Antigua Sailing Week Just Weeks Away: April 25th – May 1st, 2009

Falmouth Harbour, Antigua – With a fresh injection of energy and spirit into what was already one of yacht racing's most anticipated annual events, the countdown to the Antigua's classic week of sailing and partying has begun. Preparations are already in full swing. The blue waters off Antigua have now been attracting an international gathering of seasoned sailors for decades. It all began 42 years ago, when island yachtsmen, merchants and hoteliers came up with the idea of a weeklong sailing festival that would extend the season for sailors and tourists alike. The first regatta was won by Dr. Cesar Berrios of Puerto Rico aboard his 39-foot sloop, Enzian. The rest, as they say, is history. Altogether, it adds up to one of the more anticipated Sailing Weeks in recent memory. The wind, water and libations are waiting. Will you be there? For more information, registration forms, an updated entry list and more, visit the website at www.sailingweek.com. 

‘Jus Enuff’ Catches 33 Wahoo to Win First Annual St.Maarten’s Day Fishing Tournament.

GREAT BAY- ‘Jus Enuff’, a fishing boat captained by Ricky Lawrence, turned up the biggest haul of the day with a total of 33 Wahoo fishes weighing from 21.5 lbs to 49.2 with a total weight of 1,033.3 lbs. Twenty-three boats participated in the event, among those were ‘Georgette’ from Antigua, ‘Starrfish’ from St. Thomas, ‘Jolly Mon’ and ‘Sea Fever’ from Saba. Some of them went as far as 60 nautical miles out to make a good catch. All boats made the 4 PM closing time except one; ‘Jolly Mon’ had an intriguing catch, but due to engine problems, were forced to return to their homeport in Saba.

The effort by the crew of ‘Jus Enuff’ earned them the first prize and the championship trophy at the first annual tournament held by the St. Maarten Sport Fishing Foundation. Ricky Lawrence and his crew received a trophy that was sponsored by the Windward Islands Bank, along with $ 1,000 in cash, and a handheld Global Positioning System, sponsored by Budget Marine. The second most weight went to ‘Melicious’, captained by Emile Larmonie, whose crew caught 15 wahoo for a total of 430 lbs of fish. The prize for the heaviest catch went to Captain Lee Halley of ‘Don Louis’. The wahoo tipped the scale at a whopping 55 lbs.

Sea Fever picked up the largest dolphin, also known as Mahi Mahi, weighing in at 28.9 lbs. The prize for the best female angler went to Cecile Torta aboard ‘Follow Me’. The crew of ‘Follow Me’ also received the prize for the Best Dressed Crew. The second best female angler went to Kathy Starr, aboard ‘Starrfish’. Among the boats that returned with a respectable catch was ‘Follow Me’ with 209.1 lbs of fish and ‘Striker’ with 138.4 lbs. In total there were 107 fish caught for the tournament with a total weight of 2757.5 pounds.

Bobbie Velasquez of Bobby’s Marina applauded the efforts of the young organizers of the St. Maarten Sport Fishing Foundation for resuscitating the fishing event. The St. Maarten Sport Fishing Foundation, in turn, took the opportunity to announce their donation of US $500 to the Sea Rescue Foundation. The foundation is looking forward to holding the second annual fishing tournament next year, on November 8, 2009.

St. Maarten Team Wins 2008 Budget Marine Women’s Regatta

The 7th annual Budget Marine Women’s Caribbean One-design Keelboat Championships was concluded on Sunday with great enthusiasm by all teams, many agreed this is one of the best run regatta’s they have been to for ladies.

An exiting weekend of 12 participating teams from all over the world ended with a victory for St.Maarten. Kim Frye and her Scuba Shop team took the silverware for a second year in a row, breaking the tradition of international participants winning this event for the 4 years prior, and starting one of local teams claiming the title. This is the third time a local team has won this title.

Frye and her team had consistent results, finishing in the top 2 for almost all races. They had some heavy competition from one of the favorites Karen Portch and her Antigua Yacht Club team, who also managed 4 firsts, however, coming in third in the last two races, they lost their position by 2 points overall.

Emma Paull, from the BVI, was happy to have placed in the top three; although in the past she managed to return home with the first place. This team also sailed very steadily finishing in the top 3 every race.
Penny McIntyre and her team, missed the 3rd place by 2 points overall, even though they managed to stay in the top 3 finishes in most races. Proving how close the competition was.

Janneke Brouwer’s ‘Amstel Bright Babes’ team showed that practice pays off, as she and her team were awarded most improved, even finishing first in one of the races.

