Kids Take To The Water in 2015 BVI Dinghy Championships
The Royal BVI Yacht Club hosted the 2015 BVI Dinghy Championships at Nanny Cay on 16 and 17 May.
Racing took place on the Sir Francis Drake Channel just off Nanny Cay. BVI Sailors were joined by sailors from St Croix, St John and St Thomas; there were 52 dinghies out on the water. The wind was light and shifty requiring more skill and patience from the young sailors.
ARC Europe and ARC USA Set Sail from Nanny Cay
Yachts sailing under the flags of 20 different nations and crews from many more, set sail from Nanny Cay on Saturday 9 May for their offshore adventures as part of two World Cruising Club Spring rallies; ARC Europe and ARC USA.
Venturing west to east across the Atlantic, over forty boats will sail with ARC Europe this year; 29 leaving from the British Virgin Islands, and 6 in the delayed start from Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. Both groups will converge in Bermuda and be joined by a further 6 boats to continue their ocean adventure to Europe and enjoy a cruise through the mid-Atlantic Azores archipelago en route.
Record fleet in Nanny Cay for World Cruising Club’s ARC Europe & ARC USA; depart Saturday
Venturing west to east across the Atlantic, more than forty boats will sail with ARC Europe this year; thirty leaving from Nanny Cay, and six from Portsmouth, Virginia, USA for the first stage of the rally, a passage to Bermuda where a further seven yachts will join. ARC USA sailors starting from Tortola include seven yachts headed for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, whilst sixteen boats sail alongside the ARC Europe fleet to Bermuda then onwards to ports along the US Eastern seaboard.
Triple Jack Sets New Round Tortola Record
On Thursday April 30, trimaran Triple Jack and crew managed to take 6 minutes and 38 seconds off their existing Round Tortola record, rounding the island in 2 hours, 33 minutes and 40 seconds. It is Triple Jack’s third Round Tortola Record.
Despite high hopes for optimal conditions with 15-20 knot winds from the SSE, winds were lighter than expected. Indeed, the winds softened for the important final leg from Soper’s Hole back to Nanny Cay after some unexpectedly big winds on the north side of Tortola.
Oyster Regatta BVI 2015
In Oyster’s 35th own class regatta, and the sixth Oyster Regatta BVI, a fleet of 15 Oyster yachts gathered at Nanny Cay before heading out on four days of racing around the British Virgin Islands.
Divided between two classes for the four days of racing, the gathered fleet showed the diversity in Oyster ownership from the 2000-built Holman & Pye Oyster 45 Taboo of St Helier to the very recent Humphreys Oyster 825 Reina.
Winners announced at Nanny Cay 2015 BVI Spring Regatta
With no less than six races and as many as 13, the BVI Spring Regatta provides an extensive time on the water in gorgeous conditions, all in just three days of racing. This year the wind, waves and courses have varied every day, giving the participants a wide variety of exciting and challenging racing. While the majority of Europe and the United States are still in the grip of cold weather, it is no wonder that sailors from 14 different nations have come to the British Virgin Islands for the regatta.
BVI Spring Regatta Beautiful In Blue
The second day of the BVI Spring Regatta was blessed with perfect sailing conditions and wonderful azure blue water, pumped up by 15 knots of warm tradewinds, blew through the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The British Virgin Islands offer stunning scenery and Mother nature has created one of the best racing areas anywhere in the world.
Wet & Wild First Day Of 2015 BVI Spring Regatta
Rain squalls ripped through the Sir Francis Drake Channel at the start of racing on day one of the BVI Spring Regatta, enhancing the trade winds to over 20 knots for most of the day. A short sea state, at times rising to three metres when the fleet was racing out of the Channel added gusto to the wet and wild conditions. Across the three combat zones, concentration, anticipation and ultimately boat handling were the keys to success in the big conditions. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that the breeze subsided to a relatively calm 18 knots, but by then, several yachts had been forced to retire with boat damage.
VP Bank Tortola Sloop Spring Challenge: Fairy Tale for Esmie
The 2nd Annual VP Bank Tortola Sloop Spring Challenge took place off Nanny Cay today as part of the BVI Spring Regatta’s Maritime Heritage Day. The sloops date back over 100 years and this year’s event had two noteworthy participants; His Excellency, John S. Duncan OBE, Governor of the British Virgin Islands and Sjoerd Koster, President VP Bank (BVI).