That Was the Week that Was.

This is my first Blog since December and of that I am not proud. So let's try and catch up. Lots of things have happened on St. Maarten over the last few months, some good, some downright awful. The worst was the abduction and murder of the chef from the megayacht Cheetah Moon. This barbaric act, followed by three unrelated murders within a week, shook the island to the core. As of writing, no progress has been made in apprehending the killers. However, the gravity of the situation at least dragged the reports to the front page of the most widely read of the two local newspapers. In the past, murder has been relegated to the inside pages in order not to upset the tourists or threaten the islands one-pillar economy. A move by the St. Maarten Marine Association to introduce a shuttle bus between the hours of 9pm and 6am to carry yacht crews to and from popular night clubs is welcome. Who will provide a shuttle bus for cruisers at anchor as not been addressed.

On a brighter note, this years St. Maarten Heineken Regatta was a huge success, even though light winds played havoc and resulted in numerous DNFs in some bareboat classes. Naysayers like me, who said the organizers had made a big mistake in their choice of headline act for the final party, had to eat their words or, in my case, swallow much Heineken. Wyclef Jean not only rocked the sailors and half the population of the island island until nigh on 2.30 in the morning, he put on one of the best shows seen at the regatta for years. His warm-up act, Orange Grove, were on fine form, too. This is one regatta I won't forget. I came away with a cracked rib and a great hangover .. it doesn't get better than that!