NEWS RELEASE: Wednesday 27 March 2013
In Pursuit of Happiness:
Caribbean Insurers Ltd Island Invitational
Pursuit Race to Pirates Bight, Norman Island, British Virgin Islands
Mathew Barker's 1930s classic yacht, The Blue Peter were first to arrive at Norman
Island in the Caribbean Insurers Island Invitational
Credit: http://www.leightonoconnor.com
Day Two of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival was blessed with ideal conditions
for the Caribbean Insurers Island Invitational Race to Norman Island.
Bright sunshine and a gentle breeze provided sublime conditions for the pursuit
race with faster boats chasing down earlier starters in a game of cat and mouse
around the beautiful islands, south of Tortola.
In the Classic Class, the beautiful vintage sloop, The Blue Peter, skippered by
Briton, Mathew Barker was the victor and took the honour of first boat to finish
in Norman Island, a tremendous effort from a yacht that is over 80 years old.
The Blue Peter skipper, Mathew Barker has been renovating the boat for many years.
"We crossed the Atlantic in Blue Peter taking part in a classic race from Cascais
to Barbados and we plan to go to several Caribbean regattas, the next stop will
be St.Barths, before we go onto Antigua."
The Racing Division was set a course around Peter Island to starboard and Pelican
Island to port before finishing just off Norman Island. Other classes enjoyed a
shorter course snaking between Pelican and Flannagan Island before the finish.
There was a dramatic finish in the Racing Class with two boats overlapped through
the finish line. Pasquale Leone's First 36.7, Hammertime II took the gun by a whisker
from Marcus Chollerton-Brown's First 44.7, EH01.
Pasquale Leone comes from Ontario, Canada usually races on Lake Ontario in Albacore
dinghies: "That was great fun today, we started near the front of the pursuit and
we knew there would be bigger faster boats chasing us down. I guess the significant
point in the race was when we managed to lee-bow a competitor, slowing them down
and giving us a kick forward. It is something we often do back home on Lake Ontario
and it was just enough to get us to the line before EH01. This is my third visit
to the BVI and I just love coming to Norman Island, it's a great spot to kick back
after a day on the water."
Harry Robinson's First 40.7, Spirit of Venus was just ahead of Sophie Olivaud's
all-French team on J/109 Albacor IV to take the prize. British Swan 51, Northern
Child skippered by Christian Reynolds wasn't far behind in third. Harry Robinson
has no less than eight girls on board the aptly named Spirit of Venus and the young
skipper believes that the regatta programme is a great idea:
'We are a charter boat and some of the crew have never sailed before, so it takes
a couple of days to reach a good standard, so the relaxed style of the BVI Sailing
Festival before the more competitive BVI Spring Regatta, really suits us. It was
a real fight to get a win today and it has put so much confidence into the crew."
Friends and family joined over a hundred competitors for the beach party at Pirates.
The sheltered anchorage known as 'The Bight' offers over 100 moorings for guests
and is central to numerous world famous scuba dive and snorkel sites such as the
Caves and the Indians. The 610-acre privately owned uninhabited Island also boosts
numerous hiking trials and a breath taking white sand beach, which is the site of
Pirates Bight Restaurant.
Regatta Director, Judy Petz officiated at the prize giving accompanied by Ruth Phillips
and Brian Jermyn representing regatta sponsors, Caribbean Insurers Ltd.
Tomorrow, is Tortola Island Day - 'Wind, Water & Wander'. The day is 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, Tortola
Sloop racing and 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. Some competitors may just
chose to relax at the pool or under a shady palm tree!
Registration starts at noon for the index event, the three-day BVI Spring Regatta
and later in the evening, live music by Final Faze and the Mount Gay Rum Welcome
Party will kick off the 2013 Regatta in style.
For more info: www.bvispringregatta.org
Preview by Louay Habib
ENDS/...
Ruth Phillips from Caribbean Insurers presents Hammertime II with Racing Class prize
Credit: Alastair Abrehart/broadswordcommunications.com
Enjoying a splash around in the water off Pirates Bight - The crew of Spirit of
Venus - Credit: Alastair Abrehart/broadswordcommunications.com
Pirates Bight, Norman Island - Caribbean Insurers Ltd Island Invitational - l Credit:
William Torrillo/www.photo.vi
Racing past Pelican Point in the Caribbean Insurers Ltd Island Invitational - Credit:
William Torrillo/www.photo.vi
Winners of Cruising Class: Multinational crew on board Spirit of Venus, Beneteau
40.7
Credit: William Torrillo/www.photo.vi
Event Press | BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival | Tortola | Virgin Islands, British
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