Register for the International Optimist Regatta, TOTE Clinic, and TOTE Team Race
by Carol Bareuther 26 Apr 09:38 PDT
June 9-15, 2025
The USA's Grant Chin leads the pack at the 2024 International Optimist Regatta © Matias Capizzano
Register now (www.regattanetwork.com/event/29124) for the 32nd International Optimist Regatta (IOR), TOTE Clinic, and TOTE Team Race, June 9-15, 2025.
The event's three-decade-plus history of past entrants read like a Who's Who of college all-Americans; national, continental, and world champions; America's Cup sailors, and Olympians.
The registration fee for the IOR is $300, and late registration after May 1 is $350. The fee to enter the IOR and TOTE Clinic is $700, or $400 for the Clinic only. A refund, less a $150 processing fee, will be granted to those entries that cancel by May 1, 2025. The 2024 IOR can accept only a maximum of 125 sailors. Don't miss out!
"We're proud to host the largest annual Optimist regatta in the Caribbean, with some of the best sailing conditions in the world, a family-friendly venue at the host, St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC), and a trio of events in one week - clinic, team race, and regatta, that help sailors to learn tactics for a summer of racing or to tune up for the Optimist World Championships, at the end of June in Portoroz, Slovenia," says Lori Vaughn, co-director with Heather Scholes.
Entry preview
Fifty-plus sailors representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and several U.S. states, including New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and California, are registered in the IOR's Championship and Green Fleets.
Among these entries is St. Thomas' Hunter Reinbold, a U.S. Virgin Islands Optimist Team member, along with Lilly Brewer, Sam DeGraff, Banyan Heikkila, Finn Hodgins, Kip Hodgins, Patrick Mitchell, Avery Pearsall and Will Zimmerman.
"I like IOR because it is a competitive regatta that brings many great sailors to STYC, even though it is a home regatta for us. I think it helps me prepare for other regattas because, at the clinic, we learn from many different coaches who bring different tactics/strategies and help us continue to grow as sailors," says Reinbold. "My favorite part about it is the Volvo Ocean Race at the end of the Clinic because of its multiple legs and the role of local knowledge."
Clara and Ellen Wetzel, from the Mantoloking Yacht Club in New Jersey, will return to compete in the IOR this year.
"The St. Thomas IOR is our favorite regatta because of the epic scenery and conditions. It's a fun way to experience heavy wind and ocean sailing, and we always make new friends," says Clara Wetzel.
Three In One Event
The spectacular week of junior sailing kicks off with the TOTE Maritime Clinic, June 9-11. Some of the best Optimist coaches conduct on-the-water training sessions and instructive on-land debriefs for both Advanced (age-divided Red, White, and Blue Fleets) and beginner (Green Fleet) sailors. This year's coaches include Agustin 'Argy' Resano, U.S. Virgin Islands National Team; Manny Resano, USA National Team Head Coach; Esteban Rocha, Head Coach, Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club, FL; and Gonzalo Pollitzer, USA National Team, International Coach. These four leading coaches have 20-plus years of experience in the Optimist class as coaches and are former Optimist sailors.
On June 12, over a dozen teams are expected for the TOTE Maritime Team Race. The entry fee for this one-day event is $160 per team of 4 sailors. Registration is available only on-site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 11.
The IOR sets sail from June 13-15.
Three key points make the IOR, TOTE Clinic, and TOTE Team Race a must-do, says Agustin Resano, TOTE Clinic and TOTE Team Race organizer. "First, not many places offer a format with a three-day clinic before a major regatta. It is the best way for sailors to learn and get more experience. Secondly, sailing in the open ocean in the Caribbean, with warm weather, good wind, and waves, what more is there to say? Third is the valuable experience of sailing/training with different coaches. In addition to our four main coaches, we will have six very qualified coaches from which sailors can get valuable input."
The IOR is sponsored by TOTE, U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, The K3 Company, Cardow, MSI Building Supplies, and Lagnappe Interiors.
Make Plans Now!
For charters, contact Simmons Boatworks at: www.simmonsbw.com/collections/packages-transfers/products/winner-3d-star-optimist-charter The charter package comes with a Winner-brand hull with airbags, blocks, 3-to-1 mainsheet, and painter on a dolly, with top cover. N1 Blades Optimax Spars included. The charter fee is $650, which includes the clinic and practice days. The deadline to reserve charter boats is May 1, 2025. Late fee and no refunds after May 1, 2025.
For coach boat charters, contact:
Traveling to St. Thomas is easy! The Cyril E. King Airport welcomes direct flights on six major airlines from mainland gateway cities in the U.S. These include American Airlines (Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, New York), Delta (Atlanta, New York), Frontier (San Juan), JetBlue (Boston, San Juan), Spirit (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando), and United (Houston, Newark, Washington-Dulles). Air Sunshine, Cape Air, Fly the Whale, Sea Flight, and SKYhigh Dominicana operate within the Caribbean, serving St. Thomas.
Accommodations on St. Thomas include resorts, hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and timeshares. Approximately 600 villa units and 200 charter yachts are on St. Thomas/St. John. Airbnb listings number over 3,000 in St. Thomas. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit www.visitusvi.com
For more information, Email: or call (340) 775-6320. Or, for the Notice of Regatta (NOR), Registration Form, and other information, visit the St. Thomas Yacht Club website at stthomasyachtclub.org/sailing/regattas/international-optimist-regatta or Regatta Network: www.regattanetwork.com. Please also see the International Optimist Regatta on Facebook and Instagram @internationaloptiregatta