CARIBBEAN CIRCUIT: Truly an international event

Published on March 24th, 2013

By Leighton O’Connor
Clearly the 40th International Rolex Regatta was truly an international event. Seventy two skippers from nine different parts of the world were driving boats in St. Thomas this year. Thirty-six skippers were from the United States and the others were from faraway places such as Great Britain, Sweden, Netherlands, Russia, Germany and Canada. Eleven came from Puerto Rico to show their stuff, twenty-four skippers were local, seven from the BVI’s and one skipper came north from Antigua.

There were some pretty young skippers and crew that race this year. The skipper of second place IC 24 winner Magic Bus, Ian Barrows, is a senior at St. Thomas High and Puerto Rico’s Marco Teixidor is twenty-something year old who drove IC 24 Cachondo. St. Croix’s Central High Band Director Stan Joines’ skippered his J/36, Paladin with the help six of his students as well as his six-year-old son, Jeremiah. St. Thomas’ own John Holmberg drove his Hobie 16, Humbug, with his 15-year-old son, Kai. Rhode Island’s Sandra Tartaglino skippered her Hobie 16, In Irons, with her crew Isabelle Austin-Green a sophomore at St. Thomas High.

Nine skippers from the US won a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in the regatta. Six Virgin Island skippers made it the podium along with six skippers from Puerto Rico. Sweden and Great Britain skippers were the only European countries to take 1st place spots to collect Rolex’s.

I know…a lot of numbers…but a lot of fun. See you in the BVI next week for the Spring Regatta.