Caribbean Sailing Association – Caribbean Sailing News • Events • Rating Rule • Sailing Development

The 35th Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, with its unique blend of sport, tradition, camaraderie and maritime heritage, starts next Wednesday, April 17th and promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend. The racing will be held off the scenic south coast of the island while the onshore events will be in Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is dripping in history.

With the largest registered fleet of classic boats since 2014, this year’s regatta is poised to be a truly spectacular event. From the 177-foot sister ships Chronos and Rhea to the 29-foot Falmouth quay punt, Phoebe of Fowey, a diverse range of vessels will grace the waters off Antigua’s picturesque shores. The beautiful 70-foot custom cutter Galatea built in 1899 will be the oldest yacht on the water while Chloe Giselle, a spirit of tradition sloop built in 2014 with long overhangs, low profiles and smooth lines that gives her the look of a classic 1930’s yacht, will be the youngest. There is also an impressive line of other yachts including the magnificent 115-foot staysail schooner Eros, the majestic 114-foot ketch Saharet of Tyre, the three-masted square topsail schooner Alvei, the marconi yawl Nordwind built by the German navy in 1939, the legendary racing yawl Bolero, The Blue Peter who will be back for her tenth Classic Regatta, the beautiful schooners Charm III and Adventurer and a fleet of local Carriacou sloops as well as a host of others making this a fantastic fleet.

An eruption of primping and polishing is expected in Nelson’s Dockyard before judging of the Concours d’Elégance gets underway on Wednesday afternoon. A team of prestigious judges, led by Jane Coombs, wife of the Regatta founder Kenny Coombs, will inspect the meticulously maintained classic yachts and have the unenviable task of selecting the winners.

Racing begins Thursday morning and the boats and crews will test their mettle on the Classic Regatta’s tried and true courses. Racing continues through Sunday before the skippers try their hands at multi-tasking in the single-handed race on Monday. The winners will be awarded a barrel of English Harbour Rum at the Awards Ceremony on Monday night.

Sponsors English Harbour Rum and Red Stripe Beer will light the fuse on a jam-packed social schedule at the Welcome Party on Wednesday night. There is a happy hour after the racing every night of the regatta where sailors will be entertained with steel drums, stilt walkers and a fire eater at Caribbean Night, an Open Mic Night and a Rain Gutter Regatta where teams from each yacht build a ten-inch boat and race it down a rain gutter. Sunday afternoon during the Parade of Classics, visitors can take in the timeless beauty of these yachts as they pass through English Harbour. Viewing tents with food and beverage service will be set up on the lawn in front of the Copper and Lumber Store Hotel. Monday afternoon the focus shifts to the Admiral’s Inn for the Cream Tea and Gig Racing. After the evening Prize-Giving Ceremony, join us for dinner on the lawn outside Copper and Lumber and remember to put on your dancing shoes to dance the night away under the swaying palms.

96-year old Charm III, 50-foot staysail schooner

The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta is a unique blend of elegance and adrenaline, celebrating the timeless beauty of classic yachts and the spirit of competitive sailing. World-renowned for the beautiful yachts that participate as well as the camaraderie of those that sail them, it is a place where friendships form, sea stories are swapped and indelible memories are made. We cannot wait to see the sailors, our enthusiastic volunteers, generous sponsors and gifted photographers. We extend a warm Antiguan welcome to all who join us so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

For more information visit https://antiguaclassics.com/

For more information please visit www.antiguaclassics.com
Email Regatta Coordinator at antiguaclassicsregatta@gmail.com

The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta is the premier classic sailing event of the Caribbean attracting a large number of Classics every year from all around the world. In its 35th edition this year, the event enjoys a wonderful variety of competitors including traditional craft from the islands, vintage and classic ketches, sloops, schooners and yawls making the bulk of the fleet along with the more newly-built Spirit of Tradition yachts and Modern Classics.

Winners Named @ 50th St. Thomas International Regatta

31 March, 2024

Alison Sly-Adams

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Spinnakers popped up on the horizon like Easter bonnets on parade during the third and final day of racing in the 50^th St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). The breeze, blowing 10 to 17 knots, gave a glimpse of its traditional easterly tradewinds direction today, a change from the unusual westerly winds that gave sailors a tactical run for their money during the regatta’s first two days. While the IC24 Class raced round-the-buoys in Great Bay, the rest of the fleet sailed a nearly 14 nm course that wove round-the-rocks across Pillsbury Sound to the north and south of St. John and back. In the end, Flying Jenny, Apollo, Exodus, Wild T’ing, Bill T and OT the App were class winners.

