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New BVI Sailing Festival
www.bvispringregatta.org/bvi/ - Regatta Welt 2012
18 September 2012
Full-on Fun and Top Racing Set for New BVI Sailing Festival
The organisers of the week-long BVI Sailing Regatta & Sailing Festival hosted by Nanny Cay have announced exciting changes to the format of the popular three-day prelude to the BVI Spring Regatta in 2013 - known as the BVI Sailing Festival.
The programme includes a race around the island of Tortola for the Nanny Cay Cup,
a race to neighbouring Norman Island for some beach-time fun at Pirates Bar in The
Bight and then a chance to discover Tortola from a different perspective - on, off
and under the water - on the final day of the Festival.
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Foto: Todd vanSickle
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The Sailing Festival offers
competitors the opportunity to discover the magic of some of the 60+ islands that
make up the British Virgin Islands whilst taking part in the Regatta.
Change of Date for 2013
Hosted by Nanny Cay Resort and Marina on the island of Tortola, the BVI Spring Regatta
& Sailing Festival has moved the date of the 2013 event to March 25th-31st to allow
sailors to compete in several different regattas in a packed Caribbean racing calendar.
A Unique Regatta: Ocean, Channel and Sea
Bob Phillips, chairman of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival outlines plans
for a revitalized three-day BVI Sailing Festival: "We felt it was time for something
new, to keep the event fresh and interesting, particularly for our regular competitors.
After 10 successful years of racing to the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda
and back, it was time to offer something different. We are known as an innovative
and forwarding thinking regatta and enjoy making improvements to keep it appealing,
fun and interesting for the sailors and visitors."
"Few regattas offer the opportunity to race on really exciting and varied courses
each day in multi-challenging waters, which include the Atlantic Ocean, Sir Francis
Drake's Channel and the Caribbean Sea. The new format for the Sailing Festival will
ensure a pleasurable build-up to the BVI Spring Regatta and competitive racing on
some of the best race courses in the world. We might even see a new record for the
Nanny Cay Challenge in the Round Tortola Race. We are planning a Race-Beach Day
and an opportunity for visitors to really see what Tortola has to offer when not
sailing. We look forward to welcoming everyone to a really memorable 42nd BVI Spring
Regatta & Sailing Festival."
Nanny Cay's General Manager, Miles Sutherland-Pilch is looking forward to hosting
competitors from all over the world during the course of the week:
"Nanny Cay has been hosting the BVI Spring Regatta for over 10 years and we are
happy to support the new Sailing Festival format which will give more families and
friends an opportunity to come and enjoy the week, see more of Tortola and Nanny
Cay. We'll have a BBQ on the beach, live music and of course a full bar each night
of the Festival."
"The new Nanny Cay Cup, which will now race around Tortola, will give all competitors
a different view of the island. Adding in our Nanny Cay Challenge for the fastest
record around the island is really exciting. I was on the crew of Soma which holds
the fastest multihull record, so I personally welcome a new challenger to take the
title; plus the chance of winning a jeroboam of champagne should never be passed
up!"
Sailing Festival Programme
The new format for the BVI Sailing Festival at Nanny Cay will run from Monday 25th
through to Thursday 28th March 2013, when registration for the index BVI Spring Regatta
will take place with the traditional Mount Gay Rum Welcome Party. Starting on Friday
29th, the three-day BVI Spring Regatta includes the International Yacht Club Challenge
and culminates in the awards ceremony for the overall prize winners on Sunday 31st
March.
Tuesday March 26th
Round Tortola Race - Nanny Cay Cup
The Festival starts with a challenging 31 nautical mile race around Tortola for
the Nanny Cay Cup and seven class awards. If the forecast looks good, there's a
chance for entrants to throw down the gauntlet in the hope of smashing the existing
record for the Nanny Cay Challenge by setting a new elapsed time as they race round Tortola, starting and finishing
at Nanny Cay.
The current records to beat are: Monohull record (4hrs 15mins 05secs) set in 2009
by Jurakan, Dave West's Melges 32 and the Multihull record (2hrs 50mins 15secs)
set in July 2012 by Formula 40, Soma owned by Nils Erickson and Meredith Pridgen.
For these challengers, a jeroboam of champagne, dinner for 15 crew at Peg Legs Restaurant
and considerable bragging rights are up for grabs. Nanny Cay will also donate $250
to a local charity if the record is broken.
Wednesday March 27th - Race to 'Treasure Island' Beach Day
Starting from Nanny Cay, competitors will race across to Pirates Beach Bar on the
uninhabited Norman Island for a really fun day on and off the water. With a live
band, beach games on the white sands, SUP racing in the clear blue BVI waters of
The Bight as well as transport for family and friends who are not racing over to
the island, everyone can join in the fun. A true BVI Beach day on an island perhaps
most famous for being the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, Treasure
Island, with a rich history of acting as a hiding spot for pirate booty! A chance
to explore another beautiful BVI Island.
Thursday March 28th - Tortola Island Day - Wind, Water & Wander
+ Registration for the 2013 BVI Spring Regatta
The final day of the BVI Sailing Festival is Island Day. An opportunity for visitors
to really see what Tortola has to offer when not sailing: Snorkelling, diving and
dolphin discovery trips, island tours and back at Nanny Cay Resort, Island Sloop
racing for a maritime heritage display as well as the young sailors in the RBVIYC
Youth Programme out racing Lasers and Optimist dinghies. There will be kiteboarding/SUP
lessons and a bar open throughout the day as well as local food vendors serving
lunch/dinner on the beach. Registration starts at noon for the BVI Spring Regatta
with live music and the Mount Gay Rum Welcome Party to kick off the 2013 Regatta
in style.
The Notice of Race for the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival will be available
at the end of September.
Spectacular scenery on the race course at the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival/Todd
vanSickle
The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival is based at Nanny Cay Resort, Marina &
Boatyard/Todd vanSickle
Nanny Cay beach party, BVI-style/Todd vanSickle
Enjoying some great racing in the beautiful British Virgin Islands/Todd vanSickle
A fleet of IC24's are based at Nanny Cay and compete in the BVI Spring Regatta &
Sailing Festival/Todd vanSickle
Event Press | BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival | Tortola | Virgin Islands, British
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