Black Pearl made its debut in the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October 2014 and recently competed in the RORC Caribbean 600. Photo: Provided

New this year is the Veuve Clicquot Island Invitational, a pursuit race to neighbouring Jost van Dyke, home of the world famous Foxy's Bar, where teams will be welcomed with beach games, BBQ and the music legend of the island, Foxy himself. Photo: Provided

The international fleet will be hosted by Nanny Cay Resort and Marina on the idyllic island of Tortola and is home to the yachts during the week and where the sand-between-the-toes partying takes place at the Regatta Village each night. 

The regatta attracts an eclectic mix of boats and crews, from first timers to regular racers and top professional teams too. Friday 3 April to Sunday 5 April sees three days of world-class racing action in the BVI Spring Regatta, but is preceded by the four-day Festival of sailing where teams will vie to break the record for the Nanny Cay Cup in the Round Tortola Race.  

New this year is the Veuve Clicquot Island Invitational, a pursuit race to neighbouring Jost van Dyke, home of the world famous Foxy's Bar, where teams will be welcomed with beach games, BBQ and the music legend of the island, Foxy himself. The lay day is a day to celebrate the maritime heritage of the British Virgin Islands with 100-year old Tortola sloops racing the VP Bank Tortola Sloop Challenge. That afternoon, registration opens for the BVI Spring Regatta with the traditional Mount Gay Rum Welcome Party.  

At the 44th edition of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, several new boats will be competing for the first time, including Stefan Jentzsch's all-carbon Germany flyer, the Carkeek 47, Black Pearl which made its debut in the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October 2014 and recently competed in the RORC Caribbean 600. The BVI Spring Regatta is the third event for the boat whose core crew of international professional sailors includes high-profile South African America's Cup navigator, Marc Lagesse. "The crew is looking forward to this event as a fun addition to Black Pearl's race calendar," says Jentzch, the German owner who is a passionate sailor.

About the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival

The 44th BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival will take place between March 30 and April 5, 2015. It is one of the top three Caribbean sailing events, with an average of 110 yachts per year with 80% of the competitors from overseas. The BVI Spring Regatta is jointly owned by the Royal BVI Yacht Club and the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association.
The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival is hosted by Nanny Cay Resort and Marina.

Nanny Cay-Resort Marina-Hotel-Boatyard is located between Road Town and West End on Tortola in the (British) Virgin Islands. Its fully equipped marina and boat repair facility has berths for 180 motor cruisers and yachts and two boat lifts of 50 and 70 tons capacity. Nanny Cay also includes a 40-room hotel and new waterfront townhouses for purchase and rental, two restaurants, a chandlery, a small supermarket, shops and boutiques, a dive shop, free WiFi service, and a gym and spa.  

Supporting sponsors include  Sunsail, VP Bank, Veuve Clicquot, Cape Air, Gill, BVI Marine Association, Golden Hind Chandlery, Yacht Haven Grande, Absolut, International Motors, Clearwater, Island Oasis and Government of the Virgin Islands.

This will be the 6th year the regatta will be awarded a Gold certificate from Sailors for the Sea, an Internationally recognised ocean conservation organisation which developed the Clean Regatta programme in 2008.