The Countdown to the 51st St. Thomas International Regatta is On!
by Carol Bareuther 24 Mar 23:56 GMT
March 27-30, 2025
Cy Thompson driving Bill T to win the IC24 class at STIR 2024 © Dean Barnes
Over fifty boats and a couple hundred crews from the Caribbean, the U.S., and Europe are ready to race in the 51st St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) this weekend, March 28-30, 2025.
The secret to the success of the U.S. Virgin Islands' largest and longest-held regatta remains the same since its start – hot yacht racing by day with fabulous island-style beach parties with spirited beverages and live music at night.
"What started over half a century ago as a handful of local boats sailing around the islands with pen and paper scoring has developed into a major Caribbean regatta. Today, we have an international fleet of handicapped and one-design yachts racing on professionally set courses, with this year, for the first, a robotic mark on the VX One course. Online real-time scoring lets our local and global audience follow the action. Combine this with the toes-in-the-sand ambiance of our St. Thomas Yacht Club, spirited quenchers and music, and a classic mix of competition and camaraderie, and you have STIR. True to our tagline, 'We Love It Here! Come Join Us!'," says Pat Bailey, who co-directs STIR 2025 with Greer Scholes.
There is still time to enter! Enter STIR now at www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/16918. CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association-handicap rule), racing, cruising, and bareboat classes; ORC; Large Multihulls; Hobie Waves; and One-Design classes with a minimum length of 19 feet are invited. Get an extra day to tune up by entering the Round the Rocks Race at www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/16919 on March 27. The competitive eye-candy course circumnavigates the 19-square-mile neighboring island of St. John, home of the Virgin Islands National Park.
A Sample of Who's Who on the Water
The swift-sailing lineup of entries for STIR 2025 includes Spinnaker Racing and Non-Spinnaker CSA-handicap, a multihull class, and three One-Design Classes, the latter of which are IC24, VX One, and Hobie Wave. The 22-boat strong IC24 class is the largest of the regatta. This year, the class will also compete in the 2025 IC24 Caribbean Championship, sponsored by Sea Glass Properties, an event within STIR. One of these entries is the 2024 IC24 Class Champion, Bill T, with St. Thomas' two-time Olympian Cy Thompson at the helm.
"We are very excited for a large fleet again and the competition that will be out there," says Thompson, whose USVI team includes Maurice Kurg on main and tactics, Eric Cusin trimming, Tyler Rice on the bow, and Emma Walters as the floater. "Good friends and old Olympic training partners Charlie Buckingham and Andrew Lewis have put together a team. Thomas Barrows is here with Teddy Nicolosi and crew. Marco Texidor is coming back. So that will be very exciting. It's anyone's game."
Puerto Rico's Efrain 'Fraito' Lugo, multi-time STIR IC24 Class winner, will also race this year.
Last year's CSA 3 winner, Puerto Rico's Enrique 'Keki' Figueroa, aboard his Melges 24, Exodus, will return to race on Cristian Plaza's IC24, Fugitivo.
"I joined forces with the very good IC24 sailors Enrique Figueroa, Juan Moline, and Greg Fink, all with tons of experience. We are looking forward to the tough competition. This year, the fleet has quantity and quality, and we are pretty hyped to see where exactly our level is. I have sailed all my life since I was a kid. Since I opened by Sail Loft, this regatta has been on my 'must-do' list. It's exciting that it's finally going to happen."
The 10-boat VX One Class is the second largest of STIR 2025. STIR is the first leg of the VX One Caribbean Cup, sponsored by Evolution Sails, which concludes at the BVI Spring Regatta the following weekend. One entry is the BVI's Andrew Thompson on Jitterbug.
"Christian Thompson and I were able to charter a VX One through the class in Miami, thanks to Tim Pitts (VX One North American Class President and St. Croix native). "We have never seen a VX One, let alone sailed one, but we are both sailors. I last raced in St. Thomas on a Melges 24. It will be fun to be back, and there will undoubtedly be a steep learning curve. Tim has already given a few pointers, so we will be keen to get amongst it!"
Julien Metherell, from Cambridge, UK, is a fellow VX One class competitor. Metherell will race with two talented young sailors: Harry Blowers, a former British Sailing Team Olympic sailor in the laser, and Julia Staite, who finished as the first Under 19 women's team in the 2021 British 420 National Youth Championship.
"Escaping the northern European winter for sunshine, warm water, and tradewinds are what interested us in traveling to race," says Metherell. We are looking forward to great weather, a beautiful place to sail, and a fun, competitive fleet."
Drink, Dine & Dance
After each day's racing, there will be a mix of refreshing beverages served shoreside, along with food for sale and live music.
Gosling's Black Seal Rum will kick off with a Goslings Dark N Stormy on Thursday after the Round the Rocks Race and for the VX One and IC24 Class Parties from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The St. Thomas Yacht Club's Galley Restaurant will serve a Fajita Dinner Buffet from 5-8 p.m., with a live DJ spinning tunes during the same time.
When STIR starts on Friday, sailors receive a cold Michelob Ultra when they return to the dock daily. On Friday night, the featured beverage is Surfside Iced Tea & Vodka. There will be an Italian Dinner Buffet from 5-8 p.m. and live music by Willow Hill from 6-9 p.m.
Saturday, Tito's Handmade Vodka and Teremana Tequila are featured and served as a Tito's American Mule and a Teremana Margarita. There's a Steak House Night Buffet from 5-8 p.m., with Lourdes and the Switch playing from 6-9 p.m.
Sunday's drink will be a Mount Gay Pining for Rum with a BBQ Buffet starting at 3:30 p.m. The Award Ceremony is set for 5 p.m., followed by Live Music by Barefoot Davis from 5-8 p.m.
"At CC1 Virgin Islands, we understand the importance of supporting local initiatives and meaningful causes within our community, which is why we are thrilled to be the official beverage sponsor of STIR 2025. We have carefully chosen our sponsoring brands – Mount Gay, Gosling's, Tito's, Teremana, Surfside, and Michelob Ultra – to fit the regatta vibe and ensure everyone has a great time. We hope you enjoy these delicious drinks all weekend long," says Loretta Biss, Commercial Director.
Strong Sponsor Support
STIR organizers thank the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; The Moorings; Mount Gay Rum, Gosling's Rum, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Teremana Tequila, Surfside Iced Teas & Vodka, and Michelob Ultra, distributed by CC1 USVI; Sea Glass Properties; Cardow; K3; Ocean Surfari; and Crucian Gold for their strong sponsor support.
STIR 2025 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta, with green initiatives such as paperless event management and a water refill station.
For more information, visit stthomasinternationalregatta.com, Email: or Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at , or call (340) 775-6320. Check STIR out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stirvi), Twitter @stirvi, and Instagram #STIRVI