PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA), in collaboration with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB), proudly represented St. Maarten at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this past weekend. With support from key sponsors including Budget Marine, Island Water World, FKG, Bobby’s Marina, Nomad Marine Solutions, and David Walters Yachts, St. Maarten brought its marine-tourism proposition directly to sailors, boat owners, and charter prospects at one of the United States’ premier boating events.
The Annapolis Sailboat Show is widely recognized as one of the largest and most influential sailboat shows in the U.S. — the Fall edition alone features a fleet of some 155 boats and hosts hundreds of exhibitors across marine gear, yacht brokers, charter firms, and destination marketing. Attendance for the combined sail and power boat shows in past years has reached approximately 50,000 or more visitors. The show draws attendees from across the U.S. and internationally, including industry decision-makers, charterers, vessel owners, and destination marketers.
St. Maarten’s booth was strategically situated in the Vacation Basin, among numerous sailing destinations, charter exhibitors, and marine service providers. This gave the island direct exposure to a concentrated audience of active sailors and boat owners seeking new cruising grounds, charter options, or expansion of their travel plans.
Over the show’s four days, the St. Maarten booth saw consistent foot traffic. Many visitors expressed curiosity about visiting St. Maarten with their own yachts, while others indicated interest in chartering in SXM waters. Several attendees mentioned they were already planning trips to the island—or had visited in the past—and were pleased to reconnect with St. Maarten as a destination.
“Our presence reasserted that beyond being a leading vacation destination, St. Maarten is a world-class maritime hub where sailors, yacht owners, and charter guests can find first-class services, natural beauty, and we invite you to explore,” said May-Ling Chun, Director of Tourism for St. Maarten.
The combined presence of SMMTA and STB enabled meaningful conversations about infrastructure needs, cruising logistics, berthing, provisioning, and charter support. The show also allowed the Island’s representatives to gauge what potential visitors view as priorities and constraints when considering Caribbean cruising, and more specifically regarding St. Maarten.
Gaby Eman, representing Island Water World and the SMMTA, reflected on the experience: “Participating in the Annapolis Sail Boat Show was an incredibly rewarding experience — it allowed us not only to showcase the island’s thriving marine industry and its wide range of trade and service opportunities, but also to connect directly with a wide variety of potential customers and industry professionals. The enthusiasm we encountered reaffirmed the island’s potential as a dynamic hub for marine commerce, yacht services, and sustainable blue economy growth.”
The success of St. Maarten’s presence in Annapolis underscores the island’s potential to expand its visibility among the U.S. sailing and charter market. Moving ahead, SMMTA and STB plan to follow up on leads, refine promotional materials, and evaluate attendance for next year’s Annapolis Sailboat Show. The insights gained will also inform efforts to strengthen marine infrastructure—berthing, services, logistics, and marketing—to better match the expectations of international cruising sailors and charter clients.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Dr. Luc Mercelina, recently met with representatives of the European Union Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, CARICOM, and CARIFORUM to strengthen cooperation and advance ongoing and upcoming development initiatives for Sint Maarten.
From October 4th to 8th, 2025, the PSA Athletics Association proudly hosted the second annual Paradise Showdown 15U Basketball Tournament, a five-day event featuring over 90 young athletes competing at the highest level. The tournament officially kicked off on Saturday, October 4th, with an inspiring opening address by the Honorable Ms. Melissa Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport (ECYS). Over 1,700 viewers tuned in via the Association’s YouTube livestream, in addition to the audience present at the venue. Founder and tournament organizer Mr. Omar Beauperthuy also delivered remarks, introduced each participating country, and their national anthem or song was played, setting a spirited and respectful tone for the event. The first match of the tournament featured host country Sint Maarten taking on Grenada, with Sint Maarten securing the win. From October 5th to 7th, training sessions were held for each participating team and was led-by invited coaches from the United States. These sessions focused on conditioning and technical skill development. In addition, referee workshops were conducted by a FIBA-certified official from the Netherlands Basketball Bond (NBB), providing morning and post-game sessions to improve officiating standards. Over the past eight months, three coaches two from Sint Maarten and one female coach from Saba, participated in an online Level 3 Coaching Certification program. During the tournament, they successfully completed the practical portion of their final assessment, marking a significant milestone in their coaching development. Based on feedback from several countries, this year’s event also included training sessions for girls. These sessions, held for 1.5 hours each day over four days, allowed the girls to train exclusively with the coaches visiting, taking an important step toward expanding inclusivity in the tournament. The final day of the tournament featured the third-place match between Sint Maarten and Aruba, with Sint Maarten emerging victorious. Prior to the championship game, a new feature was introduced: the All-Star Game. Twenty-four standout players excluding those in the finals were selected and presented with commemorative jerseys. The teams, named Sunrise and Sunset, battled it out, with Sunset claiming the win. In the championship match, reigning champions Saint Martin delivered a dominant performance against Curaçao, winning 92–55 and successfully defending their title. Under the leadership of Coach Hyman and Coach Mataly, the team extended its undefeated streak for a second consecutive year. This year's tournament provided even greater exposure and opportunities for young players, and anticipation is already being built for next year. The dates for Paradise Showdown 3 have been officially announced: October 3rd–7th, 2026. Interested countries are encouraged to reach out via email at 
