Peg Legs Round Tortola Race

The 44th annual Peg Legs Round Tortola Race organised by the Royal BVI Yacht Club and sponsored by Nanny Cay, will take place on Saturday, November 23rd. Three classes – racing, cruising and multihull – will compete in the 37-mile race.

In the 43rd annual Peg Legs Round Tortola Race on Saturday (Nov 17), Melges 32 INTAC vanquished trimaran Triple Jack to take overall honours and set a new monohull record in the Nanny Cay Challenge. Completing the circumnavigation in 3 hours, 57 minutes and 36 seconds, INTAC took 17 minutes and 29 seconds off the time set by Jurakan, another Melges 32, in the 2009 race.

The crew of Jurakan, winners of the 2011 PegLegs Round Tortola RaceThe 43rd annual Peg Legs Round Tortola Race organised by the Royal BVI Yacht Club and sponsored by Nanny Cay, will take place on Saturday, November 17th. Two classes – racing and cruising – will compete in the 36-mile race.

Only two weeks after Dave West passed away, in a fitting tribute his crew sailed his Melges 32, Jurakan, to an epic victory in the Peg Legs Round Tortola race. This year’s race was dedicated to Mr West’s memory in recognition of his huge contribution to sailing in the BVI.

The 42nd annual Peg Legs Round Tortola Race organised by the Royal BVI Yacht Club and sponsored by Nanny Cay, will take place on Saturday, November 19th. Three classes – racing, cruising and multihull – will compete in the 36-mile race with all eligible for the overall prize. The much loved trimaran Triple Jack will be aiming to make it three wins in a row at this year’s race.

Geoge Lane, skipper of Triple Jack with the Round Tortola Race trophy – click to enlargeIn winds gusting in the 20-25 knot range on the north side of Tortola, Triple Jack, a 32-year old Kelsall One-Off skippered by George Lane, won the PegLegs Round Tortola Race on Saturday, November 20, for the second year in a row, beating second-placer igoodia by a shy one minute on elapsed time.  Jack Dusty III a Pearson 40 skippered by 84-year-old Bill Hirst won cruising class.

The 45-foot Triple Jack circumnavigated Tortola in 3 hours 53 minutes and 27 seconds missing her personal best, set last year in unprecedented conditions for the race, by 20 minutes exactly.  Breaking the daggerboard lost them some of the precious minutes needed to beat last year’s time, as did the outhaul giving way near Scrub Island. More photos after the break…

Triple Jack, winnner of last year’s PegLegs Round Tortola RaceThe annual PegLegs Round Tortola Race organised by the Royal BVI Yacht Club will take place on Saturday, November 20th.  This 36-mile event is in its 41st consecutive year of running and this will be the third year in a row that the fleet will undertake a complete circumnavigation of Tortola, starting and finishing off Nanny Cay.  

After numerous line honours in the Round Tortola Race since her arrival in the BVI in 1997, Triple Jack managed to claim overall victory in last year’s race.  In conditions seemingly made for this trimaran, she circumnavigated Tortola in three hours, thirty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, setting the round Tortola record. She beat closest rival Jurakan, a Melges 32, by 42 minutes across the line.  Jurakan currently holds the monohull record of 4 hours, 15 minutes and 5 seconds.

Triple Jack sails past Road HarbourAfter numerous line honours in the Round Tortola Race since her arrival in the BVI in 1997, Triple Jack managed to claim overall victory on the fortieth anniversary of the Peg Legs Round Tortola Race held Saturday, November 21st.  In conditions seemingly made for this trimaran, she circumnavigated Tortola in three hours, thirty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds beating closest rival Jurakan, a Melges 32, by 42 minutes across the line.

With the wind blowing from the south-south-east, unheard of in its 40-year history according to race veteran Peter Haycraft, the fleet was predominantly able to sail directly to Beef Island and once on the north side reach directly to Soper’s Hole.  Once there, however, the lottery of the fickle winds played havoc with some competitors’ finish times but not Triple Jack’s – she “rattled through” in three painless tacks.

Kevin Rowlette skippers Willy T to Racing Class and Overall victory in last year’s Peg Legs Round Tortola Race. The Peg Legs Round Tortola Race will take place on Saturday, November 21st.  This 36-mile event is in its 40th consecutive year of running and more than ever before bragging rights are on the table.  This will be the second year in a row that the fleet will undertake a complete circumnavigation of Tortola, starting and finishing off Nanny Cay.  

Records on the best times are a little sketchy but Triple Jack’s 2002 time of 3 hours and 55 minutes from Road Town to Nanny Cay, and just shy of a complete circumnavigation of Tortola, is the target. Sprightly 30-year old Triple Jack, a Kelsal 47, is expected to compete this year along with last year’s overall winner, Willy T (Olson 30) and fastest boat, Jurakan, a Melges 32.