The Moorings sponsors 2022 St. Thomas International Regatta
by Carol Bareuther 26 Jan 2022 12:38 GMT
March 25-27, 2022
A beautiful Moorings 5000 sailing catamaran will serve as the Committee Vessel for STIR 2022 © Adam Rohrmann
The Moorings will continue its decade-long sponsorship of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), set for March 25-27, 2022, and hosted by the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This dedicated patronage comes on the heels of the Clearwater, FL-headquartered company's greater investment in the territory by opening a charter base at IGY's Yacht Haven Grande St Thomas nearly a year ago. What's more, The Moorings was awarded the prestigious Traveler's Choice Award 2021 by TripAdvisor. Strong sponsorship is one more reason not to miss STIR 2022. The Early Registration Discount ends January 31, 2022.
"The Moorings is the world's premier yacht charter company, and ambassadors of the sailing lifestyle both for sailing and for sport," says Ian Pedersen, senior marketing manager for The Moorings and Sunsail. "As such, we are honored to sponsor some of the world's great sailing events, including STIR. The U.S. Virgin Islands is also the newest addition to The Moorings' portfolio of global charter destinations, and we have been overwhelmed with the popularity of this cruising ground since our fleet was first established here. We hope this event, and our continued participation will continue to bring global awareness to the U.S. Virgin Islands and cement their place among the world's great sailing arenas."
The Moorings will provide its Moorings 5000 sailing catamaran to serve as a Committee Vessel for STIR 2022. This 50-foot, 4-cabin yacht is the new flagship of The Moorings' global sailing fleet and was voted Boat of the Year by Cruising World in 2019. With ample space onboard, superior maneuverability, and all the comforts of home, this is the ultimate platform specifically designed to maximize life on the water in the Caribbean. In addition, its unique elevated lounge area will provide a high point for the Race Committee to monitor the regatta and to relax and enjoy a few beverages after a long day on the water.
"STIR has long been known as the 'Crown Jewel' of Caribbean yacht racing for its professional race management and the ability of our Principal Race Officers and race committee to set up highly competitive courses. The strong support of The Moorings enables our race officials to have an incredible base to run the regatta and for that, we thank The Moorings for its long-standing sponsorship," says Pat Bailey, co-director of STIR 2022, with Greer Scholes. "STIR 2022 is shaping up to be a spectacular event. If you haven't registered yet, I invite you to do so now. As we say here at STYC, 'We Love It Here' and you will too!"
Competitive entries for STIR 2022
Twenty-two yachts are registered so far for STIR 2022, with more expected as the Early Registration discount ends January 31 and as the many hot racing yachts in the Caribbean continue to enter events like STIR this spring. The STIR 2022 fleet to date includes vessels from 24- to 60-foot, in CSA Spinnaker, CSA Non-Spinnaker, and One-Design classes, with crews hailing from the Caribbean, USA, and Europe.
One perpetual podium-finisher in the CSA Spinnaker Class is Peter Corr's Summit 40, Blitz. Blitz finished second in class in 2021 to Victor Wild's Botin 52, FOX, and first in 2019 and 2017. In 2017 Blitz blitzed first place class finishes in not only STIR but also the BVI Spring Regatta and Le Voiles de St. Barths, which the team plans to race again this year.
The winds and water here in St. Thomas are superb most every day and it is a thrill on the water. The variations over the course of even one race are fantastic, which makes it challenging. Of course, the camaraderie in the crew and between boats is great fun. Fun this year too is that many boats and crews that I haven't seen due to the pandemic should be back in action," says Corr, who's based in St. Thomas and a member of the STYC as well as New York Yacht Club. "We have a new carbon rig designed and made by Hall Spars in Auckland, New Zealand, two new sails - the main and J-2 jib and have done extensive work on the boat. I always helm, and our crew for STIR and Round the Rocks hail from Australia, the UK, Antigua, BVI, St. John, and St. Thomas. This is a wonderful team with great experience who have raced on Blitz for years. We do well because we practice and know one another very well. We work and play hard."
Another highly competitive entry in the CSA Spinnaker Class is the Salona 44 Performance Cruiser, Paroma.
"We're looking forward to good winds and a diverse class of boats, as well as reconnecting with old friends and building new relationships," says Luis Balzac. "Our crew is a mixed bag of sailors from Puerto Rico with some Texas friends. Some have sailed out of STYC many times and were previous owners of the sailboat Flako when it won STIR in the late 1980s."
Register now! Early bird discount ends in January
Register Now! STIR 2022 invites CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association-handicap rule), racing, cruising and bareboat classes; ORC; Multihull; PHRF, racing, cruising and Jib and Main classes using the 2021 South East Florida PHRF handicap system; Hobie Waves and One-Design classes with a minimum length of 20 feet. Five one-design entries are required for a class. Pay only US $170, or 50% off the regular entry fee, between now and January 31, 2022. From February 1 to March 24, the entry fee increases to US $340. A limited number of Hobie Waves and IC24's are available for charter.
Also, sign up for the March 24 Round the Rocks (RTR) race. The U.S. Virgin Islands is fortunate to have many islands, cays, and rocks to sail around. The racecourse will be determined by weather conditions on race day. Entry is US $50 per boat.
Bring your own boat (BYOB) or charter! Chartering especially makes it easy to fly in, jump on a race-ready yacht, and set sail! Over half a dozen outfits are offering vessels to charter either by boat or crew spot for STIR 2022.
The St. Thomas Sailing Center has a limited number of IC-24s available for race charter for STIR 2022. The charter fee is US $2900 with new sails (no more than used in one previous regatta), US $2500 with very good sails. This fee includes the use of an IC-24 for the Friday through Sunday event, a practice day on the preceding Thursday, and a 30-day Bluewater Membership in the St. Thomas Yacht Club. To reserve, Email: or call (340) 690-3681.
Beyond this, the J/120, J-aguar, is available by the yacht or crew spot from caribbeanraces.com or Email: . So is the J/122, El Ocaso, from caribbeanyachtracing.com or Email: Ondeck in Antigua is chartering its Beneteau First 40.7, Ortac, by the yacht either bareboat or skippered, by Emailing:
UK-based LV Yachting (, www.lvyachting.com) has several yachts available to charter for STIR, including Pata Negra, a Marc Lombard 46; Wings, J/121; Phan, GP42; Escapado; Beneteau First 40.7; Hermes, Pogo 12.5; Hypr, Volvo 70; and Defiance, Swan 68.
All travelers to the USVI must comply with any travel restrictions listed on usvitravelportal.com. Please plan your travel accordingly and check the travel portal for updates regularly as requirements may change at any time. In addition, all competitors, crew, and guests must comply with all USVI and St Thomas Yacht Club Covid guidelines at the time of the event. These will be updated on the regatta website.
For information, visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com, Email: or Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at , or call (340) 775-6320. Check STIR out on Facebook, Twitter @stirvi, and Instagram #STIRVI