52nd St. Thomas International Regatta Overall
by Carol Bareuther 5 Apr 22:39 PDT
April 2-5, 2026
Colorful spinnakers on the IC24 class boats popped up like Easter bonnets on parade on the third and final day of racing at the 2026 St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR).
Hosted by the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) from April 3-5, the event brought together nearly 40 boats competing in CSA Spinnaker Racing and one-design classes, including IC24, ISCA (Sunfish), and Hobie Wave. Sailors came from all three U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten, as well as several U.S. states—from Massachusetts to California—and from the UK and Ireland, underscoring the regatta's place as a highlight of the Caribbean sailing calendar. Ultimately, Privateer, Cachondo, Papi, and Boogie Board Bandits finished as class winners.
"Congratulations to this year's competitors and class winners for an exceptional performance," says Jennifer Matarangas-King, Commissioner of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. "The St. Thomas International Regatta reflects the strength of our sailing tradition and the extraordinary conditions that continue to draw top competitors to the U.S. Virgin Islands year after year."
CSA Spinnaker Class Winner - Privateer
Privateer, the USA's Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50, took first place in the class with a slim two-point lead over Puerto Rico's Enrique Figueroa on the Melges 24, Exodus.
"The first day was all about figuring out the starts due to the disparity of boat speeds in the class. There was flat water on the first day, but on the second, it got lumpier, which favored us. Today, we had a clean start in the first race. In the final race, a huge rain squall blew through Pillsbury Sound with a 70-degree wind shift and gusts up to 27 knots. We had a gear failure and dropped the spinnaker in the water. It cost us the race, but we had a good enough cushion of a lead to win the class," says Tim Dawson, tactician, of the Newport, RI-based race boat sailing under the burgee of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Puerto Rico's Juan Mari on his J/100, Freelance, finished third.
Puerto Rico's Cachondo Tops IC24 Class
Consistency was key to winning this highly competitive class, and Puerto Rico's Marco Teixidor did so, driving Cachondo. "We had fifteen races, five each day, kept focused as a team, and stuck to our game plan. There was such tight racing, especially in the top five boats, that it was important to stay consistent and avoid having any bad races," says Teixidor, who last won this class in 2015. Teixidor's crew was Geraldo Fernandez, tactician; Juan Llavat, deck; Guillermo Toruella, trim; and Ivan Aponte, foredeck.
The USVI's Teddy Nicolosi, with his team on the IC24, Bill T, finished second in the class, with Olympian Thomas Barrows and U.S. SailGP grinder, Mac Agnese, as crew. The BVI's INTAC, with Mark Plaxton at the helm, rounded out third place.
Stanton Champions the ISCA Class
St. Croix's Peter Stanton sailing his Sunfish, Papi, handily won the ISCA Class. Stanton, who was the 1999 Sunfish Youth World Championship, has attended 13 ISCA/Sunfish World Championships, is the current ISCA Master's World Champion, and a bronze medalist at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games. He led an instructional clinic for the class before the regatta started.
"I had the most experience of anyone in the class, but I knew if I took my foot off the gas, the rest would be ready to overtake me," he says. "The big shifts and big puffs were challenging today, so I had to be on my toes."
Stanton's brother Scott Stanton, on Stormy, finished second, while St. Croix's David Walworth, helming Kittikins, was third.
Boogie Board Bandits Win Hobie Wave Class
St. John's Hunter Reinbold, 12, and St. Thomas' Kip Hodgens, 11, maintained their day one lead to win the class aboard their Boogie Board Bandits.
"This is our first STIR regatta," says Reinbold. "We were in it to have fun, and it felt good to be first yesterday. Today, the racing was closer. We got two-thirds and a fourth and thought our competition overtook us, but they didn't."
Hodgens brother, Finn, and St. Thomas' Will Zimmerman, finished second in WINN, while St. Thomas' Rowan Walters, on Hobie Speed, rounded out third.
Real-time results for STIR results are posted at yachtscoring.com/emenu/50483
The Principal Race Officers for STIR 2026 were Mark Foster, Richard Neville, and Diana Margarita.
Mark Your Calendar Now - 53rd STIR - March 25-28, 2027
Mark your calendar now to race in the 53rd STIR, set for March 26-28, 2026, with the Round the Rocks Race on Thursday, March 25, 2027. These dates coincide with the Easter holiday weekend, making it a perfect time to travel with family and friends, enjoy Virgin Islands hospitality, and race on the best courses in the world's top yacht racing conditions. The NOR and entry on stthomasinternationalregatta.com and www.yachtscoring.com will be open in late summer. IC24s and Hobie Waves will be available for charter through the St. Thomas Sailing Center (stthomassailingcenter.com). 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
Strong Sponsor Support
STIR organizers thank the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; The Moorings; K3 Waterproof Gear; Ocean Surfari; and Mount Gay, Gosling's, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Surfside Iced Tea & Vodka, Aperol Spritz, and Michelob Ultra, distributed by CC1 USVI, for their strong sponsorship support.
STIR 2026 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta featuring green initiatives.
For more information, contact Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at Cell/WhatsApp (340-690-6607), Email: , or visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com. Check out St. Thomas International Regatta on Facebook, and @STIRVI on Instagram.