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There is a weekend in late March when St. Thomas becomes the place to be for sailors and sailor-wannabes alike. That weekend is coming up March 27-29th, and the reason is the International Rolex Regatta. Leading up to the three day event, a steady stream of sailboats – big and small – make their way into American Yacht Harbor and Yacht Haven Grande while their skippers and crew anxiously await some competitive racing. Men and women travel to St. Thomas from all over the Caribbean, North America, and Europe to be a part of this exciting race.
The International Rolex Regatta is organized by the Virgin Islands Racing Association, sponsored by Rolex and supported by a dedicated group of local businesses and individuals. The International Rolex Regatta, celebrating its 36th year, is renowned for first-class racing and great parties. The three-day event is one of the premier race events in the Caribbean for everything from beach catamarans to 80-footers. This year has attracted a growing number of boats as well as support from new sponsors including Mount Gay Rum, Yacht Haven Grande and Bellows International. The Regatta is hosted by the St. Thomas Yacht Club.
If you aren’t a sailor but enjoy sailing, the International Rolex Regatta is a great event for the casual spectator. Sailboats will be racing off the downtown waterfront providing observers with great opportunities to watch some world-class sailing. Visitor and residents can also attend some of the events scheduled around the Rolex, including live bands and dancing.
The 36th running of the International Rolex Regatta is sure to build on its successes last year, which included the addition of IRC racing and joining with the BVI Spring Regatta to offer the inaugural Virgin Islands Race Week. The International Rolex Regatta is one of the most popular of several Caribbean sailing events that, when strung together, can keep a hard-core, fun-loving racer occupied in the islands for the better part of two months. While it is part of the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series, the event also hosts classes for CSA (or "Caribbean Rule") racing as well as one-designs, beach cats and large multihulls.
We've proudly hosted this regatta since 1974," said William Newbold, Commodore of St. Thomas Yacht Club. "Over three days, the finest yachtsmen and yachtswomen from around the Caribbean, United States, and Europe join in world-class racing in a spectacular environment, which includes the warm, clear waters surrounding our Club. It's an adventurous way to get a jump on their summer sailing season."
Veteran competitor Bill Alcott of Detroit, Michigan, who owns the 68-foot yacht Equation, counts the International Rolex Regatta as "one of the highlights of my life and love of competition and the sea--I wouldn't miss it for the world." America's Cup veteran Peter Holmberg, who calls St. Thomas home, is one of the more famous local sailors who attends, while last year Norbert Plambeck, from Cuxhaven, Germany, came from farthest abroad to sail his Frers 80 Hexe.
The regatta’s popularity is attributable to its professional race management, dependable trade winds and varied and challenging schedule of races -- including both around-the-buoys and distance courses. After racing, beachside social activities blend St. Thomas Yacht Club's island-style hospitality with the outstanding camaraderie and competition that hundreds of participants have come to expect each year. The finishing touch is the awards stage that magically appears over the water on the last day of racing and the presentation of coveted Rolex timepieces to winners of qualifying classes.
