Registration is open for the 30th anniversary International Optimist Regatta, the TOTE Clinic, and the TOTE Team Race which will take place from June 12-18 at the St. Thomas Yacht Club. More specifically, the TOTE Clinic takes place June 12-14, followed by the TOTE Team Race, June 15, and the IOR June 16-18. Sailors can compete in Advanced Red (ages 13-15), Blue (ages 11-12), and White (ages 10 and under) as well as the Beginner Green fleet. Trophies will be awarded to the top five finishers in the Red, Blue, and White classes and the top three overall as well as the top-place female. Participation awards will be awarded to all Green fleet sailors.
“The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) invites sailors to register now for the 2023 IOR, TOTE Clinic, and TOTE Team Race,” says Emily Zimmerman, regatta director and STYC commodore. “We are proud to say that over the past 30 years, winners and participants in the IOR have become college All-American sailors, Olympic and America’s Cup sailors, underscoring both the great competition and fantastic sailing conditions we offer here in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This year, the IOR offers a great opportunity to tune up for the Optimist North American Championships, set for July 2-9, in Antigua. That said, we look forward to welcoming sailors, their friends, and families to St. Thomas to race with excellent wind, clear seas, and great competition.”
The 2023 IOR can accept only a maximum of 125 sailors. Register early at www.regattanetwork.com/event/25798. The registration fee for the IOR is $300, with late registration after May 1 of $350. The fee to enter the IOR and TOTE Clinic is $700, or $400 for the clinic only. A refund, less a $150 processing fee, will be granted to those entries that cancel by May 1, 2023.
The IOR is sponsored by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, TOTE, and K3 Waterproof Gear.