Budget Marine sponsors $5000 prize for match racing at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

The Sint Maarten Heineken Regatta will, for the first time in the history of Caribbean Regattas, run a match racing event just before the actual 2009 St.Maarten Heineken Regatta and offer prize money to the winners.

This event will be sponsored by Budget Marine who has been supporting the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta since its inception in a host of different forms, including pioneering the Commodores’ Cup. According to Budget Marine founder, Robbie Ferron, “Sponsoring Match Racing is a great opportunity for Budget Marine to promote new and exciting forms of racing to the Caribbean”.

The Budget Marine Match Racing Cup will look to take advantage of the presence of the many top-level sailors that are so often present to crew the magnificent big boats that participate in the Heineken Regatta. These top sailors will have the opportunity to win the $5,000 USD first prize by coming a few days early. The rest of the crews and the early arrivers will have the opportunity to see some of the top world sailors in tight action very close to where the majority of the fleet will be anchored.

The race takes place in Jeanneau 20 boats with three man crew in the Simpson Bay lagoon. This will make it possible for the early arrivals and the boat crews to watch the racing from their dinghies and see world renowned yachtsmen like Peter Holmberg in action. The match racing will be open to 6 teams on an invitation basis. Interested persons with match racing experience are asked to request an invitation from the Regatta Organization at director@heinekenregatta.com.

The event takes place on Tuesday March 3rd 2009. On Wednesday and Thursday there is General Registration, and on Tuesday March 3rd there will be early registration for those participating in the Commodores Cup, the one day only pre event for the Heineken Regatta only for spinnaker boats which takes place in a windward leeward format. On Friday March 6th the first race of the three day St.Maarten Heineken Regatta starts with the traditional around the island race.

The addition of the match racing means that the Heineken Regatta now encompasses a range of sailing that spreads from the most intense and aggressive match racing on the one end of the spectrum to the laid back “Open Class” where casino-like rating allocation complements real racing skill.

The Budget Marine 2009 product Catalogue has been launched!

This year’s 528- page catalog promises to be better than ever, with improvements to the design, layout and content. You will find improved technical information, greater organization and better images than last year. Look for special features, such as the Unit Conversion tool, Fatty Tips, Info Boxes and Bud Tips that advise on our wide range of top marine brands.

The official launch party took place on October 22, on the Budget Marine grounds in St. Maarten. With a backdrop mirroring the invitations of a browned-papered special delivery the stage was set. One of the most anticipated parts of the evening, was Nautique Collection fashion show where spunky Budget Marine staff showed off the clothing line that was added to the St. Maarten flagship store in 2007.

A surprising twist to the evening’s events came when the delivery of the very first catalogue for 2009 was brought down by a volunteer gendarme who scaled the wall of the Budget Marine building in true 007 form and from his back-pack handed Robbie Ferron the shiny new book! After the toast the party was in full swing with music by Bonfire who brought many onto the dance floor. After drinks, food and fun everyone headed home with a goodie bag with of course the special gift of the Budget Marine 2009 Catalogue!

Pick up your free copy of our 2009 catalog at any one of our 9 locations today!\The Budget Marine catalog is available free of charge in each of their 9 locations Antigua, Bonaire, Curacao Parera & Caracasbaaiweg, Grenada, St. Maarten, St. Martin, USVI and Trinidad, along with a CD-Rom catalog. A PDF version of the catalog can also be downloaded (37 MiB).

Budget Marine Valentines Regatta : Jolly Harbour Antigua

The Budget Marine Valentines Regatta that takes place around Valentines Day every year will be having its 17th edition in 2009. This event is the regatta in which more Antiguan based boats sail in than any other regatta on the island and one that is known for packing in many exciting races in a short 1 ½ day period. The flat water in five islands harbour and the “interesting” winds boost the popularity. Budget Marine has supported this regatta since day one and has recently become the title sponsor for host Jolly Harbour Yacht Club.

Last year a strong Swan yacht contingent participated and raised the level of this regatta considerably. The dates are February 13, 14 and 15th in 2009 and registration can conveniently be done online at www.jhycantigua.com or email: miramarsailing@hotmail.com. This regatta is helping make Jolly Harbour earn its name of “Jolly Good Fun Harbour”.

The Volvo Ocean Race - Life at the Extreme: Action Starts October 4th, 2008

The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008, it will, for the first time, take in Cochin, India, Singapore and Qingdao, China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia for the first time in the history of the race. Spanning some 37,000 nautical miles, visiting 11 ports over nine months.

