BVI Spring Regatta

Competitors wait for wind in the Sir Francis Drake ChannelThere was no racing today, the first day of the BVI Sailing Festival. Principal Race Officer, Dave Brennan postponed the start of the race to Bitter End and indicated to the 48 competing yachts in the starting area to motor up towards Virgin Gorda, to see if the situation would improve. In the vicinity of Ginger Island, there were some signs of a stable wind developing, but it was short lived and racing for the day was called off shortly after 1100.

“Unfortunately the wind has not materialized and there will be no racing today.” Commented Dave Brennan, Principal Race Officer: “The important thing is now to make sure the fleet gets to the Bitter End Yacht Club as every indicator available to us is forecasting that there will be no wind today. However, tomorrow is looking far more promising with possibly 15 knots of breeze, so we hope to get the racing started then, perhaps with a race around Virgin Gorda for the Bitter End Cup.”

Team Trolly Car Credit: Louay Habib/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival. (Click image to enlarge)The BVI Regatta & Sailing Festival is famed for gorgeous sailing conditions, hot racing and a friendly atmosphere which attracts a large number of competitors with impressive sailing backgrounds. Registration for the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival opened at noon today and a steady stream of noteworthy sailors were enjoying a cold drink at the Regatta Beach Bar at Nanny Cay.

Team Trolly Car, a MarineMax 413 racing in the Bareboat Class aptly captures the true spirit of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival. The team is co-skippered by Peter Stazicker and Bill Petersen: “We have come here all the way from California and our main goal is to have as much fun as possible, but I have to say we do have some excellent sailors on board,” admitted Peter Stazicker. “Bill Petersen is a past Commodore of California Yacht Club and was also the mainsheet trimmer for Stars & Stripes in the victorious 1987 America’s Cup. His son, Willy Petersen has graduated from the University of Hawaii, where he was a prominent member of the sailing team. Of course we want to do well but above all we want to have a good time, that is the reason for coming to the British Virgin Islands.”  

Ready to Race? The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival starts on Monday 26 March Credit: Todd VanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival With only a few days to go to the start of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, the event organizers are busy preparing for a week of hot racing and legendary parties. The week of sailing kicks off with Sailing Festival registartion Monday 26 March. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Sailing Festival and a record entry of yachts from all over the world will be taking part.
 
The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival provides a myriad of fantastic sailing; breathtaking coastal racing, renowned buoy and round the islands racing. Undoubtedly the fastest yacht competing will be Paradox, skippered by Frenchman, Olivier Vigoureux. The 63-foot multihull is capable of ballistic speed, hitting a mind boggling 38 knots during this year’s RORC Caribbean 600 – sure to give Nanny Cay sponsored Triple Jack a run for her money!

The three-day 2012 Sailing Festival, the first part of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, starts on Monday.  Registration will take place from noon until 6pm when the Welcome Party kicks off at Peg Legs Restaurant. 

The Bitter End Cup, racing from Nanny Cay to Bitter End Yacht Club in the North Sound in Virgin Gorda, starts at 10 am.  To date, fifty-one yachts are registered for this kick-off event – 21 in the racing class, 8 in cruising, 20 in bareboat and 2 in multihull.

Willem Wester’s Grand Soleil 43, Antilope returns to defend their win Credit: Todd VanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival With less than one month to go until the 41st edition of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, a truly international cast is making ready to take centre stage in the beautiful sailing grounds of the British Virgin Islands. Well over 500 competitors are expected to enjoy some hot racing and fabulous shoreside entertainment –  and we’re looking forward to welcoming them all to Nanny Cay!
 
The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival has always attracted sailors from all over the world and this year is no exception, participants from at least 12 different nations will compete at this year’s event: Australia, British Virgin Islands, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden, United States and St. Martin.
 

Beautiful recycled awards for winners of the 2012 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival made by The Glass Studio Project The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, presented and hosted by Nanny Cay and known for its innovation on and off the race course, was the first regatta in the world to be recognized by Sailors of the Sea Clean Regatta Program with a Silver Certificate for its commitment to improving the ocean environment. This year the event organisers are going for the Gold certificate. Taking another giant leap forward in its conservation efforts they will be awarding prizes made from recycled glass from the 2011 event.

There is now less than two months to the start of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival and among a large fleet of charter yachts expected for the event, yacht clubs from across the globe can also take part in the third International Yacht Club Challenge (IYCC).
 
The Commodore of the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club has invited other yacht clubs from around the world to send a team to compete in the IYCC. Yacht clubs from around the world can select members to represent their club and charter a boat from Sunsail. The top prize is a Sunsail charter for a week, ­­­­­hopefully to be used returning the following year to defend the club’s title.

Antelope enjoying fantastic racing conditions went on to win Racing A in the 2011 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival. Credit: Todd VanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta& Sailing FestivalWith gorgeous sailing conditions and amazing scenery, the British Virgin Islands offer sailing enthusiasts an idyllic place to soak up the sun. The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival presented and hosted by Nanny Cay, is the highlight of the season in one of the world’s best sailing locations.
 
“With seven days of fun and five events to chose from, the regatta has a lot to offer, which is probably why it attracts so many different nationalities. It’s not all about hard-core racing, but we have that too. The regatta is a celebration of all that the BVIs have to offer.” commented Regatta Chairman, Bob Phillips.
 
Providing hot racing, great parties and a celebrated festival, the event includes a four-day Sailing Festival followed by a three day Regatta, punctuated with some fabulous shore side parties and events. For over 40 years, the BVI Spring Regatta has attracted some of the world’s most famous yachts and sailors and this year is no exception.

Clcik to enlargeWhat defines a magnificent regatta? Ask anyone who sailed in the 40th Anniversary BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival (March 28-April 3, 2011) hosted and presented by Nanny Cay, and you’ll hear the same thing: red-hot racing, professionally run courses, a family friendly regatta village, and—of course—killer parties…exactly what sailors on 122 different competing yachts experienced at Nanny Cay—the regatta’s base—this weekend.

While the 40th included plenty of firsts, including the inaugural Gill BVI International Match Racing Championship (March 30 and 31), one class that isn’t new is the venerable Squib. These keelboats are similar to Rhodes 19s and are used locally in a variety of youth-sailing programs, including Sailability, which helps facilitate sailing for everyone, regardless of a sailor’s mental or physical handicaps. “These particular Squibs raced in the first BVI Spring Regatta, forty years ago,” said Sue-Ellyn Eldridge, who runs the Squib class’ Race Committee. “We even had one of the original racers from 40 years ago, Peter Bailey, join us.” Eldridge squeezed off several dozen races using a variety of course shapes, giving crews plenty to smile about, regardless of their performance. “Just getting to the end of the regatta and being above the waterline, that’s a success right there.”