TEAM U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS WINS 2009 SEA STAR TEAM RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS - OVER 80 SAILORS READY TO SET SAIL IN THE SCOTIABANK INTERNATIONAL OPTIMIST REGATTA 

Thirteen teams - of four junior sailors each - took to the seas off St. Thomas' east end to compete in the 2009 Sea Star Team Racing Championships. At the end of the day, it was Team U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) that emerged victorious. "In the past, every time we lost we'd lost we'd learn from our mistakes and get better," said Kyle Brego, one of the champion Team USVI sailors. "This year we had some new team members and practiced a lot. It paid off." Team Puerto Rico and Team USA finished second and third, respectively. Clarence Nibbs, operations manager for Sea Star Line Caribbean, LLC, commented, "At Sea Star, we embrace the team concept and are proud to sponsor both the Team Racing Championships as well as the clinic that took place earlier this week. Teamwork is as important to sports as it is the workplace."

RWB Class Series Summary - All Boats

RWB Class Series Summary - Show Red Fleet

RWB Class Series Summary - Show Blue Fleet

RWB Class Series Summary - Show White Fleet

GREEN Class Series Summary

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. With racing scheduled for Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29, 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.

"The hotly contested one-design racing on the St. James Circle returns," said Regatta Co-Chair John Sweeney, "and now that we have IRC off the ground, we expect an increase in those boats on the Ocean Circle." Sweeney added that the picturesque distance race from the east end of St. Thomas to Charlotte Amalie Harbor and back has established itself as an Island tradition. Also highlighting the regatta is the beautiful yet tactically demanding Pillsbury Sound Race in and among the cays between St. Thomas and St. John. This "Sunday drive" has decided final standings in most classes each of the last four years. 

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.

While most of the yachts moor or anchor (or rest on the beach, as is the case with the Beach Cats) within St. Thomas Yacht Club’s watery backyard of Cowpet Bay, the posh new Yacht Haven Grande Marina in Charlotte Amalie can be second home to any boats that prefer full-service facilities.

For information on the International Rolex Regatta, contact Bill Canfield at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 340-775-6320. The regatta web page is www.rolexcupregatta.com where further information and online-entry forms can be found.

JUNE 19-21, 2009

CLINIC JUNE 15-17, 2009

Calling all junior sailors! Parents, family and friends too! The 2009 Scotiabank Caribbean International Optimist Regatta is celebrating its 17^th year, marking nearly two decades of fostering junior sailing in the Caribbean. The St. Thomas Yacht Club and Virgin Island Sailing Association-hosted and Caribbean Sailing Association-sanctioned regatta is set to sail June 19^th to 21^st, 2009.

“We hope to host more sailors this year even though the economy is challenging because youth sailing provides wonderful physical, social and cultural opportunities for the kids and these parents are committed to providing the best for their children,” says regatta director Cindy Hackstaff, referring to 2008’s record 96-sailor participation. “Our regatta is a great way to practice for the Optimist North American Championships, which start June 30 in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.”

Junior sailors from 8 to 15 years of age are expected from destinations such as all three U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic, Spain and the U.S. mainland and many others.

What makes this event special, says Hackstaff, “is that we have an extremely high caliber of racing amongst the young sailors, plus we always have great sailing conditions. Many sailors use the clinic as a training experience and we also have a team racing event. Finally, we have fun activities and evening events that cater to the kids and even the parents have a great time.”

The pre-regatta activities begin Monday, June 15^th and run through Wednesday, June 17^th, when top international coaches will teach a three-day instructional clinic.

“The idea of the clinic is too offer high level coaching to a wide range of skill levels, from medium to high level sailors,” says Agustin ‘Argy’ Resano, who’s heading up the clinic with Optisailor coaches, Gonzalo ‘Bocha’ Pollitzer and Manuel ‘Manny’ Resano, as well as Leandro Spina from the No Excuses Sailing Team in Florida.

Resano adds, “The clinic will run from 8:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and we will have two sessions, morning and afternoon. Each session will have meetings before going out and a video briefing after sailing. This way we can set two different goals each day, morning and afternoon.”

