St. Thomas International Regatta & BVI Spring Regatta to host VX One Caribbean Cup 2025
by Carol Bareuther 25 Feb 18:41 GMT
March 28-30 & April 4-6, 2025
Sophie Callander with her all-women's team in the 2025 VX One North American Midwinters. BOT to the right in yellow © Scott Trauth /
www.ScottTrauthPhotography.com
Organizers of the VX One Caribbean Cup 2025 are pleased to announce sponsorship of the Cup by Evolution Sails. The VX One Caribbean Cup is a two-leg series that kicks off with the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) March 28-30 and concludes with the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival (BVISR), April 4-6. Part of Sailing Inc. in Charleston, South Carolina, Evolution Sails is one of four U.S. franchises of the parent company, Evolution Sails NZ Ltd., and both make and repair sails for grand prix racers to coastal cruisers. Greg Fisher, a sailmaker for over 40 years and winner of 25 National, North American, and World Championship titles in 7 different one-design classes, manages the Sailing Inc./Evolution Sails team in Charleston and strongly supports the VX One class.
"Evolution Sails has partnered with the VX One North American Class during its winter series by coaching the whole fleet, helping us to run daily debriefs, especially focusing on those in the middle and back of the fleet to improve and grow the class, and by donating gear for raffles to make this feasible. In early March, Evolution will sponsor the VX One Florida State Championship, which includes entry of an all-women's team at no charge to the team. Then, at the end of March, for the VX One Caribbean Cup 2025, Evolution's sponsorship includes race technology like BOTS, which makes it possible to run races more easily and, in more places, such as in the ideal sailing conditions of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands," says Tim Pitts, president, VX One North American Class.
Evolution Sail's sponsorship includes bringing MarkSetBots, or BOTS, robotic buoys with course-setting technology, to STIR and the BVISR.
"We are honored to sponsor the VX One Caribbean Cup, not just helping financially, but helping to put systems in place that will benefit the sailors," says Fisher. "We believe in the VX One Class hugely. It's a great boat, an obviously exceptionally fast boat, and it appeals to all levels of sailors. There are some unbelievably talented Olympians who sail the boat, and there are newer sailors who enjoy it as much as the Olympians. More than simply sponsorship, we are proud to be partners in a community that wants to drive sailing to new levels."
Over 400 VX One's – 19-foot-long, strict one-design keelboats sailed by two to three crew with an optimum weight range of 380 to 550 pounds – have been built since 2012. National class associations are now in Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. In the North American fleet alone, multiple former Olympians, America's Cup participants, and pro sailors choose to race the VX One for fun with family and friends, as the fleet is 100% unpaid.
The VX One Class first sailed in STIR and the BVISR in 2016. This year, 11 boats with two to three crew will compete in the VX One Caribbean Cup 2025, sponsored by Evolution Sails.
One VX One is left and available for charter for the 2025 Caribbean Cup. Contact Pitts at Mobile/WhatsApp +1 (401) 419-9010, Email:
BOTS Come to the Caribbean
First used in high-performance events like the America's Cup and Sail GP, BOTS are now used in many international regattas. The patented robotic buoys, manufactured by MarkSetBot in Detroit, Michigan, are a self-propelled sailing mark with GPS technology that can set a race course and hold its position without anchors or race committee-manned mark boats. A user-friendly mobile app, stress-free assembly, and easy routing and repositioning make precise race management simple and accurate. The BOTS are easy to see with a bright orange color and 7-foot size.
"We are grateful to Evolution Sails for bringing this modern technology to the Caribbean," says Pat Bailey, co-director of STIR. "I saw the BOTS in action while participating in the VX One Midwinters in Coconut Grove, Florida, in early February. The St. Thomas Yacht Club is happy to partner with Evolution Sails and embrace this new, modern technology in the sport."
Chris Haycraft, chairman of the BVISR, also saw the BOTS in action while serving on the race committee with the Principal Race Officer, who operated the BOTS for the RC 44Cup Nanny Cay in February. "I was hesitant they could work looking at the forecast for 20 to 30 knots for five days straight with big seas, but boy did those BOTS handle everything we could throw at them. On Thursday of the RC44 regatta, we decided to anchor the BOTS as we expected the worst of the wind. It reminded us how difficult it is to anchor marks and adjust to wind shifts. The mark boat crew were happy to flick back to AUTO mode the next day."
For more information about the VX One Caribbean Cup 2025, sponsored by Evolution Sails, join the conversation on the event's Facebook Group. Or contact Tim Pitts at +1 (401) 419-9010 or Email: