Wind was the word at the 43rd St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Lots of it, in fact. Gusts blustered over 30 knots all three days with 6 to 8 foot seas. Combine these conditions with courses that offered a mix of round-the-buoy and round-the-island racing and it was a recipe that many racers on the 67 entered yachts relished. 

Chief among these happy sailors was 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Steve Benjamin. Benjamin’s TP 52, Spookie, not only won the tune-up Round the Rocks Race on Thursday, but didn’t break from his bullet-only streak in the CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association) Spinnaker Racing 1 Class during the three days of STIR. 

“The second race today in north Pillsbury Sound was extraordinary,” says Benjamin, from Norwalk, CT. “It was a challenge for the crew in the strong winds, shifts, waves and currents that thoroughly tested us all. Overall, we had a marvelous experience and highly recommend this regatta to everyone.” 

In CSA Spinnaker Racing 2, it was Long Beach, CA’s Doug Baker’s team on the chartered J/122, Team Magnitude-El Ocaso, that bested the class with flawless first place finishes. 

“The big breeze was definitely challenging. It made boat handling and crew work really important,” says helmsman, Chadwick ‘Chad’ Hough, who sailed with Baker and his all-California crew. “What we really liked was that every race was on a new course. That meant it didn’t get boring because we constantly had to figure out the currents and the wind shifts.” 

Two boats were tied on points going into the final day of racing in the CSA Spinnaker Racing 3 Class. In the end, Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Lipuscek and his crew on the J/105, Dark Star took first by five points over St. Thomas’ Lawrence Aqui aboard the Dufour 40, Wild T’ing. 

“This is two class wins in a row for us and a fourth time total,” says Rafael ‘Rafi’ Martinez, Dark Star’s tactician. “We had a tacking duel with Wild T’ing at the start on the last race. We knew we had to keep them behind us and we did by good boat handling. It was a blast to go 14 to 15 knots. Definitely a wild wet ride.” 

In the CSA Non-Spinnaker Class, Jack Desmond’s affinity for winning clearly showed. Desmond, based in Marion, MA, won the class aboard his Swan 48, Affinity, after close racing with Puerto Rico’s Claudia Nicolow on the Swan 53, Bella Vela. 

“We’ve finished second 7 or 8 times in this regatta. This morning, we had a team meeting and decided we were really going to put the skill and knowledge of our eclectic crew from all over the Caribbean and world to good use. That’s how we won,” says Desmond. 

The home-grown one-design IC24 class was the largest of the regatta. The craft’s creator, St. Thomas’ Chris Rosenberg’s aboard his Bill T drove a highly competitive route to the top of the scoreboard. 

“It took a lot of effect to win with the high-caliber of sailors in this class,” says Rosenberg, who revealed his most incredible STIR moment was surfing the first day downwind to the Charlotte Amalie harbor on an all-out plane aboard this modified J/24. 

Two of eight beach cats braved the regatta’s big winds. In the end, it was California’s Olympic and America’s Cup sailor, Annie Gardner, and husband Eric Witte who won onboard the Nacra 17, Flight Risk.

This year marked the first STIR welcomed two new classes. Gunboats and VX Ones. 

Stephen Cucchiaro’s Flow, a Gunboat 60, started out slow on the scoreboard when a breakdown caused the team not to finish the first race to the Charlotte Amalie harbor nor start the second back to the host St. Thomas Yacht Club in Cowpet Bay on the first day. The Flow team came back to win every race thereafter as well as the Gunboat Class. 

“The last beat to windward today on the north side of St. John we were flying over the flat water in 22 knots of breeze. It was pretty incredible. Other than that, we were pushing it pretty hard in the big winds this weekend and punching through the waves. Definitely fun,” says veteran international multihull sailor, Cam Lewis, a member of the San Diego Yacht Club who crewed for the Boston, MA-based Cucchiaro. 

It was a test of the class rules in the VX One Class. Class rules for regattas call for no starts when the median wind speed exceeds 22 knots. Class vice-president, St. Croix native and owner of the first place Cruzan Rhode, Tim Pitts, called for an increase in that limit to 27 knots. As a result, the class raced all three days. 

“We’re maturing as a class and although anything over 25 knots is challenging, the skill level is there to handle it,” says Pitts, who now lives in Newport, RI, and his responsible bringing the VX One Class to the Virgin Islands. “On the other hand, it’s kind of ironic to invite your friends down and beat them in your own backyard. Still, although I’ve been on several STIR winning boats, this is the first time it was my boat that won. That’s pretty sweet.” 

Trevor Davis, a 13-year-old junior sailor from Annapolis, MD, was one person who didn’t mind the baptism by fire that saw many in the VX One class experience broches and capsizes. 

