SINT MAARTEN (SIMPSON BAY) – The Sint Maarten Yacht Club, together with the Port St. Maarten Group of Companies, Simpson Bay Resort, and Caribbean Cinemas Megaplex 7, are excited to announce the arrival of the legendary yacht Maiden to our waters on Thursday, 12th December to 17th, coming through the 5:00pm Simpson Bay Bridge and tying up to the SMYC dock.
Maiden carried the first all-female crew to ever sail around the world when Tracy Edwards skippered her in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race (now known as the Volvo Ocean Race). Tracy and her team battled the odds and the cynics and sailed into the record books winning two legs of the world’s toughest sailing race and placing second overall, the best result for a British yacht since 1977 and unbeaten to this day.
Maiden was sold after the race and fell into disrepair before being discovered again by Edwards in 2014, rotting away in the Seychelles. The boat has since undergone an extensive refit and has been restored to her former glory.
Now, Maiden is sailing around the world again with an all-female crew on a new mission to raise awareness and funds for girls’ education around the globe on a two-year world tour on behalf of the Maiden Factor Foundation.
How can you be part of this special event?
Thursday December 12:
Maiden is coming through the 5pm bridge. For those of you with a dinghy or tender, we’d like to welcome them to our yacht club with fanfare and escort them through the bridge! Our advanced sailors in the Thursday RS Vision class will be sailing through the bridge with them, as well as the Kids at Sea kids on support tenders. For those of you without dinghies, come cheer from the restaurant at the bridge opening!
Friday December 13:
Meet & Greet 5:30pm at SMYC, after coming back through the bridge. Including a 50/50 raffle to raise funds for the Maiden Factor Foundation.
Saturday December 14:
“Open Day” from 9:00am-12:00pm at the SMYC dock to come on board and tour this iconic yacht, with a suggested donation of $10 to go to the Maiden Factor Foundation.
Sunday December 15:
A presentation about Maiden is scheduled at 6:30pm at the SMYC, open to the public at no charge.
Saturday and Sunday December 14 + 15:
The highly acclaimed and award-winning documentary film “Maiden” has recently been taking the world by storm and will be shown at the Caribbean Cinema Megaplex in Cole Bay while the boat is on-island for 4 special matinee screenings this Saturday and Sunday, December 14th & 15th at 2:55pm and 5:05pm each day, with a Q & A afterwards with the crew. Check out the trailer here
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our valuable sponsors Simpson Bay Resort, Port St. Maarten Group of Companies and Caribbean Cinemas Megaplex 7.
“We’d like to thank the Simpson Bay Resort for their support of Maiden’s arrival and know they are pleased to welcome the crew and be part of supporting girls’ empowerment and education, as well as the Kids at Sea and SMYC youth sailing programs.” Garth Steyn, Founder and Project Manager of the “Kidz at Sea” program.
Port St. Maarten said in a statement: “At Port St. Maarten we take the opportunity to welcome Yacht Maiden and its crew to St. Maarten. Yacht Maiden and its crew are sailing around the world on a two-year tour with an all-female crew on behalf of the Maiden Factor Foundation; on a mission to raise awareness and funds for girls’ education around the globe”.
“Educational attainment for girls impacts their life chances and choices which has far reaching consequences for the individual and overall the community that they are a part of.
“This initiative – The Maiden Factor Foundation – without a doubt will continue to help and positively influence societies around the globe about the transformative power of education for girls,”
Source: Souliga Newsday https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com-k2&view=item&id=28750:iconic-yacht-“maiden”-to-arrive-in-st-maarten-this-thursday&Itemid=450
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