Cost of the clinic is $250 for all registrants; $225 for Green Fleet and Virgin Islands’ residents, and includes breakfast and lunch for the three days. Clinic registration closes on May 15^th.

The Sea Star Team Racing event is scheduled for June 18^th. “Last year we had 12 teams register and we expect more this year,” says Hackstaff. Entry fee for the Team Racing is $150 per team of 4 or 5 sailors. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on June 17^th.

Final registration for the regatta takes place June 18^th. In addition, those that registered prior to May 15^th will have their names entered into a special drawing to win top-notch prizes. The three-day regatta kicks off Friday June 19^th. The regatta entry fee is $185, which includes an event T-shirt, registration ‘goodie’ bag, and all meals from Thursday June 18^th’s Welcome Party through Sundays Brunch. The fee goes up to $225 after May 15^th.

“We’ll keep the Green Fleet closer to shore in Cowpet Bay where they will sail windward-leeward courses and we’ll take the Advanced Red, Blue and White Fleets further offshore to sail trapezoidal-shaped courses,” says Hackstaff. “This gives each fleet an area where they feel comfortable and can be competitive.”

Shore side activities include an opening Parade of Nations, a Welcome Party, raffle, a Bingo night and Caribbean-themed night that includes a fire blowers. The fun culminates with a beachside brunch and Awards Ceremony on June 21^st.

Trophies will be awarded to the top five in each fleet and top three overall. Additional trophies include the Peter Ives’ Perpetual Trophy, the Chuck Fuller Sportsmanship Award and the top female sailor. The Sea Star Perpetual Trophy will be inscribed with the names of the sailors on the winning team racing team.

Hackstaff encourages everyone who has heard of the regatta to come out this year and to tell your sailing friends what a great sailing experience you had (or will have) at the Scotiabank Caribbean International Optimist Regatta.

For more information contact Cindy Hackstaff at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Bill Canfield at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Tel: 340-775-6320; Fax: 340-775-3600. Or, for the Notice of Regatta, Registration Forms and other information, visit the St. Thomas Yacht Club web site at http://www.styc.net/ For charter boats, contact Alisa Forester, McLaughlin Boat Works,1-800-784-6478, 1-423-875-0740, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or http://www.optistuff.com/

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Visitors and locals alike lined up along the Charlotte Amalie waterfront to watch the concluding matches of the Grade 2, 1st Annual Carlos Aguilar Match Race Championship.  

In the end, and following racing that was razor close, it was St. Thomas' Taylor Canfield who won the Men's Division. "I've done a fair amount of match racing this past year and this win is an incentive for me to keep going," says 19-year-old Canfield, currently ranked 152 in ISAF's Open Match Race Rankings for October 29, 2008 and who would eventually like to compete in the ultimate match race, the America's Cup.  

Texas native, Genny Tulloch, and her crew beat Californian and former Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, Liz Baylis, for the Women's Division title. "In many match races you're just concentrating on your opponent. At this event, we also had to focus on the constantly shifting winds which made it really challenging and fun." 

This event honored the memory of Carlos Aguilar, and avid sailor and match racer, who was gunned down last year following a robbery at his home. 

"Carlos loved match racing and he loved a good party," says Pat Bailey, a St. Thomas-based International Sailing Judge at the awards ceremony at Yacht Haven Grande. "He would have loved to be here." 

RESULTS

 Men's Open
1. Taylor Canfield, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
2. William Bailey, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
3. Alec Anderson, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
4. Chris Haycraft, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
5. Peter Stanton, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
6. Fraito Lugo, Puerto Rico
7. Chris Curreri, St. Thomas/El Salvador
8. Frits Bus, St. Maarten  

Women's Division
1. Genny Tulloch, California
2. Liz Baylis, California
3. Anna Tunnicliffe, Florida
4. Lee Icyda, Rhode Island/St. Thomas
5. Sandy Hayes, Massachusetts
6. Louise Bienvenue, New Orleans