The Volvo Ocean Race is an exceptional test of sailing prowess and human endeavour which has been built on the spirit of great seafarers - fearless men who sailed the world’s oceans aboard square rigged clipper ships more than a century ago. Their challenge back then was not a race as such, but recording the fastest time between ports. This meant new levels of pride for themselves and great recognition for their vessel.

Photo credit: Matthias Witzany

The spirit that drove those commercial sailors along the web of trade routes, deep into the bleak latitudes of the Southern Ocean and around the world’s most dangerous capes, emerges today in the form of the Volvo Ocean Race, a contest now seen as the pinnacle of achievement in the sport. The first edition of this sporting adventure came in the wake of two remarkable sailors of the last century, Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, men who drew worldwide acclaim for amazing solo voyages around the planet. Inevitably their success led to talk in international sailing circles of a race around the world for fully crewed yachts. It became a reality in 1973 with The Whitbread round the World Race, the longest, most demanding and perilous sporting contest the world had known.

Dangerous it was. In that very first race three competing sailors were lost after being washed overboard during storms. This led to the inevitable call for that inaugural contest to be the last, but the desire for unbridled adventure and great competition led to the race being staged every four years.

The re-badged Volvo Ocean Race was run for the first time in 2001-02. Today it is, quite simply, the ‘Everest of Sailing’. During the nine months of the 2008-09 Volvo, which starts in Alicante, Spain in October 2008 and concludes in St Petersburg, Russia, during late June 2009, the teams will sail over 37,000 nautical miles of the world’s most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, around Cape Horn to Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Goteborg and Stockholm.

Each of the seven entries has a sailing team of 11 professional crew, and the race requires their utmost skills, physical endurance and competitive spirit as they race day and night for more than 30 days at a time on some of the legs. They will each take on different jobs onboard the boat and on top of these sailing roles, there will be two sailors that have had medical training, as well as a sailmaker, an engineer and a media specialist.

During the race the crews will experience life at the extreme: no fresh food is taken onboard so they live off freeze dried fare, they will experience temperature variations from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius and will only take one change of clothes. They will trust their lives to the boat and the skipper and experience hunger and sleep deprivation.

The race is the ultimate mix of world class sporting competition and on the edge adventure, a unique blend of onshore glamour with offshore drama and endurance.

It is undeniably the world’s premier global race and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world. Team Russia's Volvo Open 70 Kosatka, test sailing in the Solent, UK.

March 2008 - Budget Marine Commodores Cup: Strong Winds vs. Strong Sailors

A few weeks after the event the sailors may all be settled back into their routine, some back at home, some preparing for the next Caribbean regatta, but surely the stiff breezes, strong competitors and cold Heinekens assured that the Regatta is still fresh in memory.

The second annual Budget Marine Commodores Cup was the start up day for the 28th St.Maarten Heineken regatta and with 25 knots easterly winds this proved to be quite a challenge for the sailors out there. The strong breeze brought out the cream of the crops and made others wish they had practiced more.

The Race committee decided that two races would suffice for the day, as the action on the water was quite happening. Multiple yachts fighting their spinnakers at the leeward marks, making it a day of dramatic sailing, enormous down-wind speeds, and a great reason to share stories at the end of the day.

The results where announced at the evening event at the end of the day, with some boats proving they where on the top of their game. Spinnaker 1 being dominated by Benny Kelly’s TP52 Panthera, and Spinnaker 2 being conquered by Clay Deutch’s swan 68 Chippewa.

Spinnaker 3 was ruled by regional sailor from Antigua, Carlo Falcone in his Vallicelli 44, Caccia Alla Volpe.
Winners of the top three classes took home a Suunto racing watch from Budget Marine, and other winners took home the ‘Harken winch handle trophies’ and Blue Performance embroided cockpit bags.

Other class winners where Spinnaker 4; Styl’Carabies, only just beating Beneteau 40.7 Lazy Dog, Spinnaker 5 J/100 Bad Girl; Spinnaker 6 the Grand Soleil 50, Mad IV; and Ian Hope-Ross’s Beneteau First 36s7 Kick ‘em Jenny in spinnaker 7.

As the different classes sail different courses, the overall winner of the event is decided by calculating which class had the closest corrected finishing times, making it the most competitive class. In this case Spinnaker 5, with 7 boats competing, including three Melges 24, all had very close finishing times, making class winner Bad Girl the overall winner of the Budget Marine Commodores Cup, placing their name next to last years winner, ABN AMRO ONE on the perpetual Trophy.

The day’s event attracted seven classes with 56 spinnaker carrying boats competing, making the second edition of this event a great success for both the sponsor and sailors.

January 30, 2008 Antigua - Jolly Harbour Saturday/Sunday 16th & 17th February 2008

Jolly Harbour Yacht Club is once again hosting the Valentine’s Regatta sponsored for the 16th year by Caribbean Chandleries – BUDGET MARINE.

Registration which can be done on line at director@bigboatseries.com and www.jhycantigua.com or indeed at Jolly Harbour Golf Club from 3.30 – 6.00pm with Skippers Briefing at 6.30pm. Friday 15th February 2008.

Saturday Night is party night at Jolly Harbour Golf Club with live music and supper from 6.00pm for only US$20. Due to limited numbers supper does need to be booked in advance. However, everyone is welcome to join in the fun for only US$5 entry fee where you can party the night away to the sounds of Triple Feature. Don’t forget, FREE overnight dockage is on offer to all registered boats.

Racing promises to be fun this year with seemingly more boats than usual. Tanner Jones with Blue Peter for the second year tells us although his crew may not be the most experienced, they have certainly been practicing very hard with seriously good teachers such as Iain Mellows and Laurie May. Where as Miramar believe they have the job sorted by kidnapping Ashley Rhodes from A & A Rigging who admirably ensured Miramar crossed the winning line in first place twice during the JHR Annual Regatta in December. Many skippers believe it will be a dead cert, Hans Lammers with Sunshine will win YET AGAIN but with new boats and new crews, anything could happen. Prize Giving on Sunday night again at the Golf Club will no doubt be another raucous night as the winners are announced and tactics discussed. Sailing Club Merchandise and raffle tickets will be available during the whole weekend at the JOLLY HARBOUR GOLF CLUB.
SATURDAY /SUNDAY 16TH/17TH FEBRUARY 2008
JOLLY HARBOUR YACHT CLUB – MAKING WAVES IN ANTIGUA

CONTACT : JAN EDWARDS
Tel: (001) 268 774 5884
www.jhycantigua.com

January 18, 2008 St. Maarten - Budget Marine Commodores Cup, putting the ‘Serious’ into ‘Serious Fun’

The St.Maarten Heineken Regatta 2007 served as the first platform for the additional somewhat prestigious race ‘the Budget Marine Commodores Cup’. Due to the excellent turnout and extreme enthusiasm of the racing vessels, Budget Marine has chosen to continue the sponsoring of the race that takes place the day before the Heineken Regatta, inviting all spinnaker carrying yachts to compete.

The intention of this race is to add a day of the more ‘serious’ side to the ‘serious fun’ regatta, known throughout the world.
The courses are set as windward - leeward courses, keeping the fleet close together and ensuring competitive racing and amazing views once the colorful spinnakers are raised.

The Budget Marine commodores Cup is also organized by the St.Maarten Yacht Club and a welcome addition to continuous improvements in quality to the St.Maarten sailing circuit.

Some of the most prestigious yachts in the world competed during the 2007 edition with the winning yacht of the Volvo Ocean Race, the ABN AMRO, taking first place overall.

The 2008 edition is expected to be a great spectacle, should you be in St.Maarten during the regatta days, make sure to take a peek onto the water on Thursday March 6, 2008, that is if you are not on the water already!

January 11, 2008 St. Maarten - Aluminum RIBS will play a much greater role in Caribbean Boating in the future

Budget Marine has noticed that the interest by customers for aluminum hulled RIB’s continues to grow exponentially. Budget Marine carries the widest range of such boats in the Caribbean. The AB Inflatable range of boats has two series of aluminum hulls and for the first time in 2007 Budget Marine imported a limited range of the Aquapro boats which are originally manufactured in New Zealand but are produced in a modern factory in China.

The AB Lamina series was the original aluminum and had some quality problems originally. The last number of years these have disappeared completely and a new series has been added with the Alumina which boasts built in tanks and consoles.

The Aquapro boats have a very long history of aluminum ribs and some very old models can still be seen in many locations globally. Their current range is very large and in particular their welding quality is excellent. They come in some cases with jockey seats and some clever details.

Aluminum RIBS have a tremendous future as they are light and difficult to damage. Even when damaged their repairs are likely to be complete and non recurring in comparison to fiberglass repairs that involve delamination of the material that ends up with compromises in weight and water absorption. Their lighter weight means there can be lighter engines, less fuel consumption and better sea worthiness.

January 2008 - Caribbean sailors with experience will be familiar with the Caribbean Barnacle

The Caribbean Barnacle has exceptional adhesion to surfaces and is very hard indeed. The Caribbean Barnacle resists scrapers that may be powered by substantial elbow grease and scoffs at sandpaper.

