Roundabout, Black Pearl & Peacemaker Podium Finishers in the 10th Round the Rocks Race
by Carol Bareuther 2 Apr 19:01 PDT
April 2-5, 2026
Team Roundabout wins the 2026 Round the Rocks Race (l-r) Matthew Kazmier, Hailey Hathaway, Mike Chapell, Andy Johnson, and regatta director, Pat Bailey © STIR /
www.ingridabery.com
A half dozen boats cast off on one of the world's most beautiful island tours. That is, the fleet circumnavigated the neighboring 19-square-mile island of St. John, home of the Virgin Islands National Park, in the 10th Round the Rocks Race.
The 10- to 15-knot east-northeast winds, moderate seas, and mostly sunny skies with a rain squall or two, proved a perfect tune-up for the 52nd St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), which takes place this weekend, April 3-5, 2026. In the end, two IC24s sailed by teams from St. Thomas and Ireland, respectively, Roundabout and Black Pearl, took first and second place, while the Ker 11.5, Peacemaker, from the USA, rounded out third.
"We had a lot of fun screaming on a beam reach through a squall between St. John and Tortola," says St. Thomas' Mike Chapell, who helmed Roundabout. "We were going nearly 10 knots in a lull and surfing the waves. It made my day."
Chapell, who sailed with Andy Johnson on foredeck, Hailey Hathaway on main sheet and spinnaker, and Matthew Kazmier, trimming jib, will trade being a competitor to serving on the Race Committee for the Hobie Wave and Sunfish racing on Saturday and Sunday.
The IC24 team from Ireland on Black Pearl flew in, picked up their chartered race-ready IC24 from the St. Thomas Sailing Center, and hit the start line with seconds to spare.
"We followed another IC24 after the start because this was the first time we were sailing in these waters, but then we caught up to them," says Roger Smith, whose teammates representing the Howth Yacht Club in Dublin, included Daragh Heagney and Johnny White. "It was a gorgeous sail. Somewhat like the green of Ireland, but no fog and 30 degrees warmer."
The Round the Rocks is a rite of passage for many, says the USA's Richard Neville, principal race officer. "Every great regatta, Cowes Week in the UK and Block Island Race Week, in the USA, for example, has an around-the-island race. It's a big deal. Here, if you don't do it, you miss out on seeing St. John."
The USA's David Hensley, sailing his J/42, Trinity IV, may have finished fifth on the scoreboard, but as crew member, Vanessa Bradley says, "There's no such thing as bad racing." Bradley adds, "It was a good race, good practice, especially when the winds are so tricky around the islands. It pays to get the lay of the land for the weekend ahead of racing in STIR ahead."
STIR Starts Friday
Nearly 40 boats, racing in CSA Spinnaker Racing, CSA Non-Spinnaker Racing, and three one-design classes: IC24s, Hobie Waves and Sunfish, will race in the 52nd STIR. Sailors hail from all three U.S. Virgin Islands, including two IC24 entries with youth sailors representing the Kids and The Sea (KATS) program on St. John, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten, several U.S. states ranging from Massachusetts to California, and the European countries of the UK and Ireland. A 6 -boat fleet of one-design Hobie Waves and a 9-boat class of Sunfish will race on Saturday and Sunday. Sunfish sailors are using the event as practice for the Sunfish World Championships, which will be hosted by the St. Croix Yacht Club November 7-14, 2026, at the Hotel on the Cay in Christiansted.
Real-time results for the Round the Rocks race are posted at yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative/50495, while STIR results will be posted at yachtscoring.com/emenu/50483
Schedule of Events - Sea & Land
STIR Racing kicks off at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 3, for the first day of STIR racing. STIR competition follows Saturday and Sunday, with an 11 a.m. start each day. Racecourses will be set off the southeast, northeast, and east end of St. Thomas and in Pillsbury Sound between St. Thomas and St. John, with specific courses for each class designated daily by the Race Committee based on weather.
After each day's racing, shoreside festivities feature refreshing drinks, food for purchase, and live music. Friday's cocktail of the day is the Dark' n Stormy, the Bermuda-born cocktail trademarked by Gosling's Black Seal Rum. Sailors receive a cold Michelob Ultra as they arrive on the dock after racing. Dinner is served from 5-7 p.m., with live music by Stephen Sloan starting at 5 p.m. On Saturday, the Aperol Spritz takes center stage, offering a bright, citrusy toast to the day's racing. Dinner runs from 5-7 p.m., followed by music from Roxnonstop from 6-10 p.m. Sunday wraps up with Mount Gay Regatta Rum Punch, the 5 p.m. Awards Ceremony, and live music by Tim West to close out the regatta.
Strong Sponsor Support
STIR organizers thank the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; The Moorings; K3 Waterproof Gear; Ocean Surfari; and Mount Gay, Gosling's, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Surfside Iced Tea & Vodka, Aperol Spritz, and Michelob Ultra, distributed by CC1 USVI, for their strong sponsorship support.
STIR 2026 is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta featuring green initiatives.
For more information, contact Regatta Co-Director Pat Bailey at Cell/WhatsApp (340-690-6607), Email: , or visit www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com. Check out St. Thomas International Regatta on Facebook, and @STIRVI on Instagram.