Photo: Flying Jenny, foreground, wins the CSA 1 Class, with second place ShotGunn (middle) and third place M2 (far right). Credit Ingrid Abery.

The winner of the CSA 1 Class, filled with One-Design Cape 31s, wasn’t decided until the last leg of the one race of the day and the last of the regatta.

“We knew whoever won would win the regatta,” says Rob Greenhalgh, tactician aboard class champ and USA-based Flying Jenny. “There was a hard fight at the start, and we won it by being at the pin end. That was the key for us. However, it was still a battle as the wind changed halfway through the course from off Moravian Point up to Henly Cay. But we crossed the finish line a minute before the other boats in our class.”

The UK’s Michael Wilson’s ShotGunn placed second, with the USA’s Marc McMorris on M2, third.

The third time sailing STIR proved a charm for the USA’s Donald Nicholson’s J121, Apollo, in the CSA 2 Class.

“We had a well-prepared boat, fabulous crew, fair winds, good luck, and the magic of the STIR regatta,” says Nicholson, as to the secret to Apollo’s success. “We’ll be back.”

The USA’s Trinity IV, a J42 with crew from Tennessee finished second, and the UK-based race charter Beneteau First 40.7, Escapado, third.

In CSA 3, it was Puerto Rico’s Keki Figueroa driving his Melges 24, Exodus, which capped the class. It was a podium position in which Figueroa was familiar.

“I won the Hobie class here twenty years ago,” says Figueroa. “We sailed an IC24 for a while and now the Melges. My crew and I have been together for a long time. Between that and constantly watching the wind is what gave us the advantage.”

Photo: Puerto Rico’s Keki Figueroa wins the CSA Spinnaker 3 Class. Credit Dean Barnes.

Team St. Maarten Island Water World, another Melges 24 with Jan Bus driving ended the regatta as class runner-up. Puerto Rico’s Julio Reguero’s J35, Umakau, finished third.

St. Thomas sailor, Lawrence Aqui, raced his Dufour 40, Wild T’ing, to the top of the CSA Non-Spinnaker Class.

Photo: Wild T’ing, a Dufour 40 owned by St. Thomas’ Lawrence Aqui, wins the CSA Non Spinnaker Class. Credit Dean Barnes.

“Our team has been sailing together over a decade,” says Aqui. “That means we know the boat well, what it can and can’t do well to go fast. Local knowledge definitely helped, especially avoiding the shallows around the islands.”

In second place was Hotel California Too, the USA’s Steve Schmidt’s Santa Cruz 70, while Trinity VI, the USA’s David McDonough’s J40, ended third.

The One-Design IC24 Class proved the biggest of STIR with 15 boats and was the class that did the most races with 13 total over three days. St. Thomas’ two-time Olympian, Cy Thompson, on Bill T, successfully defended his class-winning title.

“We had conditions this weekend that no one had seen before, but many of the same crew, so our team was spot on for the transitions,” says Thompson, whose crew was Maurice Kurg, Eric Cusin, Spencer LeGrande, and Emma Walters.

Photo: IC24 Class Winner Bill T. L to R: Maruice Kurg, Cy Thompson, Emma Walters, Eric Cusin, Spencer LeGrande. Credit Ingrid Abery.

PJ’s Magic Coffee Bus, chartered to race STIR by Guy Williams from New Orleans, placed second. In third was St. Croix Peter Stanton’s Big Island.

Finally, the St. Thomas Sailing Center, the racing arm of the STIR-host St. Thomas Yacht Club, chartered its Hobie Waves for STIR in addition to IC24s. Nine Waves teams raced over two days with St. Thomas’ Chris Curreri first on OT the App.

“I liked the heavier breeze today and capitalized on it. It was a tough class but a lot of fun,” says Curreri who previously won the IC24 Class in STIR.

St. Thomas’ double-handers 12-year-old Will Zimmerman and 11-year-old Finn Hodgins, ended as the runners-up with the USA’s Mike Compton’s Mike’s Windsurfing rounding out third.

