Volunteers are the lifeblood of many Caribbean regattas. This is certainly true of the 2019 St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), set for March 22-24. To recognize these give-back participants, regatta organizers have announced that Budget Marine and Marlow Ropes have come forward to sponsor the regatta volunteer shirts for STIR 2019.
“Nearly 100 volunteers help to make STIR happen on the water and off. We are grateful to all of them and to Budget Marine and Marlow Ropes for enabling us to say “thank you” to them in a tangible way,” said Margo Lynch, STIR co-director and commodore of the STIR host, the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC).
Budget Marine’s St. Thomas store, located adjacent to Independent Boatyard off Route 32, stocks a comprehensive range of Marlow products and accessories to assist and support sailors throughout the season.
“Marlow Ropes are delighted to sponsor the St Thomas International Regatta 2019 in partnership with Budget Marine,” says Emma Donovan, marketing manager Marlow Ropes: “Now in its 46th year, the regatta is one of the greatest competitions for sailboats in the Caribbean, and we are looking forward to seeing some great racing in superb conditions.”
“We chose to sponsor the volunteer shirts for STIR as the volunteers are the ones making it happen – from initiating and planning to doing the work. Getting people excited is always easy but getting things done is a little more difficult, and we owe it to those that take the time and put in the effort to make these events work,” said Kathy Kurtz, general manager of Budget Marine St. Thomas.
Register is open. STIR 2019 offers classes for CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association-handicap) Racing or Cruising; IRC; ORC; Multihull; Beach Cat or One Design classes with a minimum length of 20-feet. Pay US $300 between Feb. 1 and March 20. Registration for IC24s: US $200, Beach Cats: $200. Register too for the Round the Rocks Race on March 21. To register and to find the NOR, visit: www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com
STIR is sponsored by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; Wyndham Margaritaville Vacation Club; K3 Waterproof Gear; the Moorings; Budget Marine; Marlow Ropes; and Bacardi, Milagro, Stoli and Presidente, distributed by the West Indies Company.
For more information, call 775-6320 or email stycmanager@gmail.com
