(Cowpet Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands)- The TAG Heuer St. Thomas
International Regatta is etched into every racer’s mind as the “Crown
Jewel” of Caribbean racing– where sailors can experience their reliable
breezes, warm azure waters and world-renowned Island hospitality. This
year a fleet of 80+ boats will be competing in the three-day series
starting March 26th and ending March 29th. J/Teams are well represented
in this year’s regatta in the various CSA Racing and Non-spinnaker
divisions.
In
CSA 2 Racing, there are four amazingly competent teams assembled in
their class that includes a J/111, two J/122s and a J/120. This is the
first year that Holland, Michigan’s Mitch Padnos and his crew from the
Macatawa Bay Yacht Club will charter the J/122 EL OCASO. The boat, under
a different skipper and crew, has participated in the STIR on several
occasions and won its class in 2014. “We were attracted to this year’s
event as the boat was available which allowed the Michigan crew an early
spring tune up. In addition, the idea of racing in St. Thomas was too
much to resist,” says Padnos. His Michigan crew sail their J/122
SUFFICIENT REASON (winning their class and the 2013 Chicago-Mackinac
Race Overall) and have been active in buoy racing on the local Lake
Michigan scene.SUNSET CHILD, a J/120 in Performance Yacht Racing USA’s charter fleet, most recently competed in the Pineapple Cup to Montego Bay Race in February with a Jamaican team onboard. “This is the first time we will sail with her in St. Thomas,” says skipper Marcus Cholerton-Brown. “We have a whole family racing onboard, plus some PYR-USA crew and myself. We can’t wait to get stuck into the racing against a really strong field of boats in CSA 2 class.”
In addition to these two boats, it marks the first appearance of a J/111 in the STIR event. Sam Talbot’s crew from Road Town, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands will be racing SPIKE. In addition, the J/122 DUNDER will be sailed by Robert & Jan Thouron from Middlesex, Vermont.
In
CSA 3 Class, there will again be the renewed friendly rivalry between
three knowledgeable local teams that include two J/105s and a J/27.
Jonathan Lipuscek from San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Club Nautico Puerto
Rico will be sailing his well-traveled J/105 DARK STAR and he will be
up against the New York-based crew aboard SOLSTICE led by skipper Bryan
Coon from Lloyd Harbor YC in Hicksville, New York. Chasing them around
the course and hoping to get them on handicap honors will be Paul Davis’
J/27 MAGNIFICENT 7, the “local knowledge” in the group from St Thomas,
USVI.The CSA Non-Spinnaker Class will have the privilege of racing against “the kids” that sail the J/36 PALADIN with adult supervision led by Stanford Joines of St Croix YC in St Croix, USVI. Watch out! This crew really knows how to sail their boat hard and they have the silverware to prove it, too!
Meanwhile,
the homegrown IC-24 class (the J/24 modified) is expected to be the
largest of the regatta with 18 entries. “The best part about racing in
the IC-24 class is the level of competition and how close the racing
is,” says St. Thomas’ Mike Finley, who will sail his Ocean Potion.
“Plus, we have fun racing and fun afterwards at the parties.” Mike
should know, World Champion Match Racer Taylor Canfield got “schooled”
by the big boys in the IC24s when he was growing up as a kid on St
Thomas!Great Parties Too?!
Unquestionably, all the Caribbean regatta venues are renowned for “fun in the sun, great sailing and great parties”. St Thomas is no different and has certainly been the “gold standard” by which all other regattas have been judged since the STIR event started so long before all others. Beach barbeques, nightly parties featuring Presidente beer and the Virgin Islands’ own Cruzan Rum, and live bands will take place at St. Thomas Yacht Club Thursday March 26, Friday March 27 and Sunday March 29. The Awards Ceremony takes place Sunday March 29 starting at 7 p.m. on the beach in front of the St. Thomas Yacht Club. On Saturday March 28, there’s the newest STIR tradition: the Yacht Haven Grande Party with Spectrum Band on stage. Have dinner and enjoy the best of St. Thomas restaurants and bars nearby Yacht Haven Grande while detuning after a day of racing.
“St. Thomas International Regatta organizers are excited about our new partnership with TAG Heuer and their world famous timepieces. TAG Heuer has a long history of sports marketing and we feel honored to have them involved in our sailing event. Their involvement places the STIR back at the top of Caribbean events and offers 8 more reasons to attend our regatta in Cowpet Bay home of the St. Thomas Yacht Club,” says Regatta Director, Bill Canfield.
Class winning skippers in the 2015 STIR will be presented with an Aquaracer Caribbean Limited Edition watch. These models are equipped with key features such as stainless steel craftsmanship, water-resistance to 10,000-feet, screw-in crown and unidirectional turning bezel. The beautiful deep sea-blue dial is imprinted with a map of the Caribbean Islands in a gold tone. These limited editions are exclusively available in the Caribbean; they are individually numbered. The eight classes eligible to receive an Aquaracer Caribbean Limited Edition watch as prize include all divisions of CSA, Portsmouth, and Beach Cats. Sailing photo credits- Christine Thompson For more St Thomas Regatta sailing information
|
