Yes, I have germinated a few sikkimensis. The rate was around 40% the last time.
You need to fluctuate the temperatures to sprout most banana-seeds. A regime that worked for me was 14 hours of 12-15 degrees C and 10 hours of 25-32 degrees celsius. You can achieve this by utilizing a heat mat.

In my opinion sikkimensis grows slowly the first year after sprouting. But then again, I am 60 degrees north.

Erlend

I also use a fluctuating temp. I used a heated mat with a switch-timer. During dayhours ca 30C, during night 18C. The young plants are very sensitive and, as Erlend told, grow slow the first year. I had 15 plants from 40 seeds, so similar rate.
Simon

I germinated a few sikkimensis two years ago and I did not use any heat mats or anything. I did set them near a window so the fluctuation in heat probably occured without me even knowing. Mine only lasted a year (I'm in zone 6), but they grew like crazy! by August, I had a 7' tall psudo trunk and leaves about 3.5 ft x 17". So...from seed to an overall height of nearly 9 ft in 6 months, I'd say that's pretty fast. However, I don't know bananas like the people here know bananas....so trust them more than my isolated experience. Starting the seeds now sounds like a perfect idea to me!!

Just to let you all know first 1 sprouted yesterday. Will it possibly be ready to go in the garden this year?

Sprouting, shmouting. What are your experiences with winter hardiness?

I have had similar experiences with germinating M.sikkimensis(heat mat works well, but it's really hard to get temps right and that mainly depends on the appliance timer you get for it and the amount of stops it has(the heat mats here get it way too hot and an appliances timer with many stops is needed). The window method is also great(used peat moss baggie pressed against window).
chpinoh7- Personally I would grow it in a tub then bare root or bring it in as a house plant next winter(they seem to handle low light situations well).
dilbert- Musa sikkimensis has a fairly broad range with many differnt elevations in it's native land. Some growers in Germany have said that the ones from a differnt source that had more purple striping had more cold hardiness, but now there are seeds from the Naga hills(Manipur) available that have alot of purple, and those mountains are well south of the Himalayas. There are many different seed strains, so your question is hard to anwser.
My TC clone originally from Agri-starts shows just as much leaf hardiness as TC basjoo, but I'm not sure about root hardiness.

I find they germinate in a few weeks, but then the seedlings don't do much other than produce two leaves in the first year. Last years seeds are putting up new leaves here now indoors.