Warthog, the Antiguan RP37, won the CSA Racing on the opening day of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival. Photo: BVISR/Tidal Pulse- Alex Turnbull

Racing in the 52nd BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival got underway on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, with the legendary Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup. Photo: BVISR/Tidal Pulse- Alex Turnbull

Racing in the 52nd BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival got underway on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, with the legendary Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup. Photo: BVISR/Tidal Pulse- Alex Turnbull

A crew hard at work during the Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup. Photo: BVISA/Tidal Pulse-Alex Turnbull

Finishing first in class with a corrected time of 3:59:33 was the Reichel Pugh 37 Warthog owned by Jim Vos and skippered by Jules Mitchell (Antigua) racing in the VI this week for the first time at BVI Spring Regatta. Photo: BVISR/Tidal Pulse/Alex Turnbull

The Leopard 50, La Novia, took first with a corrected time of 4:14:16 in the Cruising Multihull. Photo: BVISR/Tidal Pulse-Alex Turnbull

Ting A Ling locked in with Lee Overlay Partners the HH66. Photo: BVISR/Tidal Pulse - Alex Turnbull

Breeze in the low 20s and hitting the high 20s during several big squalls that blasted through the course kept sailors on their toes and weight on the rails.

At the end of it all, the overall trophy, the Nanny Cay Cup, was awarded jointly to the top monohull and top multihull, Warthog and Airgasm.

Racing Class

Finishing first in class with a corrected time of 3:59:33 was the Reichel Pugh 37 Warthog owned by Jim Vos and skippered by Jules Mitchell (Antigua) racing in the VI this week for the first time at BVI Spring Regatta.

Altivo, the Grand Soleil 44 helmed by Jorge Rodriquez (Dominican Republic), took second with a corrected time of 4:04:21, and in third was the Swan 58 WaveWalker helmed by Woody Cullen (USA) with a corrected time of 4:06:30.

Performance Multihull

The competition is often fierce among the local performance multihull fleet and yesterday was no exception as Barney Crook, owner/skipper of the Corsair 31-1D Airgasm beat his buddy Chris Haycraft racing on his Corsair F31 Ting A Ling II by just nine seconds, finishing with a corrected time of 3:20:03.

In third was the fabulous new Gunboat 72 Layla, finishing in a corrected time of 3:39:31.

Cruising / Performance Cruising

When the mouse is away the cat will play and Ben Daniel, captain of the ‘pay to play’ race charter Panacea X, a Salona 45, stepping in this week for owner Katy Campbell (Canada), did a great job helming Panacea to win with a corrected time of 4:04:34.

Cruising Multihull

Georges Coutu (Dominican Republic) helming his Leopard 50 La Novia took first with a corrected time of 4:14:16, beating Little Wing, the Perry Antrim 52 owned and helmed by Ron Boehm (USA) with a corrected time of 4:23:05.

Miles Sutherland Pilch, General Manager Nanny Cay, commented, “It’s fantastic to see this place come alive with the Regatta every year and to kick it off with a brilliant Nanny Cay Cup today, the winds couldn’t have been better; it was pretty rough and ready for some of them and salty by the time they got back. Everyone seemed happy, there weren’t too many gear failures, it was a great day.”

Scrub Island Invitational

Day 2 of the 52nd BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, today, Wednesday, is the Scrub Island Invitational.

The fleet will be set on a short 11 nautical mile to Marina Cay, where another fabulous beach party hosted by Scrub Island Resort & Marina will welcome competitors.