“The first race we shot off the start line like a rocket and clocked 19.4 knots,” says the eighth-grader, who sails Optimist and 420 dinghies as well as bigger boats in regattas he visits with his well-known father, Dobbs Davis, the U.S. Correspondent for Seahorse Magazine. “I wouldn’t say it was scary in the high winds, except in the last race where a competitors’ sprit ripped off two of our shrouds, but it was definitely a really fun boat.” 

Class winners received limited edition Island timepieces from Cardow Jewelers. In addition, Spookie achieved the fastest elapsed time and with it a skipper’s member’s weight in Cruzan Rum.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. An island tour on fast forward is the best way to describe the courses and conditions for most classes on the second day of racing in the 43^rd St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). While the one-design IC24 and VX One classes sailed round-the-buoys and the beach cats stayed away on shore, the rest of the racers came out to play on round-the-island courses set off St. Thomas’ and St. John’s southern shores. Winds remained in full force with continual gusts over 30 knots making for some wet and wild rides. 

Round-the-Islands Rules 

“We didn’t do too well today because we have a new crew that isn’t used to sailing in this much breeze and we were off on our spinnaker work,” says Robert ‘Bump’ Wilcox, from Marblehead, MA, who helmed his Beneteau First10r, Bad Monkey in STIR for the first time and in the CSA Spinnaker Racing 3 Class. “But I have to say the racing was beautiful. Going around the buoys maybe a good way to sharpen some skills, but point-to-point racing around the offshore islands and cays especially here in the Caribbean is really breathtaking. Where else can you tack right off the beach and see all the way to the bottom in 20 feet of water. It’s just beautiful sailing here.” 

St. Thomas’ Peter Corr, at the helm of his chartered King 40, Corr’s Light Racing, also enjoyed the inter-island race courses. 

It was varied and tough racing today,” says Corr, whose team sits in second place in CSA Spinnaker Racing 2 behind California’s Doug Baker’s chartered J/122, Team Magnitude-El Ocaso. “The rudder stalled in the higher wind speeds, which made it difficult to steer at times. We won the class last year and beat El Ocaso. Now, they’re in front of us by five points. It’s not game over yet. We’re looking forward to a great last day.” 

Crews aboard the two 60-foot Gunboats, Flow and Fault Tolerant, enjoyed their island tours. However, a large size and twin hulls didn’t make these vessels immune to breakdowns brought on by big winds. 

“Yesterday, we ripped two sails and had to go in to have repairs made at the local loft,” says Jack Slattery, tactician aboard Flow. “Today we pushed it hard. We’d hear a noise of something breaking, fix it and keep the boat going. That’s how we won both of the day’s races.” 

Flow was also equipped with top talent on board. This included champion beach cat as well as America’s Cup sailor, Annie Gardner, and Cam Lewis, who raced aboard the maxi-catamaran, Commodore Explorer, when it won the first Jules Verne Trophy for the world’s fastest circumnavigation in 1993.

That’s the Breaks 

There was nothing spooky about Steve Benjamin’s TP52 Spookie dominating the CSA 1 class with another day of flawless score of first place finishes. Scary though was when Antigua’s Bernie Evan-Wong snapped the rudder off his RP 37, TAZ, while racing and had to get a tow back. Lucky though, the team aboard Dark Star, Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Lipuscek’s J/105, who was racing in CSA Spinnaker 3, was able to retrieve the rudder from the water. Wong’s crew took the damaged appendage to a local boat builder and hope it can get enough TLC to allow the TAZ team to race STIR’s final day. 

In the CSA Non-Spinnaker Class, St. Croix’s Tony Sanpere wasn’t about to risk racing on courses up to 14 nautical miles in blustery gusts with only four crew aboard his Catalina 30, Nauticayenne, Sanpere, who has sailed in over 30 STIRs, faced a dwindling crew count after non-serious injuries in the heavy winds on the first day of racing forced some to stay ashore. 

“The Catalina 30 is a fun boat, but the weather this weekend is better for big boats,” says Sanpere, a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Paralympic Sailing Team, which is actively fundraising to compete in Rio this summer. 

One-Design Fun 

The VX One Class pow-wowed in the morning to discuss wind conditions and seven brave teams decided to venture out. It paid off as the teams that did race had a blast and suffered much fewer capsizes than the first day. One of those racing was 15-year-old St. Thomas junior sailor, Christopher Sharpless. 

“It was so windy that one of the teams wanted to add a third crew member for extra weight,” says Sharpless, who sailed with St. Croix’s Charles ‘Toro’ Goodrich’s Matadora and trimmed the mainsheet. “The boat is fast, scary fast. Going downwind is so much fun. I’d like to see a class of VX One’s here all the time to sail.” 

