Yachts racing in the BVI Spring Regatta round Flannagan Island (Photo: Todd VanSickle)

"It gets really emotional by Sunday night because it takes an amazing amount of energy, time and patience each year, and so many people do so much to make it happen," said Judy Petz, Regatta Director. "I was really happy coming into this year's event with many new things in place. We built it so everyone - participants, visitors and locals - would have a great time, and I'm really confident that we succeeded in making that happen."

On the race course, Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) ran away with the Racing 1 division securing wins in all seven races: "The conditions were really good and you can't ask for better sailing," said Tonnerre de Breskens 3 helmsman Paul Wilcox. "The max wind we saw racing Saturday was probably 23 knots. So, you're not really on the edge, but if you do something a little bit wrong, your problems escalate quickly."

Tonnerre de Breskens - Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta

"Yesterday, the driving was more difficult and racing overall was more challenging. Today, you couldn't ask for more perfect racing conditions," said Jamie Torres, skipper of the Melges 32, Smile and Wave. "So, the challenge was to stay focused on the target, which was to beat Lazy Dog - our competition. It was about consistency and steady driving. It wasn't shifty, so it was all a matter of boat speed and boat handling. And, we did exceptionally well."

Smile and Wave, one of three Melges 32s from Puerto Rico racing on the One Design Course, led the fleet across the line in three of the day's four races. Lazy Dog holds the second slot, six points back. Smile and Wave hit a top speed of 20.7 knots on Saturday and the yacht posted her record of 24.7 knots at last year's BVI Spring Regatta.

Chris Haycraft's Pipedream, racing on the SOL course in Racing 3 Division - Credit: Todd vanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta

"It was all sorts of conditions - we had big rainy squalls, we had light spots, we had holes, big puffs and knock-downs," said Michael Meyer from St. Thomas - a trimmer onboard the J/122 El Ocaso who is sailing in his 10th BVI Spring Regatta. "We did very good the first two races - a first and second - and in the third race we kind of had a meltdown with the weather and some equipment failures, so didn't do too well. But, overall it was a great day."

El Oscaso saw breeze up to 24 knots and as low as 12 out on the SOL Course. The boat currently sits in second place in the Racing 2 division behind Team McFly / Quokka's Grand Soleil 43.

The Queen's Baton arrived to Tortola mid-day from Jost Van Dyke. Thad Lettsome, a 12-year-old local Optimist sailor and member of the Royal BVI Yacht Club, was the first to receive the Baton on the island of Tortola. He carried it onboard the 102-year-old Tortola Sloop Intrepid around Nanny Cay before handing it to Glenford Gordon, a local sailing silver medalist from the 2011 Athens Special Olympics World Games.  

The winning crew of J/29 Sweetness

The racing class sailed around Dead Chest and Peter Island before finishing on Norman Island. The cruising class hit the western tip of Peter Island, sailed around Norman Island and finished in front the cove leading to Pirates. Winds remained at 7-10 knots around the courses.

The J/29 Sweetness captured line honors and won the cruising class.

The crew of Tonnerre with the Nanny Cay Cup

"It shows how good we are," joked Tonnerre de Breskens 3, Ker 46 owner Peter Vroon. "We've competed on this boat extensively and the yacht is exactly five years old today. We started in Ft. Lauderdale and did Key West Week, then we did the RORC Caribbean 600 in Antigua, then raced in St. Thomas and now here. And, it's all been most enjoyable. We haven't got a light weather boat, but to win by two-and-a-half minutes is commendable."

Racing is a family affair for Peter Vroon. "I've got five family members here - two sons, a grandson, and a son-in-law," he said. Sons Bart and Coco, grandson Carlo and son-in-law Rinus were all part of the race crew as the yacht finished with a time of 3 hours, 15 minutes, 23 seconds.

Marc Blees brand new Contest 42cs,Beluga Gaastra, Holland, racing in Performance Cruising

Local BVI sailors will be rubbing shoulders with competitors from all over the world in the Regatta Village at Nanny Cay including: Australia, Antigua, Canada, Curacao, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Monaco, Puerto Rico, Russia, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Switzerland, USA and the US Virgin Islands.

The allure of racing in some of the most scenic, varied and challenging waters in the Caribbean is the reason that most competitors return each year. Uniquely, the BVI Spring Regatta race course takes place in the Atlantic Ocean, the Sir Francis Drake Channel and the Caribbean Sea.

The fun starts with a Mount Gay Welcome Party on Thursday evening.  Mount Gay is renowned for both their quality rum that makes any setting more exotic and the coveted red hats that are worn by racing sailors the world over. Before the band begins, an Aerial Performer will dance above the sands as Aragorn's Fireballs light the night sky.  Then the strains of music from Final Faze will fill the village.

Kevin Wrigley, Quantum Sails BVI

Now ten years later the company has become a mainstay in not only the Nanny Cay community but also the BVI.

Quantum Sail Design Group is a worldwide sail maker with over 50 sail offices located around the world. The BVI loft celebrated its 10-year anniversary in December.