For full STIR results, visit yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=16227

Strong Sponsor Support

STIR organizers thank the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; The Moorings; Milagro Tequila, Bacardi Rum, Stoli Vodka, and Leatherback Brewing, distributed by the West Indies Company; Cardow Jewelers, K3, and Ocean Surfari for their strong sponsor support.

STIR 2024 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, with green initiatives such as paperless event management and a water refill station.

For more information, visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com, Email: manager@stthomasyachtclub.org or Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at simpleislandboy51@gmail.com, or call (340) 775-6320. Check STIR out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stirvi), Twitter @stirvi, and Instagram #STIRVI

Media contact:

Carol Bareuther

Tel: (340) 998-3650

Email: bareuther@earthlink.net

Skype: Carol.Bareuther

Leads Lengthened, Leads Lost on Day 2 – 50th St. Thomas International Regatta

31 March, 2024

Alison Sly-Adams

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico’s Francisco Velez, tactician on Giberto Rivera’s IC24, Urayo, perfectly summed up the challenge of the day, and the first two days, of the 50th St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). “Local knowledge usually is a big advantage. But now, with winds out of the West rather than East, something that is very unusual, everybody is lost. We are all finding our way. It levels the playing field,” says Velez, of Team Urayo, which sits in 4th in the 15-boat, highly-competitive, one-design IC24 class.

Racing Recap

Urayo was one of nearly 40 boats with crews hailing from the Caribbean, U.S., and Ireland, which competed in one of six classes today.

The USVI’s two-time Olympian, Cy Thompson, continues to lead in the IC24 class on Bill T. After 9 races over two days, Thompson lengthened his lead to 22 points over second place PJ’s Magic Coffee Bus, a chartered IC24 driven by New Orlean’s Guy Williams.

Photo: The USVI’s all-women’s IC24 team on Kate. Credit Dean Barnes.

There are two women’s teams sailing in the IC24 Class, a STIR first in this class, and something that matches a move towards greater equality for women in Olympic sailing and the debut of the first Women’s America’s Cup for AC37, which starts in August in Barcelona. The USA’s Lyzz Schwegler’s team on the chartered IC24, Black Pearl, is currently in 9th, while Kate, owned by the USVI’s Sarah Swan, is two points behind in 10th.

“It was super tough and shifty today,” says St. Thomas’ Emily Pearsall, who’s at the helm on Kate. “It was hard to be consistent. One race the left was favored, and the next race the right was favored. Plus, it’s an extremely competitive class.”

Of the team’s STIR entry, Pearsall adds, “Sarah (Swan) likes to promote women’s sailing and put together a team of all women from St. Thomas and St. John. Everybody had an opportunity to switch out and work in every position. On co-ed teams, women are usually in one position.”

Sailing aboard Kate as crew is Nini Champion. Two months ago, Champion and Lisa Rowland rowed as the only female pairs team in the 2023 Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 nm unassisted ocean row from La Gomera, Spain to English Harbour, Antigua. The duo set a new world record of 45 days, all while flying the USVI flag.

In CSA Spinnaker Racing 1, the USA’s Sandra Askew’s Cape 31, Flying Jenny, moved into first over Marc Morris’ same-make ShotGunn. However, both teams are tied at 10 points apiece after three races today.

Similarly, in CSA Spinnaker Racing 2, the USA’s Donald Nicholson’s J121 Apollo, continued with flawless first-place finishes to pull ahead of second place, the USA’s David Hensley on his J42, Trinity IV, by 7 points.

Photo: Melges 24s Team Island Water World and Exodus neck and neck. Credit Ingrid Abery.

In CSA Spinnaker Racing 3, the team on Puerto Rico’s Keki Figuero’s Melges 24, Exodus, pulled ahead of fellow Melges 24, Team Island Water World, driven by St. Maarten’s Berit Bus, by 6 points.

“We were consistently ahead today,” says 22-year-old Kyle Fink from Puerto Rico, whose fellow crew aboard Exodus is father, Greg Fink. “They (Team Island Water World, a father-daughter team of St. Maarten’s Frits and Berit Bus, respectively) point higher, but we are faster. We also have more weight with six crew to their five. Plus, we practiced every other Saturday in Ponce for six months before STIR.”

In CSA Non-Spinnaker, the USVI’s Lawrence Aqui on his Dufour 40, Wild T’ing, also kept his lead and extended it to 5 points, over the USVI’s Stephen Schmidt on his Santa Cruz 70, Hotel California Too.