The home-grown IC24 Class completed the most races of any class. After 8 races over two days, only one point separates the leader, St. Thomas’ Chris Rosenberg’s Bill T from Puerto Rico’s Ramon Gonzalez’s Sembrador. 

“The IC24 Class is a hot bed of Caribbean high performance sailors,” says Puerto Rico’s Jaime Torres, who switched from a Melges 32 to IC24 last year. “It’s so unforgiving and there’s no room to make a mistake or you really feel it on the scoreboard. Today, not only was it windy, but it was puffy and shifty. The better sailors were able to keep the boat going and going in the right direction in these conditions and it showed.” 

Where to Watch, Where to Party 

Competition for the 67-boat fleet – ranging from 16-foot beach cats to 60-foot Gunboats and with crews hailing from the Caribbean, U.S., Europe, South America and Australia –

concludes competition on Sunday March 27. Racing will be in Pillsbury Sound. Music starts on the beach at the St. Thomas Yacht Club at 2:30 p.m. with Flip Switch. 

The Awards Ceremony for STIR, known as the ‘Crown Jewel of Caribbean Yacht Racing’, starts at 6:30 p.m.Class winners receive limited edition Island-theme timepieces from Cardow Jewelers. The skipper of the yacht with the fastest time overall will win his or her weight in Cruzan Rum. The Final Fling Party kicks off right after with Ah We Band.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The signature race to Charlotte Amalie harbor on today’s first day of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) turned into a sprint for some and a splash for others with winds gusting to nearly 30 knots. Most of the 67 boat fleet, divided into eight classes ranging from 16-foot beach cats to 60-foot Gunboats, braved the conditions that saw sailors race 16 nautical miles to the historic harbor and back again to the host St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC). 

Everyone Knows It’s Windy 

“It was pretty windy and we had some big puffs,” says St. Thomas’ Chris Curreri, who helmed the IC24, Bill T, which is leading the 13-boat one-design IC24 Class according to preliminary scores after three races. “In fact, right as we got to the finish in the harbor on the race down it was blowing 30 knots – a survival finish.” 

The forecast proved a challenge for the 12-boat one-design VX Ones. Class rules for regattas call for no starts when the median wind speed exceeds 22 knots. Class vice-president and St. Croix native, Tim Pitts, called for an increase in that limit to 27 knots. As a result, all but one of the class raced. Everyone, but a few such as Florida’s George Gamble’s My Sharona and Massachusetts’ Paulo Milko’s Milkoway which capsized while racing, reveled in the big breeze. 

“I think as the class grows and matures it’s possible to race at a higher wind limit,” said Pitts, a St. Croix native and currently Newport, RI resident who is leading the class with three first place finishes. “We had a great start in the first race when we popped our kite and shoot out 10 seconds after the gun. We ripped our head sail and finished up that race without a spinnaker. In the last race upwind, it was Chris Poole on Don Winston’s Szforzando and I match racing to the finish and we won. That’s pretty incredible. Not only the close racing, but also beating Chris because he’s a world-ranked match racer.” 

The windy weather only added to the tight racing excitement in the CSA Spinnaker Racing 3 Class. After two races, St. Thomas’ Lawrence Aqui’s Dufour 40, Wild T’ing is in first since he won the last race, while Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Lipuscek on his J/105 Dark Star is second. However, both boats are tied with 3.0 points apiece. 

“This wind isn’t unusual for us,” says Rafael ‘Rafi’ Martinez, tactician aboard Dark Star. Plus, the first day of racing in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta earlier this month it was blowing this hard, so we’re used to it. On the way down, it was Pipedream that was our closest competitor until they broke a steering cable and we passed them. On the way back up, we traded places for the lead several times with Wild T’ing, until they beat us by less than a minute.” 

There were no complaints about conditions aboard Team Magnitude-El Ocaso, which is leading the CSA Spinnaker Racing 2 Class with two firsts. The Southern California crew headed by Doug Baker, who chartered the J/122, had some local knowledge onboard with the BVI’s Mark Plaxton. It was certainly helpful as while the crew has sailed together many times they were all new to the boat. 

“We finished ahead of Corr’s Lite by less than a minute into the harbor even though we dropped our chute early,” says Plaxton, a podium finisher in previous STIR’s aboard his Melges 32 and IC24, both named INTAC. “On the way up, we had the boat going nearly 8 knots upwind, or about a 15 to 20 percent improvement in boat speed over the first race of the day, which is pretty impressive. We just keep getting better the longer we sail the boat.” 

In the Beach Cat class, in first is the Florida-based husband-and-wife team of Annie Gardner and Eric Witte. Then, out of 8 entries, Gardner and Witte sailing on the Nacra 17, Flight Risk, were the only to complete both races. It’s no wonder with the wealth of experience Gardner has to her credit. The 2006 Yachtswoman of the Year is an Olympic silver medalist in Boardsailing as well as holder of five world titles and 17 national and international titles. 

