In the Classic Class, the beautiful vintage sloop The Blue Peter, skippered by Briton Mathew Barker, was the victor and took the honour of first boat to finish in Norman Island. It was a tremendous effort from a yacht that is over 80 years old. Photo: http://www.leightonoconnor.com/

Winners of Cruising Class: Multinational crew on board Spirit of Venus, Beneteau 40.7 Photo: William Torrillo/www.photo.vi

Ruth Phillips of Caribbean Insurers presents Hammertime II with the Racing Class prize. Photo: Alastair Abrehart/broadswordcommunications.com

Bright sunshine and a gentle breeze provided sublime conditions for the pursuit race with faster boats chasing down earlier starters in a game of cat and mouse around the beautiful islands, south of Tortola. 

In the Classic Class, the beautiful vintage sloop, The Blue Peter, skippered by Briton Mathew Barker was the victor and took the honour of first boat to finish in Norman Island, a tremendous effort from a yacht that is over 80 years old.

Barker has been renovating the boat for many years. "We crossed the Atlantic in Blue Peter taking part in a classic race from Cascais to Barbados and we plan to go to several Caribbean regattas, the next stop will be St.Barths before we go onto Antigua."

The Racing Division was set a course around Peter Island to starboard and Pelican Island to port before finishing just off Norman Island. Other classes enjoyed a shorter course snaking between Pelican and Flannagan Island before the finish.

There was a dramatic finish in the Racing Class with two boats overlapped through the finish line. Pasquale Leone's First 36.7, Hammertime II took the gun by a whisker from Marcus Chollerton-Brown's First 44.7, EH01.

Pasquale Leone comes from Ontario, Canada and usually races on Lake Ontario in Albacore dinghies: "That was great fun today, we started near the front of the pursuit and we knew there would be bigger faster boats chasing us down. I guess the significant point in the race was when we managed to lee-bow a competitor, slowing them down and giving us a kick forward. It is something we often do back home on Lake Ontario and it was just enough to get us to the line before EH01.”

Harry Robinson's First 40.7, Spirit of Venus came just ahead of Sophie Olivaud's all-French team on J/109 Albacor IV to take the prize. British Swan 51, Northern Child skippered by Christian Reynolds wasn't far behind in third. Harry Robinson has no less than eight girls on board the aptly named Spirit of Venus.

'We are a charter boat and some of the crew have never sailed before, so it takes a couple of days to reach a good standard, so the relaxed style of the BVI Sailing Festival before the more competitive BVI Spring Regatta, really suits us. It was a real fight to get a win today and it has put so much confidence into the crew."

Regatta Director, Judy Petz officiated at the prize giving ceremony accompanied by Ruth Phillips and Brian Jermyn who represented regatta sponsors, Caribbean Insurers Ltd.

Today is Tortola Island Day, 'Wind, Water & Wander', with Organisers calling the day ”an opportunity for visitors to really see what Tortola has to offer when not sailing."

The itinery offers snorkeling, diving and dolphin discovery trips, island tours and back at Nanny Cay Resort, Tortola Sloop racing and a Maritime Heritage display as well as the young sailors in the RBVIYC Youth Programme out racing Lasers and Optimist dinghies.

There will be kiteboarding/SUP lessons and a bar open throughout the day as well as local food vendors serving lunch/dinner on the beach.

Registration starts at noon for the main event, the three-day BVI Spring Regatta. Later in the evening there will be live music by Final Faze as the Mount Gay Rum Welcome Party kicks off the 2013 Regatta in style.