New Dates for St. Thomas International Regatta - April 3-5, 2026 - Easter Weekend!
by Carol Bareuther 13 Jun 2025 07:09 PDT
April 3-5, 2026
One-Design VX One racing in STIR 2025 © Ingrid Abery /
www.ingridabery.com
The St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) is taking a tack towards tradition by moving the event's date to Easter Weekend, April 3-5, 2026. This global holiday, a calendar staple for the International Rolex Regatta and now STIR for over two decades, marks an occasion when families and friends make time to gather and celebrate.
For many, sailing plays a significant role, and the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) aims to continue this time-honored tradition in 2026 with a combined holiday and quintessential beachfront Caribbean vibe. Known as the 'Crown Jewel of Caribbean Yacht Racing' for its professional race management and competitive round the buoys and rocks the rocks courses, STIR invites CSA Bareboat, IC24, VX One, Hobie Waves, and One Design classes with a minimum length of 19 feet to enter. The Notice of Race will be available in the early fall when registration opens.
"This change in dates makes it easier for sailors, their families, and friends to travel to St. Thomas and spend quality time together doing what they love most - racing," says Pat Bailey, who co-directs STIR 2025 with Greer Scholes. "We are proud to say that the U.S Virgin Islands was named the 'Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year,' by Caribbean Journal in its Caribbean Travel Awards 2025, and we invite everyone to come see why. "As we like to say, 'We Love It Here,' and we invite you to race with us April 3-5, 2026."
BYOB or Charter
Start making plans now to bring your own boat or charter.
Caribbean Regatta Logistics, owned and operated by St. Thomas native Ben Beer, can assist owners and teams in bringing their boats to race. Beer handles logistics for big international race teams that compete in the Caribbean, such as Vesper, Prospector, Spookie, and all the 72s. (Cell (340) 998-6203; Email: ), Web: stthomasinternationalregatta.com/faq/caribbean-regatta-logistics/
Both Sevenstar Yacht Transport and DYT Yacht Transport offer direct transportation from St. Thomas to the Mediterranean and the U.S., making it easy to make the most of the Caribbean season and prepare for summer regattas in Europe and New England.
Chartering makes it especially easy to fly in, jump on a race-ready yacht, and sail!
The STSC has limited Hobie Waves and IC24s available for race charter for STIR 2026.
Additionally, UK-based companies Sail Racing Academy and LV Yachting offer race charters for STIR 2026.
The STIR Website will be updated regularly regarding race charter opportunities.
Book Flights and Accommodations Now!
Hands down, STIR is the easiest to reach of all the Caribbean regattas. The host destination, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, 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, and SKYhigh Dominicana operate within the Caribbean, serving St. Thomas.
Good news for Great Lakes sailors is that Sun Country Airlines will increase its seasonal service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Cyril E. King Airport (STT) in St. Thomas, with two flights weekly from December 13, 2025, to April 12, 2026.
Accommodations on St. Thomas include resorts, hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and timeshares. There are approximately 600 villa units and 200 charter yachts on St. Thomas/St. John. Airbnb listings number over 3,000 in St. Thomas. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit visitusvi.com
For more information, contact Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey, Cell/WhatsApp (340) 690-6607, Email , or visit stthomasinternationalregatta.com
Check STIR out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stirvi), Twitter @stirvi, and Instagram #STIRVI