The 52nd BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival gets underway with registration today, March 31, 2025, with the Sailing Festival scheduled to start tomorrow, April 1, 2025, and the 3-day Spring Regatta on April 4, 2025. Photo: BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival/Facebook

Boats from fifteen different countries and racing enthusiasts from many more will be joining local sailors from the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands for the events. Photo: BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival/Facebook

Friday, April 4, 2025, will start the three-day Spring Regatta where the competition will truly play out. Photo: BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival/Facebook

Competing in this year’s event for the first time is a youth team (all under 26) from Antigua sailing on the RP37, Warthog, a Reichel Pugh design. Photo: Antigua News Room

The BVI Spring Regatta and the Sailing Festival is one of the top three Caribbean sailing events. Photo: BVi Spring Regatta/Ingrid Abery

At the presentation ceremony of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival at Nanny Cay in April 2024. Photo: BVI Spring Regatta/Facebook

Boats from fifteen different countries and racing enthusiasts from many more will be joining local sailors from the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands for the events.

Sailing Festival

The week of festivities starts with the Sailing Festival on Tuesday April 1, when the legendary Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup is sailed, followed by the Scrub Island Invitational on Wednesday April 2, which lightens the tone after the strenuous Round Tortola race, with a short 11 nautical mile sail to Scrub Island Resort and Marina where a fabulous beach party awaits at Marina Cay – a cherished gem of the British Virgin Islands, renowned for its laid-back bohemian vibe and warm hospitality.

Spring Regatta

On Thursday, April 3, a second round of registration for the BVI Spring Regatta takes place at the Spring Regatta Village. 

For those already registered, this allows a lay day for sailors, friends and families to explore and enjoy all that the BVI has to offer.

Mount Gay Race Day on Friday, April 4, kicks off the first of three races which make up the BVI Spring Regatta.

The Regatta attracts a diverse fleet of boats, in addition to a strong bareboat fleet. Sailors can join all five days of racing, or participate in a choice of three races: BVI Spring Regatta, Nanny Cay Cup Round Tortola, and Scrub Island Invitational.

Youth team from Antigua making debut

Competing in this year’s event for the first time is a youth team (all under 26) from Antigua sailing on the RP37, Warthog, a Reichel Pugh design. Jim Vos is the Owner/ Driver and the team consists of a large number of sailors from Antigua and Barbuda’s Star Sailors League (SSL).

Jules Mitchell, who is a professional skipper for Warthog, is also an Antiguan National Sailing Academy sailor, a previous Antiguan Laser champion, and a successful Spirit skipper whose first campaign was with many of the sailors now on Warthog. Mitchell led Warthog to class victory in the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series (Antigua) in February.

“We are really excited to sail in Tortola in the BVI Spring Regatta,” Mitchell said. “Conditions are always fantastic and the event has great onshore vibes. “Warthog was extensively refitted in Antigua by me and other Antiguan sailors, which is remarkable because that’s how the previous generation of America’s Cup teams functioned. She has become a true example of what a modern race boat encapsulates.”

Antigua aside, other countries represented this year include the UK, USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, France, and St Maarten.

Local representation
Regatta Chairman, Chris Haycraft whose father, Peter Haycraft OBE was one of the founders of the BVI Spring regatta in 1972, will be racing his Corsair F31 Ting A Ling II in the Sports Multihull Class, in what is always a fierce competition against other local boats like the Corsair F27 Ting A Ling, sailed by Graham Harney, Barney Crook’s Corsair 31-1D Airgasm, and Eddie Brockbank (Commodore/Royal BVI Yacht Club) on his Corsair Spring 750 Lucky 7.