Without our sponsors and volunteers the BVI Spring Regatta wouldn’t be what it is today. Sounds clichéd but there’s nothing more clichéd than a truism! Sponsors and volunteers keep the regatta going and growing and are as integral as the wind and the sea.
Another cliché is the retail phrase, “location, location, location”. The racing grounds of the BVI are unique and without this location we wouldn’t be able to offer some of the most unique racing world.
Nanny Cay Resort & Marina
Another location without which the regatta wouldn’t be the same is Nanny Cay Marina, host and presenting sponsor since 2002. This full-service marina has berths for 320 boats and always manages to squeeze in a few more for regatta week.
The ubiquitous regatta village at the mouth of the outer marina provides a perfect location to watch the racing from shore, and a short walk to the party from the inner and out marinas. Live music, food vendors, bars, and other entertainment make the regatta village the focal point of the shoreside activities.
Nanny Cay’s a 52-room hotel and waterfront townhouses for rental; restaurants and bars; a chandlery; a RiteWay store; and a sailmaker round out the marina’s offerings for the visiting racers and families.
Mount Gay Rum & RiteWay
A sponsor since the start, 54 years ago, the life blood of the regatta, and something that runs through all sailors’ veins, is Mount Gay Rum. Splicing the mainbrace since 1703, Mount Gay sponsors a race day ensuring that there is plenty of rum flowing for the podium winners. This year Mount Gay Race Day is Friday April 27 which kicks off the first of three days of racing of the BVI Spring Regatta. Eclipse, Black Barrel and XO will be handed to the winners.
Mount Gay Rum is distributed in the BVI by RiteWay which by extension has been a regatta supporter since the start. This year, RiteWay will also be bringing Heineken, Coke, Jack Daniels, Aix Rose, La Marca Prosecco and Maison Perrier to the party. RiteWay has recently expanded its selection of products in its Nanny Cay store, and also offers its free Mount Gay Rum Bus service, with complimentary rum punch, to the main supermarket in Road Town. As the regatta’s official provisioning partner you can order your provisioning online for delivery to your yacht.
For the third year RiteWay will be entering a team into the regatta. Colm Crilly, from the management team at Riteway and captain of sailing at the Royal BVI Yacht Club, is skipper of Team Riteway onboard a Sunsail 46. Crilly puts a team together that includes a mix of RiteWay employees, visiting staff from head office, and suppliers including representatives from Regatta sponsors Mount Gay Rum, Heineken, and Coca-Cola.
The history of the BVI Spring Regatta and RiteWay is inextricably linked. Peter Haycraft OBE, founder and chairman of RiteWay, together with Albie Stewart, put on the first BVI Spring Regatta in 1972. Mount Gay Rum was the event’s first sponsor and has sponsored the event ever since. Peter served as regatta chairman for 25 years and raced in 46 of the events. While he took many friends and staff over the years, 2024 was the first time there was a dedicated Team RiteWay entry.
Other Sponsors
Premier, full-service private bank VP Bank renews its sponsorship of the regatta after an absence and joins Government of the Virgin Islands, The Moorings, BVI Tourist Board, SOL, Portland Ship Yard, Sea Hawk Paints, 284 Media, CCT, Husky Towing, Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, Golden Hind Chandlery, La Marca, Talking Points, International Motors, Husky and Creative Waves, in keeping the event on an even keel.