Entrants in the Gunboat and CSA Spinnaker Racing 1 classes were also pleased with the breeze. Rye, NY’s Robert Alexander’s Gunboat 60, Fault Tolerant, won both of his races. So did Norwalk, CT’s Steve Benjamin driving his TP 52, Spookie. It was the second of two good days of racing as Benjamin, 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, not only won his class, but Spookie’s name on the new perpetual trophy for best elapsed time at 2 hours 22 minutes and 36 seconds in the inaugural Round the Rocks Race on Thursday. The ‘Wing & Prayer’ trophy is named after former St. Thomas resident, Ken Bragg, the architect who designed the STYC in the early 1960s and whose heroic rescue while piloting a B-17 bomber in World War II is the subject of the famous song, ‘Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer.’ 

Finally, it was St. Croix’s Stan Joines and his teenage crew racing Joines’ J/30, Paladin, that ultimately wished for calmer weather when the boat was dismasted in the first race. 

“We were booking it, up with the Swans, as we headed into the harbor. Then, there was a ‘ping’ as a line snapped. We dropped the main and tried to sail in on a jib since the boat doesn’t have an engine, but it was too much and the mast gave out. It broke in more than one place,” says Joines. 

Where to Watch, Where to Party 

Competition continues Saturday, March 26, with racing off the northeast and southeast shores of St. Thomas. The music starts at2:30 p.m., on the beach at STYC with Lourdes & Flip Switch. Then, party like a sailor starting at 7 p.m. at Yacht Haven Grande with Spectrum Band live on stage. 

Racing concludes on Sunday, March 27, with the Awards Ceremony on the beach at STYC starting at 6:30 p.m. The Final Fling Party starts right after with Ah We Band.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Sleigh rides for some and slogs for others characterized racing in today’s first annual Round the Rocks Race, a 21-mile clockwise circumnavigation of the island of St. John and tune-up for the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), taking place March 25 to 27. 

“We had great racing, conditions were ideal and it was a good course around St. John,” says Boston, MA-based Stephen Cucchiaro, whose Gunboat 60, Flow, beat Rye, NY’s Robert Alexander’s, same make and length, Fault Tolerant, in the Large Multihull Class. “There was some really close racing between us going upwind on the north side, but they (Fault Tolerant) was able to maintain an edge over us. But, we had better boat speed downwind and were able to beat them in the end.” 

In the CSA Spinnaker Class, Norwalk, CT’s Steve Benjamin, wife Heidi and crew including Virgin Islands’ Olympic silver medalist and America’s Cup veteran, Peter Holmberg, ended first aboard Benjamin’s TP 52, Spookie. Spookie crossed the finish line a slim 13 minutes on corrected time ahead of second place finisher, Team Magnitude-El Ocaso, a J/122 chartered by Long Beach, CA’s Doug Baker. Team Island Water World, a Melges 32 with St. Maarten’s Frits Bus at the helm, followed just over 10 minutes later in third. 

“It’s nice to take part in something new and help the organizers out,” says Bus. “We would have done better, but Spookie was already headed downwind when a squall hit. We were going upwind at the time and it really slowed us down. Then the wind died after the squall. Still, it was a lot of fun.” 

Affinity, Marion, MA-based Jack Desmond’s Swan 48, finished first in the CSA Non-Spinnaker Class. 

Flow, Spookie and Affinity’s skippers were awarded limited edition timepieces created by Cardow Jewelers, headquartered in St. Thomas, U.S. VI since 1954. The Love City, named for the relaxed island of St. John, is a product of Swiss craftsmanship and Virgin Islands design. Entrants on all 10 Round the Rocks yachts received HIHO Suntek Shirts, from event sponsor, HIHO a British-Virgin Islands’-based clothing company. The HIHO owners will race in the Large Multihull and IC24 classes in STIR. In addition, the first 24 Round the Rocks entrants received a K3 Bluetooth Outdoor Speaker. 

STIR It Up! Class Preview 

Sixty-seven yachts – ranging from 16-foot beach cats to 60-foot gunboats and with crews hailing from five Caribbean island nations, the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe and Australia – will race in the 43^rd STIR. The fleet is divided into eight classes, in which winning skippers received exquisite limited edition timepieces named Squall the Tradewinds, from Cardow Jeweler. 

Here’s a sampling of highlights to look for for in each class: 

Spookie’s Benjamin is looking to defend his win in the CSA 1 class. If the speed and crew work seen today at the Round the Rocks Race is any measure, Benjamin has an excellent shot at making it two in a row. Benjamin, who was named 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year is sailing his ‘new’ Spookie, a TP 52, rather than the same-named yet Carkeek 40, yacht he sailed in last year’s STIR. 

