Visiting charter guests at this years BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival (March 31 – April 6) are guaranteed a podium place. Sunsail, the worlds largest yacht charter and watersports beach-club operator with a flagship base in the British Virgin Islands, is sponsoring the Charterers Cup for the bareboat classes.
The top three visiting charterers in the Bareboat I and II classes will receive awards, and the best overall charterer from both classes will receive the Sunsail Charterers Cup. “Were very pleased to be sponsoring these awards,” said Peter Cochran, regional director of Sunsail. “Theres always a strong Sunsail presence competing in the BVI Spring Regatta and we think its important that charterers, from any company, get recognized for their achievements at one of the Caribbeans premiere regattas.”
Historically strong opposition from local crews sailing in the the bareboat classes has sometimes knocked visiting charterers from the top slots. “The participation of what we call “works crews” has always caused a bit of head scratching,” said Bob Phillips, chairman of the BVI Spring Regatta committee. “The teams are good and often win. The BVI Spring Regatta, although an international event, is also a community regatta and we could never exclude or limit local entrants just because they were too good. This is the best of both worlds and visiting charterers now have two bites at the cherry. They can win their class and the Sunsail Charterers Cup.”
Billed as “two great events in one”, the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival starts on Monday, March 31 with a welcome party at regatta hosts Nanny Cay Marina. Three days of destination cruising and racing throughout the BVI follow leading up to the main three-day regatta starting on Friday, April 4.
The BVI Spring Regatta will once again be joining with St. Maartens Heineken Regatta (March 7, 8, 9) and Antigua Sailing Week (April 27 – May 3) for the fourth Caribbean Big Boat Series (CBBS) for yachts 60 feet and over. As well as the CBBS, the BVI Spring Regatta is the last leg of the Caribbean Ocean Racing Triangle (CORT) series; the first stop is the St. Croix International Regatta (February 15-17) and the second leg is the Puerto Rico International Regatta (March 14-16).
The BVI Spring Regatta is jointly owned by the Royal BVI Yacht Club and the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association. The 2003 BVI Spring Regatta is presented by Nanny Cay Marina and also sponsored by Heineken, Road Town Wholesale (1975) Ltd., Bitter End Yacht Club, the BVI Tourist Board, Cable & Wireless BVI, Village Cay Marina, Tortola Yacht Services, Prospect Reef Resort and Island Marine Outfitters.
For full details on the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival including the results and photos from this years event, please visit the official website: www.bvispringregatta.org, or call Bob Phillips, Chairman, BVI Spring Regatta (284) 494 2569, Fax: (284) 494 2034, or e-mail: chairman@bvispringregatta.org.
