No Problem in Saint-Martin Text of Manu Morel
- Copyright Kitesurf Mag July August 2005
With its post card landscapes and its magnificent lagoons, Saint-Martin is an invitation to the kite, but also to the laziness and to the partying. During two weeks, our trio of shock (Morelo El Surfador, Daphnée Laliberté and Harold Quinquis) tried to attempt to discover this island night and day. The less that one can say, is that this adventure won't be easy… To shortcoming porthole, just underneath, I see the turquoise water of the lagoon, people on the beach, the restaurant where the tourists wait for the planes and for the traditional photo of the landing. The arrival on the island of Saint-Martin is exceptional enough. Just before landing, one passes to about twenty meters above the beach. This time, I am here, on the island of all stars and big fortunes of the meet planet. The yachts are hallucinating the some that the other. It is the one that will have the biggest…for New Year's Day; it appears that the Juliana airport has difficulty welcoming all private throws. In the sky, it is a real plane parade to millions of dollars. On the heights of the island or directly on the beaches, the stars of the show-biz brown themselves the pill in their sumptuous villas

Our stars well to us To earth, I recover the beautiful Daphnée Laliberté straight ahead disembarked of the paradise of the Dom.Rep., as well as Harold Quinquis come in neighbor from Martinique. Our mission: to explore the island in its least recesses to bring back to you a maximum of info and beautiful pictures. All a program! The team of the Club Nathalie Simon is going to be a precious help: Manu, Cécile, Antoine and Ben are going to give themselves bodies and souls to make us discover the best of Saint-Martin.

The tour of the island The island must make a quarantine of circumference kilometers. The coast is cut enough; the beaches of white sand are overhung by small mountains. The climate is dry and vegetation rarefies as one goes up on the heights. By car, it is necessary at least three hours to make the tour of the island, but that is worthwhile. The landscapes are superb and the very friendly people. Saint-Martin is cut in two: on one hand the French side, on the other, the Dutch side. The border is almost imperceptible; one passes a country to the other without even seeing themselves in it. The French side allies comfort and elegance in a very relax atmosphere. Dutch side, the ambiance is a little more commercial with the port of Phillipsburg and its photo boutiques, video and television. All that in duty free, to tariffs without competition. Every day, the cruise boats pour their streams of tourists, (enters 2 000 and 4 000 by boat and until 7 boats per day…). It is on the Dutch side that one finds the places where to spend the hot nights that can finish very late or early in the morning, to the choice …little advice, mistrust the rum, it is good but strong.

To wait, to wait and again to wait We only lack only one thing so that all is perfect. We have superb beaches, turquoise water, of good riders, a team to the bip, an excellent photographer, of landscapes hallucinates… but, unfortunately, the trade wind has difficulty getting in place. Every day, the same ritual gets settled: one spends his time on the computer to check the weather report, sometimes until 10 times a day. One takes the forecasting to see if it doesn't change and if a small wind is not going to get in place. Every time, a small hope gets settled and Manu of the CNS lets us hope for a small hour of navigation in the day. Normally, Saint-Martin benefits from a trade wind. Wind generally blows in the morning and at the end of day between 12 and 20 knots. The trade winds function from mid-November to end of April, but the island is blown all year round. It is in the months of June and July that the wind has the best viewpoint forces and regularity. To the level of the equipment, it is necessary to take the big wings generally. But this winter, wind made itself very capricious in all the Caribbean. The Dom.Rep, to Martinique, the movement of the trade winds has been much disrupted. Here, the wind is less strong than at the Dominican Republic, but, big advantage, the spotlights are far from being overcrowded. For the premises, about ten wings on water, it is a one day pump. We are impatient to be able to sail finally these turquoise lagoons. The CNS is one of the most beautiful spotlights on Saint-Martin, Orient Bay, is also the biggest of the island. One recovers a small air of Saint-Tropez there. Just in the face, the view is impregnable on the islands of Caye Verte, Pinel, Tintamare and Saint-Barth.

Fiesta, restaurant and jaunt In the absence of the wind, Manu and Cécile take very well care of us. The noon, off a boat stroke, we meet on the island of Pinel to share some lobsters around a bottle of rum. In the evening, not to lose the rhythm, we taste arranged different rums (darling, passion, banana…). There is indeed in the bip and Manu, in end connoisseur, he explains to us how all is elaborated. Here, the rum is a real culture. Its tasting is part of a fundamental ritual that doesn't go without a long initiation. The national drink intoxicates those that abuse it, but returns cheerful to those that consume some with moderation. Of course, we are part of the second category, of the less in beginning of evening. To continue, we make a tour to Bliss, the Dutch side history to heat a little the dance floor, before finishing in the Platinum room. After having ordered a glass, one understands quickly why the currency is returned in cuts of one dollar. You can slip then the tickets under the fine thongs of the G-strings that come to parade under your nose… Of the girls' generous shapes, some sexier then others unveil their charms. At the end of one week of feast, restaurants and Clubs around the island, our Harold friend owes repartee in Martinique for a competition. He will only have had the right to a small session of one half-hour. With Daphnée, we have a good week again before the departure. We keep hope. The Wind is going well to end up recovering its normal behavior and to allow us to bring back good pictures of navigation. At present; I made a stock of pictures of landscapes, life trains and big cliffs.

Happy end to the American We continue our visit of the island with a tour in the airport to see the planes landing .The most impressive is a Corsair 747 that passes in an uproar hallucinating to a few meters. Finally, as in the American movies, all ends well. The Wind finally decided to blow on the lagoon. The last two days, we are going to be able to finish our trip with smiles to the ears. The sessions are very early; we are ready at 7 o'clock of the mat. Manu takes us by boat to the island of Caye Verte. There, we are calmly sail. After having prepared our equipment on the white sand, Daph' gets to the water and links the foreheads, backs, raileys and other kiteloops. The conditions are indeed to the bip, the spotlight is anything for us, light is perfected and Daphnée is motivated more than ever… This time, we can take the plane without stress, and even though the wind made it, all is finished finally well. We especially met the friendly, passionate terrific people, who invested a lot of energy so that our trip was the best. Thank you to all, Manu, Cécile, Antoine, Ben, Thomas and all bitten of kite on the island.