Another yacht with a shot at a podium finish in this class is Antigua’s Bernie Evan-Wong, who helms his RP 37, TAZ. 

“TAZ is all carbon and rates with a 60-foot boat, so we have to get everything just right. Because of the need for precision in tuning, we are still learning the boat. Get it right and she is a rocket, get it a bit out and she is a dog!” says Evan-Wong, who is sailing with nearly an all women crew including his daughters. 

Tschuss, a brand new MAT 1180, designed by Mark Mills and built in Turkey by MAT yachts, is a first-time contender in this class and in STIR. 

“After competing in the last three St. Barth’s regattas and having chartered for the events, Christian (Zugal) commissioned the building of this new yacht for the 2016 Caribbean regatta season,” explains Eamonn Rohan, who is running the program for his Cork, Ireland-based brother-in-law, Chris Zugel. “We are entered into the St. Thomas, BVI and St Barth’s regattas and hope to return next year.” 

In CSA 2, St. Thomas’ Peter Corr will be back to defend his class title aboard a chartered King 40, Corr’s Lite Racing Team. Last year Corr and his team won aboard a chartered Beneteau First 40. 

“I raced the first two years that I did STIR on my 82-footer, Ayana. Then the last three years I’ve chartered, hoping to find a boat better adapted to sailing in the Caribbean regattas. We finished third in class in St. Maarten earlier this month, and I think it was a good tune up for us for STIR,” says Corr. 

A tough competitor for Corr in this class is Baker and his Team Magnitude-El Ocaso. 

“Our crew is from Southern California with a Tortola-based Tactician, Mark Plaxton. 

Last year we raced The True in St. Maarten for a win in our class with a sweep of all races. It’s the same crew that will compete in STIR this year,” says Baker. 

This is the fourth time Lancelot II, a Beneteau First 40 available for race charters by Britannia Corporate Events in Hamble, UK, has done STIR. On board this year is a team from the UK called Supercharged Yachting. “ 

Supercharged Yachting are a London based group of friends who have raced together for a number of years on Reflex 38s and First 40s,” says Britannia’s sales manager, Prue Nash. “Jade Tokarcyzk is in charge. They have a small knitted cat called ‘Travel Vlad’ as a mascot who even has his own Facebook page ‘Vlad TheImpaler’ and he’ll be sending photos from the race course.” 

In CSA 3, Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Lipuscek will be back aboard his J/105, Dark Star, to not only win this class, but also his weight in Cruzan Rum for best overall yacht on time. 

“In preparation for this year’s STIR, we will arrive having sailed in two big competitive regattas, the BRISA Cup in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten. For sure this will help us be ready to face the competition at STIR. Also, the boat owner, Jonathan Lipuscek, has spared no expense in making sure the boat is race ready,” says tactician, Rafael ‘Rafi’ Martinez.” 

Dark Star will be up against long-time race favorite, Pipedream, a Sirena 38, skippered by the BVI’s Chris Haycraft. 

“I have sailed in every STIR. Not with Pipedream, as she is only 31 years old, but on other boats as well. Every year means a lot of very fun moments,” says Haycraft. 

In the Beach Cats, St. Thomas’ Teri McKenna, 2015 Hobie 20 North American Championship winner along with fellow St. Thomian, John Holmberg, will sail for the first time with Eric Witte. Witte, who last year sailed with wife Annie Gardner and won the class, will crew aboard McKenna’s Nacra 17 Olympic Catamaran, Flight Risk. 

“There is a lot of camaraderie among beach cat sailors. We help the newer sailors with rigging or go fast tips, we sail hard against each other, then hang out together afterwards. We set up camp at the far end of the beach next to our boats. Chairs. food, music, a shade canopy, and anything else we might want after a long day on the water,” says McKenna. 

The biggest class of STIR 2016 is 17 one-design IC24s. Puerto Rico’s Marco Teixidor is back at defending champ aboard his Cachondo. 

“Last year was a big win for me. Ever since my dad won the overall trophy in this regatta in 1999, I’ve wanted to win too. This year unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to sail in any of the regattas because I am studying in New York City for my MBA. The team has competed in some regattas to try and maintain form, with my dad skippering. Hopefully it will be enough to get our boat handling and speed up to par.” 

Finally, STIR 2016 welcomes two new one-design classes: the Gunboats and VX Ones. Flow and Fault Tolerant will have another chance to compete head-to-head again. Twelve VX One’s will be on the line in St. Thomas. This group will also race in the BVI Spring Regatta as part of the first-ever VX One Caribbean Cup Series. 

