Tyson tops out in St. Thomas regatta
Getting good starts and sailing fast led the USA’s Daniel Skutch Tyson to win the 32nd International Optimist Regatta (IOR), hosted at the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC), June 13-15, 2025.
2025-06-17 12:58:14 - VI News Staff
Thirteen-year-old Tyson, who races out of the Annapolis Yacht Club, in Annapolis, Maryland, was one of nearly 90 sailors from the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, several USA states, and Argentina that competed in this three-day regatta in 8-foot, single-sail Optimist dinghies where conditions averaged 10-to 15-knots of breeze under sunny skies.
“Congratulations to all the young sailors who competed in this year’s International Optimist Regatta. Your talent, determination, and sportsmanship continue to make the U.S. Virgin Islands proud. Events like this not only highlight our world-class sailing conditions, but also bring together families, cultures, and communities from around the world,” says Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
The top three sailors overall after 10 races in the 2025 IOR were Tyson first; Rhode Island’s Christian Petersen, representing Saunderstown Yacht Club, second; and Texas’s Maxime McCulloch, from Lakewood Yacht Club, third.
Tyson’s first place overall also put him at the top of the 13- to 15-year-old Red Fleet after 10 in the Championship fleet.
“I don’t always have good starts, but I did today. And I’m good at handling the wind shifts,” says Tyson. “I was nervous this morning because I wanted to stay in the lead. So, I tried to focus on my sailing.”