The One-Design Hobie Wave Class took to the seas today for the first of two days of racing. In addition to IC24s, the St. Thomas Sailing Center, the racing arm of the St. Thomas Yacht Club, also charters Hobie Waves for STIR.

“It’s way more fun. Plus, it was here, rigged and right on the beach,” says the USVI’s Chris Curreri, who has won the IC24 Class in STIR several times and now is at the top of the Hobie Wave scoreboard.”

Returning to race in this class again is the USA’s Mike Compton, who campaigned to represent the USVI in the 2028 Summer Olympics in the Windsurfing Class. Compton sits in third.

Photo: L to R Tony Sanpere single-handed and Finn Hodgins and Will Zimmerman double-handed in Hobie Wave Class. Credit Ingrid Abery

The Hobie Wave class is user-friendly to everyone from senior sailors like the USA’s Tony Sanpere who raced Hobie 14s here in the early 1970s, to pre-teen Optimist dinghy sailors.

“It’s a mix of learning new stuff every day and being competitive,” says 12-year-old Will Zimmerman, from St. Thomas, who racing double-handed with fellow islander, 11-year-old Finn Hodgins.

STIR 2024 marked the first time 13-year-old USVI sailor, Tori Aubain, raced in a regatta. Aubain combined her Hobie Wave experience with fellow teen Mila Melbourne’s Opti and 420 knowledge, to finish six races today in 8th.

“It’s a new experience and I like new experiences,” says Aubain.

Schedule of Events

The third and final day of STIR racing kicks off for an 11 a.m. start on Sunday, March 31. Race courses will be set off the southeast, northeast, and east end of St. Thomas and in Pillsbury Sound between St. Thomas and St. John, depending on weather. The Awards Ceremony starts on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the St. Thomas Yacht Club.

Real-time results for STIR are posted at yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=16227

Strong Sponsor Support

STIR 2024 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, with green initiatives such as paperless event management and a water refill station.

Media contact:
Carol Bareuther
Tel: (340) 998-3650
Email: bareuther@earthlink.net

Multiple Races Make for Competitive Racing on Day One – 50th St. Thomas International Regatta

29 March, 2024

Alison Sly-Adams

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The strategy for the team aboard the USA’s Marc McMorris’ Cape 31, M2, on the first day of racing in the 50th anniversary St. Thomas International Regatta was “to not be that guy who made the mistakes,” says James Espey, M2’s tactician. It wasn’t to be, at least not at first. “The first race we had a gear failure and had to change the sail,” says Espey, about the 5.6 nm route set off the southeast side of St. Thomas. In the second race, which was a slightly longer run around natural marks like Dog Rock and Little Saint James, M2 closed the gap on fellow one-design competitors in CSA Spinnaker 1, the USA’s Sandra Askew’s Flying Jenny, and the UK’s Michael Williams’ ShotGunn. M3 held a podium place but was in third. Then came the last of the trio of races for the day, and at double the distance of the previous two. “We tossed around a couple of game plans. With the winds unusually out of the west, we decided on a pin-end start rather than the rest of the class favoring the committee boat end,” explains Espey. “That gave us a good start. But what gave us the win was deciding to take down the spinnaker on the reach. Everyone else kept their spinnaker up. It was a team decision and paid off at the finish line.”

Photo: M2 rounding a mark on the first day of STIR. Credit Dean Barnes

Racing Recap

M2 was one of nearly 40 boats with crews hailing from the Caribbean, U.S., and Ireland, that competed in one of five classes.

ShotGunn finished the day in first place in CSA Spinnaker Racing 1, just one point ahead of Flying Jenny and three points in front of M2.

In CSA 2, the USA’s Donald Nicholson’s J121 Apollo, which won its class in Thursday’s Round the Rocks race, led with a trio of first-place finishes.

“We sailed well today and were pleased with our performance,” says Nicholson, from Westin, MA, who sails with a Corinthian crew that hails from the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada.

Puerto Rico’s Keki Figueroa’s Melges 24, Exodus, is leading CSA 3. In this class, St. John’s Mike Feierabend on his J24, Bravissimo, was one of a handful of STIR boats with a young sailor on board.

“We had high schooler, Cruz Lonski, trimming the jib today. He’s sailed with us for a couple of years since he was in Optis. We have a great class that all corrects out to within a minute on handicap,” says Feierabend, of the two Melges 24s and J34 he is competing against.”

