35 Years Old and as Innovative as Ever, 2006 BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-01-23 09:38:20
Countries: British Virgin Islands

The 2006 BVI Spring Regatta, presented and hosted by Nanny Cay, will add a fourth race course to the already busy Sir Francis Drake Channel, March 31 - April 2. The one design course, which last year hosted IC24s, windsurfers, Lasers and beach cats, will split in 2006, with the windsurfers and beach cats branching out on their own to ensure that the only dirty air they get will be their own.

The Racing and Racer/Cruiser classes sail in the Copper Island course area with back-to-back racing on windward-leeward courses. The multi-start, multi-race format pioneered by the BVI Spring Regatta ensures that time on the water is spent racing. For those who enjoy a change of scenery, tour races may be added to the mix.

Performance/Cruiser, Multihull, Bareboat, Jib & Main classes sail on the Norman Island course area. Such is the geological/topographical nature of the BVI, that many of the marks from the previous regattas have been replaced by islands. On this race area - previously known as the non-spinnaker course - spinnakers are now permitted and allow those that don't want to race back to back, windward-leeward courses, the chance to fly a spinnaker, perhaps with less practiced or short-handed crew.

Also new for 2006 will be the "Tent Village". The tent village is a cooperative effort between Nanny Cay, the BVI Spring Regatta organizing committee and the Kids and the Sea (KATS) programme. This low cost housing has been introduced to encourage dinghy sailors from overseas to attend the event and the proceeds will go to KATS, the non-profit charitable organization dedicated to teaching children skills needed to safely enjoy the joys of boating.

"We believe it's a win-win-win arrangement," said regatta chairman Bob Phillips. "Dinghy sailors can have accommodation for $25 per night, KATS gets a nice cash boost over the period and the regatta, hopefully, gets more dinghies sailors from the region and perhaps further afield."

Four-man tents will be available to rent Thursday, March 30 - April 3 (four nights) for $200 US. The tents will be set up just south of Peg Legs' Landing in the grass conveniently located near the sailing, the Festival Village and the bathrooms. Basic facilities will be available at Peg Legs' or the campers will be able to use the new, luxury European style private full baths located at the Nanny Cay Hotel. Interested campers should contact Eddie Brockbank at Peg Legs Restaurant, (284) 494 0028, for full details and to make reservations.

The 2006 Sailing Festival - a low-pressure, three-day warm up for the regatta - starts on Monday, March 27 with a welcome party at Nanny Cay. Three days of destination cruising, racing and Layday fun including the Nation's Challenge Cup, lead up to the main three-day BVI Spring Regatta starting on Friday, March 31. The expanded seven-day format has turned the traditional three days of racing action into a week-long sailing festival that takes participants throughout the British Virgin Islands.

Held annually on the first weekend of April, the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year. It is now a seven-day event with two events back-to-back attracting an average of 135 yachts per year with eighty percent of the competitors from overseas. The three-day regatta takes place on the south side of Tortola in the Sir Francis Drake Channel on four different courses.

For more information www.bvispringregatta.org/