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2013 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
Übersicht -
NEWS RELEASE: Tuesday 26 March 2013
Champagne Start for Aiyana:
Round Tortola Race for Nanny Cay Cup
In today's Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup, Peter Corr's Alia 82, Aiyana
smashed the monohull record by nearly half an hour. Setting a new record of 3 hours,
29 minutes and 44 seconds for the 37-mile run around Tortola.
Victory for Peter Corr's Alia 82, Aiyana in the Round Tortola Race
Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
Aiyana is the largest yacht competing at the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
and the crew let out a big 'cheer' dockside as the news came through they had broken
the course monohull record. However, at the start of the race it didn't go according
to plan as Aiyana's owner, Peter Corr explains:
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Aiyana broke the monohull record in the Round Tortola Race
Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
Northern Child
Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
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"At the start, we only had about 8 knots of wind and we had to do a restart, so
we didn't think the record was on, but the breeze built to about 12 knots and with
the wind just south of east, it was a great direction for the race. As we went up
the east side of Tortola, the breeze built and we were getting lifted all the time
and managed to hoist an A-sail just around Beef Island. Things were really looking
up as we peeled to our symmetrical kite at Scrub Island."
Aiyana broke the monohull record in the Round Tortola Race Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI
Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
"On the Atlantic coast of Tortola we were back on the A-Sail and stayed way out
as we were worried about getting trapped with no wind under the island. We had some
great boat speed on a tight reach but we knew that the most difficult part of the
course lay ahead; getting through the narrow high sided gap between Tortola and
St.John. Just off Soper's Hole, we kept getting headed causing enough tacks to blister
my thumbs, but we held it together and then we knew that the record was pretty much
broken."
Dockside, Peter Corr was delighted to hear that Nanny Cay Resort & Marina had put
up a fabulous prize as new winners of the Nanny Cay Challenge for a record run:
Dinner for 15 people and a Jeroboam of Champagne.
"Fantastic! We have 15 on board and they cost a small fortune to feed," joked Peter.
"I would like to say a big 'thank you' to Nanny Cay and I have to say that I have
sailed all over the world but I love coming back to the BVI, the scenery is just
beautiful. This is my third trip to the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival and
it definitely won't be the last."
In the Cruising Class, Aiyana took overall line honours, however, after time correction,
two yachts beat the 82' sloop on handicap. Matthew Barker's stunning 1930s sloop,
Blue Peter was a magnificent sight, leaping to windward and utterly flamboyant under
a huge spinnaker downwind, the timeless classic was to claim second in class but
Swan 51, Northern Child skippered by Lucy Reynolds took the class win.
Northern Child - Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
Winner in the Bareboat Class was Dundee, skippered by Dutch racing expert Radboud
Crul who has competed in 25 North Sea Races. No doubt the crew will have enjoyed
the warm tropical waters of the British Virgin Islands as the current sea temperature
back home is close to freezing! Dundee got a great start to the race at the pin
end and led from start to finish, but the competition in the class is unbelievable.
In a race lasting about 5 hours, Dundee won by just 21 seconds from SAIL magazine
Editor, Peter Neilson's skipper of Merlin. The race for third was even closer, after
time correction, John Pinheiro's The Whalers (Tatjana) and Justin Barton's Justice
could not be separated and a tie for third place was the conclusion.
In the Racing Class, Marcus Cholerton-Brown's First 47.7, EH01 developed an engine
problem before the start but they needn't have worried, their boats speed under
sail was exceptional and the British charter boat romped home to take the class
win by over 12 minutes from Italian Swan 53, Meri Balletti, skippered by Jonathan
Taylor. Canadian First 36.7 Hammertime II, skippered by Pasquale Leone was third.
Tonight, Peg Legs beach bar at Nanny Cay Marina will be buzzing, the Nanny Cay Cup
Prize Giving will be followed by a Caribbean Buffet on the Beach with live music
supplied by The Razor Blades and The Fungi band. Racing continues tomorrow with
the Caribbean Insurers Island Invitational Race to Norman Island. ENDS/...
Preview by Louay Habib
Event Press | BVI Spring Regatta
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