Photo: A happy team on Hotel California Too. Credit Dean Barnes

In CSA Non-Spinnaker, the USA’s Steve Schmidt on his Santa Cruz 70, Hotel California Too, ends the day one point behind class leader, St. Thomas’ Lawrence Aqui aboard his Dufour 40, Wild T’ing.

“My boat was built by Bill Lee, whose boats held the record for the Transpacific Yacht Race from California to Hawaii for some 30 years. Unlike those all-out race boats, Hotel California Too is a semi-custom racer-cruiser designed for liveaboard single-handed sailing. We have a mix of St. Croix crew, with Dave Sommer and his son Eric, Stan Joines and Chandra Henderson, and crew from St. Thomas with Michael Connor,” says Schmidt.

The biggest class of STIR 2024 is the One-Design IC24s, a homegrown design where a J/24 hull is fitted with a new Melges 24-style deck mold that is wider, has no traveler, and can carry five sailors.

St. Thomas’ Cy Thompson, a two-time Olympic laser sailor, is leading the 15-boat pack after four windward-leeward races in Jersey Bay, off St. Thomas’ South Shore.

Photo: John Foster (far left) at the helm of IC24 Desperado. Credit Ingrid Abery.

For fellow St. Thomas IC24 skipper, John Foster, this marks the 50th year he’s competed in STIR, which was called the Rolex Cup Regatta when it started in 1974. Getting hit in a collision in the second race of the day, and having the mainsail crash to the deck in the fourth didn’t spell quite the result Foster wanted. But that didn’t dampen his spirit.

“The USVI had just gained Olympic status a few years before, and the BVI and Puerto Rico did too about the same time. That meant that suddenly, we had more Olympic class boats like Tempest, Solings, Flying Dutchman, and Stars sailing. The talent level was high. Then, when Rolex agreed to sponsor the regatta in 1974, suddenly, we were a magnet for race boats from all over the world,” says Foster.

Photo: The racing beauty of the IC24 Class. Credit Ingrid Abery.

Schedule of Events

The second day of STIR Racing kicks off for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday, March 30. STIR competition follows on Sunday, with an 11 a.m. start to the day and Awards Ceremony starting at 5 p.m. Race courses are set off the southeast, northeast, and east end of St. Thomas and in Pillsbury Sound between St. Thomas and St. John, with specific courses for each class designated daily by the Race Committee based on weather.

Real-time results for STIR are posted at yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=16227

Flying Jenny & Apollo Win Classes in Round the Rocks Race – 50th St. Thomas International Regatta Kicks off Friday

28 March, 2024

Alison Sly-Adams

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The scenic U.S. Virgin Island of St. John proved the focal point of today’s Round the Rocks race. This one-day tune-up for the main event 50th Anniversary St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), which kicks off tomorrow, featured a course that circumnavigated the 19-square-mile island counterclockwise. Eleven boats in four classes enjoyed a downwind start at 11 a.m., under partly cloudy skies with winds 10 to 15 knots blowing unusually from the West Northwest.

Photo: Flying Jenny and ShotGunn at the start of the Round the Rocks race. Credit Dean Barnes

The CSA Spinnaker 1 Class saw one-design racing with two Cape 31s. Both vessels, the USA’s Sandra Askew’s Flying Jenny, and the UK’s Michael Wilson’s ShotGunn started neck and neck, and finished less than one minute apart, with Flying Jenny the winner.

“My wife usually drives, but I was at the helm today,” says David Askew, who is more often driving his TP52, Wizard, where he recently enjoyed a podium finish third place in the IRC class in the RORC Caribbean 600.

“We stayed further offshore, and they (ShotGunn) were closer to shore. There was an area of no breeze between us. That said, we really couldn’t see each other and sailed our own race,” says Askew, who hails from Key Biscayne, FL.

Photo: The USA’s Donald Nicholson driving Apollo. Credit Dean Barnes

The USA’s Donald Nicholson, on his J121, Apollo, first sailed the Round the Rocks race in 2018. Back for the second time this year, he and his crew topped the CSA Spinnaker 2 Class.

