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St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Precision is a quality in great demand both in world-class yacht racing and in Swiss premium timepieces. Therefore, organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta…

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta are proud to announce that Cruzan Rum and Presidente beer, distributed by Glazer’s Premier Distributors, LLC, will provide major sponsorship in support for the 2015 regatta.

“Cruzan Rum and Presidente beer are a great fit to the sailing scene. Rum is the dominant beverage in the Caribbean and the US Virgin Islands is the home of Cruzan Rum. Presidente, which is produced in the Dominican Republic, has been exploding in popularity throughout the islands among sailors and non-sailors alike,” says Jon Charlton, vice president and general manager for the U.S. Virgin Islands of 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.

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. Skippers in the St. Thomas International Regatta will receive a commemorative 750 ml bottle of Cruzan’s flagship Cruzan Single Barrel Rum, a medium-to-full-bodied blend of vintage rums aged from 5 to 12 years. New this year too, 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.  (more…)

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Top-quality competition, razor-close finishes and camaraderie that spanned decades for some and days for others proved that in spite of a new name, the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) has remained the ‘Crown Jewel’ of Caribbean yacht racing. Nowhere was this more apparent than on the third and final day of sailing. No one easily walked away with a win. Plus, the podium was filled with teams representing the Caribbean, U.S., and Europe.

First time racing in the STIR proved a charm for Near Miss, Franck Noel’s TP 52. The Switzerland-based team finished by winning every race but one in the CSA – Racing O Class. That defeat came at the hands of the Netherlands’ Peter Vroon aboard his Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens 3, which finished second. “The racing was very good, good competition and the courses were very nice around the islands,” explains Benoit Briand, Near Miss team manager. “It would have been easy to make a big mistake and finish last in this class, but we sailed the boat properly and grew more confident as a team every day.” (more…)

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Courses changed but the winds remained the blustery-same as the 69-boat fleet set sail on the second day of racing at the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Shorter round-the-buoy and round-the-island races off the island’s east end combined with 20-plus knots of breeze enabled the race committee to fire off as many as five and four races, respectively, in the beach cat and one-design IC-24 classes.

“We retired during the first race today. It was just too rough and windy at the top mark in Pillsbury Sound where the currents met and there were huge faces. The Nacra 17 sails on the surface, the boat almost planes, and that makes it more skittish to sail in heavy conditions,” explains the USVI’s John Holmberg, who ultimately skippered his Flight Risk to the top of the six boat beach cat class.  Holmberg and crew Terri McKenna hope to earn one of the 10 slots up for grabs for the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Nacra 17 class in September at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Spain. “We got back in and finished the other four races today and we won them all.”  (more…)

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Boom or bust was the big story for the 69-boat fleet racing on the first day of the 41st St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Thirty-plus knot guests tested the mettle of equipment and crews as the fleet sailed along the island’s south shore into scenic Charlotte Amalie harbor and back again amidst a mix of sun and squalls.

“The winds were great today. We loved it,” says Australia’s Robert Date, at the helm of his RP 52, Scarlett Runner, with a 15 strong crew. Date set sail last July on a circumnavigation to race some of the world’s great regattas. He chose three events in the Caribbean – the STIR, Les Voiles de St. Barth and Antigua Sailing Week. Scarlett Runner finished fourth in the six-boat CSA Racing 0 Class, where the lead is tied on points between Near Miss, Switzerland’s Franck Noel’s TP 52, and Tonnerre de Breskens 3, the Netherlands’ Peter Vroom’s Ker 46.  (more…)