Devocean Heads for the International Rolex Regatta
February 26, 2008 by Swan 45 Class Association | 0 comments
Everybody loves a winner, and at the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas, USVI, every class winner takes home a Rolex timepiece. But winning isnit everything, since fundamentally itis the fun, sun, blue water and dependable trade winds that have helped make this event an indelible mark on every ambitious sailoris spring competition calendar. For certain, sailors from the Islands, the U.S. mainland and far reaches of the globe will travel to St. Thomas to participate in the International Rolex Regatta, as they have annually for 35 years. From Friday, March 28 through Sunday, March 30, up to 100 boats will participate on challenging courses that wind around islands and include a run from the East End of St. Thomas, where event host St. Thomas Yacht Club is located, to the Harbor at Charlotte Amalie, the capital and center of shopping and cruise boat activity for the island.
Everybody loves a winner, and at the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas, USVI, every class winner takes home a Rolex timepiece. But winning isnit everything, since fundamentally itis the fun, sun, blue water and dependable trade winds that have helped make this event an indelible mark on every ambitious sailoris spring competition calendar. For certain, sailors from the Islands, the U.S. mainland and far reaches of the globe will travel to St. Thomas to participate in the International Rolex Regatta, as they have annually for 35 years. From Friday, March 28 through Sunday, March 30, up to 100 boats will participate on challenging courses that wind around islands and include a run from the East End of St. Thomas, where event host St. Thomas Yacht Club is located, to the Harbor at Charlotte Amalie, the capital and center of shopping and cruise boat activity for the island.
Ages of the Rolex sailors run the gamut from minors to masters, and certainly there are many who come back year after year, making it a family tradition to compete. Eight-year-old Kai Holmberg sailed for his first time last year with his father John, a long-time participant and past winner of the Rolex.
The Holmbergs and John Foster are locals, but there are plenty of “imports” who have made their names at this regatta over the years. One of them is Carlo Falcone, owner of several hotels in Antigua, who has both a modern and a classic race boat. Which one he enters—Caccia ala Volpe or Mariella, respectively—depends on his mood. Coming from farther afield is Clive Llewellyn, who resides in Paris and typically sails his 50-footer over from the Mediterranean to compete in all the Caribbean sailing events that, when strung together, can keep a hard-core, fun-loving racer occupied in the islands for the better part of two months.
Several veteran competitors have homes in the states and the islands, one of them being Bill Alcott of Detroit, Michigan, who owns the 68-foot yacht Equation. He counts the International Rolex Regatta, in which he has competed numerous times, as “one of the highlights of my life and love of competition and the sea—I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Another is Steve DeVoe, a financial trader who lives in Greenwich, Conn., sailing summers in Newport, R.I., and wintering in the Caribbean. He owns DeVocean, a Swan 45, considered one of the most luxurious, finely crafted sailboats on the market today.
The Ritz Carlton will pull out all the stops when it hosts the A.H. Riise party for VIPs and regatta organizers. The party is attended by family members of A.H. Riise, the official retailer of Rolex watches in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Islands’ oldest and largest retailer of duty-free luxury merchandise. Rolex is synonymous with luxury and excellence in sport, sponsoring some of the most revered grand prix sailboat racing events in the world. The International Rolex Regatta is the oldest regatta in the company’s portfolio and considered one of the most “casually elegant.”
After racing, beachside social activities blend St. Thomas Yacht Club’s island-style hospitality with the outstanding camaraderie and competition that hundreds of participants have come to expect each year.
For more information, visit www.rolexcupregatta.com.
