America’s Cup & Marigot 美洲杯帆船赛与马里戈港
December 5, 2025
The ship anchored in Marigot, St. Martin, a French overseas territory. St. Martin is unique in that the island is divided between French and Dutch jurisdictions. The French side is much smaller, quieter, and far less touristy than the Dutch side.
In the morning, we ventured out to visit Fort Louis and a small hillside church, enjoying peaceful views over Marigot Bay.
In the afternoon, Chenggang joined the “America’s Cup” 12-meter yacht racing tour in Philipsburg, on the Dutch side of the island. The traffic from the French side to the Dutch side was unexpectedly heavy—bumper to bumper the entire way. What should have been a 20-minute drive took nearly an hour. The contrast between the two sides was striking: the Dutch side is much more developed and popular with cruise tourism. Today alone, four cruise ships were docked in Philipsburg, while the French side typically only receives eight to ten ships in an entire year.
After arriving at the port, we were transferred by boat to two authentic 12-meter–class America’s Cup racing yachts, the same type used in the classic America’s Cup competitions. We were divided into two teams, one for each yacht. Once out on the open water, the race began. Under the guidance of three professional crew members on each boat, most of us actively participated as working crew. Chenggang was assigned the role of prime grinder, turning the winch handles to control the sail sheets and provide power during maneuvers.
For over an hour, we sailed hard and raced head-to-head across the bay. The experience was thrilling, physically demanding, and incredibly fun. In the final minute, the yacht leaned at a dramatic angle, and a rush of seawater splashed over our side, drenching us up to the waist. It was, without question, one of the best excursions we had in the Caribbean.
2025年12月5日
当天邮轮停泊在圣马丁岛法属一侧的马里戈港（Marigot）。圣马丁岛十分特别，整个岛屿一分为二，分别由法国和荷兰管辖。相比之下，法属一侧面积更小、节奏更慢，也远没有荷属一侧那么商业化和游客密集。
上午我们外出自由行，游览了路易斯堡（Fort Louis）以及附近的一座小教堂。沿途安静祥和，在城堡上俯瞰马里戈湾，景色十分迷人。
下午，Connie留在船上，Chenggang一个人加入船上组织的活动， 前往荷属一侧的菲利普斯堡（Philipsburg），参加著名的“美洲杯”12 米级帆船竞速体验项目。然而，从法属区前往荷属区的路况出乎意料地拥堵，全程几乎是车挨着车、寸步难行。原本只需 20 分钟 的车程，花了将近 一个小时。两边的反差非常明显：荷属一侧明显更加繁华、热闹，也更受邮轮游客欢迎。当天菲利普斯堡港口停靠了 4 艘邮轮，而法属一侧全年通常也就只有 8 到 10 艘邮轮靠港。
抵达港口后，我们先乘接驳船前往海面上的两艘真正的 12 米级美洲杯竞赛用帆船——这正是当年经典美洲杯比赛所使用的同类型赛艇。我们被分成两组，分别登上两艘赛船。驶入外海后，真正的比赛正式开始。在每艘船上 3 位专业船员 的指挥下，大部分游客都以“船员”的身份亲自参与操作。Chenggang 被安排担任主力摇绞盘手（Prime Grinder），负责高速摇动绞盘，控制帆索，为船只在转向和加速时提供强大动力。
整整一个多小时，我们在海面上激烈对抗、你追我赶，过程既紧张又充满乐趣。在最后一分钟，帆船突然大幅倾斜，我们这一侧瞬间被一阵海水拍打上来，海水直溅到腰间，整个人都被彻底浸湿了。这次体验既刺激又难忘，毫无疑问，这是我们整个加勒比行程中最精彩、最棒的一次岸上活动之一。