One Week Left! Early Entry Discount Ends May 1! Register Now! 32nd International Optimist Regatta, TOTE Clinic & TOTE Team Race in St. Thomas, USVI – June 9-15, 2025
One Week Left! Early Entry Discount Ends May 1!
Register Now! 32nd International Optimist Regatta, TOTE Clinic & TOTE Team Race in St. Thomas, USVI – June 9-15, 2025
April 25th 2025 – St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Register now (www.regattanetwork.com/event/29124 for the 32nd International Optimist Regatta (IOR), TOTE Clinic, and TOTE Team Race, June 9-15, 2025. whose three-decade-plus history of past entrants read like a Who’s Who of college all-Americans; national, continental, and world champions; America’s Cup sailors, and Olympians. The registration fee for the IOR is $300, and late registration after May 1 is $350. The fee to enter the IOR and TOTE Clinic is $700, or $400 for the Clinic only. A refund, less a $150 processing fee, will be granted to those entries that cancel by May 1, 2025. The 2024 IOR can accept only a maximum of 125 sailors. Don’t miss out!
Photo: The USA’s Grant Chin leads the pack at the 2024 IOR. Credit: Matias Capizzano.
“We’re proud to host the largest annual Optimist regatta in the Caribbean, with some of the best sailing conditions in the world, a family-friendly venue at the host, St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC), and a trio of events in one week – clinic, team race, and regatta, that help sailors to learn tactics for a summer of racing or to tune up for the Optimist World Championships, at the end of June in Portoroz, Slovenia,” says Lori Vaughn, co-director with Heather Scholes.
Entry Preview
Fifty-plus sailors representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and several U.S. states, including New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and California, are registered in the IOR’s Championship and Green Fleets.
Among these entries is St. Thomas’ Hunter Reinbold, a U.S. Virgin Islands Optimist Team member, along with Lilly Brewer, Sam DeGraff, Banyan Heikkila, Finn Hodgins, Kip Hodgins, Patrick Mitchell, Avery Pearsall and Will Zimmerman.
“I like IOR because it is a competitive regatta that brings many great sailors to STYC, even though it is a home regatta for us. I think it helps me prepare for other regattas because, at the clinic, we learn from many different coaches who bring different tactics/strategies and help us continue to grow as sailors,” says Reinbold. “My favorite part about it is the Volvo Ocean Race at the end of the Clinic because of its multiple legs and the role of local knowledge.”
Clara and Ellen Wetzel, from the Mantoloking Yacht Club in New Jersey, will return to compete in the IOR this year.
“The St. Thomas IOR is our favorite regatta because of the epic scenery and conditions. It’s a fun way to experience heavy wind and ocean sailing, and we always make new friends,” says Clara Wetzel.
Three In One Event
The spectacular week of junior sailing kicks off with the TOTE Maritime Clinic, June 9-11. Some of the best Optimist coaches conduct on-the-water training sessions and instructive on-land debriefs for both Advanced (age-divided Red, White, and Blue Fleets) and beginner (Green Fleet) sailors. This year’s coaches include Agustin ‘Argy’ Resano, U.S. Virgin Islands National Team; Manny Resano, USA National Team Head Coach; Esteban Rocha, Head Coach, Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club, FL; and Gonzalo Pollitzer, USA National Team, International Coach. These four leading coaches have 20-plus years of experience in the Optimist class as coaches and are former Optimist sailors.
Photo: Volvo Ocean Race IOR 2024-style wraps up the TOTE Clinic. Credit: Matias Capizzano.
On June 12, over a dozen teams are expected for the TOTE Maritime Team Race. The entry fee for this one-day event is $160 per team of 4 sailors. Registration is available only on-site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 11.
The IOR sets sail from June 13-15.
Three key points make the IOR, TOTE Clinic, and TOTE Team Race a must-do, says Agustin Resano, TOTE Clinic and TOTE Team Race organizer. “First, not many places offer a format with a three-day clinic before a major regatta. It is the best way for sailors to learn and get more experience. Secondly, sailing in the open ocean in the Caribbean, with warm weather, good wind, and waves, what more is there to say? Third is the valuable experience of sailing/training with different coaches. In addition to our four main coaches, we will have six very qualified coaches from which sailors can get valuable input.”
The IOR is sponsored by TOTE, U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, The K3 Company, Cardow, MSI Building Supplies, and Lagnappe Interiors.
Make Plans Now!
For charters, contact Simmons Boatworks at:
www.simmonsbw.com/collections/packages-transfers/products/winner-3d-star-optimist-charter The charter package comes with a Winner-brand hull with airbags, blocks, 3-to-1 mainsheet, and painter on a dolly, with top cover. N1 Blades Optimax Spars included. The charter fee is $650, which includes the clinic and practice days. The deadline to reserve charter boats is May 1, 2025. Late fee and no refunds after May 1, 2025.
For coach boat charters, contact: internationaloptiregatta@gmail.com
Traveling to St. Thomas is easy! The Cyril E. King Airport welcomes direct flights on six major airlines from mainland gateway cities in the U.S. These include American Airlines (Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, New York), Delta (Atlanta, New York), Frontier (San Juan), JetBlue (Boston, San Juan), Spirit (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando), and United (Houston, Newark, Washington-Dulles). Air Sunshine, Cape Air, Fly the Whale, Sea Flight, and SKYhigh Dominicana operate within the Caribbean, serving St. Thomas.
Accommodations on St. Thomas include resorts, hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and timeshares. Approximately 600 villa units and 200 charter yachts are on St. Thomas/St. John. Airbnb listings number over 3,000 in St. Thomas. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit www.visitusvi.com
For more information, Email: internationaloptiregatta@gmail.com or call (340) 775-6320. Or, for the Notice of Regatta (NOR), Registration Form, and other information, visit the St. Thomas Yacht Club website at stthomasyachtclub.org/sailing/regattas/international-optimist-regatta or Regatta Network: www.regattanetwork.com. Please also see the International Optimist Regatta on Facebook and Instagram @internationaloptiregatta
About the Sponsors
TOTE. TOTE is a domestic ocean freight carrier headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, which offers freight services for containerized cargo between the U.S., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. TOTE is the first carrier to operate liquid natural gas (LNG) powered vessels. www.totemaritime.com
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. The U.S. Virgin Islands are in the Eastern Caribbean, 1,100 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, USA. Each of the three major islands–St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John–possess a unique character of its own. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of watersports and immerse themselves in the territory’s rich culture by enjoying historical tours, culinary encounters, artisan fairs, parades, storytelling, and other special presentations. www.visitusvi.com
The K3 Company: K3 Company is a global manufacturer of premium outdoor gear and accessories, including sustainable, lightweight, and durable dry bags. www.thek3company.com
Cardow: Coined “The Flag Ship Jeweler of the Virgin Islands” since 1954, Cardow is the trusted shopping source offering the largest selection of fine, high-quality jewelry and timepieces. www.cardow.com
CC1 Virgin Islands. CC1 Virgin Islands is a leading Caribbean Coca-Cola, Beer, Wine, and Spirits distributor. The company is sponsoring the event’s Coca-Cola, Dasani Water and Powerade.
Media contact:
Carol Bareuther
Tel: (340) 998-3650
Email: bareuther@earthlink.net
Skype: Carol.Bareuther
