Department of Tourism sponsors St. Thomas Rolex Regatta
Photo: Puerto Rico’s Lazy Dog sailing in St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie harbor in the 2013 regatta.
Credit: Dean Barnes
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta, formerly the International Rolex Regatta, are proud to announce that the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Tourism will step-up their long-time sponsorship support in 2014.
“We feel it’s important to both the sailing and marine industries for this regatta to continue so we decided to increase our support,” said Commissioner Beverly Nicholson Doty. The regatta shines a global spotlight on the U.S. Virgin Islands and at the same time welcomes hundreds of visitors to the territory.”
The U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism has long sponsored this four-decade-old regatta in a variety of ways. One of the most advantageous to the territory, and one designed to keep the U.S.V.I. on the hot list of worldwide competitive sailing destinations, is the press trip hosting of journalists from top sailing publications in the U.S. and Europe.
Over 1000 sailors plus families and friends attend the St. Thomas International Regatta annually. Economic impact data shows attendees spend an average of $250 per day per person in hotels, rental cars, taxis, restaurants, shops, provisions and in other expenditures. This adds up to a total of over $1.1 million dollars to the territory’s treasury from this three-day sailing event.
In addition to the St. Thomas International Regatta, the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism sponsors other high-profile events hosted by the St Thomas Yacht Club such as the International Optimist Regatta, Carlos Aguilar Match Race and Choice Wireless VI Open Tennis Tournament.
“We could not be happier with the support that we are receiving from the Department of Tourism for our international regattas,” says regatta director, Bill Canfield. “Through their help we are able to not only offer sailing lessons to native Virgin Islanders but also hold well organized events for visiting sailors to enjoy. Our partnership with Tourism is strong and beneficial to our islands and the local economy.”
Register online for the St. Thomas International Regatta at wwwyachtscoring.com. For more information about the regatta, visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com. Or, follow for the latest information on Facebook www.facebook.com/rolexregatta, Instagram #IRRSTYC and Twitter @IRRSTYC
For more information about visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism’s website: www.visitusvi.com
