The Round Martinique Regatta: 34th edition with an international outlook

Round Martinique Regatta © Event Media

The long standing Round Martinique Regatta is back on the Caribbean's beautiful "Isle of Flowers". With a truly innovative racing format adapted for all levels, this is the event to compete on in 2019.

The racing schedule is varied and gives competitors the chance to enjoy the famous Creole island hospitality, as well as provide them with some of the best trade wind conditions for racing. The blue seas, which at times can be testing, together with the stunning green tropical coastline, provides the perfect stunning backdrop for racing.

Fort de France, the capital of Martinique, will host the event from 8 to 10 February with the Yacht Club de Martinique, who are organising the event alongside the Club Nautique Neptune, the Club Nautique de Marin, Ven Dan Vwèl 972 Association and Open The Barre, who will host the Round Martinique Regatta 2019 stopovers. The full schedule will be equally split across great racing and on shore hospitality for the 50 teams expected to participate in the event.

Three days - three highlights

With the first day focused on a tour of the Bay of Fort de France, called The Round Bay, the fleet will get the chance to hone their racing skills with race starts, tactics, gybes, spinnaker hoists, close inshore tactical racing...

The following day will be the toughest of the Round Martinique Regatta: with a choice to compete on the Round Raid, which starts in Fort de France and finishes in Marin, or the Round Rally, a mammoth 80-mile race around the island. Demanding downwind sailing on the Atlantic coastline combined with big seas as well as the tactical coastal navigation around the north and southern sides will give the most accomplished sailors a chance to test their skills. Finally, the second option, for the less intrepid but still keen to compete and prove their boat speed and manoeuvring skills, the Round Rally provides the ideal race between Fort de France and Marin along the Caribbean coastline.

On the third and final day, the Round Rock will be a real sprint between Marin and Anse d'Arlet with the extra loop around the famous Rocher du Diamant.

The three days of racing will be punctuated by a host of fun social events where participants can relax and look back on the day's racing highlights.

Round Martinique Regatta - an invitation to travel

With a multitude of islands and different nations not far from Martinique, the Round Martinique Regatta 2019 race organisers welcome crews from around the Caribbean to come and race against Martinique's best sailors.

The Caribbean offers some of the most talented crews and boats are more and more competitive, whilst the demanding shorelines of Martinique will ensure racing will be close and testing for competitors.

The event encourages sailors to come and discover the Isle of Flowers' coastline that combines a rich and varied nature, beautiful coves and beaches and also great activity centres around the island.

So many new teams registering demonstrates the growing attraction the event will enjoy.

"With the number of entries doubling over the last four years to reach 40 in 2017, our hope is to see 50 crews enter the 2019 edition. We hope to also have more international crews come from Granada, Antigua, Trinidad, Saint Lucia, Barbados and further afield..." explains Paul Constantin, President of the Yacht Club de Martinique (YCM).

Programme

Friday, February 8th 2019:
10:00 Start of the first leg "The Round Bay"
18:00 Evening event open to everyone at YCM

Saturday, February 9th 2019:
06:00 Start of the "The Round Raid"
10:00 Start of "The Round Rally" (Fort de France - Marin)
19:00 Surprise Party at Marin or Sainte-Anne

Sunday, February 10th 2019:
09:00 Start of "The Round Rock"
Lunch and afternoon off
18:00 Awards ceremony