate.

Torres and his Smile and Wave crew sailed their first Heineken event last year—they finished fifth in the ultra-competitive Class 5 division, and led the pack of five Beneteau First 40s in that 15-boat fleet—and are scheduled to compete in the full slate of Caribbean regattas this spring. Last year, the team notched a half dozen top three finishes in nine regattas throughout the islands. Considering that Torres purchased the boat, his first, less than a year before, it was an impressive season.

Of all those events, however, Torres has a favorite. 'I tell my crew that if we could only do one regatta, it would be the Gill Commodores Cup (the one-day series on March 1st that kicks off the 3-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta) and the Heineken,' said Torres.

'It has the perfect mix of challenging courses—windward/leewards and point-to-point races,' he continued. 'There are so many good sailors, and you’re surrounded by guys who’ve sailed in the America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race, who’ve dedicated their lives to the sport. That’s a rare and wonderful gift. The race committee is first-class and the parties are out of the park. All the elements are there.'
 
And for Torres, it’s not just the venue that makes the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta a winner. 'What’s unique about the event is that you’re not just welcomed by the race organizers, you’re welcomed by the whole island,' he said. 'The people and businesses on the island are very friendly and make you feel special from the minute you arrive at the airport or pass through the bridge to Simpson Bay.'
 
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, however, will not be the year’s first event for the Smile and Wave crew. Before then, they will compete in the 'offshore' Caribbean 600, a distance race that starts and ends in Antigua beginning on February 12th, which will leave Torres plenty of time to make his way to St. Maarten.
 
Though he admits it’s a different discipline than the inshore competition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, he recommends the Caribbean 600 for other Heineken skippers. 'It will be a big challenge for us but it will also help us get ready for the Heineken Regatta,' he said. 'The pace is different, but the two events complement each other. When it blows 35-knots in St. Maarten, we will be very well prepared.'
 
Smile and Wave’s 2011 record could serve as inspiration for other fledgling racers looking to break into top-flight Caribbean racing. Though Torres was a lifelong sailor and Heineken veteran—he’d raced aboard the famous Caribbean maxi Titan several years ago—other than his right-hand man and crew chief, Carlos Hernandez, many in his crew were not experienced racers…or even sailors.
 
'We had a steep learning curve,' said Torres. 'There was a lot of on-the-job training.'
 
This year, his crew—key personnel include fellow Puerto Rican sailors Jose 'Yoyo' Berrios, Javier Andrades and Raul de la Torres; Caribbean ace Peter Kingsbury; and pro sailors Anson Mulder and Joe Goulet, among others—are hungry and committed. It’s just about time to go racing.
 
'Right now I’m stoked,' said Torres. Yes, Smile and Wave will be there on the starting line of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. So the question is: Will you?
 
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta website
MarkSetBotCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERNavico AUS Zeus3S FOOTER

Related Articles

Tassie yachts take on the Vics in M2D Yacht Race
The AdvantEdge team is racing against the clock to repair a torn mainsail Tasmanian entrants AdvantEdge and Just Farr Love will be flying the flag for their home state in this year's Melbourne to Devonport 'Rudder Cup' Yacht Race.
Posted today at 11:09 am
Transat Café L'or: Pam Lee has Class40 baptism
First skipper to have her own boat and her own project ready to race Ireland's Pam Lee has already made her own little bit of history as she lines up to start the Transat Café L'Or, the doublehanded race from Le Havre to Martinique.
Posted today at 10:09 am
The passing of one of the greats of WA Sailing
Remembering Don Devine It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of PDSC Life Member and Past Commodore Don Devine on 11 October 2025.
Posted today at 6:51 am
16ft & 13ft Skiff Port Jackson Championship
A surprise guest on Red Pumps Red! Zoe Dransfield thought her boyfriend was joking when he told her he might be able to secure one of the world's best sailors to fill in on Red Pumps Red for Saturday's Port Jackson Championships. And who could blame her?
Posted today at 5:26 am
Pittwater Sail Expo This Weekend
Australia's Largest Sailing Boat Show Get ready to step aboard and set sail. The Pittwater Sail Expo 2025 is this weekend, from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 October at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC).
Posted today at 4:52 am
Rolex Middle Sea Race Monohull Line Honours
Remon Vos' Black Jack 100 finishes at 05:44:07 CEST on Tuesday Remon Vos' Black Jack 100, skippered by Tristan Le Brun crossed the finish line of the 2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race at 05:44:07 CEST on Tuesday 21 October to take Monohull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 2 days 17 hours 44 minutes 07 seconds.
Posted today at 4:47 am
Scholarship for U19 World Champion Rory Meehan
From the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship Queenslander Rory Meehan has been awarded a Sport Australia Hall of Fame's 2026 Tier 3 Scholarship for 2026. The 18-year-old iQFOiL sailor is grateful to be awarded the scholarship as a representative of sailing.
Posted today at 4:43 am
Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship entry opens
Regulars and first timers alike are expected to take part Entries have opened and regulars and first timers alike are expected to take part in the 2025 SSORC when a mix of passage and windward/leeward courses will put every crew through their paces to decide the best across both styles of racing.
Posted today at 4:35 am
Coastal Classic: Predictwind and Doyle Sails' tips
Predictwind's Nick Olson and Doyle Sails' Mike Sanderson gave competitors some pointers Predictwind's Nick Olson and Doyle Sails' Mike Sanderson gave competitors some pointers for success in the upcoming PC Coastal Race.
Posted today at 4:12 am
Coastal Classic: Fleet takes shape
The stage is set for the 42nd PIC Coastal Classic, New Zealand's most iconic coastal yacht race The stage is set for the 42nd PIC Coastal Classic, New Zealand's most iconic coastal yacht race, which will see more than 100 boats charge north from Auckland to Russell this Labour Weekend.
Posted today at 3:37 am