Sometimes this Caribbean Barnacle finds its way into the narrow tubes of heat exchangers and other critical pieces of equipment that play havoc with the best yachts, the most expensive charters and the most desired sailing trips. And to remove these well adhering barnacles from these critical items can be a daunting task.

In the old days, we all resorted to highly aggressive and dangerous acids like Muriatic acid which eliminated the offending shells but usually left extensive collatoral damage and created the potential for even more. Many of us survived Muriatic acid jobs although our clothes did not.

Now Budget Marine has a solution that eliminates Mr. Barnacle with greater ease than the aggresive acids and at the same time does absolutely no harm to clothes and people. A truly incredible product called Trac Ecological! Budget Marine will be keeping this as standard stock in all of its stores where especially mechanics, confronted with "tube stacks" clogged with barnacles, will find the true solution to their problems.

More info on our Featured Products page

November 9, 2007 St. Maarten - Robbie Ferron declares yachting season for opened with the 2008 product catalogue Launch of Budget Marine

Thursday evening the arrival of the ‘2008 Budget Marine product catalogue' was celebrated by the yachting community in the Budget Marine parking Lot.

As no-one really knows when the yachting season actually starts Robbie Ferron took it into his own hands to declare it for opened it with the launch of the new Product Catalogue, as it indicates they are ready for the boats to come in and the season to begin!

The ‘first' catalogue made quite a spectacular entrance as Robbie Ferron announced the catalogue is printed in Colombia, and the first copy being swam over by Carlos. who then miraculously entered the venue from the slipway coming from the lagoon in full dive gear with a Pelican Case containing the ‘first' Budget Marine 2008 Product Catalogue.

The quality of the book has again increased this year and it was clearly a pleasure for the Budget Marine Managers to introduce it to their customers and affiliates.

Robbie said that this catalogue is not like the often ‘one step forward, two steps back', but instead is '4 steps forward and two steps back', gaining some, and leaving even more room for improvement in the future. This book is made in-house at the Budget Marine group offices, that services all the Budget Marine locations throughout the Caribbean.

A team works year round to produce the 496 page book. Budget Marine carries around 24.000 different SKUs, making the catalogue quite a challenge, but one happily taken by the team. They are already making notes for the 2009 edition.

The 2008 book has increased in the number of pages, and clearly also in quality. A continuous effort throughout the year was made to increase the accuracy of the products, adding more products with focus on the products people are looking for. In the future Budget Marine aims to get the entire catalogue online at www.budgetmarine.com.

The 2008 edition is now available at Budget Marine and other yachting locations, and is free.

October 5, 2007 St. Maarten - Budget Marine St. Maarten Sponsors Staff to learn to sail

Sailing is a sport many people speak of passionately. And a few of those individuals have used their passion to make St.Maarten an important Yachting destination. The Marine Industry has grown exponentially on St.Maarten and can be considered an important part of the local business climate. This also means many St.Maarteners are employed at the businesses, many of whom do not yet understand what that ‘passion’ of their customers is all about.

Therefore Budget Marine and other companies around the lagoon are sponsoring their employees to take a 10-hour sailing course. Not only will this help them appreciate the sport, but they will also have a greater understanding of the products they are dealing with.

After the 10 hours, sailing instructor and initiator Daniel, says the students will be able to feel comfortable on a boat, handle sailing themselves and even hire one of the boats out at the Lagoon sailboat rental, the provider of the boats for this course.

Cheryl, Head cashier at Budget Marine St. Maarten, is one of the people who signed up. This week was her 3rd lesson, along with the other students, and when interviewing them, they already seemed happy on the boats, and easily preparing for the sails to be hoisted.

Classes are held partly at the St.Maarten Yacht Club and on the lagoon. Boats used are from the fleet of Sunfast 21’s, provided by Lagoon Sailboat Rentals.

For more information on classes, contact Daniel at Lagoon Sailboat Rentals, phone 55 70714.

September 24, 2007 St. Maarten - Budget Marine 2008 catalogue, new and improved!

More and more yachts visit the Caribbean every year, and St.Maarten can be considered the main hub for boats. Why do yachts choose this as their Caribbean home base? Because of the extensive, convenient and high quality services offered by businesses on the island. One of the large contributors to the wide range of products available on St.Maarten is Budget Marine, who over the past 25 years has made a continuous effort to provide products for every boat on the island and anywhere else in the Caribbean.

Reflecting this wide range of products, Budget Marine produces a comprehensive product catalogue, made entirely in-house, at their group offices.

As of November 8 it is time to welcome the new and improved 2008 edition.

