St. Thomas International Regatta set for March 27-29 2015
by Carol Bareuther 27 Sep 2014 12:38 BST
27-29 March 2015
Near Miss races right off Great St. James Island on day 2 of the 41st St. Thomas International Regatta © Dean Barnes
The St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) will take place March 27-29, 2015, continuing into its fourth decade with an exceptional program of serious world class yacht racing that has earned it the status of the 'Crown Jewel of Caribbean Yacht Racing'. The STIR is renowned for its serious racing reputation that attracts both the latest yacht designs and greatest skippers and crews from across the globe as well as the Caribbean's hottest rock stars.
"The Melges 32 class should be well represented this year," explains regatta director, Bill Canfield. "The HPR 40 class led by Steve Benjamin's Spookie is showing interest. We'd also like to get more local boats involved in the PHRF class."
No other regatta in the Caribbean offers so many classes and rating rules under which to compete. Teams are invited to enter in Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA); IRC; High Performance Rule (HPR); Multihull; CSA Bareboat; PHRF for boats from the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico; Beach Cats; and One-Design classes with a minimum length of 20 feet.
"St. Thomas Yacht Club offers one of best venues for both race courses, excellent committee work and parties. We are the easy event with everything in one location from housing through awards under one roof," Canfield explains.
Take advantage now of a big discount on early registration. Entries received and paid for in full by 5 p.m. AST January 31, 2015 pay only US $250. The registration fee between February 1 and March 24, 2015 increases to US $400 for all boats, except US $250 for beach cats and US $300 for IC24s and PHRF boats.
The 2015 STIR promises challenging courses, professional race management and island-style hospitality. Plus, new social activities such as a Pub Crawl and Golf Tournament will continue to give visiting yachtsman a taste of St. Thomas and locals a way to join in even if they don't sail.
Register online at www.yachtscoring.com. The NOR is available at www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com. For more information and questions, call (340) 775-6320 or Email