Photos © Ingrid Abery / www.hotcapers.com
Plenty of breeze and fun mark the 2008 BVI Sailing Festival Lay Day at the Bitter End Yacht Club
With a steady 25-30 knots of breeze, and killer puffs accompanying an occasional squall line, some die-hard sailors raced in North Sound on Bitter End Yacht Club’s Hobie Waves, Getaways and Lasers. For those who decided not to abuse themselves on the water, there was plenty of entertainment dockside at the Bitter End’s Pub where sailing videos accompanied copious quantities of food and drink. For others, the pool and the spa beckoned.
This year’s Nation’s Cup attracted ten teams, or at least 10 teams registered. It seems as though three teams must have chickened out because only seven competed. The event was sailed in Hobie Waves and Getaways, using a round robin format. Team France/Mad IV crew members took first place honours. Although the team registered for France, they are actually from the UK. (Huh?) Second was a local group calling themselves Mid Ocean; Guy Eldridge, owner of Luxury Girl and BVI resident, with long time team member Bryshaun Scatliffe. In third place was a team off of Bad Wine representing the Netherlands. The other teams, in the respective order of finish, represented England, Norway, USVI and London.
The Equation team had their fair share of fun this morning. Renting all of Bitter End’s Lasers, they ran their own informal races in North Sound. Geoff Werner, Special Events Coordinator, said, “It was so much fun to watch. There was always someone in the water and sometimes two or three. One would get his boat righted and another two would flip. I don’t know who had more fun, the sailors or the spectators.”
Tomorrow, for the Nanny Cay Cup, sailors will have a downhill sleigh ride back to Nanny Cay in forecasted 20 – 25 knots of breeze from of the Northeast. Cloud cover is expected but very little rain. 4:30 – 6:30 is the Mount Gay party at the Regatta Village and the later Carl Williams will provide the evenings entertainment.
For full details on the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival visit the official web site www.bvispringregatta.org