ST. EUSTATIUS--Statia’s own sailing team with captain Siem Dijkshoorn has already taken part in the Golden Rock Regatta since 2010 but they were never so successful as this year. In their 44 feet bareboat, the team outclassed the entire competition to win the Golden Rock Regatta which took place from November 13 – 17.
On November13, the Statia team finished first in the Bareboat Category 2 in the race from Great Bay – Anguilla – Simpson Bay. On November 14, a pursuit race was held from Simpson Bay to St. Barths and again the Statia team finished ahead of the competition.
After winning the race from St. Barths to Statia, the team also won all three races in the bareboat class around the buoys in the harbour of Statia on Statia Day November 16.
The final race was a pursuit race from Statia to St. Maarten. Leaving the Golden Rock as one boat before the last, the Statia team finished in the harbour of Great Bay well ahead of the rest of the fleet.
The Statia Sailing Team went home with no less than three first place trophies and a trophy as the overall winner in the bareboat class. All trophies will be turned over to the St. Eustatius Tourist Office, the main sponsor of the team.
Dijkshoorn said that the team was so successful largely due to the excellent skills of Leo Ligthart, who skippered the boat and the fantastic team work of the other crewmembers, Koos Sneek, Paul van Vliet and Radmer de Vries.
