Second Annual Women's Regatta Camp at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands - Still Time to Enter!
by Carol Bareuther 23 Jan 08:45 PST
?January 26-31, 2026
Nikki Barnes, St. Thomas born and raised and 2020 Olympic sailor will head the coaching for the camp © STSC
The Second Annual Women's Regatta Camp will take place January 26-31, 2026, hosted by the St. Thomas Sailing Center (STSC) at the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC).
The five-day program delivers coaching from internationally accomplished women sailors across Olympic, one-design, and match-racing disciplines, combined with round-the-island racing and structured drills in the steady tradewinds of the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was named 'Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year' in 2025 by Caribbean Journal. Racing takes place on IC24s—standardized, refit J/24s designed to minimize equipment differences and keep the focus on boat handling, teamwork, communication, and race execution—supporting mixed-experience crews with prior racing experience. The camp welcomes individual sailors and full teams, and balances focused instruction, competitive racing, and camaraderie with off-the-water activities, including lunch at a floating pizzeria near Christmas Cove and restaurant dining on neighboring St. John one evening.
"The Women's Regatta Camp is about creating an environment where women sailors of all levels can learn, race, and grow together. Our coaches adapt their instruction to the experience of each crew, helping newer racers build confidence while challenging seasoned sailors to sharpen their skills," says Bobby Brooks, STSC executive director. "You don't have to be a professional sailor to belong here—you just need a desire to race, learn, and be part of an incredible community. Add equal boats, world-class coaching, and St. Thomas sailing conditions, and it's a truly special experience."
There's still time to enter! The individual entry fee for Women's Regatta Camp is $2500 (stthomassailingcenter.com/shop/womens-regatta-camp-registration-individual) and Team Registration is $8100 (stthomassailingcenter.com/shop/womens-regatta-camp-registration-team), which includes four to five sailors, with an on-board instructor.
Sailors Hail from Near & Far
Over a dozen women from the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, and the U.S.A. are set to embark on the camp on Monday, January 26. Four of the women participating as a team hail from Rhode Island, where each summer they regularly race in the Watch Hill 15 fleet, a century-old Sidney Herreshoff one-design, out of the Watch Hill Yacht Club.
"We sail regularly, often against one another, and wanted an opportunity to build individual skills while strengthening our teamwork," says Darlene Evans, who attended a NorthU clinic at the STSC, enjoyed the experience, and wanted to come back, especially to an all-women's sailing event. "A key goal was rotating positions so each of us could gain confidence in every role on the boat. The IC24 platform and coaching format stood out as highly transferable to our home fleet, making the training both relevant and practical."
Evans adds that what sealed the deal for her, and teammates Meg Kelly, Hilary Steinman, and Sara Kearney, to attend was the camp's emphasis on purposeful coaching and racing. "It's an experience for women who want to improve, challenge themselves, and return to their fleets as stronger, more confident sailors. At the same time, the all-women setting creates camaraderie and shared momentum that we're excited to bring back with us."
Meet the Coaches
Olympian and St. Thomas native Nikki Barnes will step away from her 2028 Olympic campaign to return home as Head Coach for the Women's Regatta Camp. She is joined by an accomplished coaching team that includes Match Racing National Champion Beka Schiff and professional sailing trailblazer Martha Parker, who has an Olympic campaign and World and national champion titles to her credit.
"I am thrilled to coach this event again and to work at the place where I learned to sail and love racing," says Barnes, who skippered a 470 for Team U.S.A. in the 2020 Summer Olympics. "We have some exciting days ahead, where we will go deep into the details, refresh our tactical and strategic knowledge, and improve our racing skills. St. Thomas is the perfect venue to work on all these elements because we will get a range of conditions, which will keep the participants on their toes and keep the days full! This will be a great opportunity to get women racing at a higher level! When I was growing up, I was one of the only girls racing in my age group, and I always wished more girls and women were racing with me. This is a great clinic to put a range of skill sets together to work on racing, no matter what level you are at."
Sailing World is a sponsor of the Women's Regatta Camp. So does Parker, who founded Team One Newport, a prominent outfitter based in Newport, Rhode Island, specializing in high-performance sailing gear, foul-weather apparel, and custom team uniforms, and who also serves as an event sponsor, ensuring a high-quality, accessible coaching and racing experience.
"I love coming to St Thomas Yacht Club to coach the great women who attend our clinics. The IC 24's are a fantastic boat to sail, and we have women of all abilities joining us. The conditions are consistent, and we love the many places that we can sail to!" says Parker.
Make Travel Plans Now
St. Thomas offers outstanding accessibility—now enhanced with a new low-cost option. In addition to established access via American Airlines (Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, New York), Delta (Atlanta, New York), JetBlue (Boston, San Juan), Spirit (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando), United (Houston, Newark, Washington-Dulles), and Frontier (San Juan).
On the regional front, intra-Caribbean air connectivity remains strong through Cape Air, Air Sunshine, Fly the Whale, SKYhigh Dominicana, and Seaborne Airlines, which continue to serve St. Thomas from neighboring islands.
Accommodations on St. Thomas include resorts, villas, condominiums, VRBO rentals, HomeAway, and Airbnb's. The nearest options within walking distance of the Club are vacation condo rentals on Cowpet Bay at The Anchorage, The Elysian, Cowpet Bay West, or Cowpet Bay East. The STSC maintains a list of our favorite condo and villa rentals, some of which you can book directly with owners to avoid extra fees. For a copy, email
For more information on the STSC and its programs, visit stthomassailingcenter.com, email , or call Cell/WhatsApp (340) 690-3681. For travel information to the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit www.visitusvi.com