“We were keeping an eye on the Cape 31s ahead of us and staying further offshore for breeze on the downwind leg. We just brought the boat down and got a practice day in on Wednesday, the first we’ve sailed together since November. But there’s nothing like sailing in a race to get the boat handling down and hone our skills for regattas in the BVI and Antigua later this spring,” says Nicholson, from Westin, MA.

In CSA Spinnaker 3, it was the USA’s David Hensley on Trinity IV, a J42, that bested the class with his crew all from Tennessee.

“I raced on this boat last year as crew. This was the first time I was at the helm. The downwind start was tricky with the wind direction, but the race was a lot of fun. It’s the first time we’ve sailed together, and we had no major problems. It was a good tune-up for the start of the regatta tomorrow,” says Hensley, from Hixon, TN.

Photo: The Trinity IV team. Credit Ingrid Aubry.

In the Large Multihull Class, the winner was the USA’s Ron Bohem’s Perry Antrim 52, Little Wing.

“We worked on setting the spinnaker with the top-down furler, then had to shift to a spinnaker stock, and lost about a mile in time. Even so, we had several sailors who were in the Caribbean sailing with us for the first time. We like to bring people who haven’t sailed here, knowing they’ll have a great time and be back,” says Bohem, from Santa Barbara, CA.

Photo: The Little Wing team, Multihull Class Winner. Credit: Ingrid Aubry.

Schedule of Events

STIR Racing kicks off for an 11 a.m. start on Friday, March 29, for the first day of STIR racing. for the Round the Rocks Race. STIR competition follows Saturday and Sunday, with an 11 a.m. start each day. Race courses will be set off the southeast, northeast, and east end of St. Thomas and in Pillsbury Sound between St. Thomas and St. John, with specific courses for each class designated daily by the Race Committee based on weather.

Real-time results for the Round the Rocks race are posted at yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eID=16226, while STIR results will be posted at yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eID=16227

Strong Sponsor Support

STIR 2024 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, with green initiatives such as paperless event management and a water refill station.

Media contact:
Carol Bareuther
Tel: (340) 998-3650
Email: bareuther@earthlink.net
Skype: Carol.Bareuther

It’s Time! STIR-Up the Sailing Fun this Week! – 50th STIR, March 29-31, Round the Rocks Race, March 28 – Still Time to Enter!

27 March, 2024

Alison Sly-Adams

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Sailors from around the Caribbean and the World are ready to STIR-up the fun this week at the 50^th Anniversary St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Nearly 50 yachts are expected to race in this ‘Crown Jewel of Caribbean Regattas’ set for March 29-31, 2024, and hosted at the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC). Registration for STIR ends Thursday, March 28 at 5 p.m. (AST). A dozen boats are already registered for the Round the Rocks Race, a scenic circumnavigation of the 19-square-mile neighboring island of St. John, on March 28. Get a jump on the fun by entering the Round the Rocks Race on March 28, with registration open until 9 a.m. that day. Known for its iconic class prizes of time, regatta organizers are pleased to announce that the official watches of STIR 2024 are Virgin Islands-designed, Swiss-made timepieces from the Virgin Islands Optima Series by Cardow Jewelers.

Commissioner Joseph Boschulte of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism shares, “It is with great pride that we welcome the participating sailors, guests, and residents alike to the shores of our beautiful home for the St. Thomas International Regatta. Now in its 50th year, the STIR has become a cornerstone event of the USVI boating community, and we are ecstatic for its continued growth advancing the territory as a premier yachting destination.”

Sneak Peek @ Who’s Racing

The roster of entries for STIR 2024 includes a mix of One-Design and CSA-handicap race teams in seven classes.

Trinity IV, a J42, is a late entry this year, competing in her second STIR. Last year’s skipper moved to a J40, Trinity VI, and STYC’s David Hensley with his crew of J24 sailors from Privateer Yacht Club in Chattanooga, TN, are hoping to sail Trinity IV in the spinnaker class in Thursday’s Round the Rocks race as well as STIR in the CSA 2 Spinnaker Racing Class, assisted by St. John’s Oleg Popov. As Hensley said, “We’re looking for several days of fun and excitement in a very competitive field as we enjoy the wonderful weather and sailing conditions.”

The One-Design IC24 Class is the biggest of STIR with nearly 20 entries. Each team boasts its own special story. One of note is St. Thomas’ John Foster, racing Desperado. Foster competed in the first STIR in 1974, then called the Rolex Cup Regatta.

