November 15, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int'l for Rolex, barby@mediapronewport.com, +1 401-849-0220 or Katie Bierzonski for St. Thomas Yacht Club, katie.bierzonski@mvpislands.com, +1 340-777-9550

International Rolex Regatta 2008

Guaranteed: Sun, Fun and a Shot at a Watch

ST. THOMAS, USVI (Nov. 15, 2007) - Everybody loves a winner, and at the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas, USVI, every class winner takes home a Rolex timepiece. But winning isn’t everything, since fundamentally it’s the fun, sun, blue water and dependable trade winds that have helped make this event an indelible mark on every ambitious sailor’s 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. This day-long jaunt (the competitors also have to race back home to the yacht club) impresses sailors and town folk alike with visions of magical island vistas behind seas of billowing, colorful sails.

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. Kai’s future as a sailing champion may be pre-ordained, as his father, uncle, grandfathers and grandmother all are either national, world, Olympic or America’s Cup champions. At the other end of the age spectrum is John Foster, who has not missed an International Rolex Regatta yet and has two Rolex watches to show for his prowess on the water.

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.

While most of the yachts berth or anchor (or rest on the beach, as is the case with a small group of Beach Cats) on or near St. Thomas Yacht Club’s watery backyard of Cowpet Bay, there is a push to attract larger yachts this year, and this will mean the posh new Yacht Haven Grande Marina in Charlotte Amalie is in position to become a second home to any boats that want first-class facilities. The marina is an exclusive window onto the luxury world of super yachts.

The Ritz Carlton will pull out all the stops when it hosts the A.H. Riise party for yacht owners and club members. 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.

Editor’s Note: Visit www.regattanews.com and view the editorial-free photos by world-renown marine photographers that are available for your publication. Updated photos will be posted during the 2008 event.

Live results by Yacht Scoring (www.yachtscoring.com) will be posted on www.rolexcupregatta.com, where hometown rosters, nightly reports and photos also can be found. Daily video coverage will be available on demand by 9 p.m. each night at www.t2p.tv or by clicking on the TV icon on the regatta web site.

For information on the International Rolex Regatta, contact Bill Canfield at styc@vipowernet.net or 340-775-6320. The regatta web page is www.rolexcupregatta.com where further information and online-entry forms can be found.

(end)