St. Thomas Yacht Club

History

The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) was organised in 1964 by a group of racing sailors. According to the club, a few years after its founding, two of its members, Rudy Thompson and John Hamber, won silver in the Flying Dutchman class at the Central American and Caribbean Games; the following year, the US Virgin Islands took part in Olympic sailing for the first time, in Mexico. In 1988, Peter Holmberg brought the territory an Olympic silver medal in the Finn class. In 1974, four club members (Lee Kelbert, Joel Byerly, Walter Fischer and Dick Avery) created the St. Thomas International Regatta, which the STYC still organises. Nicknamed the "Crown Jewel of the Caribbean", the regatta was long sponsored by Rolex and draws crews from around the world every year. The club also runs the VI-PR Friendship Regatta, the MLK Regatta, the Round the Rocks Race and the International Optimist Regatta, and has run a junior sailing program since 2000 that has produced several US high-school national titles. The adjoining St. Thomas Sailing Center offers boat rental and sailing lessons alongside the club's traditional activities.

Flagship events

St. Thomas International Regatta (created in 1974, organised annually by the club, nicknamed the "Crown Jewel of the Caribbean", formerly Rolex-sponsored); VI-PR Friendship Regatta; MLK Regatta; Round the Rocks Race; International Optimist Regatta.

Location

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Humanitarian OSM Team · Marine markers © OpenSeaMap contributors

Along the coast