St. Thomas International Regatta Early Entry Discount ends January 31
by Carol Bareuther 18 Jan 2023 12:47 PST
March 24-26, 2023
St. Thomas' Peter Corr's 2022 STIR-class winning Blitz © Dean Barnes
Check the box on your Bucket List today! Enter the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), set for March 24-26, 2023, yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=15496. Pay only US $170, or 50% off the regular entry fee, until January 31, 2023. Everyone is invited! CSA racing, cruising, and bareboat classes; ORC; Large Multihull; Hobie Waves, and One-Design classes with a minimum length of 20 feet.
STIR offers the most competitive mix of round-the-island and round-the-buoys courses, which are set and run by a professional race committee. This year, the committee will be stationed on a Moorings 534 power catamaran, the flagship of the Clearwater, FL-headquartered company's power charter fleet. Organizers of the 49th annual STIR, which is equally known for its onshore Caribbean quintessential rum-and-fun spirit at its beachfront St. Thomas Yacht Club venue, proudly welcome and salute the Moorings for a decade-plus of support and sponsorship.
"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 2023, with Greer Scholes. "STIR 2023 is shaping up to be a spectacular event. If you haven't entered 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
Nearly 30 boats are registered so far for STIR 2023, with more expected as the Early Registration discount ends on January 31, 2023. The STIR 2023 fleet to date includes vessels from 24- to 68.5-foot, in CSA Spinnaker, CSA Non-Spinnaker, and One-Design classes, with crews hailing from the Caribbean, USA, and Europe. The Moorings 534 power cat will be stationed with the race committee overseeing the swift-sailing CSA classes. Among these entries are St. Thomas' Peter Corr's Summit 40, Blitz, which not only won its class in STIR last year but also earned the Lord Nelson Trophy for most outstanding performance from a CSA Monohull at the season finale, Antigua Sailing Week.
"STIR always has great winds and great competition, very fair lineups, and close races. Off-the-water activities are also fantastic. It is a true winner of an event in the regatta season," says Corr. "This year, we have a team that has raced together for years, and I am looking forward to tight races."
Another potential podium placing entry is Newport, Rhode Islands' Jon Desmond's new Mills 41, Final Final.
"We just started sailing the boat this summer and are excited for STIR," says Matt Wordell, crewmember. "Most of our team has previously sailed in STIR 2019 with our old boat, Next, the KP 36. We like the mixed type of racing, both around the islands and windward-leewards."
Back after almost two decades is the Dominican Republic's Joan Rodriguez, who will race with family and friends on the Beneteau First 40.7, Lady M.
"We used to race in St. Thomas in the 90s on the J35, Celtic and a J27, Celtic II, and in the 2000s on our Frers 45, Celtic V. We are very happy to be back in Virgin Islands' waters and race our boat with others from all over the world. We love the different racecourses."
The One-Design IC24 class is shaping up to be highly competitive with 15 boats expected on the start line. A limited number of IC24s are still available for race charter from the St. Thomas Sailing Center (stthomassailingcenter.com/st-thomas-international-regatta) The charter fee is US $3200 with new sails (used in no more than two previous regattas) and US $2800 with very good sails. Either choice includes the use of an IC-24 for the Friday through Sunday event, a practice day on Thursday, and a 30-day membership in the St. Thomas Yacht Club. To reserve, Email: or call (340) 690-3681.
Strong Sponsor Support
STIR organizers thank the USVI Department of Tourism; K3; and The Moorings for strong sponsor support.
"The Moorings has sponsored STIR for over 10 years. As leaders within the sailing industry, we feel a responsibility to act as ambassadors of the sailing lifestyle, and the Virgin Islands as a vacation destination. To this end The Moorings is proud to sponsor STIR and to help promote this fantastic event and destination on the world stage," says Ian Pedersen, senior marketing manager for The Moorings and Sunsail.
The Moorings opened its U.S. Virgin Islands charter base in March 2021, located at IGY's Yacht Haven Grande St Thomas. This same year, Caribbean Journal named St. Thomas the 'hottest yachting destination in the Caribbean."
Much more than an ideal Race Committee boat, the Moorings 534 power catamaran boasts unmatched comfort and maneuverability for cruising, Pedersen adds. Launched in 2020, this 4-cabin yacht won Multihull of the Year and quickly has become among the most popular charter yachts The Moorings has produced. The next-generation catamaran has the latest in charter technology, including top-of-the-line 350hp Yanmar diesel engines, zoned air-conditioning, a flatscreen TV lift, a full-sized refrigerator, a watermaker, an interior helm station, and more. In short, this is the ultimate vacation platform.
Get Ready, Get Set....
Bring your own boat (BYOB) or charter!
Caribbean Regatta Logistics, owned and operated by St. Thomas native Ben Beer, can assist owners and teams in bringing their boats to race. (Tel: 340-998-6203; Email: ), Web: stthomasinternationalregatta.com/faq/caribbean-regatta-logistics)
Boats competing in CSA Classes at STIR require a CSA rating. The CSA has moved all measurement requests to its online portal caribbean-sailing.com/apply-for-measurement, thus simplifying the process of submitting both the request and payment. Boats that need to renew, or apply for a partial or complete measurement, must use the portal too.
Chartering makes it especially easy to fly in, jump on a race-ready yacht, and sail! Over half a dozen outfits are offering vessels to charter either by boat or crew spot for STIR 2023. For a list, visit stthomasinternationalregatta.com/regatta/charter-companies
Book Flights and Accommodations Now!
Hands down, STIR is the easiest to reach of all the Caribbean regattas. Host destination, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, welcomes direct flights on six major airlines from U.S. mainland gateway cities. These include:
- American Airlines (Boston, Miami, New York, San Juan)
- Delta (Atlanta, New York)
- Frontier (Miami, Orlando)
- JetBlue (Boston)
- Spirit (Fort Lauderdale)
- United (Chicago, Newark, Washington-Dulles, Newark)
Air Sunshine, Cape Air, and Sea Flight are airlines that operate within the Caribbean with service to St. Thomas.
Accommodations on St. Thomas include resorts, hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and timeshares. Plus, there are approximately 600 villa units and 200 charter yachts on St. Thomas/St. John. Airbnb listings number over 1,000 in St. Thomas. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit: www.visitusvi.com
For more information, visit stthomasinternationalregatta.com, Email: , or Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at or call (340) 775-6320. Check STIR out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stirvi), Twitter @stirvi, and Instagram #STIRVI
For more information, visit stthomasinternationalregatta.com