Where to Watch, Where to Party 

Friday’s course takes sailors along the south side of St. Thomas, into the Charlotte Amalie Harbor, and then back east. Best vantage points to watch on shore are the Waterfront Apron and Frenchman’s Reef Marriott Beach Resort between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Ashore, live music starts at the STYC at 2:30 p.m. by the Third String All Stars, with Cool Session Brass taking over the stage from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

The competition continues Saturday, March 26, off the northeast and southeast side of St. Thomas. Then, party like a sailor starting at 7 p.m. at Yacht Haven Grande with Spectrum Band. 

Racing concludes on Saturday, March 27, with the Awards Ceremony on the beach at STYC starting at 6:30 p.m. The Final Fling Party starts right after with Ah We Band. 

STIR 2016 is sponsored by Cruzan Rum and Presidente, distributed by Glazer’s Premier Distributors; the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; the Moorings; Sunsail; Cardow Jewelers; Yacht Haven Grande; Choice Wireless; K3; AeroMD; Switlik; Gill; and Budget Marine.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. A fleet of nearly a dozen yachts sets sail in the first-ever Round the Rocks Race on Thursday, March 24. This 21-mile counter clockwise circumnavigation of the beautiful island of St. John will give racers a good chance to tune-up crews and shake-down yachts, while experiencing great racing conditions that span both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It’s a perfect way to get ready for the main event ‘Crown Jewel of Caribbean Yacht Racing’ – the 43^rd St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), March 25 to 27. 

On Your Mark!

 “Having done the St. Maarten Heineken and St Barth’s races, the opportunity to race around an island in the Caribbean is sweet,” says Jack Desmond, from Marion, MA, who will sail his Swan 48, Affinity, in the Round the Rocks Regatta. “It’s a test of your navigational ability as well your ability to keep your boat sailing to its maximum potential. The crew is engaged in the race and the geographical beauty of the harbors and coves as we pass, well, it can’t get much better.” 

A sampling of other entries taking part in the Round the Rocks Regatta include Norwalk, CT’s Steve and Heidi Benjamin aboard their TP 52, Spookie; Long Beach, CA’s Doug Baker driving the J/122 Team Magnitude-El Ocaso; Antigua’s Bernie Wong at the helm of his RP37, TAZ and Puerto Rico’s Jose Teixidor’s Hanse 455, Cachondo in the CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association) Spinnaker Class. In addition to Desmond’s Affinity, St. Croix, USVI’s Tony Sanpere will sail his Catalina 30, Nauticayenne in the CSA Non-Spinnaker Class. Finally, the Large Multihull class sees two entries, Rye, NY’s Robert Alexander’s Gunboat 60, Fault Tolerant and Boston, MA’s Stephen Cucchiaro’s Gunboat 60, Flow. 

All Round the Rocks entrants receive HIHO Suntek Shirts, from event sponsor, HIHO a British-Virgin Islands’-based clothing company. These shirts are perfect for sailing, in that they are fast drying, ultra-lightweight and comfortable with an SPF 50. The HIHO owners will be racing in the Large Multihull and IC24 classes. In addition, the first 24 Round the Rocks entrants receive a K3 Bluetooth Outdoor Speaker. 

First place finishers in each of the three Round the Rocks Race classes receive a limited edition timepiece created by Cardow Jewelers, headquartered in St. Thomas, U.S. VI since 1954. The Love City, named for the relaxed island of St. John, is a product of Swiss craftsmanship and Virgin Islands design, which is water resistant, scratch resistant, shock resistant, with sapphire crystals, a working chronograph and stop watch. The watches also have date functions, luminous hands to help read at night or in the water, and a limited lifetime warranty. There will also be prizes for second and third place class finishers. 

The Round the Rocks Awards Ceremony takes place on the beach at the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC), starting at 7 p.m. Afterwards, the Welcome Party kicks off with Music by Dirty Johnny and the Whisky Pistol Band. 

Nearly 80 Boats STIR Up Excitement

 On Friday, March 25, nearly 80 yachts with crews representing five Caribbean island nations, the U.S., Europe, South America and Australia/New Zealand will set sail in STIR. 

“We have a great fleet of boats this year, including new one-design VX One and Gunboat classes,” says regatta registrar, Lyn Reid. 

Friday’s course takes sailors along the southside of St. Thomas, into the Charlotte Amalie Harbor, and then back east. Best vantage points to watch on shore are the Waterfront Apron and Frenchman’s Reef Marriott Beach Resort between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Ashore, live music starts at the STYC at 2:30 p.m. by the Third String All Stars, with Cool Session Brass taking over the stage from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

The competition continues Saturday, March 26, off the northeast and southeast side of St. Thomas. Then, party like a sailor starting at 7 p.m. at Yacht Haven Grande with Spectrum Band. 