It is a happy time for the people at Budget Marine, as their catalogue will be at a level comparable to major US and European brands. A product specialist was added to the production team, making this a catalogue that jumps out from all catalogues before!

Changes
A better match between product offering on the sales floor, and the product offering in the catalogue has been achieved. Due to many hours of product research each item will have more accurate information. Additional chapters have been added, such as the new ‘Cruising Gear’ section. If you thought Budget Marine was just your yachting hardware store, think again, they have now taken the Nautique collection into the main store in Cole Bay, offering sailing gear, clothing and galley ware.

The catalogue is a great resource for the Budget Marine customers, but it is also a useful tool for the BM employees. On most desks you will find a heavily used catalogue full of sticky notes and doggy ears with employee name in heavy black marker over the front cover.

With the 2008 edition, their desk will have to carry a bit more weight, as 3500 new products have been added, making this an impressive 495-page book.

Pick up one of the new free catalogues and see for yourself, available at all Budget Marine locations (St.Maarten, St.Martin, St.Thomas, Antigua, Grenada, Trinidad, Curacao, Bonaire).

After having a peak into the new catalogue, there is reason for congratulations to the Catalogue Team: Cherryl, Debbie, Bernard, Bright and Robbie, Well done!

September 21, 2007 St. Maarten - 6th Annual Budget Marine Womens Regatta

Women from all over the Caribbean will gather again for the 6th Annual Budget Marine Womens Regatta on November 3rd and 4th. Mothers- leave your children behind, leave the husbands in charge, and enjoy a weekend of competitive racing and fun atmosphere.

What to expect from this regatta? Expect color coordinated sailing outfits, top women sailors from the caribbean, great prizes for the ladies, and a buzzing Yacht Club.

This year again teams from various islands are expected to compete, First Place title defenders Emma Paull and team from Tortola is expected back and second place winner Penny McIntyre and Renata Goodridge and their team from Barbados as well.

The regatta is open to 16 female teams. The regatta is sailed on the Fleet of Janeau Sunfast 20s, supplied by Lagoon Sailboat Rentals. Courses are on the Simpson Bay Lagoon, which is an highly interesting area for one design racing. The teams rotate the boats, using a change over boat, making it a fair competition, with everyone having sailed every boat.

The past three years the race has been dominated by Emma Paull and her team, in 2006 15 races where sailed over the entire weekend of the regatta, and the ladies from Tortola never fell below 4th place in any race.

That the races are highly competitive is evident by the close result last year, as for second place three teams ended with 25 points. Using the International Rule for breaking ties the 3rd, 4th and 5th place where decided.

Winner of the best local team was Lynn Rapley sponsored by Necol, coming in third overall.

Main sponor used to be Budget Nautique, the boutique-like sister store of Budget Marine. They have now taken Nautique into their Cole Bay store, making them overall sponsor of the event.

Budget Marine sponsors this event because they feel they appeal to the female sailor, aswell as they feel the need to promote and support sailing for everyone in the caribbean. Besides them many other St.Maarten companies sponsored the event in 2006. Regatta organisers invite everyone to help out again to support womans sailing efforts in the Caribbean.

To sign up, or for more info contact Cary Byerley at director@bigboatseries.com

July 2007 - TOHATSU and BUDGET MARINE sign agreement

Tokyo - Tohatsu and Budget Marine have now signed a formal agreement that gives Budget Marine the rights to be the distributor of the Tohatsu brand in the Eastern Caribbean. Budget Marine Group Manager, Robbie Ferron, visited Tohatsu's headquarters in Tokyo and new state of the art manufacturing plant in Komagane, which has a production capacity of over 200,000 units per year, at the beginning of July 2007.

He was guided by the representatives of the export agency handling the Budget Marine account in the persons of Messrs Akita and Fujita of Santai Trading. The agreement was signed on behalf of Tohatsu by Mr Sanada and on behalf of the Budget Marine Group by Robbie Ferron.

This agreement further consolidates the relationship between Tohatsu, pioneers of outboard engine technology since 1956, and Budget Marine, chandlery leaders in the Caribbean with 10 locations in St Maarten, St Martin, St Thomas, Antigua, Grenada, Trinidad, Bonaire and Curacao.

Budget Marine started retailing Tohatsu's 2-stroke engines in 2004, and it was immediately apparent that these reliable, compact and affordable outboard engines, with their terrific horsepower to weight ratios, provide an ideal solution for Caribbean boaters who regularly have to lift and stow their motors on board.

As the demand for low emission, high fuel economy outboard engines increases, Tohatsu's 4-stroke and award-winning TLDI series (direct fuel injection system, precisely controlled) that exceed EPA and CARB requirements, are also being introduced in Budget Marine stores.

