The Day The Round Tortola Record Fell Again And Again…

The Sailing Festival’s 2019 Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup on March 26 was a banner year for breaking, if not smashing, the Round Tortola record with the multihull record broken by three boats and the monohull record broken too.

A perfect day for record setting saw Fujin, the Bieker 53 catamaran owned and skippered by Greg Slyngstad, win the Nanny Cay Challenge with the fastest elapsed time of 1:57:16, breaking the standing multihull record set in 2015 by the trimaran Triple Jack of 2:33:40 – and the outright record of 2:14:54 set by Mike Hirst on a kiteboard in January that year.

The monohull record was also overturned by E1, the Volvo 70 skippered by Rafal Sawicki in an elapsed time of 2:53:08, beating the previous record of 3:08:43. set in 2016 by the TP52 Spookie.

Gunboat 62 Mach Schnell, owned and skippered by Kent Haeger also broke Triple Jack’s record with 2:00:39; Ineffable, the Rapido 60 trimaran owned and skippered by Steve Bourne did the same finishing in 2:19:54.

The benchmark Round Tortola record of 3:33:33 was set in 2010 by Triple Jack, a Kelsall 47 trimaran built in 1979.

The Nanny Cay Challenge

In the Nanny Cay Challenge yachts, kiteboarders, and paddleboarders visiting the British Virgin Islands are invited to make an attempt to beat the latest round Tortola records.

Nanny Cay launched the Nanny Cay Challenge for the round Tortola record in 2010 with Triple Jack’s benchmark time of 3:33:00. It’s an all-comer, any-day event, starting and finishing off Nanny Cay. Competitors (except paddboarders) must attempt the record anti-clockwise and round Beef Island, Scrub Island, Great Camanoe and Guana Island to port. The start transit is in line with the western tip of Peter Island and the western tip of Nanny Cay.

In addition to the substantial bragging rights, record breakers receive a crew dinner at PegLegs for up to 15 crew members; large bottle of Drappier champagne; and name on the perpetual trophy in Peg Legs.

The notional entry fee is a $250 donation to BVI charity of choice.

To date $2,700 has been raised for BVI charities:

BVI Humane Society: $700, Triple Jack & Nanny Cay – November 2023
Family Support Network: $250, Mike Hirst – January 2019
BVI Humane Society: $250, Triple Jack – April 2015
RBVIYC Youth Sailing Programme: $250, SPOOKIE – March 2016
RBVIYC Youth Sailing Programme: $250, Aiyana – March 2013
VISAR: $250, Aiyana – March 2013
KATS: $250, INTAC – November 2012
BVI Humane Society: $250, Triple Jack – October 2012
BVI Humane Society $250, Soma – April 2010