First Annual Women's Clinic & Regatta in Paradise

by Carol Bareuther 6 Feb 17:56 UTC March 10-14, 2025

Combine instruction by world-class Olympic, World Champion, and Match Race champion women coaches, Caribbean-style racing round-the-buoys and round-the-islands on converted J/24s called IC24s, and 'fun in the sun'.

The itinerary also includes lunch from a boat-based pizzeria in Christmas Cove and rum tasting on the neighboring island of St. John, and the 'must-do' opportunity is the First Annual Women's Clinic & Regatta in Paradise, set for March 10-14 and hosted by the St. Thomas Sailing Center (STSC) at the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC), in the U.S. Virgin Islands. All skill levels are welcome!

"Learning is the greatest gift, and to have these amazing coaches come and work with all these amazing ladies for a week is a true privilege," says Sarah Swan, from St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, who has assembled one of the teams entered with herself, Emily Pearsall, Coral Bruning, Valerie Tarr, Rebecca Reinbold, Nini Champion, and Margaret Majette. "Getting this crew of women together, some of whom have been sailing with and against one another since we were kids, and now racing together on the same boat, was a no-brainer to help better our skills and communication as a team. I am looking forward to meeting a bunch of other like-minded female racers. And, of course, gathering new tips for stepping up our sailing!"

The Women's Clinic & Regatta in Paradise starts with a Welcome Party and Beach BBQ on Sunday, March 9, where participants can check-in, meet their coach, and draw for their boat. The following two days feature a Race Clinic, combining on-the-water drills and classroom training, with a video debrief at the day's end. Wednesday, March 12, is Lady's Lay Day, with optional activities including IC-24 sailing over to St. John, Hobie Wave sailing and pizza party in Christmas Cove, snorkeling, hiking, visiting the local aquarium, SCUBA diving, and more. In the evening, there's a ferry trip to St. John to visit a local art gallery and enjoy a Rum Tasting. The week concludes with two exhilarating regatta days featuring buoy and short-distance races that may include race legs with land navigation and paddleboarding, culminating in an Awards Ceremony on Friday, March 14.

Enter Now! The individual entry fee for Women's Clinic & Regatta in Paradise is $2000 per person. Or, put a team of four together and pay $7000. Enter now online at stthomassailingcenter.com/womens-adventure-race-week

For Women, By Women

"Sailing is a life-long activity, whether racing, cruising, or going for a harbor sail. It is also a culture and a lifestyle everyone can learn and enjoy," says Martha Parker, founder and owner of Team One Newport, in Newport, RI, whose sailing resume includes an Olympic campaign in the Yingling, two world titles, and multiple North American championships. "I am the poster child from the 'You cannot do this because you're a woman' era and am fortunate that I broke through those barriers. I love empowering women to sail because they can use this experience to overcome other barriers in life."

Parker describes her coaching style as explaining why you are doing a task or maneuver and what it relates to, so it's easy to understand the whole picture. "I always ask people to try every position so they will understand how we work as a Team. I firmly believe in the 'Jury rig and Sail on' mantra when everything seems to be falling apart. These valuable life lessons show us that when we have challenges, look around and see what assets you have to solve your challenge!"

St. Thomas-born Team USA 2020 Olympian in the Women's 470, Nikki Barnes, will return to her home Club from Miami to coach this week. "People think you must be at the top of your level to race, but it's perfect for everyone. Racing is just the next step in sailing and is something that women are capable of doing, and it is something they can excel in. Since sailing is a male-dominated sport, having more of these opportunities to race is essential since there haven't been so many in the past!"

Barnes, who is campaigning to helm a 470 in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, adds, "I am a huge fan of using every part of the boat to get speed. Knowing how everything works and how to use everything together is important to create a strong racing team. We will focus on coordinating boat speed with strategy and boat handling with tactics to get the fastest boat that can also see the big picture on the race course.

Another of the 11 stand-out women set to coach at the Women's Clinic & Regatta in Paradise is Allie Blecher, a three-time U.S. Women's Match Racing Champion and 2010 Quantum Collegiate Female Sailor of the Year now living in Marina del Rey, California. "This Week is a great opportunity," says Blecher. "I like the combination of inshore buoy style racing mixed in with some offshore. It's not commonly offered or coached, yet having an event where people can experience both and learn the differences is awesome. There is a growing number of women in the offshore world, but still a limited number of them are navigating or part of that decision process."

Blecher describes her coaching style as laid-back. "My focus is on teamwork and communication. I think it's super important for teams to constantly discuss the overall strategy, whether it's inshore around the buoys or something longer offshore. Having a common agreement on strategy makes quick-thinking decisions significantly easier when things get heated on the racecourse. Success on the racecourse stems from the vibes. Good vibes make for good races!"

Rounding out the week's coaches are Charlie Arms, a U.S. Sailing Small Boat Sailing Instructor Trainer; Liz Baylis, 2002 Women's Match Racing World Champion and Executive Director of the Women's International Match Racing Association; Carol Newman Cronin, an award-winning author, editor, and Olympian who competed in the Yngling class at the 2004 Summer Olympics; Whitney Kent, former Program Director at the Sheboygan Youth Sailing Center and now Youth Programs Associate at U.S. Sailing; Jane Millman, currently the Director at Brendan Sailing in Washington DC and Maryland; Sarah Renz, Director - Sailing World/Regatta Series/Firecrown Media; Shala Youngerman, two-time winner of the 24th annual Linda Elias Memorial Women's One-Design Challenge; and Emily Verdoia, the STSC's Adult Sailing Instructor and Youth Sailing Lead Instructor.

Make Travel Plans

Traveling to St. Thomas is easy! Airlines fly direct from major U.S. cities: American Airlines (Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, New York, Philadelphia), Delta (Atlanta, New York), Frontier (San Juan), JetBlue (Boston, San Juan), Spirit (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando) and United (Houston, Newark, Washington-Dulles). U.S. citizens don't need a passport to enter the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Accommodations on St. Thomas include resorts, villas, condominiums, VRBO rentals, HomeAway, and Airbnb's. The nearest options within walking distance of the Club are vacation condo rentals on Cowpet Bay at The Anchorage, The Elysian, Cowpet Bay West, or Cowpet Bay East. The STSC maintains a list of our favorite condo and villa rentals, some of which you can book directly with owners to avoid extra fees. For a copy, email info@stthomassailingcenter.com

For more information on the STSC and its programs, visit stthomassailingcenter.com, email info@stthomassailingcenter.com, or call Cell/WhatsApp (340) 690-3681. For travel information to the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit www.visitusvi.com

About the St. Thomas Sailing Center

The St. Thomas Yacht Club, located in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, has introduced a unique concept of sailing instruction, boat access and racing and cruising through the opening of the St. Thomas Sailing Center. Now you can join the club and sail whenever you want, race on a regular basis, or cruise the waters of the USVI, BVI, and Spanish Virgin Islands all without the need to own a boat. Learn to sail or learn to race or learn to cruise with the guidance of a professional coach and be able to do any of these things in one of the most perfect sailing venues and one of the most beautiful places in the world. Become part of a community of like minded people who share a passion for sailing! Join the St. Thomas Yacht Club as an Annual or Blue Water (30 day) Member and sign up for Boat Access and you'll be able to blast around on Hobie Waves, daysail IC-24s or cruise on one of our monohulls whenever and as often as you like at no additional cost beyond the annual Boat Access Fee.