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March madness brings

back-to-back regattas

International Rolex Regatta

Sailors from throughout the Caribbean, U.S. mainland and Europe converge on the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) each year for the International Rolex Regatta set for March 27 to 29. This year’s event has attracted some particularly hot racers, says regatta co-director, John Sweeney. “Three IRC 52s including defending champ, Vincitore, and her sistership, Vela Veloce, will return after a year off as will Oystercatcher XXVI from the U.K. Returning too, is Tom Hill with his new Reichel Pugh 75, Titan XV. In addition, we’ll have the best of the Caribbean-based boats in our CSA classes, as well as one-design IC24s and Beach Cat classes.”

Marking a true southern connection, organizers have sent a letter to the commodore of Southern Yacht Club (SYC) in New Orleans, offering congratulations on the club’s re-commissioning and offered a two-for-the-price-of-one entry for boats from SYC.
Round-the-buoy and round-the-island racing are on tap as well as the Harbor Course, a highly-anticipated tradition that takes the fleet into  the capitol city Charlotte Amalie.
Shoreside, there will be nightly parties, a big bash at Yacht Haven Grande (YHG) on March 28 and the prize giving at the yacht club.
YGH and American Yacht Harbor marinas offer free dockage to competitors on a first-come first-served basis. Marriott Frenchman’s Reef offers regatta rates for competitors.
For information, visit rolexcupregatta.com.

BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival

The competition at the BVI Spring Regatta ramps up with the four-day Sailing Festival, a low-key, yet competitive event that sees sailors race up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to the Bitter End Yacht Club.  More than 100 yachts are expected to compete in the BVI Spring Regatta.
“In the exotic category we have word that several new boats will be sailing this year,” says Linda Phillips, press director. Bella Pita, a Trip 75 with a lifting keel and 330 gallons of seawater ballast, and Ran 2, a 72-footer owned by Skype founder Niklas Zennström, are a few of the newbies.
New this year are the addition of the BVI Windsurfing Championship, the International Yacht Club Challenge for team racing, and an additional Performance Cruiser class.
For information, visit bvispringregatta.org.

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a mix of traditional competitive racing and shoreside parties this dual-island nation is well known for, as well as trendy events like match racing.
The Budget Marine Match Racing Cup, which originated last year as the run-up to the Heineken Regatta, is quickly establishing itself as one of the key match racing events in the Caribbean. Beginning March 2, three of the world’s best match racing skippers–Peter Isler, Gavin Brady and Peter Holmberg–will be among eight skippers racing Jeanneau SunFast 20s for cash prizes totalling $10,000.
New this year, Gill North America will sponsor the Gill Com-modores Cup, another pre-Heineken event. “This is designed to give those crews an additional day of racing,” says Regatta Director, Heather Tackling. “It is only open to spinnaker and racing classes and focuses on windward-leeward courses off the south coast that are favored by serious racers.”
Heineken Regatta kicks off March 5 with three days of racing that follow a tried-and-true formula sailors love. The first day features the around-the -island race, the second day takes competitors from Great Bay to Marigot. On the third day is a race back to Simpson Bay. Nightly parties culminate in the prize ceremony on Kim Sha Beach where reggae legends, The Wailers, will headline.
For information, visit heinekenregatta.com.

Puerto Rico Heineken International

There’s a new name, new venue and new format for Puerto Rico’s top yacht racing event. The Puerto Rico Heineken International Regatta (PHIR), formerly raced out of Culebra, will welcome sailors to new marina and yacht club facilities at Palmas del Mar in Humacao on the east coast for three days of racing, not two.
“We are excited about the plans for this year’s regatta,” says Director, Angel Ayala. “We’ll offer a mix of windward-leeward courses for the one-design and racing classes and there will be reaching courses for the cruising classes.”
The Puerto Rico International Dinghy Regatta will be held in tandem with the PHIR, March 19 to 21, for Optimists, Lasers and Snipes.
“New this year,” says Ayala, “we will welcome a kite-surfing class. Kite Surfers will compete in windward-leeward, freestyle and height events over the three days, right in front of the Yacht Club at Palmas del Mar for everyone to see.”
The 162-slip marina at Palmas del Mar offers state-of-the-art facilities for yachts up to 200 feet. Accommodations at Palmas del Mar Hotel & Villas will be offered at a discounted rate for regatta participants. For information, visit prheinekenregatta.com.