“Sailing in the first STIR was very exciting. I sailed my Olympic Class Tempest named ‘Teapot’ with crew John Hamber. We had sailed the same boat together in the 1972 Olympics in Kiel, Germany. We were joined by Pearson and J boat designs helmed by great sailors Rudy Thompson, Dick Avery, Peter and John Holmberg, Dick Johnson, Art Andrew, and many more,” says Foster. “This year, I have gathered my family together to celebrate the 50th STIR. Sailing with me will be my son-in-law Chuck Pessler, grandson-in-law Eric Ferguson and Adam Fuller, and great friend Bobby Weinstein who is flying in from Miami. I am looking forward to sharing this memorable occasion with many friends both young and old.

The recent entry of IC24, Kate, makes the second all-woman team in STIR 2024.

“I try to encourage women’s sailing as much as possible and always try to get an all-female team if I can!” says Sarah Swan, who was born and raised on St. John, USVI. “Emily Pearsall will be skippering and sailing with myself, Rebecca Reinbold, Kimmi Murtha, Valerie Tarr, and Nini Champion – all females from the Virgin Islands. “Having traveled to many other places to compete in sailing, there is not a spot I’ve been to that holds up to these waters.”

The other all-women team is Black Pearl, also an IC24, raced by ladies from the USA and Canada.

Junior sailors will get a taste of racing in STIR aboard the IC24, KATS I, which stands for the non-profit marine organization, Kids And The Sea, on St. John, USVI.

“Our team consists of two of our kids who will be sharing racing days, Audie and Anïas, volunteer instructor/coach Matt Gyuraki, Dave Franzel, and myself,” says Chris Reinbold. “The boat we are racing on just had a major refit of sanding and fairing of the entire hull along with repainting by numerous volunteers. Dave Frazel, of the St. Thomas Sailing Center, has been instrumental in tuning the rigging and various other systems on the boat. As we all know, sailing in the Caribbean gives challenges with all levels of wind conditions, sea states, and currents which makes for wonderful learning experiences. We hope that these kids as well as others are inspired to continue to learn how to navigate life wherever they go on or off the water.”

Strong Sponsor Support – Cardow Jewelers

For a half-century, STIR has been synonymous with awarding prized timepieces to its class winners. This year, the treasured timepieces will be the Virgin Islands-designed Swiss-made watches that embody precision, elegance, and durability, perfect for the adventurous spirit of sailors. The watches are from Cardow Jeweler’s Virgin Islands Optima series, which are all named after St. Thomas sites – the Perseverance in stainless steel and black ceramic, the Bordeaux in all black, and the Fortuna in Rose gold and black ceramic.

“Cardow is proud to support the STIR 2024 as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. We believe in promoting excellence, perseverance, and passion, values that resonate deeply with the sailing community,” says Carolina de Lyrot, marketing director.

Cardow is renowned for its legacy of crafting exceptional timepieces and jewelry since 1954, celebrating its 70th Anniversary. Its commitment to innovation and quality craftsmanship continues to define the retailer.

Cardow Jewelers has three locations on St. Thomas: #1 Main Street in Charlotte Amalie, the Crown Bay Center, and Cyril E. King Airport.

STIR organizers thank the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; The Moorings; Milagro Tequila, Bacardi Rum, Stoli Vodka, and Leatherback Brewing, distributed by the West Indies Company; Cardow, K3, and Ocean Surfari for their strong sponsor support.

STIR 2024 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, with green initiatives such as paperless event management and a water refill station.

Schedule of Events

Racing kicks off for an 11 a.m. start on Thursday, March 28 for the Round the Rocks Race. STIR competition follows Friday through Sunday, with an 11 a.m. start each day. Race courses will be set off the southeast, northeast, and east end of St. Thomas and in Pillsbury Sound between St. Thomas and St. John, with specific courses for each class designated daily by the Race Committee based on weather.

Real-time results for the Round the Rocks race will be posted at yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eID=16226, while STIR results are located at yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eID=16227

For more information, visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com, Email: manager@stthomasyachtclub.org or Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at simpleislandboy51@gmail.com, or call (340) 775-6320. Check STIR out on
Facebook (www.facebook.com/stirvi), Twitter @stirvi, and Instagram #STIRVI

Media contact:
Carol Bareuther
Tel: (340) 998-3650
Email: bareuther@earthlink.net
Skype: Carol.Bareuther

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