Racing concludes on Saturday, March 27, with the Awards Ceremony on the beach at STYC starting at 6:30 p.m. The Final Fling Party starts right after with Ah We Band. Winners in each of the STIR Classes also receive limited edition ‘Island Watches’ by Cardow Jewelers.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) are pleased to announce that Cruzan Rum and Presidente Beer, distributed by Glazer’s Premier Distributors, LLC, are the official beverages of the 2016 STIR Regatta. 

“We are very excited to partner for our second year with Cruzan Rum and Presidente Beer for STIR 2016. These products will surely enhance the overall atmosphere of our regatta, especially at our nightly parties with live bands at St. Thomas Yacht Club and big party at Yacht Haven Grande on Saturday March 26. We look forward to welcoming everyone to STIR – sailors and landlubbers, visitors and residents alike – for a great regatta, a Cruzan Rum drink and cold Presidente Beer,” says regatta director, Chuck Pessler.

Cruzan Rum, which is produced at its Estate Diamond distillery on St. Croix, was founded in 1760 and has been run by eight generations of the Nelthropp family albeit with changes in corporate ownership over the years. The company produces some 50 award-winning rum products in different flavors and ages. This year, Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade, the newest flavor to the Cruzan lineup, debuts at STIR. The smooth quality of Cruzan Rum with the sweet fruity flavors of blueberries and tangy tastes of lemon packs a punch of flavor in this rum. 

And the tradition continues! The skipper winning the regatta’s most competitive class as judged by a trio of race officials will receive his or her weight in Cruzan Rum. 

Presidente Beer, hailing from the neighboring Dominican Republic and recognized as the #1 beer of the Caribbean, is also proud to be a sponsor of STIR 2016. Owned and operated by Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana, Presidente Beer is a pale lager with a rich refreshing flavor. 

The entire Cruzan line of Cruzan Rum as well as light and dark Presidente Beer will be available at all of the STIR 2016 events. 

“Rum and sailors have gone together since the days when pirates marauded the Caribbean Sea. For over two hundred years, our locally distilled Cruzan Rum has been the grog of choice in the Virgin Islands and, now, around the world. Just as STIR has welcomed more and more sailors every year from the region and beyond, Presidente Beer, a favorite of our neighboring Dominican Republic, is also proud to be a sponsor of STIR 2016. After three days of salty competition out in the ocean, both Cruzan Rum and Presidente Beer are happy to be the refreshing beverage of choice on shore. We wish all the sailors best of luck for STIR 2016!” says Beth Aycock, senior marketing manager for Glazer’s Premier Distributors, one of the largest distributors of wine, spirits and malt beverage products in the U.S. and headquartered in Dallas, TX. 

STIR, now in its forty-third year, is world-renown as the Crown Jewel of Caribbean yacht racing for its fantastic round-the-buoys and round-the-rocks racing, first-class race committee and friendly can-do attitude for the competitors. Over 80 entries from the Caribbean, U.S., Europe and Australia, including first-ever Gunboat and VX One classes as well as Grand Prix yachts and a fleet of over 20 one-design IC24s, are expected to compete in 2015. Crews are a combination of America’s Cup, Olympic and World Champion veterans as well as local Caribbean rock stars. STIR is welcoming a new event, the Round the Rocks Race, a circumnavigation of the beautiful neighboring island of St. John, on March 24.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Gunboat and VX One classes are first-ever additions to the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Set for March 25 to 27 and hosted out of the St. Thomas Yacht Club, the 16 entries – 4 Gunboats and 12 VX Ones – are among a sleek fleet of 80-plus yachts registered to race. What’s more, these two classes add even more America’s Cup and World Champion talent to the Olympic and Caribbean rock star teams that have long made STIR the ‘Crown Jewel of Caribbean Sailing’. 

Gunboats – Talented Teams Gunning for Podium Honors 

This year STIR welcomes a large multihull class, in addition to its perennial beach cat class. It’s no coincidence that original Gunboat builder, maker of some of the fastest multis in the world and two-time (2013 and 2017) America’s Cup rule maker, Pete Melvin, will be racing aboard one of these boats – the Gunboat 60, Fault Tolerant.

“I am looking forward to sailing with old friends,” says Melvin, partner in Morelli & Melvin Design and Engineering, based in Huntington Beach, California. “The owners of Fault Tolerant, Rob and Libby Alexander, Andy Morrell, and I were all on the Boston University sailing team at the same time in the 1980s, so we will be embellishing stories about how great we were back then. I am also looking forward to sailing in the multihull fleet. The original Gunboats were designed by my company and it will be interesting to sail on Fault Tolerant and learn how she sails.”

Fault Tolerant will race against Phil Lotz’s Gunboat 60, Arethusa; Stephen Cucchiaro’sGunboat 60, Flow and Jason Carroll’s Gunboat 62, Elvis. 

