The third annual Virgin Islands Boating Expo will return to St. Thomas May 14-16, bringing luxury yachts, global brands and a focus on workforce development to IGY’s Yacht Haven Grande Marina, a press release announced.

The event, known as VIBE, will feature yachts available for sale and charter, including power and sail vessels, monohulls and multihulls. Brands such as Axopar, Sunreef, Lagoon and Tiara are expected to participate, according to the press release.

Organizers say the marine industry in the Virgin Islands continues to face a shortage of skilled workers, from diesel mechanics to marine electricians and fiberglass technicians.

A new addition this year is the “Charting the Future” gala, set for May 16 at Muse in Charlotte Amalie. Proceeds will support the Marine Rebuild Fund, a nonprofit created by the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association to fund its Marine Apprenticeship program, the release stated.

“Our industry offers incredible opportunities, but there is a real and growing shortage of technical marine talent in the Virgin Islands,” said Kennon Jones, executive director of VIPCA. “We need to ensure Virgin Islanders are prepared to take advantage of these opportunities.”

America’s Cup commentator Tucker Thompson will serve as keynote speaker. He said technical trades are critical to the future of the industry.

“The America’s Cup is first and foremost a design and engineering competition,” Thompson said. “There are more opportunities in boatbuilding, systems, and mechanics than there are for sailors.”

VIP tickets for the gala include a plated dinner curated by Chef Julius Jackson, open bar, music and a silent auction. General admission tickets will also be available with drinks and light bites from local vendors, the release stated.

Since its launch, the Marine Apprenticeship Program has graduated 89 students. Organizers said participants have gone on to earn captain’s licenses, marine certifications and jobs across the territory, with some entering military service.

Kitty Edwards, director of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and a founder of the Marine Rebuild Fund, said the program continues to grow.

“Every year at the Marine Apprenticeship graduation, I am reinvigorated with pride,” Edwards said.

Jamari Benjamin, a program graduate now working at the St. Thomas Sailing Center, said the experience helped build practical skills.

“What I value and liked best about the program is that it gets young people out on the water and increases your knowledge, experience, and skills out there,” he said.

Applications for the 2026 apprenticeship are open through May 15. The four-week training is free for eligible Virgin Islands residents ages 18 to 29. Apply here.

In addition to yacht tours, VIBE will host the Harbor 360 Vendor Expo, featuring companies in charter services, marine technology and conservation, including the University of the Virgin Islands.

Tickets are available online at vibe.vi/tickets.

For full VIBE event details, exhibitor information, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.vibe.vi.

The Yvonne Ashley Galiber Breast Cancer Foundation will host a free two-day Breast and Prostate Cancer Conference April 24 and 25 at the University of the Virgin Islands Albert A. Sheen Campus Great Hall on St. Croix, a press release announced.

The event, themed “Linked by Genes. United by Hope,” runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost both days, according to the press release.

Organizers said the conference will focus on how genetic makeup, family history and shared heritage influence the risk of breast and prostate cancers, along with prevention, early detection and survivorship.

Sponsored in part by the V.I. Public Finance Authority, the event is open to the public and designed to expand access to cancer education, care and support across the territory, the press release stated.

The conference is held in memory of the foundation’s founder, Yvonne Ashley Galiber, who died in May 2025 at age 62, the release stated.

Foundation President Cassandra Dunn said, “Yvonne believed in closing the gaps—between diagnosis and care, between fear and understanding, and between those with access to health resources and those without. Cancer touches all of us, as patients, as caregivers, as neighbors, as family. We must talk about it.”

According to organizers, the agenda will include presentations from local, regional and national experts on cancer risk factors, emotional impacts, genetic inheritance, nutrition, exercise and caregiving. Survivors will also share their experiences.

The event will feature separate sessions for men and women to allow for more private discussions, along with chair yoga activities for participants, the release stated.

Organizers said the conference is open to attendees from teens to seniors and encouraged early registration at yagfoundation.org. A closing reception will be held at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts.

The Yvonne Ashley Galiber Foundation is a nonprofit that supports individuals and families affected by cancer in the U.S. Virgin Islands through education, outreach and access to early detection services.

Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, April 12, through Saturday, April 18.

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The owners of one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest oil refineries have entered an agreement to build a wind turbine and solar power field along St. Croix’s south shore, refinery officials said Friday.

Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation signed a letter of intent with Davis, California-based Wind Harvest to build a renewable-energy and battery-storage project on the refinery’s coke dock peninsula.

The plan calls for Wind Harvest to develop a hybrid renewable-energy system with up to six megawatts of vertical-axis wind turbines, paired with six megawatts of solar generation and integrated battery energy storage.

The system would provide reliable, on-site power to support refinery operations while reducing emissions and improving redundancy for critical systems, refinery officials said in a press release.

Wind Harvest CEO Kevin Wolf cofounded the company 20 years ago and never dreamed he’d be partnering with an oil refinery.

“Not expected. I know they are trying to do a variety of low-carbon fuels and things like that but the world needs our technology,” Wolf said.

Developing the company’s eight patented technologies — including those that make the turbines hurricane resistant — required testing in Denmark, Texas, and elsewhere, and cost a lot of money. The more projects Wind Harvest can get up and running, the easier time it will have convincing banks that it’s a worthy investment, he said.

“It’s damn expensive and it takes a long time,” Wolf said.

Hybrid wind, solar, and battery storage projects are a growing trend in industrial energy systems, particularly in island and remote environments, where energy resilience, fuel cost reduction, and grid stability are key operational priorities, refinery officials said in a written statement

“This project has the potential to deliver meaningful value to Port Hamilton,” Port Hamilton Director David Johnson said. “Accessing locally generated renewable energy at a lower cost than conventional fuel-based generation improves long-term operating economics while strengthening energy resilience. It is a practical solution aligned with our operational and infrastructure objectives.”

The site itself is one of the windiest on St. Croix but has mounds of hosing, concrete and steel put there over nearly 70 years of oil refining, Wolf said. His company is also exploring adding a wind turbine at the island’s Leatherback Brewery.

Wind Harvest’s vertical-axis wind turbines are engineered for complex wind conditions, designed to operate in high-wind and hurricane-prone environments. The turbines’ compact design — just 60 to 90 feet tall — support deployment in industrial and coastal settings where conventional turbine configurations may be less suitable, Wolf said. The turbines have a hexagonal base and the turbine blades connect at two points, not one.

“Trade wind regions such as the Caribbean require durable and cost-effective renewable energy solutions,” he said. “Our technology is designed specifically for these conditions, offering a resilient approach to renewable power generation in challenging environments.”

The turbines also operate at a lower 50-kilowatt level, which helps in windy regions, he said.

The project was in the early development and data-gathering phase Friday. Near-term efforts were focused on advancing site development activities, resource assessment, and positioning the project to qualify for applicable federal investment tax incentives. Installation was projected for completion in 2028.