Robbie Ferron says: “Our chandlery group is in an ideal position to provide after sales service for Tohatsu outboards throughout the island chain. We stock a very broad range of Tohatsu parts and in June 2007, as part of ongoing staff training, a Tohatsu delegation made a presentation to our top technical sales and purchasing personnel, reinforcing Budget Marine's understanding of and commitment to this brand and its bright future in the Caribbean.”

April 4, 1007 Chaguaramas, Trinidad - Big Catamaran Building Projects

Plywood construction is making a comeback in the boat building industry and evidence of this can be seen in Chaguaramas, Trinidad. The radius chine plywood construction method which uses large sheets of marine ply scarfed together over stringers and joined with immensely strong West System epoxy is currently being used for four big DH550 catamaran construction projects in the Budget Marine Trinidad compound (Skinner's Yard).

Designer Dudley Dix and boat builder Phil Harvey collaborated to create this powerful, long distance cruising catamaran, with its sleek lines and spacious accommodation. Hull #1, which is almost complete, belongs to Phil Harvey, who, having looked at the Yachting Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago website, realized that Chaguaramas in Trinidad was a good place to build a boat. In 2005 he put up a large shed and got a team of local craftsmen going and is now busy with the final touches on his cat named “Wild Vanilla”. Others watched the progress of his catamaran and wanted one too. The 3 other catamarans are at various stages of construction, as can be seen in the photos shown.

For all these projects Budget Marine is uniquely placed to supply materials and equipment. The challenge has been to provide the right product at the right time at the right price for these bulk buying, big account customers. The Budget Marine team has been stimulated and their resources stretched, to source and supply the new and different products required and have also spent a training session with Phil on the building site, seeing how construction takes place and where all the bits and pieces fit. Phil, who is a consultant for these catamaran projects, says that he really appreciates the helpfulness of the Budget Marine staff. Trinidad has always been a great destination for boat repair and maintenance, but now it can boast the capacity to support the production of brand new boats, built from scratch, that more than meet international boat building standards.

For more info about these cats see www.dixdesign.com/55cat.htm - 11k

February 28, 2007 St. Maarten - Andrew Rapley Named Marine Professional of the Year 2007

On 28 February 2007, at the Budget Marine Party at the St Maarten Yacht Club, Andrew Rapley was named by Budget Marine as Marine Professional of the Year 2007 in recognition for his dedicated and consistent delivery of professional electrical and electronic services in St Maarten through his company Necol N.V. and his voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing.

When Andrew bought the company in 1986, the demand for electrical and electronic services on the island was of a moderate technical nature. Since then he has upgraded his knowledge and proficiency to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of larger yachts with computerized, interconnected systems and satellite communications, where troubleshooting and solving issues of compatibility and interfacing are often a matter of urgency.

By meeting this challenge Andrew has helped the St Maarten marine industry grow. In addition he has spent many voluntary hours service as race officer at sailing events. He is the only person on St Maarten, and one of only a few in the Caribbean, to hold certification as an International Race Officer. Budget Marine is proud to honour him with this award.

February 26, 2007, Antigua - Jolly Harbour Valentine's Regatta

A well matched fleet of 19 boats competed for the 15th Annual Valentines Regatta. The event was sponsored by Budget Marine, the Caribbean's leading chandlery Group and yacht chandler to Jolly Harbour. The races were sailed mainly off the Five Islands harbour located adjacent to Jolly Harbour. The sailing area boasts flat water, plenty of space, highly convenient facilities and winds shifts that are interesting but not too dramatic as the wind comes off the land of Antigua. Jolly Harbour Marina provided free overnight dockage.

The racer cruiser class was the most intensely contested with a very well matched fleet of 8 boats that was reduced to 7 when the rig on the Dehler 34 High Tide threatened for one moment to adopt the horizontal position.

The racing class was split between the high raters being the two Beneteau 40.7's called Lancelot and First Across and the 1720 by name of Shaggy sailed by Sean Malone of English Harbour. Second place went to Lancelot the Beneteau 40.7 who though well sailed was unable to deal with the light asymmetrical spinnakered 1720 “Shaggy” that beat it. Third place went to the Lindenberg 28 Seeya that was sailed by two persons without spinnaker but managed to do very well without any weight on the “rail”.

The Racer Cruiser class was by far the most competitive class with eight boats, very close starts and much changing of positions. Hans Lammers dominated in the end through consistency good fortune and his extensive skills in finding luck. Second place went to Budget Marine (Tango Mike) who worked hard for his position with the well prepared boat. Third place went to the ever improving Blue Peter. Noteworthy also was Huey Too who peaked at the end with two wins in the final two races. Poor results on the first day diminished the chances of good results.

