Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

BVI Spring Regatta- Day two, and the wind decided it would fill in

by Linda Phillips / Caribbean Racing on 4 Apr 2010
Fleet trying to race on Day 2, BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival 2010 (Photo: Todd VanSickle www.yachtshotsbvi.com) BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival http://bvispringregatta.org/
It was one of those mornings when sails look more like hanging laundry than anything else. Wind conditions improved as the second day of racing for the BVI Spring Regatta wore on. Presley King, sailing with Justin Barton on Justice, Bareboat B, is a local sage when it comes to predicting the winds in the BVI. When asked on the dock this morning what he was looking for today, he replied, 'Looking for a little more wind. As soon as the moon raise up, it should get more. The moon will raise up after 11.'

Although I really didn’t understand what Presley was talking about, and not many people I consulted believed his prediction, he was right. After a very slow start to the morning’s racing with very light air from the west, the breeze appeared to totally dry up and just when race officers were discussing the efficacy of continuing, the wind filled in from the north-east with a nice breeze, building to 15 knots by the middle of the afternoon.

In Racing A, Titan 15 finished the day with a flawless series of first place finishes over the day's three races, while Vela Veloce dutifully followed in second and Jim Grundy’s Bella Pita, a.k.a Scallywag Racing, third.

What did Jim Grundy, like best about the day was the racing? 'The timing is perfect. You don't have to wait around until all the boats in the class finish to start another race. The race committee was starting races on one side and finishing boats on the other. You don't see that in many other regattas and that's important to us because we have a fast boat.'

The Grundy's took delivery of Bella Pita last year, sailed her transatlantic and made land fall at the Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda. This is the first year the boat has raced in the Spring Regatta. 'The design brief is to do a three-year circumnavigation and sail in all the major races all over the world, including Sydney to Hobart.'

'Get two first places or if three races, three first places,' was Three Harkoms tactician/driver Vladimer Kulinichenko’s (Kuli’s) plan for today. Sailing in Racer Cruiser E division, Three Harkoms won all three races.

Only thee points separate the top three boats in Racer/Cruiser F. Puerto Rico's Julio Reguero, who campaigned an International 2.4m for the Paralympic Games in 2008, leads on his J/105, Umakua. The BVI's Peter Haycraft's Pipedream is one point behind with his Sirena 38, Pipedream, and another two points separate them from St. Maarten's Ian Hope-Ross on his Beneteau First 36.7, Kick 'Em Jenny.

Not at the top of the heap in Racer Cruiser Class but first at the weather mark in the second race today, Pat Nolan's J/33, Boomerang, and her all women crew, were leading by a full minute. 'It was great,' says Nolan, who operates Sistership Sailing School in the BVI. Her crew are all former students. 'The competition in our class is very keen and we're largely inexperienced,' says Katie Sharp, from northern Virginia. 'Don't get me wrong; we like sailing with the fellas, but, it's also nice to kick the boy's butts too.'


It is a tight race for the top spot in Bareboat A. Gerard Kraakman leads the pack in BVI Yacht Charters entry but only one point behind and tied for second place are both Christine Joseph with Toodles and Tony Mack in Re-Joyce.

Richard Starkey is skippering SHRM Financial Services, and sailing in Bareboat A. Currently in seventh place, he and his crew are not experienced racers but they are out there staying out of the way and having fun. 'We are trying to be on the start line close to the right time, unsuccessfully up to now. We are trying hard but we’re not a very good crew; we are just learning. We have style but no substance.'

Mike Kirk, crew member on the first place Performance Cruising Cayenita Grande, was all smiles this afternoon. 'The wind was great out there. Good wind behind Norman Island, little williwaws all over the place, really challenging, kept the crew literally moving backwards and forwards all over the boat. We worked and worked and worked, especially that first race. We earned that one; we really earned it.'

Perhaps the tightest race out there this weekend is on the IC24 course. Fred Ruebeck’s Team LIME is three points ahead of Fait Lugo on Orion. The top spot keeps switching back and forth and it will be anyone’s guess who will be first in class on the podium tomorrow.

Late this afternoon, BVI Spring Regatta has its first ever Virgin Textiles Fashion Show. Virgin Textiles has been a long time supporter of the regatta and this year really stepped up to the plate. Models and MC, Aja Royle, along with organizers Alex Durante and Brodie, all of who are young people that have grown up in Tortola, put on a great show.

Tomorrow will be the last day of racing and as they say, ‘the fat lady will sing’. Racing will commence at 10AM on all three race areas and many classes may see upsets as point spreads are close. Off the water, the day will begin for some with a 6:30 Sunrise Easter service on the beach. There will be two Easter egg hunts, one designed for the children mid-morning and one in the afternoon after racing for adults.

Before the awards, there will be entertainment by the Moka Jumbies, giant stilt walkers who are fabled to ward off evil spirits. After the awards, it’s the Bounce DJ's with their magic music and light show. It promises to be a jam-packed day with plenty of excitement on and off the water.

www.bvispringregatta.org

Maritimo S SeriesHyde Sails 2024 - One DesignBarton Marine Pipe Glands

Related Articles

GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D5
Stage set for Finals showdown in Marstrand With just one day to go at the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, the stage is set for a thrilling finale in both the Open and Women's classes.
Posted on 4 Jul
Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section.
Posted on 4 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 2
Light breeze, boat park buzz and big wins off the water >Day 2 brought lighter winds to Lake Garda, but the energy around the event stayed sky-high.
Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 3
French tour de force gives Paprec world championship lead As the Rolex TP52 World Championship passed its midway point today in Cascais, Portugal it is the French underdogs on Paprec, led by ocean racing legend Loïck Peyron, which has taken the overall lead.
Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again?
Posted on 4 Jul
International Moth Worlds begin this weekend
Pre-Worlds are under way at Malcesine From 6 to 13 July 2025, the 2025 Moth World Championship officially gets under way, hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine and preceded by the Pre-Worlds on 4 and 5 July. The event marks the culmination of three weeks entirely dedicated to foiling.
Posted on 4 Jul
K-Challenge gives opinion on proposed Protocol
Why the 38th edition could usher in a new era for the America's Cup Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, Co-CEOs of K-Challenge, jointly stated: “The provisional Protocol published on 23 May 2025 by Defender Emirates Team New Zealand is an important step forward for the America's Cup."
Posted on 4 Jul
PredictWind to show new race tracker in August
The Ocean Race joins with PredictWind as Official Tracking and Weather Services Supplier The Ocean Race, often described as the toughest test of a team in sport and widely recognised as a leader in impactful ocean health initiatives, and PredictWind, a global leader in marine weather forecasting, are collaborating on a new race tracker.
Posted on 4 Jul
2025 Transat Café L'OR is packed with surprises
73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th 73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandy.
Posted on 4 Jul
The Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue is back at sea
Peter Burling joining the team for the Rolex Fastnet Race After a refit that began in March, the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue was relaunched this Thursday, July 3. Lined up for the months ahead is an exciting race programme, culminating this year with the Transat Café L'Or in October.
Posted on 4 Jul