Less than a week until the International Rolex Regatta

With less than a week to go, St. Thomas Yacht Club is applying finishing touches before the kickoff of the 36th annual International Rolex Regatta on Friday, March 27. The three-day regatta includes professionally run racing in a spectacular Caribbean setting along with memorable regatta parties for local and visiting teams from the U.S. and Europe. The event also has plenty of fan-friendly offerings. For starters, the public is encouraged to participate in a special regatta celebration at Yacht Haven Grande on Saturday night from 7-11 p.m. Carnival flair is expected when The Spectrum Band, one of St. Thomas's most popular reggae bands, performs three shows at center stage in the mega yacht marina complex.

"We're excited about Saturday night at Yacht Haven Grande," regatta co-director Bill Canfield said, explaining that for the first time many of the boats entered will use the elegant mega yacht facility as home base. Others will berth at Yacht Haven Grande's sister marina, American Yacht Harbor, or moor just off the yacht club. "Hosting a big party where our competitors dock is a great addition to the event", Canfield said, adding that there is no admission for the party, which also offers island fare and regatta merchandise. For racers and visitors alike this will be a prime opportunity to take in the unique dining and shopping experience Yacht Haven Grande's restaurants and boutiques offer.

On Saturday, die-hard race fans as well as curious locals and tourists can plan a fun afternoon grabbing glimpses of the sailing action from vantage points around the island. In the morning, the fleet begins a point-to-point race from the island's east side, where the yacht club is located, to historic Charlotte Amalie harbor. This natural ampitheater provides bird's eye views of the races from multiple waterfront points, including the panoramic overlook at Frenchman's Reef hotel.

After finishing the race, the fleet will enjoy a brief lunch break on the water among the cruise ships, mega yachts and sea planes and then start a second race back to St. Thomas Yacht Club. "For 2009, we changed this race to the weekend," said Canfield, "in order to provide crowds of locals, tourists and race fans the experience and excitement of sailboat racing. From early morning when race committee volunteers set the final three harbor course markers to early afternoon when the fleet finishes and restarts in the harbor, there will be plenty of exciting action downtown," Canfield added.

Friday and Sunday will feature racing around cays (pronounced 'keys', for the uninitiated) in the waters between St. Thomas and St. John. Short legs of the courses will demand quick and precise action, testing racers' skills in ways traditional windward/leeward courses can't. Most boats will sail under IRC and CSA handicap rules. The rest of the fleet will be rounded out with IC24s (an indigenous one-design class), beach cats and large multihulls, racing together through this idyllic setting.

Nightly festivities will culminate with the Rolex Awards Ceremony at the St. Thomas Yacht Club at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The evening, replete with video highlights, entertainment, dancing, a stage constructed over the water and presentation of Rolex watches, has become a much anticipated highlight of the regatta.

Rolex is title sponsor of the event, with active involvement from A.H. Riise, its Official Retailer of Rolex watches in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The St. Thomas shop is one of the largest in the Caribbean and is located on Charlotte Amalie's historic waterfront. Supporting sponsors include USVI Tourism, Island Global Yachting, Mount Gay Rum and Bellows International. Racers and race fans can check out the website at www.rolexcupregatta.com to view a full schedule of events. Live results by yachtscoring.com will be posted nightly with race reports and photos. Daily video coverage will be available for free on-demand viewing at www.t2p.tv or by clicking on the TV icon on the regatta web site.