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IC24s racing at last year’s BVI Spring RegattaFor its 40th anniversary, the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival (March 28 to April 3, 2011) hosted and presented by Nanny Cay Marina, has announced a partnership with Gill to bring the Gill BVI International Match Racing Championship to its racing lineup. This invitational event, held from March 30 to 31, 2011 will feature eight teams racing in one-design IC24s off the shore of Nanny Cay. The event has been given Grade 3 status by ISAF, allowing international challengers to earn points towards their ISAF World Match Race Rankings. A professional race management team that includes Chief Umpire Tom Rinda and PRO Bill Canfield will ensure world-class competition and organization.
The Inter Caribbean 24s – or IC24s in local parlance – is a class of modified J/24s born and bred in the Caribbean. IC24s use old J/24 hulls and rigs, but with a significant twist. “We needed a platform to get active sailors into something that was economical,” says Chris Rosenberg, the co-inventor of the IC24 class. “We came up with the idea that if we put a Melges 24-style cockpit on a J/24, we’d have the perfect boat.” The result is a strict One Design boat that’s ergonomic, economic, and fun to sail. Because of this, the IC24 class consistently draws some of the top sailors in the entire Caribbean, making this one ultra-competitive class.
“Gill is delighted to sponsor and be part of the 40th anniversary celebration,” said David Pritchard, president of Gill North America. “Gill’s involvement with the Spring Regatta is in our DNA and lines up with our love for the area and passion for the cruising and racing lifestyle.”
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Gill-sponsored Melges 24 Budget Marine at last year’s BVI Spring RegattaGill’s involvement in the regatta is a tactical step as the brand is expanding into the Caribbean market. “It’s mostly a warm-water warm-air venue,” continues Pritchard. “When the going gets a little wet, I recommend an Inshore Sport IN7 FWG breathable waterproof jacket or Race Collection smock. Gill will have several 40th BVI Spring Regatta collection pieces available for sale online and during the regatta.”
The Sailing Festival, which is the traditional warm-up for the Spring Regatta, kicks off on Monday, March 28 with registration and Welcome Party at Nanny Cay Marina. The first leg is the Bitter End Cup, which races up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to the Bitter End Yacht Club, followed by a lay day full of fun activities, and then the Nanny Cay Cup race, which brings the fleet back down the channel to Nanny Cay. Sailors then switch gears, beginning Thursday night with the BVI Spring Regatta Mount Gay Rum Welcome Party, before getting down to the main event, the 40th Anniversary BVI Spring Regatta, which takes place from Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3, 2011.
Come and celebrate the 40 years of rich sailing history, tradition and fun that is the BVI Spring Regatta. Based on the range of events, the competition, the entertainment and the world-class sailing conditions, there’s no doubt that the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival’s 40th anniversary—along with the inaugural Gill BVI International Match Racing Championship—will be a legendary event.
Held annually on the first weekend of April, both the BVI Spring Regatta and the Sailing Festival are one of the top three Caribbean sailing events. The week encompasses seven-days with two events back-to-back attracting an average of 125 yachts per year with eighty percent of the competitors from overseas. The BVI Spring Regatta has been hosted and presented by Nanny Cay Resort and Marina since 2002 and has just renewed its sponsorship and support until 2016.
Visitors can fly to the British Virgin Islands through San Juan, Puerto Rico with American Airlines, Cape Air and LIAT. Flights are also available through Antigua , St. Maartin and Barbados on Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and BWIA. Ferry service is also available from St. Thomas and St. John.