In the cruising class Charles Kenlocks folkboat 26 won the first two races but was unable to continue. Colin Jones won the class with consistency and all wins on the second day. David Milners Fiesta took second place in every single race to beat Paul Jacksons Mackenzi.

Winds on the Saturday were lighter (around 10 knots) than Sunday when the were stiffer(around 15 knots). On Saturday during the second race the final mark caused a degree of inversion of the fleet positions as a result of a wind hole which was traumatic for some as they sat in the hole and watched the back of the fleet sail pass them. Hans Lammers's Sunshine was one that was in a hopeless position at the back of the fleet but came right up to the front in that little on the water drama.

Unique to this regatta was the participation of three Dolphins at the start of the fourth (Sunday morning race ) who went from boat to boat to spend a little time at the bow of each boat . Inevitably and sadly there was immediate controversy as to whether any boat had arranged a tow for the porpoises of beating the competition. The competition in this regatta was clearly intense.

The prize giving took place in the Dogwatch Pub, the home of the Jolly Harbour Yacht Club where the potential of Jolly Harbour as a race venue and convenient marina location was highlighted.

The prize giving took place in the Dogwatch Pub, the home of the Jolly Harbour Yacht Club where the potential of Jolly Harbour as a race venue and convenient marina location was highlighted.

For information : Cary Byerley at director@bigboatseries.com or Tel 599 552 0068

December 28, 2006 - Budget Marine Sponsors Commodores Cup: Added Day to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

In 2007 the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta will be held for the 27th time. Every year the regatta organization aims for improvement and evolvement of the regatta. Over the years the increase in the amount of participating boats has been astounding and the regatta has grown out to be the biggest regatta in the Caribbean.

Not only has the regatta grown in quantity, it has grown in quality, and based on annual research among sailors, a new day of racing will be introduced.

This year the spinnaker boats will compete in not only the usual three days of exiting racing, but will also have the opportunity to compete in the newly introduced Commodores Cup by Budget Marine.

This Cup will be held on the Thursday before the three days that take the boats around the island.

This Cup will be highly competitive for spinnaker boats racing short courses just off the island coast. The courses will be windward/ leeward courses, ensuring exiting moments at the marks. This race will bring out the true competitive spirit! and besides that, spectators will be able to enjoy the wonderful sight of all the colorful spinnakers on the downwind legs.

The Sint Maarten Yacht Club is proud to announce this event as they believe it is a step to the regatta ‘growing up'. Having Budget Marine on board with their 11 locations throughout the Caribbean aiming to supply boaters with all their boating needs, they believe they also need to support the sailing community. Budget Marine is proud to be part of what promises to be a very exiting day of high tech and high quality racing.

As announced earlier the Regatta Organizers are glad that the world famous Volvo Ocean 70, ABN AMRO ONE will be racing, in cooperation with Budget Marine they hope to be able to give the community an opportunity to view the boat from up close to see how one of the most prestigious racers of the moment works!

Alfred Koolen of Budget Marine and Frank Hoedemaker, Commodore of the St.Maarten Yacht Club, signed a two year agreement on Tuesday evening, during the volunteers' party. Both the Regatta organization and Budget Marine call out to all people of St.Maarten to be part of the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta and the Commodores Cup, as more people will be needed with the extra day of sailing. One thing is for sure, this regatta could never work without all those volunteers!

For questions or quote's contact:
Mirian Ebbers
Sint Maarten Yacht Club
tel. 544.2079
director@heinekenregatta.com
www.heinekenregatta.com

Or Michele Ferron
Budget Marine Group
tel. 544.3134
Michele.ferron@budgetmarine.com

November 14, 2006 - Budget Marine Launches New and Improved Web Catalog

The 2007 Budget Marine Catalog has great new features such as faster loading pages and a linked Table of Contents so you can find what you are looking for quickly and easily.

September 28, 2006 - Budget Marine Grenada donates to Grenada Youth Sailing Association

With great pleasure, Manager Nicholas George presented $5,000 to the Grenada Youth Sailing Association on behalf of the Staff, Management and Directors of Budget Maine Grenada. Nicholas added, “The future of sailing lies in the hands of the youth sailors of today. Training programs and seminars are costly and it is our hope that this contribution can go a long way in aiding the goals of this valuable organization. Their hard work, dedication and persistence has made the program successful and we admire their actions” Accepting the donation is President of the Grenada Sailing Association, Jacqui Pascall.