“We have raced the St Thomas regatta several times, most recently on our Swan 42,Arethusa,” says Lotz, who was the Swan 42 National Champion in 2009 and 2010 and second place finisher in the multihull class in this year’s Quantum Key West Race Week. “We always enjoy the regatta and the course around the islands. This will be our first season racing the Gunboat so we are looking to learn.” 

This will also be the first season of Gunboat racing for the team aboard Flow.

“Flow is a new boat to us as of last summer,” explains captain, Tony Teale. “We raced the New York Yacht Club’s Cruise to Maine and by the time we get to St. Thomas we will have competed in the St. Maarten Heineken regatta. Most of the crew are friends of Mr. Cucchiaro’s and have a long history of dinghy, keel boat and multihull racing. We are looking forward to competitive racing with a good fleet of Gunboats, including two identical boats.” 

VX One’s Vie for Caribbean Cup Title 

The VX One Class holds its first international event, the VX One Caribbean Cup, a two-leg series that starts with STIR and concludes at the BVI Spring Regatta. This exciting and fast-growing class is now sailed in 9 countries worldwide. 

One of the dozen 19-foot VX One’s competing in this one-design class is Australia’s Andrew York aboard his Australia Two. 

I look forward to sailing against my U.S. VX One friends in good breeze and open water,” says York, whose sailing credits include representing Australia in twelve World Championships in four different classes, competing in two America’s Cups and coaching at a national and Olympic level. York’s crew are fellow Aussies, the father and daughter team of Rob and Nicole Douglass. Together, the Douglass’s have won multiple Australia Tasar titles and two World Championships. Separately, Rob is a Spiral National Champ and Nicole has competed on Australia’s Women’s World Match Racing Team. 

One of the U.S. teams York will be testing his skills against is George Gamble aboard his VX One, My Sharona. 

“Beautiful clear warm water, great competition and a stiff breeze is what we’re looking forward to,” says Gamble, who won the J/111 World Championship and finished third at the VX One North American Championships last year. 

It’s a family affair for another U.S.-based VX One team on Commando. Helmsman Andy Walford, will be joined by crew of wife, Beth, and eldest son, Richard. 

“As club level sailors, we are looking forward to some warm water sailing in the brisk breezes of the Caribbean and a competitive regatta,” says Walford, who grew up dinghy sailing in the UK before moving to the U.S. in the late 1980’s where he sailed in the 505 Worlds in 2004 and Melges 24 Worlds in 2011. “The VX One is well suited to the conditions to provide a really exhilarating ride. Along with the shore activities, it’s going to be a great vacation.” 

Entries Grow for New Round the Rocks Race 

Six entries are already signed-up for the first-ever Round the Rocks Race. Set for March 24, the race, independent of STIR, features a point-to-point course around the island of St. John with separate scoring and a special prize-giving awards. There will be a large perpetual trophy for the fastest elapsed time and first through third trophies for each class. Three Gunboats – Arethusa,Fault Tolerant and Flow, as well as the TP52 Spookie, are among the entrants. 

“We purchased the TP 52, ex-Interlodge, in June,” says Steve Benjamin, who was named 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, and who with wife Heidi raced their former Spookie, a Carkeek HP 40, in last year’s STIR where they won the CSA 1 Class. “So far we did two of the 52 Super Series events in 2015, the Copa del Rey Manfre and the Cascais Cup, and finished 8^th in both. In January, we won the Lauderdale to Key West Race and finished second at Key West Race Week. We’re looking forward to as much racing in the Caribbean as possible and very excited about racing around St. John as we know it is a challenging venue with lots of shifts and strong winds. Peter Holmberg will be joining Heidi and I and we’re putting several of the veteran Spookie team back together with a few young guns!” 

Great Parties 

Beach BBQs and nightly parties with live bands will take place at St. Thomas Yacht Club Thursday March 24, Friday March 25 and Sunday March 27. The Awards Ceremony takes place Sunday March 27 starting at 6 p.m. on the beach in front of the Club. On Saturday March 26, there’s the 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. 

Register Now! 

Register online now for the Round the Rocks Race and St. Thomas International Regatta at stthomasinternationalregatta.com. Both events promise challenging courses, professional race management and island-style hospitality. 

STIR 2016 is sponsored by Cruzan Rum and Presidente, distributed by Glazer’s Premier Distributors; and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. 

For more information, contact Regatta Director Chuck Pessler at (340) 642-3204 or Email stycisv@gmail.com. Check out STIR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stirvi), Twitter @stycvi and Instagram #STIRSTT 

For hi-res photos, please follow links below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/es6b5psu28r6ao2/Pete_Melvin.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1n9lqfnjcnmqv09/gunboatflow.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ux1zbunc4clsjko/vxonewalfordfamily.jpg?dl=0