News

Dear Sailors, Its mid summer and the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival committee has been very busy preparing for more fantastic racing in 2014. We hope you are all out on the water and having a great summer. Save the date for March 31-April 6th for the 43rd BVI…

The large expanse of the North Atlantic lies just to the North of The British Virgin Islands and on this morning, the BVI Spring Regatta competitors got a real taste of it. The sea state kicked up to 2 metres and the wind speed for the first start was 20…

With 20 knots of easterly funnelling into bullets of pressure of 25 knots, the second day of the BVI Spring Regatta hosted by Nanny Cay Marina produced some electric action in the Sir Francis Drake Channel.

Pulses were racing, especially in the Melges and IC24 fleet who scampered downwind in a ball of spray, surfing at high speed. With no discard available in the BVI Spring Regatta, keeping clear of trouble was a major factor in the big breeze and the yachts that succeeded faired well on the leaderboard after a windy day in paradise.

His Excellency Boyd McCleary and Mrs McCleary opened the door of Government House on Friday, welcoming skippers taking part in the BVI Spring Regatta. Sponsors, international media and local dignitaries received a true BVI welcome at the reception that has become an annual tradition during the regatta.
At the reception, the BVI Spring Regatta was awarded a Gold Certificate by Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta Program and Regatta Director, Judy Petz was astonished to hear that the BVI Spring Regatta was the first ever regatta to be deemed carbon neutral – on the planet!

It was a day for watching the weather on the first day of the BVI Spring Regatta hosted by Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola. 10-12 knots of easterly pressure provided perfect conditions for the fleet at the start of the day and the Race Committee chose to use the string of beautiful islands on the south side of the Sir Francis Drake Channel as turning marks for the first race. The wind speed and direction oscillated somewhat to deliver shifty conditions and tactical racing. Later in the day, a heavy rainsquall caused an early end to proceedings due to unstable wind conditions.

Eight teams took part in the The Sol Optimist Challenge held off the beach at Nanny Cay Marina yesterday afternoon. A relay race with teams of three – comprised one racer, one beginner and one adult – was organized by Brian Duff, director of Sailing Development, Royal BVI Yacht Club (RBVIYC) to showcase the program. The format saw racers racing racers, beginners racing beginners and adults racing adults in the event which started Le Mans style and saw each participant rounding one or two marks off Nanny Cay, depending on their ability, before heading back to shore and tagging their team mate.

After two days of fabulous racing in the BVI Sailing Festival, the BVI Spring Regatta starts tomorrow, Friday 29th March with three days of racing in the spectacular BVI archipelago based at Nanny Cay Marina & Resort in Tortola.

While weather forecasts are predicting a light easterly breeze of 11 knots on Friday, stronger winds will pick up for the weekend, which should produce some hot racing in the Sir Francis Drake Channel, British Virgin Islands.

Day Two of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival was blessed with ideal conditions for the Caribbean Insurers Island Invitational Race to Norman Island. Bright sunshine and a gentle breeze provided sublime conditions for the pursuit race with faster boats chasing down earlier starters in a game of cat and mouse around the beautiful islands, south of Tortola.

In the Classic Class, the beautiful vintage sloop, The Blue Peter, skippered by Briton, Mathew Barker was the victor and took the honour of first boat to finish in Norman Island, a tremendous effort from a yacht that is over 80 years old.

In today’s Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup, Peter Corr’s Alia 82, Aiyana smashed the monohull record by nearly half an hour. Setting a new record of 3 hours, 29 minutes and 44 seconds for the 37-mile run around Tortola.

Aiyana is the largest yacht competing at the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival and the crew let out a big ‘cheer’ dockside as the news came through they had broken the course monohull record. However, at the start of the race it didn’t go according to plan as Aiyana’s owner, Peter Corr explains:

Hosted by Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, BVI, the biggest international sporting event in the BVI starts today, Monday March 25th with the 42nd BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival Registration for the Sailing Festival is now open and tonight a Welcome Party and barbeque at Peg Legs Beach Bar, located…